Fred Claus (2007)
Average Rating: 4.2/10
Reviews Counted: 139
Fresh: 29 | Rotten: 110
A slew of talent is wasted in this contrived and overly sentimental Christmas film, which can't quite get the balance between slapstick humor and sentimental family moments.
Average Rating: 4.3/10
Critic Reviews: 37
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 29
A slew of talent is wasted in this contrived and overly sentimental Christmas film, which can't quite get the balance between slapstick humor and sentimental family moments.
liked it
Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 357,119
My Rating
Movie Info
Santa's black-sheep brother gets a much-needed shot at redemption in this holiday comedy reuniting actor Vince Vaughn and director David Dobkin (Clay Pigeons, Wedding Crashers). It's not easy being the brother of a benevolent and beloved saint, and no one knows that better than Fred Claus (Vaughn). After struggling for years to live up to the example set by his younger sibling Nicholas (Paul Giamatti), Fred has finally given up. These days Fred is working as a repo man taken to stealing the
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Cast
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Vince Vaughn
Fred Claus -
Paul Giamatti
Nick (Santa) Claus -
John Michael Higgins
Willie -
Miranda Richardson
Annette Claus -
Rachel Weisz
Wanda -
Kathy Bates
Mother Claus -
Trevor Peacock
Papa Claus -
Chris "Ludacris" Bridges
DJ Donnie -
Elizabeth Banks
Charlene -
Jeremy Swift
Bob Elf -
Kevin Spacey
Clyde -
Rio Hackford
Leon -
Elizabeth Berrington
Linda Elf -
Bobb'e J. Thompson
Slam -
Alan Corduner
Dr. Goldfarb -
Jordon Hull
Young Fred (6 yrs old) -
Liam James
Young Fred (12 yrs old) -
Theo Stevenson
Young Nick (6 yrs old) -
Allison Sparrow
Girl w/ Plasma TV -
Fern Zimmerman
Caroler -
Danny McCarthy
Salvation Army Santa -
Keith Kupferer
Salvation Army Santa -
Craig J. Harris
Jermaine Santa -
Pete McCabe
Scary Thug -
Jonathan Cullen
Guard -
Wesley Chu
Bonsai Chef -
Claudia Michelle Wallace
Child Services Agent -
Guy Massey
Child Services Agent -
Gabriel Pimentel
Head Secret Service Elf -
Hassan Chikhaoui
Secret Service Elf -
Vitalie Babara
Secret Service Elf -
Morgane Monjauze
Molly Gordon -
Caden Niewolny
Timmy Jackson -
Angela Curran
Old Woman Elf -
Celia Henebury
Girl Elf -
Justin McEwen
Orphange Kid -
Tyler Kelley
Orphange Kid -
Dylan Minnette
Orphange Kid -
Laurel Anne White
Midwife -
Patrick Zielinski
Cab Driver -
William Dick
Group Leader -
Frank Stallone
Frank Stallone -
Roger Clinton
Roger Clinton -
Stephen Baldwin
Stephen Baldwin -
Jean-Yves Thual
Mission Control Elf -
Michael Mbhele
DJ Donnie's Movements -
Burn Gorman
Elf -
Orlando Seale
Elf -
Charles Condou
Elf -
Melody Hollis
Timmy Jackson's Sister -
Mike Bacarella
Wanda's Neighbor -
Bert Matias
Eskimo -
Rusty Goffe
Elf/Frosty Bar Man -
Pete Bonner
Bonner Elf -
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-
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Shamil Galeev
Elf -
Afiya Izmailova
Elf -
-
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Viktor Kharur
Elf -
Zinaida Kharuk
Elf -
Tatyana Kutaleva
Elf -
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Valentina Lipen
Elf -
Vano Miranyan
Elf -
Nadezda Miranova
Elf -
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Andriy Nagiyen
Elf -
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Alexander Pavlov
Elf -
Tatiana Pavlova
Elf -
Antanina Satsura
Elf -
Nadiia Shchava
Elf -
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Galina Shurygina
Elf -
-
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Victor Sovpenets
Elf -
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Inna Sushkova
Elf -
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Alexey Zalatin
Elf -
Don Goodman
Money Donor -
Ramona Giambalvo
Money Donor -
Christ Kopoulos
Money Donor -
Jeannette Francis
Money Donor -
Patrick Morris
Money Donor -
Douglas Colber
Singer -
Beth Kondrat
Singer -
Debra Congram
Singer -
Erich K. Kurschat
Singer -
Deanna Edgerson
Singer -
Anthony D. Potempa
Singer -
Robert H. Frenier
Singer -
Paul E. Reineck
Singer -
Johanna K. Hauki
Singer -
Julie Simms
Singer -
Tracy M. Snell
Slam's Adoptive Mother -
Antinko Zanjelo Waddell
Slam's Adoptive Father -
Kiara Allyce Greene
Slam's Adoptive Sister -
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Fred Claus Trailer & Photos
All Critics (145) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (115) | DVD (20)
Dobkin's film is lit up by a couple of genius scenes: first, a siblings support-group attended by Frank Stallone, Stephen Baldwin and Roger Clinton; second, a superb in-joke triggering Spacey's redemptive thaw-out, stoking a festive glow against the odds.
Top CriticThe movie is less ho-ho-ho than uh-oh, or oh-no.
There are some scattered big laughs and a sweet message here, so I'm giving it a mild recommendation.
As derivative and predictable as any of the holiday comedies of the past few years, providing audiences with at best a handful of laughs. Most of it is uninspired.
It senselessly dims an idea that should shine as brightly as Rudolph's nose.
Vaughn gets plenty of mileage exploring both the painful and fun sides of Fred.
It's no improvement on Bad Santa, or National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, for that matter.
Fred Claus will never go down in history as a holiday classic, or even one of Vaughn's better known films, but a sterling cast lifts up what could have been easy mediocrity.
Because of the PG rating, the comedy had to be somewhat clean, which crippled Vaughn's improv style.
Fred Claus may not be as funny or as instantly classic as Elf, but it's still a fun family holiday movie--one that didn't deserve the lambasting it took.
A turbulent ride that shifts tonal gears and messages like oscillations in the weather, ending in mythological frostbite.
Silly it is. Frenetic it is. Loud it is. Funny it's not. (Blu-ray Edition)
A feel-bad Christmas flick, not exactly the way anybody would want to kickoff the holiday season.
Vince Vaughn's famously rude Wedding Crasher gets macho with Ludacris as a m-igitalized feisty Santa elf, while huddling over the pint-sized urinals in the john with another, to clue him about North Pole dirty dancing and romance.
Fred Claus is not an entirely bad picture, but it is a decidedly bland one.
Vaughn's act may be toned down a bit, but he still plays the same fast-talking, quip-spouting arrogant schmuck that he usually does, and it wears thin real fast.
Rather than creating imaginative situations for Vaughn to explore, director David Dobkin merely asks that Vaughn be himself, as if his personality were big enough to wring humor out of a comic vacuum.
Unfortunately, this is a broad family comedy that depends on odd sound effects (zonks! splat!) during every scene...
Audience Reviews for Fred Claus
Super Reviewer
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- Elf: Can I get a ho-ho-...
- Fred Claus: No.
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- Fred Claus: The world is what you make of it and it all starts with what you make of yourself.
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Spacey and Giamatti are also very good in their roles as expected. It does look and play out like ALL other Xmas films but a slight twist on the plot, a few neat visual gags and some good verbal make all the difference. The legal side with Spacey is quite special but the sloppy ending almost spoils it...but its a nice flick.