DVD Release Date:  November 20, 2007
Theatrical Release Date:  November 3, 2006
Rating:  G
Genre:  Comedy, Drama
Run Time:  1 hour, 32 min.
Director:  Michael Lembeck
Actors:  Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Eric Lloyd, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Spencer Breslin, Liliana Murray, Martin Short, Ann-Margret, Alan Arkin, and Michael Dorn

Amazingly, it’s that time of year again.  The decorations are already up at Macy’s, and the Christmas movies are hitting the silver screen.  The first one to land in theatres this year is The Santa Clause 3:  The Escape Clause. 

Like most Christmas movies of the past (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Home Alone, A Christmas Story,  It’s a Wonderful Life,  Christmas Vacation, and The Polar Express), once again the story has nothing to do with the Christ of Christmas, but rather extols an important – but way-secondary – theme of family.  If you can look with patience on the fact that this is where Hollywood is, spiritually, and if you just want a few good laughs with your kids, Santa Clause 3 is not a bad choice for entertainment.  

The third in the Santa Clause series, The Escape Clause again stars Tim Allen as Santa Claus (a.k.a. Scott Calvin), a guy who really wants to be all things to all people.  He wants every kid to get the gift they want – on time, but this year his wife, Mrs. Claus, a.k.a. Carol Calvin (Elizabeth Mitchell) is expecting their first child, and the labor pains and false starts are hitting hard and fast.  Carol is missing her parents, Bud and Sylvia Newman (Alan Arkin and Ann-Margret), and Santa wants to make her happy.  After all, he failed as a husband and father in his first marriage, and he wants to do better on this go-round. 

After having a quick meeting of the council of famous children’s characters (like the Easter Bunny, Mother Nature, the Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy) and making a decision to give the dubious Jack Frost (Martin Short) another chance to straighten up his act, Santa takes a sleigh ride to America to retrieve his in-laws.  However, Bud and Syliva don’t actually know the “S.O.S.” – Secret of Santa – the fact that their son-in-law is the current Father Christmas, so Santa has to bring the Sandman (Michael Dorn), to knock them out for the ride back.  Meanwhile, his elves are quickly fixing up the North Pole so that the in-laws will believe they’re in Canada!