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Review
Archives
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Today's
Date is:
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The
Santa Clause - Widescreen Special Edition
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Reviewed
by: |
David
Litton |
| Genre: |
Comedy
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| Video: |
1.85:1
anamorphic widescreen |
| Audio: |
English Dolby
Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish Dolby Digital
5.1 |
| Language: |
English,
French, Spanish |
| Subtitle: |
English,
Spanish |
| Length: |
97
min |
| Rating: |
PG
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| Release
Date: |
10/29/2002 |
| Studio: |
Walt
Disney Pictures |
| Commentary:
|
None |
| Documentaries:
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None |
| Featurettes:
|
"So You Want to Be An
Elf" featurette |
| Filmography/Biography:
|
None |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
None |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
|
"Santa's
Helper" trivia adventure game, Making Santa Snacks with Wolfgang
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| Cast
and Crew: |
Tim Allen,
Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd, David Krumholtz,
Larry Brandenburg |
| Screenplay
by: |
Written by:
Leonardo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick |
| Produced
by: |
Brian Reilly, Jeffrey
Silver, Robert Newmyer |
| Directed
By: |
John Pasquin
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| Music: |
Michael Convertino
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| The
Review: |
In "The Santa Clause," Tim Allen
plays Scott Calvin, a toy company executive divorced from
his wife, Laura, with whom he shares a young son, Charlie.
It's Christmas Eve: Charlie isn't too hip about spending the
night with his father, who insults Laura's psychiatrist husband,
Neil, burns scorches the turkey, takes them out to Denny's
for dinner, and just doesn't seem to be in the spirit of the
season. ***
If you're beginning to see a pattern
in lieu of the old troubled-man-sees-the-error-of-his-ways-through-otherworldly-experience,
then you're sixth sense is right on track. "The Santa Clause"
is your basic all-around plot, with Calvin seeing his world
changed forever when Santa Claus falls from his roof, leaving
him as the replacement. He and Charlie go from house to house,
only to return to the North Pole for a little advising and
hot chocolate, upon which he learns his situation. And if
the eight rather large reindeer, a gorgeous sleigh, the big
red suit, and the fact that he can squeeze down chimneys without
so much as a grimace of pain isn't enough to convince him,
then the changes he undergoes before next Thanksgiving will.
***
The basic plot for this exercise
in holiday cheer may not be as fresh as the execution, but
it doesn't detract from the experience. Screenwriters Leonardo
Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick are quite playful with the material,
and with the help of director John Pasquin's vision, they
have crafted some very cheerful moments and inspired moments.
A scene in which Federal Express fills Calvin's home with
giant red boxes that hold the famed "list" is truly marvelous,
and under Tim Allen's gleeful performance, the changes his
character goes through in becoming Saint Nick are witty and
humorous. The special effects are a bit lame, and the first
twenty minutes or so can be rather tiresome, but the production
values and family appeal of the movie will undoubtely find
a place in one's heart. It's not a classic, but it's magical
in its own way.
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| Image
and Sound |
The
1.85:1 image has been anamorphically enhanced this time around,
and is much more pleasing than the previous release. Fleshtones
are more accurate, and colors are more resilient and full of
energy. Detail is nicely rendered and edges are sharp, though
some images are a bit muddled. overall, the picture is an improvement
from before, and fits the material. The sound is mastered in
Dolby Digital 5.1, but remains somewhat unimpressive. This is
mostly a front-end track, with surround engaging for the occasional
sound effect and some score. Dialogue sounds natural throughout,
and deep bass is pretty much limited to one or two instances.
The track fits the material, but it's nothing spectacular, and
could do with some improvements. |
| The
Extras |
Sure,
the last release was a bare-bones treatment, but given the crap
that this new special edition has been saddled with, it makes
the previous DVD look admirable by comparison. The featurette
"So You Want To Be An Elf?" is one of the worst featurettes
to come along since the inception of DVD: basically, it's the
elves doing their thing, crossed with about thirty seconds of
behind-the-scenes footage... zzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!. Even worse, the
interactive game is neither fun nor challenging, or even interesting,
and "Making Santa Snacks with Wolfgang" is like one of those
television cooking shows, only much more tasteless. |
| Commentary |
None
|
| Final
Words: |
If
you own the previous edition, the improved image quality may
be worth it, but the features don't really tickle the fancy.
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