Fred Claus (2007)
December 14, 2022 7:41 AM - Subscribe

Of the two Claus brothers, Fred (Vince Vaughn) is the troublemaker and polar opposite of his saintly sibling, Nicholas (Paul Giamatti). When Fred's criminal ways finally land him in big trouble, Nicholas bails him out and brings him to the North Pole to work off the debt by making toys. The headaches mount for St. Nick, who not only must deal with his troublemaking brother, but also an efficiency expert who has come to evaluate Santa's operation.

Also starring Kevin Spacey, Miranda Richardson, John Michael Higgins, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, Kathy Bates, Ludacris.

Directed by David Dobkin. Written by Dan Fogelman.

21% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently streaming in the US on HBO Max. Also available for digital rental. JustWatch listing.
posted by DirtyOldTown (5 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Disclaimer: I find Christmas as a holiday to be crass, commercial, insincere, and kind of phony. BUT! I love it anyway. As such, corny, insincere Christmas movies don't bother me at all. This is a fun one, where I'm concerned. It's bad, but it coasts pretty far on the charm of its cast who seem to be having a great time.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:43 AM on December 14, 2022 [1 favorite]


I've been wondering how watchable this is. The premise is attractive and the cast for sure should be watchable, but you know how these things go!
posted by rhizome at 5:38 PM on December 14, 2022


It's mostly a function of whether the stock Vince Vaughn ne'er-do-well character is charming to you or not.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:07 PM on December 14, 2022


The lynchpin to a watchable cast...I decided some time ago that his blowhard schmuck thing was fine with me. Have you seen "The Internship?" Makes me chuckle just thinking about it. He and Owen should really make more of their pairings, like a Hope & Crosby thing. Plus I think Giamatti makes good decisions for the most part, so his presence lends legitimacy.
posted by rhizome at 10:26 PM on December 14, 2022


Kevin Spacey AND Vince Vaughn? Yikes! It's a Very Problematic Christmas!
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:30 AM on December 15, 2022 [2 favorites]


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