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‘Fred Claus’ brings cheer back to holiday films

The holiday season has arrived, and with it comes the usual onslaught of saccharine films about the meaning of Christmas. Advertised as "a new kind of Christmas fable," Warner Bros' "Fred Claus" attempts to rise to the overly festive occasion from a different angle with a film about Santa's older brother Fred. As audiences can imagine, being the brother of one of the world's most generous and hardworking fictional characters must be rough — and so is the film, around its icy edges. Though "Fred Claus" has its weaknesses — mainly disconcerting special effects and a hole-filled plot — the film's heartwarming, underdog message prevails.

The film's two main characters are brothers Fred and Nick Claus, who were born and raised in a bucolic storybook cottage some years ago. The film seems to suggest that it's during their youth that younger brother Nick invents the familiar Christmas traditions of today. One scene in particular depicts Nick as he cuts down Fred's favorite tree to bring inside the house as a decoration. Unfortunately, as the brothers grow older, Fred is constantly overshadowed by Nick's saintly deeds and becomes increasingly more resentful and naughty. Eventually, Nick becomes jolly old St. Nicolas, solidifying Fred's position as the family's perpetual underachiever.

Somehow, we flash forward to the present day: The narrator hurriedly gives an irritating and abstruse explanation for the film's modern setting, vaguely mentioning how the family of Santa Claus never ages. Ironically, Fred (Vince Vaughn, "The Break-Up") is a repo man who is constantly bombarded by Christmas cheer. After several mishaps regarding his financial stability, Fred lands himself in jail and is forced to call his brother, Nick "Santa" Claus (Paul Giamatti, "Lady in the Water"), for help. Ever the pushover, Santa agrees on one condition: Fred must come to the North Pole and help prepare for Christmas in order to pay off his debt.

Unfortunately, the North Pole's toy production is put into jeopardy when Clyde (Kevin Spacey, "Superman Returns"), a slimy efficiency expert arrives to evaluate the workshop. Apparently, Santa's elves cannot keep up with the increasing materialism of today's society, and the North Pole is put on a three-strike policy — three strikes and Santa's operation will be shut down permanently.

Meanwhile, Fred is told to assess whether the children of the world are naughty or nice, a task with which he finds he has moral issues. After all, he wonders, doesn't every child deserve a toy on Christmas? Fred's decision to mark all naughty children "nice," however, causes a demand overload and an ensuing third strike against his brother. The fate of the North Pole and all Christmas joy now rests on the shoulders of Fred Claus. In a moment reminiscient of Disney's 1994 holiday film "The Santa Clause," Fred dons the big red suit and attempts to save Christmas.

One of the major points to note in "Fred Claus" is the ironic, yet refreshing casting. It's surprising to see Vince Vaughn in a more genuine, likable role, despite his frequent nonsensical outbursts. Paul Giamatti portrays the perfect modern Santa Claus, complete with a nervous overeating habit caused by holiday stress. It's Kevin Spacey's performance as the creepy and emotionless efficiency expert, however, that seems oddly dark and complicated for this children's movie.

Some of the film's special effects, on the other hand, leave much to be desired. The CGI effect of superimposing rapper Ludacris' head onto a considerably smaller body to make him look like an elf simply appears awkward.

The plot also seems disjointed, shifting from incredibly sinister moments to joyous ones without any transition. Consequently, gaps in the plot fail to answer the questions children actually ponder each year: How do reindeer fly? How could one man possibly reach every child in the world in one night? Obviously no one can honestly answer questions such as these, but this script fails to even attempt to address them.

Despite these annoyances, "Fred Claus" manages to send the inspired message that there are no bad children, just kids who are unlucky or scared. (Even though the film seems to suggest that Christmas is nothing without toys, at least there is equality in the gift distribution.) Everyone deserves a present on Christmas, regardless of his or her situation.

Though this holiday film is certainly underwhelming for the discerning critic, the average moviegoer will be able to appreciate the warm and fuzzy message this film sends. Big name actors, a few good laughs and a heartwarming twist on the meaning of Christmas save "Fred Claus."