I love the Santa Clause movies, and I already own the first and second ones on DVD, so naturally I added Santa Clause 3 to my collection. Starring the same cast of characters as the previous movies, plus Martin Short as Jack Frost, watching this 3rd installment has really put me in the Christmas mood.

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Once again, Tim Allen stars as Scott Calvin/Santa, and this time, his wife Carol is expecting a baby. With husband Scott/Santa busy getting ready for Christmas, Carol wishes she could have her parents with her, so Scott and his team concoct a plan to bring Carol’s parents to the North Pole. Only, they are going to think they are coming to a toy factory in Canada.

Meanwhile, Martin Short as Jack Frost has been brought before the Council of Legendary Figures to answer to charges that he is trying to sabotage Christmas. He convinces Scott to let him help get the toys ready for delivery, but instead, he sets out to sabotage the workshop. Carol’s parents arrive, played by Alan Arkin and the still-gorgeous Ann-Margret, and as a surprise, so do Scott’s ex-wife (Wendy Crewson), her husband Neil (Judge Reinhold), and their daughter Lucy (Lily Mumy). It was a little far-fetched that Scott’s ex-wife would be there, but it does give Lucy a big part in the plot.

Jack Frost plots to get Scott to inadvertently invoke “The Escape Clause”, which allows the current Santa to get out of his responsibilities by holding a special Snow Globe and saying something to the effect of “I wish I had never been Santa”. Once Scott says it, they are transported back to the scene from the first movie when Santa first falls off Scott’s roof, and I mean the exact scene. Only this time, Frost puts on Santa’s coat and becomes the new Santa. Scott goes right back to the life he was living at that time, and then tracks down Frost at the new North Pole, which he has turned into a combination theme park and musical theater. Scott and Lucy conspire together to set things right and get Scott back where he belongs, as Santa.

The first time I saw this movie in the theaters, I just thought it was okay. But now that I’ve watched it a few times on DVD, I find it entertaining, with a good message about being true to yourself and to your family. Bonus Features on the DVD include:

# Commentary by: Director Michael LembeckDolby Digital 2.0
# Widescreen and full-screen versions on same disc
# Never-before-seen bloopers
# Christmas carol-oke
# Aly & AJ music video: “Greatest Time of the Year”
# The making of The Santa Clause 3
# Blooper reel
# Alternate opening
# Jack Frost & Mrs. Claus: A Very Different Look
# The New Comedians: On set with Tim & Marty
# Creating movie magic: Visual effects secrets, from the hall of snow globes to Santa’s fireplace

Pick up a copy of Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause for your Christmas DVD collection!

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