THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE

This is a harmless-enough family comedy with a good moral center, but it is not strong enough to recommend as a theater outing. Santa struggles to balance his Christmas duties with being a supportive husband and father, while Jack Frost pursues fame and fortune. The film also strongly depicts the need for a father and shows restored relationships within Santa’s family.

The costs are a thin, hard-to-follow plot, a rushed resolution, creepy moments from Martin Short, and plenty of corniness. The movie contains no foul language, limited violence, and few objectionable elements. But it makes no mention of Jesus Christ, the real reason for Christmas.

If your children want to see it, WAIT FOR HOME, where you can enjoy its positive elements and discuss what the film leaves out.

Santa’s wife is pregnant and near delivery, but her due date coincides with Christmas. Santa must decide how to care for his family while still delivering toys to children around the world.

Meanwhile, Jack Frost joins the legendary figures surrounding Santa and sees a chance to claim Santa’s role and the fame that comes with it. His schemes bring confusion and mayhem to the North Pole as Santa tries to set everything right.

The two-star rating means this is a funny but lackluster sequel with clear weaknesses. It is a slapstick comedy made for children and families, and Martin Short is hysterical at times.

The film takes too long to establish its plot, which makes the resolution feel rushed. The story is ill-defined and hard to follow, while some moments are genuinely creepy and others are corny. The limited violence and absence of foul language help, but the movie is not as good as the first film.

The film presents Santa as a well-intentioned savior figure whose goodness, self-sacrifice, and leadership affect the world around him. Good battles evil, and Jack Frost’s greed, selfishness, and pursuit of fame and fortune are ultimately rebuked. The story also values fatherhood, family responsibility, and restored relationships.

At the same time, the film places these ideas in a mythical world with pagan elements and does not explain where goodness and love come from God. Most importantly, it leaves out the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus Christ. Santa receives an exaggerated role in the world, while the Christ child is not mentioned.

The film’s emphasis on family responsibility points toward a truth Scripture makes clear: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

This silly sequel offers positive family values, limited objectionable content, and an encouraging emphasis on fatherhood. But its weak plot, creepy moments, and missing Christian Christmas message make it better suited to a home viewing and conversation. Our answer is WAIT FOR HOME.