Fred Claus (2007)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Phil H

  
  Great film, probably the best Xmas movie for years. It works mainly because of Vaughn and his deadpan, sarcastic deliveries and being an average Joe in his forties. It makes you feel good not because of the Xmas factor but because Vaughn makes you feel happy and comfortable about… More
  Great film, probably the best Xmas movie for years. It works mainly because of Vaughn and his deadpan, sarcastic deliveries and being an average Joe in his forties. It makes you feel good not because of the Xmas factor but because Vaughn makes you feel happy and comfortable about being an average Joe. The everyman who has to put up with life's crap just like the normal folk outside Hollywood. Spacey and Giamatti are also very good in their roles as expected. It does look and play out like ALL other Xmas films but a slight twist on the plot, a few neat visual gags and some good verbal make all the difference. The legal side with Spacey is quite special but the sloppy ending almost spoils it...but its a nice flick.

• Sophie B

  
  Not the funniest film ever but it does make you feel like you need to be more tolerant of your family and help them out during the holidays. Something to get you in the mood.

• Anthony L

  
  You don't have to be a cynical old Scrooge like me to see through this transparent nonsense. The moral message is totally confused, just when it becomes time to explain themselves, someone throws a dwarf in the air like it's funny and socially acceptable. Where exactly was… More
  You don't have to be a cynical old Scrooge like me to see through this transparent nonsense. The moral message is totally confused, just when it becomes time to explain themselves, someone throws a dwarf in the air like it's funny and socially acceptable. Where exactly was Santa born and in what time period? At least it got one thing right, Christmas is all about receiving - that's it. I would say that this is just another capitalist consumer Coca-cola Christmas story but I don't think the writers are that intelligent. The only redeeming feature was the support for people living in their brothers shadow scene but then even that felt like a wasted opportunity. I can't say I was that disappointed though as it pretty much matched my low expectations. Directed by David Dobkin, ah now it makes sense!

• Brad W

  
  This is not a jolly film, its funny for a while and then becomes very dark and creepy, but had a great moral that some kids aren't bad, mayb ethey just didn't have a fair childhood and it wan't their fault, and they shouldn't be discriminated from any other kids.

• KJ P

  
  Fred Claus is very cliche and very boring, right up until it hits ist's mark halfway through. It earns back everything it was drgging behind and leaves you with just enough emotion to cry along with at the end. Tears of joy filled my eyes, and it should to everyone. It's… More
  Fred Claus is very cliche and very boring, right up until it hits ist's mark halfway through. It earns back everything it was drgging behind and leaves you with just enough emotion to cry along with at the end. Tears of joy filled my eyes, and it should to everyone. It's definitely not a great film in anyway, but it is extremely touching.

• Dean M

  
  This Christmas movie is funny and has many hilarious moments. The message that there is no naughty child and consequently every child deserves a Christmas gift is great. The cast leaded by Vince Vaughn is fantastic and I really liked this movie.

• Film C

  
  its a cute little christmas movie that makes you lighten up the mood for christmas! its funny, cute and has a great cast! Worth a watch!

• Wahida K

  
  I dont know, I think it was worth watching once.

• Brian D

  
  Was'nt really fuss about this but took a looky and wow i loved it.Very funny and loved the two lead in this,rest of the cast is good to in there supporting roles. Yes it still has a christmas message to be good and all that crap but not really rubbed in your face that much. All… More
  Was'nt really fuss about this but took a looky and wow i loved it.Very funny and loved the two lead in this,rest of the cast is good to in there supporting roles. Yes it still has a christmas message to be good and all that crap but not really rubbed in your face that much. All in all great movie and worth checking out now or at christmas time..

• Bruce B

  
  Finally a mondern Christmas movie, that you don't have to worry about cursing and nasty scenes. My faith is almost restored in Hollywood. This is a pretty cool movie as Fred Claus is forced due to finances to go help Santa for Christmas, and Santa comes up lame and Fred Saves the… More
  Finally a mondern Christmas movie, that you don't have to worry about cursing and nasty scenes. My faith is almost restored in Hollywood. This is a pretty cool movie as Fred Claus is forced due to finances to go help Santa for Christmas, and Santa comes up lame and Fred Saves the Day. Oh yea its going in my collection and very few Christmas films after 1989 make it there.

• Mark H

  
  It's difficult to like a Christmas movie where the Santa is such a feeble pushover. Add an irritating efficiency expert played by Kevin Spacey and you have the cinematic equivalent of a stale Christmas fruitcake no one wants. Shamefully wasted cast boasts three Oscar winners… More
  It's difficult to like a Christmas movie where the Santa is such a feeble pushover. Add an irritating efficiency expert played by Kevin Spacey and you have the cinematic equivalent of a stale Christmas fruitcake no one wants. Shamefully wasted cast boasts three Oscar winners and two nominees!

• Randy T

  
  Have you ever noticed that your impression of a movie can be influenced by the company you're with when you see it? I rented this one and watched it with a very nice (very HOT) lady friend of mine. I can't say that my mind was always on Vince Vaughn or Paul Giamatti (you… More
  Have you ever noticed that your impression of a movie can be influenced by the company you're with when you see it? I rented this one and watched it with a very nice (very HOT) lady friend of mine. I can't say that my mind was always on Vince Vaughn or Paul Giamatti (you see, there was this AWESOME cleavage just a few inches away) but the parts I saw I really liked.

