Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1569 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-11-12
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 88 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The third entry in this popular series of festive family comedies, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause brings Tim Allen back as Scott Calvin, a man who has to juggle his family life with a dual role as Santa. This time, there’s a newborn in the offing, an invite to his in-laws and a house full of people all ready to enjoy the festive season. What could go wrong?

Well naturally things don’t quite go to plan, as entering stage left is Martin Short as Jack Frost, who has plans of his own for the Christmas season. Thus, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause sees Scott Calvin and his family continuing to try and keep Christmas on schedule, whilst trying to foil the antics of Mr Frost, sticking closely to the formula that’s made this franchise a hit in the process.

It’s hardly surprising that there’s nothing radically different about The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, but then that’s hardly the point. This is a very much an easy holiday crowd-pleaser, that bundles in solid family entertainment and a good number of chuckles across its running time. It’s worked for the series before, and it works again here, proving to be a welcome seasonal treat, and a fitting third part of a very family-friendly trilogy. Roll on Christmas! --Jon Foster

Synopsis
THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE, the third instalment of the popular holiday series THE SANTA CLAUSE picks up with Everyman-turned-Santa-Claus Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) just days before Christmas. Not only is toy production behind schedule, but another special delivery is on its way--Scott's wife, Carol/Mrs. Claus (Elizabeth Mitchell) is pregnant. To add to the pressure, Carol's parents are coming for a visit, prompting an emergency make-over for Santa's Village (into a nondescript Canadian town) to protect Scott's true identity. With all this on his mind, Santa is more than happy to let his fellow seasonal icon Jack Frost (Martin Short) step in and help out. But Frost has an ulterior motive: angry over his secondary-figure status and longing to have his own holiday, he tricks Santa into giving up his reign, and Christmas falls into the hands of Frost. Scott, no longer Santa Claus, must decide between resuming his previous life or saving Christmas from the cold-hearted Frost.


This film conveys the message that Christmas is about family and the human spirit--not commercialism. In addition to the holiday association, the film also encourages teamwork and problem solving through positive means, even when things look like they can't get any worse. THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE is an entertaining holiday film, perfect for the whole family, and a fitting continuum of THE SANTA CLAUSE series.

Synopsis
Holiday magic mixes with comical chaos at the North Pole in The Santa Clause 3. Tim Allen reprises his roll of Scott Calvin - aka Santa - as he juggles a full house of family and the mischievous Jack Frost (Martin Short), who is trying to take over the "big guy`s" holiday.

At the risk of giving away the secret location of the North Pole, Scott invites his in-laws (Ann-Margret and Alan Arkin) to share in the holiday festivities, and upcoming birth of baby Claus with expectant wife, Carol - aka Mrs. Claus (Elizabeth Mitchell).

Along for the adventure are Scott`s extended family, son Charlie (Eric Lloyd), ex-wife Laura Miller (Wendy Crewson), her husband, Neil Miller (Judge Reinhold) and their daughter, Lucy (Lilina Mumy) who together with head elf Curtis (Spencer Breslin), foil Jack Frost`s crafty scheme to control the North Pole.

Customer Reviews

Merry Christmas!
I went to see this film with my friends last Christmas just before university stopped for the holidays and we thought it was brilliant! It was funny (we laughed out loud a few times), it was exciting and it really gave us the spirit of Christmas after a hard slog!
It's not the most adult of films..but then it was never trying to be! Kids would see it as magical im sure, and me...a bit of magic and a bit of fun...exactly what christmas should be about :)

Santa Faces a Third Clause
Christmas is coming, and things are busier then ever at the North Pole. Not only does Scott Calvin, aka Santa (Tim Allen), have to get ready to deliver toys all over the world, but his wife Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell) is getting ready for a delivery of her own.

She is also missing her family. So Scott decides to invite her parents (Alan Arkin and Ann-Margret) to visit for the holiday. Scott's ex-wife and her family also manage to get an invitation as well. But the visiting family only adds to the stress load.
But that's the last of Scott's problems. Jack Frost (Martin Short) feels left out. He wants his own big holiday, not just to be the front-runner of the big red guy. When he is almost tossed from the Society of Enchanted Beings, he talks Scott into letting him help get everything ready for the big day.

Unfortunately, Jack's real mission is to sabotage Santa's job and learn the secret of the escape clause. If he can do that, he'll take over the role of Santa and leave Scott with nothing. Will he succeed?

I love the first film in the series and enjoy the second. This one is just as enjoyable. Yes, the story is predictable, but it is entertaining and heartwarming. I felt like cheering at the end.

And the actors continue to do a great job. The entire cast from the first two movies is back, with one noticeable exception. David Krumholtz wasn't able to return as Bernard. While his character was missed, it didn't hurt the film too much.

