Love of Santa Clause Pt 3 (The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, 2006)

Disney decided to make the series a Trilogy. Well, at least until they come up with a Santa Clause 4 or maybe a series reboot with Chris Hemsworth as Scott Calvin. In this film, we are introduced to Jack Frost, who feels like the most under appreciated of the Legendary Figures. He schemes to find a way to be famous and sets his site on the throne of Santa Clause.

Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Clause are bringing Mrs. Claus’ parents to the North Pole. Of course, they have no idea Scott is Santa Claus, only knowing he is a toy maker and they never see their daughter. The In-Laws both take digs at Scott, though in different ways. While his father-in-law Bud is direct, his mother-in-law Sylvia is passive aggressive. Yet again, the film relies on a deception themed plot. Scott and the elves try and convince the In-Laws that they are in Canada. All the while, Jack Frost is busy trying to undermine everything so he can convince Scott to take the Escape Clause.

Frost is successful, taking over a Santa. This results in an “It’s a Wonderful Life” sequence. It is, frankly not very successful, because Scott finding how life is super different without him as Santa is highly compressed into about five minutes. It just does not give us enough time for emotional resonance. The resolution comes quickly, almost to easily.

While there is a good cast here (Short, Anne-Margaret and Alan Arkin are all entertaining), the film feels like there is still a missing element. One of those elements is Bernard. Krumholtz and Allen had a fun chemistry, and while Spencer Breslin’s Curtis is a likable character, his ascension to the main elf is not quite the same.

While not a absolute failure, this is not a strong ending for the series. It feels rushed and has a somewhat unsatisfying resolution.

December 23, 2016 0

Love of Santa Clause Pt 2 (The Santa Clause 2, 2002)

The Santa Clause 2 takes place about eight to ten years into Scott’s run as Santa Claus. He is informed that somehow a Clause has been missed. The Mrs. Clause. Scott needs to find a wife before Christmas. And to top it off, his teen son Charlie is on the naughty list.

Scott, Bernard and Curtis (the elf who discovered the missed rule) work to deceive the rest of the elves by creating a fake Santa (who is made of plastic) to run the show while Scott goes to find a wife and check on Charlie. Charlie has made the bad list because he is rebelling against his Principal who does not like Christmas. Astute watchers of comedy movies will realize that high jinks with follow. Charlie becomes upset when Scott falls for his Principal. Scott is really just upset that he has had to keep the secret of Santa for years. But he does have a little sister now, who is the film’s doorway to “The Belief of Children”.

The film has a few repeat messages. In the first film, a big deal is made of when the adults stopped believing in Santa, and this film carries that through again. At a Christmas party for the teachers, Scott impresses Carol by providing all the teachers with gifts-vintage toys they all wanted or loved as kids.

For the Elves, the plans backfire as Fake Santa becomes obsessed with the rules and takes over under the notion that all kids are naughty and should not be cut any slack. He creates an army of giant tin soldiers and locks up Bernard and the other elves, while Curtis flies to get Scott’s help.

The film has some rather large plot holes. Specifically, the whole premise of the Mrs. Clause. Afterall, Scott is not the first Santa. Have none of the other previous Santas taken wives? Have they simply stopped being Santa before the issue came up? If they did have Mrs. Clauses, what happened to those wives when the new Santa came along?

This is not to say that the film is not fun. They expand on the Santa world mythology, introducing the other Legendary figures… Mother Nature, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, Father Time, Cupid and a scene stealing Tooth Fairy. They cast character actor Art LaFleur, who is a pretty imposing size, but with small and dainty wings.

The film also is not burdened with explaining all the laws of Santa (only really adding the Mrs. Clause). And there is a certain fun in Wendy and Neil being in on the secret that Scott is Santa. For one, it makes them far more likable.

Overall, this is a fun film, though not quite as strong as it’s predecessor. I however, give them credit for coming up with a story idea that is not a total rehash of the original. Of course, it also relies on the issue of keeping the Santa identity a secret all over again. But as a fun holiday diversion, the Santa Clause 2 if certainly still a fun way to pass the time.

