The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, 2006

Director: Michael Lembeck

Stars: Tim Allen, Martin Short, Elizabeth Mitchell, Spencer Breslin, Abigail Breslin, Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, Eric Lloyd, Ann-Margaret, Alan Arkin, Liliana Mumy

Santa (Tim Allen) and Mrs. Clause (Mitchell) have been living at the North Pole for a while, and now Mrs. Clause is expecting, and she wants some human company. Scott decides that a visit from the in-laws (Alan Arkin and Ann-Margaret) are in order, so he and the elves disguise the North Pole as Canada and continue the lie that Scott is a Canadian toy-maker, to protect the "Secret of Santa".

In the meantime, more stress is added to everyone's lives when trouble-maker Jack Frost (Short) learns about the "escape clause", a way for Santa to escape from being Santa. It will make it as if Santa never became Santa at all.

And yes, that's exactly what happens. Now Scott must fight to become Santa in the first place! And also to save Christmas itself, which has lost all of its magic with Jack Frost in charge. This one very cleverly refers back to The Santa Clause, with a few scenes from that movie, when Scott first finds the Santa suit.

Very good stuff, though cheesy of course. Martin Short and Tim Allen are absolutely hilarious together. And, as you can see from above, an all-star cast joins them.

The Santa Clause 2, 2002

Director: Michael Lembeck

Stars: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Eric Lloyd, Wendy Crewson, Elizabeth Mitchell, David Krumholtz, Spencer Breslin

Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) has been enjoying being Santa Claus for almost 10 years now, but back home Charlie (Lloyd) is acting up in school, probably needing more attention from his dad. On top of that, Scott has a huge new problem: he has to get married! Apparently, the elves forgot about the "Mrs. Clause", and now Scott has only 28 days (until Christmas Eve) to get married or he will stop being Santa Claus.

In order to go back home and be there for Charlie (now on the naughty list) and also stay at the North Pole and get ready for Christmas, a toy Santa is developed and given Santa's memories, and elves Bernard (Krumholtz) and Curtis (Breslin) take over the job of teaching the new toy Santa how to be Santa.

So, it's back home he goes, to be there for Charlie and help deal with the problems that arise, especially with Charlie's school Principal, Carol Newman (Mitchell). Over the next few weeks, Scott decides that maybe Carol is the one, and starts to romance her. But Scott only has a certain amount of magic to use, and he uses it all to impress her.

Meanwhile, the Toy Santa has decided that everyone in the world is getting coal for Christmas, because they have all been naughty. Now, Scott must get back to the North Pole--- to save Christmas, of course!

Did I give too much away? I hope not. This one is very cute, though the first will alwyas be my favorite.

The Santa Clause, 1994

Director: John Pasquin (Home Improvement)

Stars: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd, David Krumholtz

Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) has partial custody of his son Charlie (Lloyd), who comes over for Christmas Eve, not looking forward to it very much. But after they startle Santa Claus and cause him to fall from the roof, Charlie starts to enjoy himself as he and his dad take over Santa's job for the night. Scott, of course, thinks he has gone crazy, especially after they reach the North Pole and he is told by the elves that he is the new Santa Claus.

The next morning, he wakes up in his home, thinking it was all a dream, until Charlie talks about it excitedly and tells everyone his father is Santa Claus. It takes Scott a while to realize it all really happened. He gains a lot of weight, his hair turns white, he gets a beard he cannot get rid of no matter how much he shaves, and children begin to follow him in the street and tell him what they want for Christmas.

All this begins to scare his ex-wife and her psychologist husband Neil (Reinhold), and she wonders if seeing Scott is the right thing for Charlie.

I love this movie. It is my favorite of all Santa Claus movies; Tim Allen definitely makes a great Santa, and the story is sweet. This one is a little cheesy, but you deal with it, because it's Christmas!