The Santa Clause 2

It’s been eight years since we last saw Tim Allen in a fat suit, and the bit isn’t getting any funnier. Ready to cash in on holiday-frenzied audiences, The Santa Clause 2 whips up some new plot options—Santa searching for a wifey, Santa’s little boy on the “naughty” list—and cranks up the sap. The pace crawls to a stand-still as Allen’s Santa produces miracle after miracle to pick up the spirits of just about everybody he encounters. Soon, this magic man is saving Christmas all over again and everyone goes home happy. Other than a cheap farting-reindeer gag and Kevin Pollak dressed up as cupid—diaper included—The Clause 2 consists of Tim Allen jokes mixed with misty-eyed family-bonding moments. Home Improvement never looked so good.