December 22, 2016 0

Love of Santa Clause Pt 1 (The Santa Clause, 1994)

At the height of Tim Allen’s power, he was tapped by Disney for this family comedy. Surprisingly, it is not simply a transplant of the Tim Taylor character into a movie. Scott Calvin is, in fact, a very effective toy executive. But as a father, he is not so successful. When his ex-wife and her husband drop Scott’s son Charlie off for Christmas Eve, Charlie asks if he has to stay. Scott struggles to make the night fun for Charlie, but he does a pretty terrible job. Fatherhood feels like a distant skill for him.

Later that evening, there is a sound on the roof, causing Scott to run out side. He sees someone on the roof and calls out. Startled, the person falls off the roof. They disappear, leaving behind a Santa suit and business card. Scott carelessly puts on the jacket and find he and Charlie taken on a wild ride delivering presents. Their night ends in the North Pole where Scott and Charlie find themselves meeting elves and having fantastic hot chocolate. Speaking with Head Elf Bernard, Scott finds out that he is bound by a contract…the Santa Clause. Should something happen to Santa, reading the card and putting on the jacket makes the wearer the new Santa Clause.

Scott of course, convinces himself this was all a dream, while his Ex Wendy and her Psychiatrist husband Neil are becoming increasingly concerned with Charlie’s insistence that Scott is Santa. As the story continues, Scott finds it hard to ignore his new role as he instantly grows a white beard and is rapidly gaining weight. And children are drawn to him, lining up to tell him their Christmas wishes.

The Santa Clause is all about faith in things unseen, there is a line in the film that Believing is Seeing. It is a very non-religious faith, as Christmas is really about Santa in this film. There are no real ties to the Christian vision of Christmas as part of the film’s mythology. It even has a subplot about Wendy and Neil learning to embrace the joy of Christmas. Which is to believe Scott Really is Santa Claus.

The mythology of the film is quite a bit of fun. The North Pole is quite high tech, with a “science” all it’s own. There are things like Hot Chocolate dispensers in the Sleigh and Santa’s hat has a two way radio. There is even a Navy Seal-like team of Elves. The elves are skilled makers of the most popular toys. How does Santa enter a house with no fireplace or chimney? One magically appears when needed.

All in all, this is a pleasant and fun film for kids and parents. Allen actually is entertaining as a guy who is trying to deny his calling. The attitude laden Bernard is a fun presence. The effects are, of course a bit dated, but not so much so that they ruin enjoyment.

December 21, 2016 0

Force Adjacent (Rogue One, 2016)

Taking it’s plot from about two sentences of Star Wars: A New Hopes Opening Scrawl, this Star Wars Story focuses on the Rebels who got the Death Star plans carried by R2-D2. Focusing on Jyn Erso, daughter of a brilliant engineer, Rogue One follows her forced recruitment by the Rebel Alliance in an attempt to get the information. Along with her father, Erso has another connection the Alliance wants to take advantage of. After escaping the clutches of the Empire, Jyn was raised for a time by Saw Gerrera. The Alliance parted ways with him over his extremism, but feel they now need his help.

What follows is an exciting espionage and war film, different from what we have seen in the past…and yet familiar. While there are brief glimpses of some recognizable faces, our central cast is pretty much new. The film is a bit darker than other entries, showing a side of the Rebel Alliance not often addressed. Some have expressed problems with this. While I had not given much thought to some of the darker implications of the alliance, I cannot say this take is unreasonable. The idea that people are sometimes doing things they struggle to justify as being in the greater good makes absolute sense. Certainly, it may seem out of place if you are used to thinking of the Alliance as morally pure.

Jyn is an interesting character who despises the Empire for a pretty simple and personal reason. They took her dad and killed her mom. She seems to have soured on the rebellion though (feeling betrayed by Saw) and given way to cynicism. Meanwhile, Cassian Andor is a dedicated Rebel spy who plays out his role without question. At least until he is given a side mission that makes him question his moral compass.

A real standout character is the reprogrammed Imperial Droid K2-S0. He is mouthy, sarcastic and also the brawn. Whereas C-3PO up-tightly delivers in depth information about the odds, K2 casually tosses out comments along the lines of “The odds are bad” and just leaving it at that. Then there is the blind monk Chirrut Îmwe. He fights like a Jedi Master, but is not a Jedi. He also fights with a staff, rather than a lightsaber. His sighted companion Baze prefers blaster rifles and does not buy into the Force at all.