There is lots to laugh at in this movie. There are lots of great puns on the word elf and some great visual gags as well. Unfortunately, the Canadian jokes (they pretend to be Canadian for the in-laws), do where thin fast, eh? I especially enjoyed the way they worked bits of the first film into this one.

Is this the magical classic the first one was? Nope. Is it still an entertaining Christmas movie? You'd better believe it.

JUST WHAT I EXPECTED
Up north at the Pole, Santa (a.k.a. Scott Calvin) is busier than ever before. Balancing your family life and your work is never easy, especially if you're Santa Claus. Scott's had to deal with delays in the toy factory and his wife Carol was due to give birth to their first child at any time. As if this weren't enough, Scott had been called to an emergency meeting of the Council of Legendary Figures. Easter Bunny, Sandman, Father Time, Tooth Fairy, Cupid and Mother Nature were all there. The point of the meeting was to determine discipline for that sinister and jocular figure of winter: Jack Frost, who has been trying to upstage Santa Claus on numerous occasions. Jack appeared before the council and pleaded his case, begging for one more chance. Scott decided to give Jack the benefit of the doubt and took him under his wing, making him a trustee at the workshop, helping the elves, working under the command of the rigid Number 1 Elf Curtis. But Jack had something cooking up his frosted sleeve...

Carol wished her parents could be at her side and so, Scott decided to bring her parents, Bud and Sylvia, to the North Pole and protect his secret at the same time, thus making the Pole seem like Canada. He also reluctantly invited his niece Lucy, along with Neil and Laura. Scott tried his best to make a good impression with the in-laws, while Neil, Laura and Lucy were tickled to death at the elves and the workshop; Jack Frost, meanwhile, began sabotaging the equipment and nearly burned down the kitchen. Big-mouth Curtis accidentally let it slip about the snow-globe room that housed snow globes of all past Santas. Scott Calvin had one too. It was his veritable "escape clause". Jack saw it as the perfect opportunity to make himself Santa, so using his usual trickery, he used his icy breath to freeze Neil and Laura and locked them, along with Lucy, in the closet then tricked Scott into using the snow globe and instantly they were transported back to 1994 where Jack--not Scott- put on Santa's robe. Flashforward back to 2006, Scott Calvin is his old miserable self again. Laura and Charlie wanted nothing to do with him. He had never even met Carol, and worst of all: Jack Frost had turned the North Pole into a tourist trap, which Neil and Lucy were currently visiting. So, Scott hopped the next commercial flight to the Pole.

Santa's old village had become a nightmare. It now represented everything wrong with Christmas: commercialism and greed. Parents could even buy their children a spot on the "nice" list. Utter chaos! In fact, the holiday known as Christmas was now Frostmas! Well, Neil and Lucy wanted nothing to do with Scott, but he was somehow able to charm Lucy into helping him. So, when Santa (a.k.a. Jack Frost) put on a Broadway-style show for the guests, Scott jumped him and tricked him into using the snow-globe. So once again, back to 1994 in which Scott manages to put on the coat and, once back to the present, Scott is Santa again. He immediately made amends with his wife and in-laws, but there was one little problem: Laura and Neil were still frozen and Jack could only unfreeze them by unfreezing himself, which he refused to do. But it was thanks to a warm hug from a little girl that melted Jack's icy heart--as well as Laura and Neil--and he became a new man! So, with their help, as well as help from Charlie and the Legendary Figures, they got the workshop back on track, and before Scott knew it, he became a father again! Buddy Claus was born. And so, Santa, Mrs. Claus, their family and friends and all the elves lived happily ever after...

Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause...it's a good movie. A little slow to start and corny at times, but it's a good movie. Tim Allen shines again as jolly ol' St. Nick! Martin Short is Jack Frost. The iceman cometh! The sexy Elizabeth Mitchell is back as Carol Calvin (Mrs. Claus), Judge Reinhold returns as Neil, Wendy Crewson returns as Laura, Eric Lloyd returns as Charlie, Liliana Mumy returns as Lucy, and Spencer Breslin returns as Curtis. We've also got Alan Arkin and Ann Margaret. All very good performances. Fans of the series will notice David Krumholtz is missing as Bernard. It just wasn't the same without Bernard. I think they could've used him. Well, his loss; I also like how they edited scenes from the original Santa Clause into this movie. And I've always wondered what would happen if Santa had children of his own. Maybe that's why he brings toys to all the children of the world as he had none of his own...until now. So anyway, if you're in the holiday spirit early this year, and you saw the first two Clauses, then by all means see the third and final yuletide outing. It's got heart, it's got humor, it's got a lot of cool things. I recommend it! And be good for goodness sake.