Plot: What’s it about?
Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) hasn’t accepted his role as the new Santa Claus, he has embraced the role. He is able to spend most of the year with his family in his normal life, then as the holidays approach, he heads north to become Santa himself. In fact, he and his wife Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell) have invited the in-laws to the North Pole, to celebrate Christmas. While Carol’s parents Bud (Alan Arkin) and Sylvia (Ann-Margaret) will be in Santa’s domain, Scott has done some preparations, disguising it to look like Canada and telling the elves to sport Canadian accents. Things seem to be going well, until Scott’s ex wife Laura and her family arrive, putting the truth in danger of being revealed. But the snow really hits the fan when Jack Frost (Martin Short) arrives with a plan to oust Scott and become the new Santa Claus himself.
The Santa Clause was a fun movie, a Christmas picture with some fresh blood that raked in tons of box office cash. Now however, The Santa Clause franchise is on the third installment and while the original breathed new life into the holiday movie genre, things have gotten quite stale. The Santa Clause 3 isn’t a bad movie, but it seems so retread and we’ve seen all of this before, but done with better results. So what could have been a sequel to revive the series, instead The Santa Clause 3 seems satisfied to be bland, with minor moments of spark. Tim Allen is fine in the lead and numerous cast members from the previous films return, while newcomers like Alan Arkin and Martin Short attempt to keep things a little fresh. I wanted to like this movie, but The Santa Clause is mediocre at best and best suited as a rental. If you have the choice, this Blu-ray edition looks excellent and boasts more extras, so if you see the movie, this is the best disc available.
Video: How does it look?
The Santa Clause 3 is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is an excellent transfer, one you’ll be proud to show off your HDTV with, whether its around the holidays or not. The print is pristine, as is expected for such a new release, so the image is allowed shine here. I was impressed with overall clarity, as detail is much better than expected and depth is great, so the image is sharp and refined. I found colors to be vibrant and free from errors, while contrast is spot on, from deep blacks to bright whites, it all looks terrific here. In short, a knockout transfer that fans are sure to be delighted with.
Audio: How does it sound?
The movie sounds good too, thanks to an uncompressed PCM 5.1 soundtrack. The surrounds aren’t active at all times, but when they do open up, the result is impressive. In those instances, the surrounds are alive with directional effects and dynamic presence. But as I said, that isn’t often the case and most of the time, the audio is more reserved. I do think a slight boost would have enhanced some scenes, but the track still sounds good. The dialogue remains crystal clear and sound effects are well handled, if a little restrained at times. This disc also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, Spanish and French language tracks, and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A few Blu-ray exclusive goodies have been included, as well as all the extras from the standard release. Blu-ray only treats are a holiday decoration activity, as well as a 3-D tour of the disc menus. The standard extras kick off with director Michael Lembeck’s audio comments, which have a technical slant and could bore some folks. I enjoyed the session however, as he offers a workman’s perspective on the filmmaking process, which is most welcome. A trio of featurettes all run below five minutes and aren’t worth the effort, while the rest of the extras include a dull blooper reel, an alternate opening, Christmas Carol-oke (which is fun), and an Aly & AJ music video.