The film does suffer a bit from the problem of many prequels. The obsessive desire with filling in every blank results in a way that it can start to interfere the film it is “setting up”. This leads to the film dying to pull right up to the beginning of a New Hope.

Admittedly, it feels a little odd having no potential Jedi (Chirrut does not use force moves beyond a certain Daredevil styled super hearing) or lightsaber duels. The Force is spoken of, but not really seen in action beyond Darth Vader.

In the end, however, the film more than overcomes these things. It is exciting and fun, while having an edge more in the vein of Empire. I found Rogue One immensely satisfying.

December 21, 2016 0

Fear of Santa Claus Pt 14 (Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, 2010)

Of all the movies I have watched for this series, this Finnish production is the best of the lot. It is a terrific and creative movie. In the Korvatunturi Mountains two young boys spy on an excavation mission to locate the grave of Santa Claus. Pietari is concerned by this, as he still believes in Santa Claus. But he finds books in the attic telling the truth about Santa Claus. Santa and the Krampus are the same myth. Santa is not a perversion of sainthood here, but rather, a strange and frightening creature, long buried in the mountains. The excavation is a plan to raid the tomb of Santa.

This of course goes wrong and Pietari and his father find themselves menaced by something from the mountain. Especially frightening for Pietari is that his friends seem to be disappearing.

The relationship between Pietari and his father is strong (as they are father and son in real life) and effective. The film is full of horror and yet whimsy. The Santa creatures look like old and decrepit men, but they are far more. And the final moments are comical in the most positive way. I really do not want to say more as the film really is a treat. It is the one film in this whole series I recommend without reservation.

December 18, 2016 0

Suitcase Packed (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, 2016)

It was not long after the Harry Potter series came to a close, we got the fairly expected announcement of a new movie that would be set in the magical universe of Harry Potter. This was certainly enough to get fans excited. It was then announced it would be a story set before Harry or Voldemort were walking the earth.

Earlier this year they said it would be a trilogy. A few weeks back? It became a …uh…Fivology. And so, this new beginning for the wizarding world is meant to kick it all off. Set in 1926, we find that the world of Wizards is not idyllic. There are issues with the possibility of exposure. The Dark Wizard Grindelwald has gone missing. Disgraced wizard Newt Scamander has come to New York and finds a problem when his suitcase full of magical beasts gets switched with aspiring baker Kowalski’s suitcase of pastries. This forces their lives to be intertwined, but things get even more complicated when former Auror Tina tries to take Newt in.

Instead of a coming of age tale focused on friendship, sacrifice and so on, Fantastic Beasts is more focus on political thriller territory. This is not inherently bad, but it is all pretty light in how it is handled. There are good ideas at play, but one big twist is absolutely no surprise at all. While the film explores surface issues such as the rules of the Wizard world and the conflicts between the various Wizarding communities. At this time, no muggles (or No-Maj as they are called in America) were allowed to be aware of the Wizard world. Wizards are not allowed to have friendships with muggles, even.

The film is a bit stuffed with characters who feel like they are important. There is the creepy anti-magic “family” led by Mary Lou. Her use of children to disseminate her ideas is never deeply explored. Then there is publisher Henry Shaw and his sons Henry Jr and Langdon Shaw. Langdon is intrigued by the claims of Mary Lou, but his father is more concerned with his brother’s political campaign. And yet, these characters do little to the point of barely feeling necessary.

On the other hand? I really liked Newt and Tina. Both are simply trying to do the right thing, and both are thoughtfully compassionate and, a little clumsy. I found Kowalski an enjoyable presence. He is at first stunned, but then takes great joy in his discovery of the world of wizards. Rather than be frightened of Tina’s psychic sister Queenie, he finds it exciting. The four make a fun team.

It is fun to revisit the Wizard World of J.K. Rowling, really, it is. I enjoyed the character moments (especially between our four heroes). Remember how I said there were going to be five films? Well, as the film built up, I was finding myself looking forward to the story of these four going forward. Except, really? The film ends in a way that makes it clear this was originally going to just be one film. Everything gets neatly tied up and everything is fixed, making much of the film feel rather meaningless on its impact on the world of wizards.

