When Disney finds something that seems to do marginally well for them financially speaking, boy do they run with it.  Each one of the three movies in the series to this point, including today’s installment, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), have made the Mouse well over $100 million.  So successful has this franchise been that they decided to make a series on Disney+, and it looks like there has been a fourth film announced.  The argument can be made that they are trading on one of the most familiar names in Western culture, that being Santa Claus (Tim Allen).  I believe the fact that the entire group of films and shows is based on a pun cannot be ignored.  Haha, get it?  Santa Clause?!  In case you are wondering I looked it up: there is a Santa Claws (1996).  That joke works on so many levels.  Anyway, let us get on with taking a look at The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.

When last we saw Santa, or Scott Calvin as the government knows him, he averted losing his magical position by marrying Carol Newman (Elizabeth Mitchell).  Because she had been a school principal in her previous life before becoming Mrs. Claus, we open The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause with her in front of a classroom.  One of her elf pupils, Trish (Abigail Breslin), asks whether she regrets her decision.  This decision triggers a flashback that will last the rest of the movie, taking us back to the previous Christmas.  Mrs. Claus is pregnant, and after a false alarm with the delivery, is worried that she is going to give birth while her husband is either busy with seasonal preparations or is out bringing gifts to the children of the world.  On top of his normal duties, he is suddenly called to a meeting of the legendary figures.  They have gathered to discuss a possible suspension of Jack Frost (Martin Short), who has been causing a number of problems around the world.  He is acting out because he is mad that he does not have a holiday, and gets little joy from the fact that most people do not appreciate his arrival as the herald of winter.  The vote to discipline Jack comes down to Santa.  Before the sentence is given, Jack suggests that he do a sort of community service by helping out around the North Pole.  With the amount of pressure Santa is under between Mrs. Claus and the rapidly approaching holiday, he accepts Jack’s proposal provided the snow creature behaves.  What could go wrong?  Speaking of Mrs. Claus, as much as she likes the enchantment of their environs, she tells Santa that she needs some “taller” human contact, namely from her family.  The problem is that her parents do not know about Scott’s identity, and are likely, according to Carol, tell others if they knew the truth.  Secrecy is vital to their operation, particularly according to head elf Curtis (Spencer Breslin).  Scott comes up with an idea to have the Newmans come to them while maintaining their confidentiality: they will make the North Pole look like Canada.  Yet, his first move is to visit his ex-wife, Laura Miller (Wendy Crewson), her husband, Neil Miller (Judge Reinhold), and step-daughter, Lucy Miller (Liliana Mumy), back with him.  Other than them being vaguely necessary to the plot, especially Lucy, I have no idea why this happens.  At least they do not have to be tricked into traveling with Scott since they know what he actually does for a living.  Bud (Alan Arkin) and Sylvia Newman (Ann-Margaret) have to be put to sleep by the Sandman (Michael Dorn), made to dream that they flew to the North Pole.  As Santa is away, Jack gets up to his shenanigans.  He easily dupes Curtis into revealing what is suggested in the film’s subtitle.  If Scott holds a particular snow globe, which is kept safe with the rest of his collection, and renounces his position, he will no longer be Santa Claus.  Scott is not going to willingly do this, however, because he enjoys being Kris Kringle.  What is less enjoyable is the stress caused by the Newmans, who do not appreciate that they have barely seen their daughter since she got married.  Jack works behind the scenes, causing many problems with the toy operation, and generally being passive aggressive whenever he interacts with the family.  Despite being pulled in a number of directions, Scott has the time to show Lucy his private assortment of snow globes.  This is the moment for which Jack is waiting.  Applying some more family pressure, Jack manages to get a stressed Santa away from his in-laws with the snow globe and tricks Scott into saying the magic words.  They are then transported to twelve years previous, but this time Jack manages to get to Santa’s coat first and becomes Santa Claus.  Scott is then propelled forward twelve years and he is in the life he would have led if he had never been Jolly Ol’ St. Nick.  Nobody remembers he was Santa, including his family.  Further, Jack has turned the North Pole into a commercialized theme park.  This is how Scott finds it when he travels there, finding tourists all over and unhappy elves catering to their selfish whims.  Still, he knows about the escape clause, and with Lucy’s help, who is conveniently there with Neil, is able to turn the tables on Jack.  In doing so, Scott is once more in the present as Santa with a new found appreciation of being Santa.  He then decides to tell Carol’s parents about his real identity.  As for the Millers, who had been frozen by Jack to keep them quiet, Lucy’s magical hug reverses the enchantment and they are back to normal.  Then, of course, Carol goes into labor.  So, thank you for asking, Trish.

Alright, what to say from a Catholic perspective about The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. . . ?  When you are dealing with a repetitive series, it can be hard to figure out new angles to these things.  What struck me this time, I suppose, is Scott feeling like he needs to lie order to maintain the status quo.  The lengths he goes to in order to convince the Newmans they are in Canada are extraordinar . . . ily silly.  In response to the height of all the workers at Scott’s so-called Canadian toy factory, he tells Bud that this is normal for Canadians.  The fact that the movie would expect anyone to buy this is remarkable, but it is aimed at children.  Still, one has to admire Scott for finding a calling, something I talk about in many reviews, but I never thought I would be applying it to a movie about Santa Claus.  Yet, in a general way, the idea of Santa, if he were not a ludicrous fantasy, does speak to some Christian principles.  He brings joy to the world, though I have to swallow my Catholic pride in writing this because that is meant to be the sole purview of Jesus’ birth.  Then again, I have also already said a number of times how annoying it is that they imbue Santa in these movies with god-like powers.  Setting these feelings aside, it is at least refreshing here that Santa looks at what he does as something bigger than a mere transaction.  This is juxtaposed, of course, with what Jack does to the North Pole.  The spirit of Christmas is the hope that Jesus brings into the world with his arrival.  The presents are meant to be a symbol of that hope.  Yes, Santa is bringing a physical manifestation of that feeling, and every year we seem to lose more sight of the truth.  Films like this do not help, but I supposed it could be worse.

In case you are wondering, after watching The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, I will not be watching the Disney+ series.  If part four ever comes out, I suppose I will see it.  Until that day comes, I can put this set of movies to rest.  In summary, there are much better Christmas movies to be viewed.