Fred Claus

Director David Dobkin and writer Dan Fogelman manage to make Vince Vaughn, one of the funniest men in the world, remarkably unfunny in this, a woeful holiday season misfire. Making this all the more incredible is that Dobkin directed Wedding Crashers, one of the funniest films of the last 10 years. This film, where Vaughn plays the neglected older brother of Santa Claus, is listless, negative, painfully humorless stuff that will not become a holiday staple like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or Santa Claus is Coming To Town. This will just remind that sometimes, unfortunately, Christmas can suck ass. Paul Giamatti is the worst Santa ever and Rachel Weisz plays a meter maid from England. It’s hard to watch Vaughn deal with what he’s been given here, but the man still manages a few laughs amidst the ruins. Kevin Spacey delivers some craptastic work as an efficiency expert looking to end Santa’s reign. Avoid at all costs.