• Luke B

  
  A film about being overshadowed by a sibling. This wasn't the raucous lowbrow comedy I was expecting. Vaughan and Giamatti make excellent an excellent duo, never really hating but certainly at a distance. Spacey's appearance is confusing and goes back to an earlier film… More
  A film about being overshadowed by a sibling. This wasn't the raucous lowbrow comedy I was expecting. Vaughan and Giamatti make excellent an excellent duo, never really hating but certainly at a distance. Spacey's appearance is confusing and goes back to an earlier film "See No EVil, Hear No Evil". The film mostly feels kind of flat. It never explores avenues to there full extent and a love story between an elf and a woman is simply distracting and pointless. The film doesn't have as much magic as you would hope and the comedy is mostly misfires. One scene, showing a group of under appreciated brothers of celebrities is hilarious and hints at the kind of comedy this film should have gone for.

• danny d

  
  this was a bad movie, lets just get that out of the way. i rate it this high however because there were two scenes, the superman scene and the brothers anonymous scene, that were amazing, and because the cast was phenomenal despite the silly script. elizabeth banks might be more… More
  this was a bad movie, lets just get that out of the way. i rate it this high however because there were two scenes, the superman scene and the brothers anonymous scene, that were amazing, and because the cast was phenomenal despite the silly script. elizabeth banks might be more beautiful in this film than in any ive seen, and the cameo's were excellent. there are a lot of downsides however. the whole "board" thing is stupid, who can shut down santa? and some of the conflicts created were contrived. the film did have an odd charm to it that made it fun. while not a new holiday classic, its watchable.

• Derek A

  
  <i>Fred Claus</i> fails to deliver a classic Christmas movie that will impact audiences for years to come. It's not as endearing as <i>Elf</i> nor is it as funny as <i>Bad Santa</i> or Jim Carey's <i>Grinch</i>. What's… More
  <i>Fred Claus</i> fails to deliver a classic Christmas movie that will impact audiences for years to come. It's not as endearing as <i>Elf</i> nor is it as funny as <i>Bad Santa</i> or Jim Carey's <i>Grinch</i>. What's even more disappointing is this film's attempt at being family oriented. It's more like a drama pretending to be a Christmas movie. This film deals with a wide variety of inner struggles and other deep family issues that aren't conventional in family-oriented Christmas films. These underlying themes overshadowed the overall atmosphere. Where <i>Fred Claus</i> succeeds is it's casting and delivery. The film boasts an all star cast: Vince Vaughn, Rachel Weisz, Kevin Spacey, Paul Giamatti, Kathy Bates, Jessica Banks, and Ludacris. ALL of them completely wasted here... especially Weisz! You come to expect nothing short of Oscar-worthy performances from her lately, but yet this role was a complete waste that could've been used by a no-namer. Kevin Spacey was the only big name who did something special with his role. He was the perfect diabolical creepy Christmas killer. There was also a really good cameo scene with Roger Clinton, Frank Stallone, and Stephen Baldwin... get the connection? Not-so famous brothers who are over-shadowed by their famous siblings... a bit cheesy and it's definitely over kill, but it was still entertaining. In the end, it doesn't feel like a Christmas film and it won't stand out as a classic. I don't recommend it. Vince Vaughn delivers some funny lines, and all the A-list actors can't save this film. It's at least better than all those Tim Allen Christmas films....

• James A

  
  A horrible dull Xmas movie with Vaughn being Vince Vaughn.

• Chris G

  
  I'll admit that I'm not too keen on Christmas movies. Most of them are the same plot over and over again and maybe that's why I actually enjoyed Fred Claus. It actually seemed like something fresh (unless you're looking back at Santa Claus: The Movie, which was… More
  I'll admit that I'm not too keen on Christmas movies. Most of them are the same plot over and over again and maybe that's why I actually enjoyed Fred Claus. It actually seemed like something fresh (unless you're looking back at Santa Claus: The Movie, which was garbage). The basic story is that Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) is Santa's (Paul Giamatti) older brother who comes to the North Pole to help out for a $50,000 loan. In the meantime an efficency expert (Kevin Spacey in level-A asshole mode) is making observations on whether or not Santa should be fired or not. The film is a harder edged Christmas movie (not as much as Bad Santa) and the characters (including Santa) do learn something at the end of the film. They have to: it's a Christmas movie. It's not your typical Christmas flick, but it still sits in the holiday section.

• Manu G

  
  The movie was kinda funny at times and the story is kinda typical but its a cool movie to see. Fred Claus, Santa's bitter older brother, is forced to move to the North Pole.

• Roy G

  
  A pleasant little seasonal gift

• Jose Z

  
  Its a good movie, not the typical christmas kind. This could be consider as a family film but not precisely for little children, yes it has its funny parts but some of the themes are too complex for kids. The story about Santa's older brother who feels less appreciated than him… More
  Its a good movie, not the typical christmas kind. This could be consider as a family film but not precisely for little children, yes it has its funny parts but some of the themes are too complex for kids. The story about Santa's older brother who feels less appreciated than him and that his life is a total mess, is original and interesting. It has some nice effects. The music is excellent. A film with a good rhytm. The cast is wonderful, Vince Vayghn is jilarious as always, Paul Giamatti makes a very good and different Santa, not always laughing and happy, but more like a human type. Kathy Bates as Santa and Fred's mother is a joy to watch her and Kevin Spacey in the role of the evil supervisor in charge to close the North Pole is awesome, it was a very funny performance, so different of what he ussually does. In conclusion, its a very entertaining and enjoyable movie with a very good message.

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