I have seen this movie several times, and as I am writing this I am watching it with my family once again. With a holiday movie, it's best to turn off your brain and just enjoy--and on this level, this is an excellent film.

Because there are so many reviews for this film already, I won't go into any in-depth discussion of the plot. If you don't know the plot, read through the other posts or just read the IMDb summary. Instead, I want to talk about what I liked and didn't like about the movie. The film manages to have a truly original plot (though the same cannot be said about its sequels),Tim Allen's acting is very good (even if you aren't a fan of his TV series--which I wasn't),the little boy who played his son was terrific (a good actor for a kid and cute as can be) and the film is a lot of fun. Negatives are not severe, but I just couldn't understand putting a few cuss words in a family film (which they did) and I also think that the characters of the mom and step-dad were a bit too stupid and annoying--perhaps they were a tad too one-dimensional and clichéd. Still, a nice family film and you could do a lot worse during the holidays than to watch this!

I really liked this film, it is very funny and pleasant. Tim Allen gives a truly amusing performance as Scott Calvin, who replaces Santa after he falls off the roof. The plot is original, the script is fun, and the pace is surprisingly even. Don't expect a classic like Scrooge(1951),the first 2 Home Alone movies or It's a Wonderful Life, just expect a pleasant family Christmas film, that way the whole family is in for a good time. The film is directed with careful precision, and the characters are likable, though I did find the parents a tad too clichéd and the film a tad too overly sentimental in places. If I had a favourite character, I think it was Judy, there was something about her truly infectious smile that made me warm to her. All in all, well above average and highly recommended. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is a loud mouth weasel toy executive. He's a divorced father to Charlie who doesn't particularly like him. Charlie is told that Santa doesn't exist by an older boy. Then on the night before Christmas, Santa falls off of their roof, and disappears leaving behind his suit, reindeers, and sleight. Under pressure from Charlie, Scott puts on the suit and becomes the new Santa.

Tim Allen plays a lot of these Scrooge characters. It's great when he learns to be a better person. That's what we get a lot of from this movie. There is some fun as he becomes Santa over time. David Krumholtz is great as the annoyed Bernard the Elf. And the North Pole has a toy store sort of charm.

The movie doesn't have any big laugh. It's more of a mild charming cute movie with a few chuckles. It's a good family movie on that level.