Rating: 
Summary: The Best Santa Claus movie ever!!!
Review: After seeing this movie when I was little, I instantaly loved it! A 23 year old in college who now officially owns the movie on DVD still brings me tears of joy by watching a film by Jeannot Szwarc. This movie is divided into two parts, the origins about a carpenter of toys became the worlds greatest joy to children and the counterfit who wants to take over Santa's job the ruthless B.Z..but eventually deafeated by two wonderful children (Joe and Corniella) with a little help with good ole Claus and Patch...don't forget the reindeer...Director Szwarc, really brought the film alive by using simple methods on making a film..I know he cares for his crew and cast members by not sending out into harsh working conditions and not spending a great deal of money by going to NYC or other places around the world. Even though NYC looks very real in movie. In the movie we see people who really cares for each other and remain loyal to their friends even in the time of trouble. Every one in the film did an excellent job...5 stars+...MAD PROPS!!!
Rating:
Summary: Santa Clause The Movie
Review: Always one of our favorites! Warm and Fuzzy with a wonderful story and actors!
Rating: 
Summary: Somebody Please Show Santa The Way...
Review: An enthusiastic, colorful project about how the "real" Santa came to be, and the ruthless businessman who wants to take over his trade, "Santa Claus the Movie," directed by Jeannot Szwarc, stars Dudley Moore, David Huddleston and John Lithgow. It's a movie with an interesting concept and a touch of magic to it, but comes across as something of a contradiction in terms of what specific audience it's trying to reach. Szwarc serves it up as if it were fare for the younger set exclusively, yet the story beneath all the fluff, color and dazzle is geared more toward the adult mind set, with a plot (especially the way it's delivered) that could possibly be a trifle confusing and beyond the grasp of the very young. It makes a vivid visual statement (especially the first glimpse of what becomes Santa's workshop), but the overall "look" of the film is rather cheesy, and the F/X are reminiscent of something out of the '50's T.V. series "Flash Gordon;" somewhat below the level you would expect, even from a movie made in 1985. Lithgow plays "B.Z.," the toy manufacturer with more than a touch of the "Grinch" in him, who wants to cut in on Santa's action and take over Christmas. He approaches the character with zeal-- to say the least-- taking it over the top into what amounts to a combination of his "Dr. Lizardo" from "Buckaroo Banzai," and "Dick" from T.V.'s "3rd Rock From The Sun;" a caricature that comes off too sleazy to be much fun. Dudley Moore is "Patch," one of the cleverest of the Elves, who outdoes himself vying for Santa's attention. He's colorful (just about everyone in this movie is), but Moore makes him so pretentiously droll that it's hard to like him very much. It's a character that would fare better on "Sesame Street," or alongside "Barney," rather than in a major motion picture. Of all the actors involved in this film, David Huddleston (Santa), manages to turn in the most notable performance. His looks and voice are well suited to the role of Santa Claus, though the grayness of his beard and hair are questionable (perhaps the "white" comes with age; this is Santa at the beginning of his career, after all). And Judy Cornwell (Mrs. "Anya" Claus) also does extremely well with her character; this is the Mrs. Claus I believe most people envision. The supporting cast includes Jeffrey Kramer (Towzer), Christian Fitzpatrick (Joe), Carrie Kei Heim (Cornelia) and Burgess Meredith in a cameo as the "Ancient Elf." Szwarc tries hard, but never seems to be able to make that necessary emotional connection with the audience that would've made "Santa Claus the Movie" at least more watchable. As it is, it's a fairly tedious journey on a road that, for the most part, goes nowhere. It has all the elements you'd expect in a movie about Santa Claus, but though the attempt was valiant, the filmmakers in this case just spent too much time trying to put square pegs in round holes.
