The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
G | 03 November 2006 (USA)
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause Trailers

Now that Santa and Mrs. Claus have the North Pole running smoothly, the Counsel of Legendary Figures has called an emergency meeting on Christmas Eve! The evil Jack Frost has been making trouble, looking to take over the holiday! So he launches a plan to sabotage the toy factory and compel Scott to invoke the little-known Escape Clause and wish he'd never become Santa.

Reviews
SmugKitZine Tied for the best movie I have ever seen
Protraph Lack of good storyline.
Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.
Tyreece Hulme One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain A real, painfully forced entry. It takes on the old alternate reality scenario. If ever a sign that your movie is pointless, the alternative reality is that sign. Jack Frost wants to steal Santa's limelight by becoming Santa. In this offering the human drama is sidelined, and is the simple getting on with the in-laws shtick. There's really not a lot to like here, as it all just feels like a quick cheap installment. The plot seems rushed and lazy. The focus of the first two was Allen's relationship with his son, which is now completely gone. There's nothing in here that excites as much as the second, nor warms the heart or makes you laugh like the first. It's a shame that a franchise which started out exploring a divorced couple and the son in the middle, as well as mental problems, is reduced to this tripe.
Jackson Booth-Millard The first film was a good fun film to enjoy, the second time not so much so, and unfortunately this third instalment isn't any improvement, but I stuck with it to the end. Basically Santa Claus (Razzie nominated Tim Allen) aka Scott Calvin and his new wife pregnant Carol (Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell) are running the North Pole and the Elves efficiently and getting ready for the next oncoming Christmas. But a new problem crops up when the naughty Jack Frost (Razzie nominated Martin Short) has been causing trouble, and he is put on probation and it is up to Santa to keep an eye on him. Of course with presents needing to be made and wrapped this is not easy, and the Claus' are concentrating more on Carol's parents, the Newmans, father Bud (Alan Arkin) and mother Sylvia (Ann-Margret) coming to visit. While they come to the North Pole, fooled into thinking it is Canada, and Scott's ex-wife Laura (Wendy Crewson), his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) and Laura's husband Neil Miller (Beverly Hills Cop's Judge Reinhold) are hanging round too, Jack Frost is ready to cause more trouble. He knows he can finally get some recognition he craves by becoming the new Santa Claus, and he knows that the hall of snow shakers hides the one that can change the past and future. So with Scott pressured and tricked into it, they go twelve years ago when Scott caused the original Santa to fall off the roof, and Jack shouts and ultimately puts on the red coat to take the helm. They return to the present day in the alternative world, where Scott is thin and brown haired working in his office like he used to, and the North Pole is advertised as a theme park attraction with Jack as the new Santa Claus to run the show. Returning to the North Pole and with a little help, Scott manages to grab the snow globe that caused this situation, and double cross Jack into doing the same as he did to him. So they go back twelve years again, and Scott stops Jack shouting again to watch the past Scott shout and the future restore itself, just in time for Christmas Eve and delivery time, for his baby too. Also starring The Cat in the Hat's Spencer Breslin as Curtis, Liliana Mumy as Lucy Miller, Little Miss Sunshine's Abigail Breslin as Trish, Art LaFleur as Tooth Fairy, Kevin Pollak as Cupid, Aisha Tyler as Mother Nature, Jay Thomas as Easter Bunny, Star Trek: The Next Generation's Michael Dorn as Sandman and Peter Boyle as Father Time. Allen is still alright as the lead, Short is pretty annoying as the bad guy, the inclusion of Arkin doesn't add to much, the story is slightly better than the last, there are small laughs and Christmas fun, but as a whole it is a silly seasonal family fantasy comedy. It was nominated the Razzie for Worst Excuse for Family Entertainment, Worst Prequel or Sequel and Worst Screen Couple for Allen and Short. Okay!
studioAT Tim Allen and co return for one final outing as the modern day Santa and his extended family have to put up with Jack Frost trying to take over Christmas.After the first two films in the series this third instalment was always going to have high standards to beat and although this is a good attempt it fails to do this. I don't mind the 'It's a Wonderful Life' style scenario but feel that there is too much build up to Scott evoking the escape clause and not enough of him solving the problem.Martin Short is on fine form as Frost and Allen shines again as Santa but some of the heart that was present in the first two outings seems to be missing. Reinhold and Crewson are reduced to extended cameos and David Krumholtz's absence as Bernard is noticeable.Overall this is a decent film to conclude the trilogy but it remains the weakest link in what is overall a fine set of films. My advice though would be to buy the box set of these films because there are magical moments to be found in each one.
Kristine A. Phillips This installment doesn't quite live up to the first two, however, it's my 6-year-old daughter's favorite of the three ... so, go figure? My favorite happens to be "The Santa Clause 2," because of the romance aspect, plus young Lucy is adorable and it was neat to see Charlie 8 years later.Martin Short is great as Jack Frost, it's a real treat to see Ann-Margret and Alan Arkin as Carol's parents and it's great seeing all the originals from the first two films back for the third (a rare feat in Hollywood).The overall trilogy is absolutely great and fun for the entire family to watch, plus all the extras on the DVDs are a lot of fun, too.