This will be fun for those who simply miss getting to revisit the Harry Potter Universe. I had a nice time watching it, it is just that it ends somewhat…anti-climatically. It is passable entertainment, but it is not quite a triumphant return.

November 19, 2016 0

Something Strange Going On That Wasn’t Here Before (Doctor Strange, 2016)

Every now and then, Marvel Studios opts for a riskier venture for their tent-pole pictures. In some cases, such as Thor, the risk is levied by the Avenger’s Connection. But sometimes, that connection is much thinner. Guardians of the Galaxy and now Doctor Strange.

And what we have here is another Guardians of the Galaxy result. Doctor Strange is an exciting, emotional, funny trip of a film. Benedict Cumberbatch carries an arrogance early on in the film. Stephen Strange is a truly prideful man, but he has very carefully crafted an image. When that is all taken away, at the end of his rope, he finds a man that had, similarly faced bodily destruction and appeared to have fully recovered. He is pointed towards Katmandu and a place called Kamar-Taj. There he encounters the Ancient One who, with her followers Mordo and Wong, begin to train Strange.

Meanwhile, the rebel Kaecilius and his disciples are trying to for ever alter reality. Doctor Strange finds himself in the “New York Branch” which leads to battles with Kaecilius and his minions. With Strange Mordo and Wong coming to a final fight with Kaecilius.

The movie manages to skirt the line of seriousness, but an undercurrent of humor. The humor is dryer than other Marvel films, but it works, as often Strange finds his attempts at humor falling flat with Wong. There is a fun payoff with that one.

It is hard to ignore the impressive visuals. Early trailers made things look like it was ripping off Inception. But Derrickson and his team actually gave us much more. The film brings to life those trippy multidimensional visuals that Steve Ditko drew in the 60’s with a beautiful and lush feel.

There has been a lot of controversy over the issue of Tilda Swinton playing the Asian One. In the comics the character was Asian. And yeah, it was a pretty blatant “Mystical Asian” stereotype. Which is what resulted in the choice to cast Swinton. The film does overcome this. But as written? They easily could have cast and Asian actor in the role. There are not a ton of major roles for Asian actors. Avoiding stereotypes is done in the script and performance. And I believe this film would have successfully avoided the stereotype, without making one less role for Asian actors. I do not believe racism was at Derrickson and his casting teams heart. I suspect it was an attempt to avoid the very issue of racism. I think they made a choice I would not. But Swinton is entertaining in the film.

Doctor Strange is one of Marvel’s strongest entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is certainly yet another origin story, but it is handled so very well. It also has no requirement that you be familiar with the character. You can enter the film with zero knowledge of the character and fully enjoy this film.

November 5, 2016 0

Unseen and Not Heard (Memoirs of an Invisible Man, 1992)

I think if there is a forgotten John Carpenter film…this is it. Did you know that John Carpenter directed a movie with Chevy Chase and Daryl Hannah? Did you??

He almost didn’t, the film was being developed by Chase and he wanted Ivan Reitman…but he and Reitman were unable to agree on how things should go and Reitman left. One of those rare “cannot get along with Chevy Chase” stories. In fairness, Reitman wanted to make it a standard Chevy Chase vehicle, but Chase saw it as a chance to explore more serious roles.

Carpenter was brought in to provide that. Of course, this was still meant to be a studio film, which in the end means the film takes no risks.

The story focuses on self absorbed Stock Analyst Nick Hollaway (Chase) who is present in a building where there is an experiment that goes awry. In case you cannot see it coming *cough* he is left invisible. (Sorry for that) He soon finds himself on the run with new girlfriend Alice from shady CIA agent David Jenkins (Sam Neil…and not Carpenter’s last work with him).

The story is pretty standard fair with little of Carpenter’s originality. Hollaway is on the run from the CIA who want to use him for spy stuff.

There are a lot of scenes where we see Chase onscreen when he is supposed to be invisible…and it gets almost confusing in the beginning…but later, while we can see Chase on screen, he casts no reflections. The effects are remarkably good, and the most notable thing about the film. They clearly put a lot of thought about how his invisibility works. Nick and everything he was wearing are invisible…so he runs into the problem of not being able to see his hands or know exactly where they are when trying to eat. He can see his food digesting when he looks in the mirror. When he smokes, you see the smoke in his lungs. Then there is a really neat scene where rain drops temporarily illuminate Nick in front of Alice. In fact, the effects in this film hold up quite well almost twenty five years later.