Rating:
Summary: Best Christmas movie ever
Review: An exceptional performance by David Huddleston. John Lithgow is a really excellent actor. Dudley Moore couldn't do better. I am 17 and I still believe in Santa and I watch this movie every year . Its my aboslut favorite.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful DVD version is widescreen
Review: Anyone buying a copy of this film should really get the wide screen DVD version. The flying sequences are so much better in widescreen as are the scenes in the North Pole toy factory. The "full frame" pan and scan version just can't hold a candle to the widescreen (I have both so have carefully compared them.)There is an excellent director's comment track with questions being asked by the Special Projects Consultant for Anchor Bay (the company distributing the DVD) and answered and expanded upon by the director, Jeannot Szwarc. It is worth the price of the package alone. However there is also a great "making of" feature that was produced as a TV documentary at the time of the theatrical release of the film. This is a really great Christmas film for the whole family. The first hour telling the story of how a simple wood cutter and toy maker become Santa Claus is completely charming. David Huddleston is a wonderful Claus. Dudly Moore is excellent as the elf, Patch, who is into everything and constantly inventing new gadgets. He shows his tender side as he grooms and takes care of the reindeer. It is really tragic that Mr. Moore now has the disease that make it impossible for him to perform any longer. That makes this film that much more of a treasure as it shows him at the top of his form as an actor. (Too bad the producers couldn't have used his musical talents in some way.) John Lithgow is a delightfully hammy villain in the second portion of the film showing the early stages of the character he later does in "Third Rock From The Sun". The two children are also great, very real and not the cloying poor child actors that could easily have been used. Trim the tree, light a fire in the fireplace, pour an egg nog and enjoy the very special Holiday treat!.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful DVD version is widescreen
Review: Anyone buying a copy of this film should really get the wide screen DVD version. The flying sequences are so much better in widescreen as are the scenes in the North Pole toy factory. The "full frame" pan and scan version just can't hold a candle to the widescreen (I have both so have carefully compared them.) There is an excellent director's comment track with questions being asked by the Special Projects Consultant for Anchor Bay (the company distributing the DVD) and answered and expanded upon by the director, Jeannot Szwarc. It is worth the price of the package alone. However there is also a great "making of" feature that was produced as a TV documentary at the time of the theatrical release of the film. This is a really great Christmas film for the whole family. The first hour telling the story of how a simple wood cutter and toy maker become Santa Claus is completely charming. David Huddleston is a wonderful Claus. Dudly Moore is excellent as the elf, Patch, who is into everything and constantly inventing new gadgets. He shows his tender side as he grooms and takes care of the reindeer. It is really tragic that Mr. Moore now has the disease that make it impossible for him to perform any longer. That makes this film that much more of a treasure as it shows him at the top of his form as an actor. (Too bad the producers couldn't have used his musical talents in some way.) John Lithgow is a delightfully hammy villain in the second portion of the film showing the early stages of the character he later does in "Third Rock From The Sun". The two children are also great, very real and not the cloying poor child actors that could easily have been used. Trim the tree, light a fire in the fireplace, pour an egg nog and enjoy the very special Holiday treat!.
Rating:
Summary: Santa Claus The Movie
Review: Anyone who loves the magic in Christmas will love Santa Claus the movie. My tape is so wore out from constant use by my kids and their cousins that I need another copy. Anyone who gives this movie a bad review has obviously lost touch with their inner child. They should be called a grinch . Obviously their hearts need to grow a lot bigger.
Rating:
Summary: A MODERN MASTERPIECE
Review: Arguably the finest film of the 1980's.
Rating:
Summary: The Magic of Christmas
Review: As a child this movie made me believe in Santa all over again. It is truly magical! The legend of Santa Clause presented in this movie will always be the "real" Santa to me!
Rating: 
Summary: NOT MUCH CHEER IN THIS ONE
Review: Boy this one really had everything needed to be a monster hit and one that would live through the ages. Just goes to show you that money can't buy everything. The movie was produced by Ilya Salkind, the man Behind the Superman movies and had a huge budget.
David Huddleston stars as Santa Claus and the first part of the movie focuses on his origin of how he was a simple toymaker who gave away toys and got lost in a bad storm and was rescued by the elves of the North Pole and became Santa.
The first part is all well-done. The North Pole looks fantastic and the big budget really is on display. Santa's workshop and the Elves look exactly as you might expect. I think this was the best interpretation of the North Pole at least until the Santa Clause came along a few years ago. And Santa and his sleigh take full advantage of the special effects wizardry used to make Superman Fly.
Unfortunately the second part of the film really fizzles out. It deals with an Elf named Patch played by Dudley Moore who comes up with more modern methods of making toys but Santa wants to stick to the old ways. Feeling Shunned, Patch goes to New York and hooks up with a sleazeball toy manufacturer named B.Z. played by John Lithgow. BZ wants to exploit Patch's toy-making methods and essentially put Santa out of business for his own greedy ends.
I guess someone thought that Moore would make a great elf...that is if you want your elves to look old and inebriated. Just didn't do it for me. Likewise Lithgow plays another one of his eyes-bulging over the top villians that he would do so often in the 80's and 90's and came off very comic-bookish.
Huddleston really saves the movie from being a total loss. He looks good as Santa and plays with role with warmth and charm. As noted earlier the special effects are the other star of the film, especially in an era of CGI effects that we have today, these still hold up well.
|
