Summary

Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is back! After being Santa Claus for nearly thirty years, he’s as jolly as ever. But as Christmas declines in popularity, so does his Santa magic. Scott struggles to keep up with the demands of the job, as well as being there for his family. Upon discovering there is a way to retire from his post, Scott considers stepping down as Santa Claus and finding a worthy successor so that he can become a better father and husband. 

What to Watch Before

• “The Santa Clause (1994)”
• “The Santa Clause 2 (2002)”
• “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)”

Breakdown

“The Santa Clauses (2022),” created by Jack Burditt, fails to recapture the Christmas magic that made the original trilogy so special. 

The writing is hit and miss throughout the whole series. Certain scenes do a great job of recapturing the magic but then an elf pun ruins the scene. The thing that made the original three movies timeless was that these movies were written to help adults believe in Santa again, but this show is clearly directed towards children and it hurts the show in the long run. There is a good message about the spirit of Christmas but it gets lost in a marshmallow world of horrible jokes.

The acting is a strong factor especially when it comes to Allen’s Santa Claus. He still knows how to shake his belly like a bowl full of jelly 16 years later. Elizabeth Mitchell does a great job at reprising her role as Carol/Mrs. Claus. The chemistry between Allen and Mitchell is undeniable. Elizabeth Allen-Dick and Austin Kane do an excellent job at capturing the brother-sister dynamic while giving their character each distinct characteristics.

(L-R) Matilda Lawler, Elizabeth Allen-Dick, Austin Kane, Tim Allen and Elizabeth Mitchell in “The Santa Clauses: Chapter Two The Secessus Clause.” (Disney/James Clark)

The CGI of this show is very hit or miss which is unfortunate because with CGI seeing is believing when it comes to a show. When we see the reindeer flying Santa’s sleigh at the beginning it is painful to look at, but then other creatures throughout the show look so semi-realistic that I have to ask why the reindeer look like the CGI came from the 90s. While the CGI of the movies in the early 2000s looked so real that when a show comes out 16 years later and looks worse, it goes to the top of the naughty list. 

The Naughty or Nice List

I have divided elements from the show and put them on a naught and nice list after I checked it twice:

My Thoughts

I feel that this show would have been better served as a fourth movie as “The Santa Clause 4: The Secessus Clause” instead of a series. The idea and plot was overall a good idea, but failed in execution in this format. Allen’s Santa Claus has been the face of Christmas since I was born, but even I was very on the fence with this show. Certain episodes were a lot better than others, but the weaker episodes are definitely the reason the show falls flat from expectations. From cheesy writing to horrendous CGI, season 1 of “The Santa Clauses” earns a spot on the naughty list with a 2 out of 5 Candy Canes. 

Episode Ratings

• “Chapter One: Good To Ho” – 2 out of 5 Candy Canes
• “Chapter Two: The Secessus Clause” – 2 out of 5 Candy Canes
• “Chapter Three: Into the Wobbly Woods” – 3 out of 5 Candy Canes
• “Chapter Four: The Shoes Off the Bed Clause” – 1 out of 5 Candy Canes
• “Chapter Five: Across the Yule-verse” – 3 out of 5 Candy Canes (gets an extra candy cane for Bernard)
• “Chapter Six: A Christmas to Remember” – 3 out of 5 Candy Canes

Image 1: Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) and Bernard (David Krumholtz) reunite for the first time since “The Santa Clause 2.” (Disney/James Clark)
Image 2: Santa Claus (Tim Allen) and Mrs. Claus (Elizabeth Mitchell) check on the elves in the workshop. (Disney/James Clark)
Image 3: Santa Claus (Tim Allen) prepares to deliver toys to all the children on Christmas Eve. (Disney/James Clark)
Image 4: Sandra (Elizabeth Allen-Dick), Mrs. Claus (Elizabeth Mitchell) and Cal (Austin Kane) watch Santa prepare for his rounds. (Disney/James Clark)
Image 5: Simon Choksi (Kal Penn) and Santa Claus (Tim Allen) wonder through the Wobbly Woods. (Disney/James Clark)
Image 6: Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) and Carol Newman (Elizabeth Mitchell) adapt back to the real world after Scott retires from being Santa. (Disney/James Clark)