You can see that Chase is trying for a darker type of role. Chevy avoids his standard mugging for the camera. And the film does not have a lot of jokes. In fact, most of the jokes come from other characters. But none of it is compelling. The film just has no unique identity.

You can even see that Carpenter did not really see himself as more than a studio employee…it is one of the few films he has directed to not bear the “John Carpenter’s” as part of the title. This is the forgotten film because it feels neither like a Carpenter film nor a Chevy Chase Film. It never really pulls you in, and Nick really lacks personality.

October 16, 2016 0

Nobody Knows the Troubles I’ve Seen (Big Trouble in Little China, 1986)

The fourth outing for Carpenter and Russell is an entertaining blending of genres. Big Trouble In Little China is part action film, part Kung Fu, Part fantasy and all comedy. Russel is the cocky but lovable Jack Burton. Jack’s favorite person is himself and his mouth often seems to get himself in trouble. And he has found it in spades when he visits a friend in China town. His friend, Wang Chi, is raising money to bring his bride to be (Miao Yin) to America. But when she arrives, she is captured by the henchman of the mysterious crime lord David Lo Pan. Lo Pan is seeking her because she has green eyes. And a girl with green eyes are part of a curse.

Along with Wang, Jack is joined by intrepid reporter Gracie Law, her friend Margo, Eddie Lee and Egg Shen, a mystical old Asian man. Jack is an interloper, but is drawn deep into a fight to save Miao from Lo Pan. He has three warriors, each with an elemental super power. While Jack fumbles his way through heroism, it leads to a great battle of both brawn and wits.

Big Trouble in Little China is a loving send-up of both American and Asian Martial Arts action films. This means that…well, yeah…all the Asian Characters know martial arts. But at the same time, the central characters are all individuals. Lo Pan is probably the closest to a stereotype, with James Hong really laying on the accent. Jack is not the last samurai, rather we start with him and stumble into the fight. He is there for his friend. Truth is, the movie makes it clear they do not need Burton, but he is brash and rushes headlong in with a friend.

The film is full of humor, even in action packed moments, it finds the time to give a wink to the viewer. Jack often succeeds by failing in spectacularly amusing ways. The cast is great, Dennis Dun plays Wang Chi as a sincere and heroic young man in love. Kim Cattrall is charming and full of fire as Gracie Law. Donald Li is great fun as friendly tough guy Eddie Lee.

Carpenter does not flex his “fun” muscle a lot. I mean, he does not avoid humor, but this is a straight up action comedy, among other things, and Carpenter shows a real flair for it. Big Trouble in Little China is definitely one of Carpenter’s funniest films and is best viewed with a group.

Oh yeah…and this film had more roles for Asian actors than the live action Ghost in the Shell.

October 13, 2016 0

He’d Like to Come and Meet Us (Starman, 1984)

Starman is a whimsical tale of an inquisitive alien who adopts a human identity. Of course, he chooses the form of a grieving widow’s dead husband. This is one of the rare contributions of Carpenter that is about hope.

At first widow Jenny is horrified and frightened by the naked man in her home. But she cautiously trusts him. As they run, Jenny starts to help the Starman understand what he is experiencing. He is perplexed by our human insecurities. He is full of kindness, but finds our unkindness to be senseless. Starman is trying to show a better path, but mankind rejects this, seeing him as a threat.

Starman is remarkably upbeat for a guy who has an Apocalyptic Trilogy.

And yet, in spite of this…it is like this little bit of hopefulness slipped out. And I like it. Carpenter is a lot more thoughtful of a storyteller than some might think, but he often often slips it in beneath buckets of blood and goo.

It is a heartwarming film, much because of Jeff Bridges’ performance. He plays the Starman in a kind way, as a child just discovering that life is not fair. Allen is terrific in a potentially thankless role. She brings heart to Starman’s goodness. More than one film since has aped Starman’s inspiring behavior. Starman is not one of Carpenter’s more talked about films, and that is a shame. It is not a common film for him, but it is touching and a good little film.

October 12, 2016 0