Tim Allen dons the big red suit a third time in Santa Clause 3, which most critics agreed was an "overpacked hamper" of tired gags and dull slapstick. Of course there are those who relish the excuse to overindulge in Christmas turkey. In December 2006, the film opened close behind Borat and Casino Royale, filling Santa's sack with plenty of your hard earned cash.
Sleighing Each Other
Martin Short has his moments as the dastardly Jack Frost, but in The New Comedians cast and crew may be overstating the appeal of his partnership with Tim Allen. Apparently watching them improvise is "like watching King Kong vs Godzilla," says Judge Reinhold (Dr Miller). Director Micheal Lembeck probably hits closer to the mark when he says, "It's like I have two 7-year-old kids and they won't listen to me." A smattering of b-roll proves the point, as does a blooper reel featuring Short and Allen giggling like naughty schoolboys.
Another three-minute featurette skates over the challenges faced by the costume department. Martin Short was initially made up like 'a British punk from the 60s,' but Lembeck confesses it just wasn't working. Likewise, Elizabeth Mitchell had a tough time as a portly Mrs Claus in the early days of production. She was caked in latex up to her eyeballs and unable to convey any emotion as a result. Well, that's her excuse anyway.
The Magic Of Christmas
A look at visual effects is so quick you might think you were hallucinating. It focusses mainly on Santa's magical fireplace, an anthropomorphic horror designed to look like the face of Tim Allen. The man himself steps in an out of it with the help of CGI, but there isn't a better explanation of this process or of the other hundreds of effects shots in the movie. Production design, which obviously played a major part in the film, barely gets a look in.
Lembeck tries to make up for those shortcomings in his commentary. He says the snowbound village of the elves was created with the help of a British effects company along with 17 tonnes of limestone sand, one-and-a-half tonnes of epsom salts ("for texture"), hundreds of pounds of white glitter and lots of cotton blankets. He also makes reference to the yawningly long alternative opening presented on this DVD, which retraces the story through the previous two films. After showing it to test audiences he concluded, "We just weren't getting enough bang for our buck." And we suppose that explains all the subsequent pratfalls.
Aly & AJ's music video for Greatest Time Of Year is strictly for the tweenie boppers and only drunken grownups are likely get a kick out of the Christmas Carol-oke featuring 7 old time classics. In essence this DVD is like a prettily packaged gift that you'll rip open only to find that it's socks again.
EXTRA FEATURES
Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause DVD is released on Monday 12th November 2007.
