Tim Allen: Scott Calvin	Elizabeth Mitchell: Carol Newman
Eric Lloyd: Charlie Calvin	David Krumholtz: Bernard
Spencer Breslin: Curtis	Wendy Crewson: Laura Miller
Judge Reinhold: Neil	Director: Michael Lembeck

30 Second Bottom Line: After eight successful years as the famous red-suited fat man, Scott Calvin is informed that a stipulation in his contract requires him to find a Mrs. Clause by Christmas Eve or he will no longer be Santa. To complicate matters, his son Charlie keeps getting into trouble with his school's hard headed principal. When this situation forces Scott to return home and abandon his Christmas crew's frenetic schedule, head elf Curtis has Scott's Santa cloned. The result is a disastrous robot psycho, who believes that all kids are spoiled and only deserve a lump of coal.

Tell Me More About It: Those in the cynical, "bah humbug" state of mind should take a pass on this lightweight piece of holiday fluff. Everyone else…just sit back and let the sugar plums dance away. This is forgettable fun that should please most family members-with just enough sophisticated humor to keep restless adults from squirming in their seats; I especially enjoyed Mother Nature's comment about being "pre-Nino."

Allen's relaxed Everyman charm is the simple key to the success of this two-film franchise. Like his popular TV show character, Allen maintains a low-key goofiness that endears him to his audience. Indeed, without Allen's affable presence "Santa Clause" and "Santa Clause 2" would be pretty hard to swallow.

With credits that list multiple screenwriters-seven to be exact¾"Santa Clause 2" immediately seemed like it could prove to be a disaster. Incredibly, that overload of creative juices must have done something right because the script sparkles with wit and warmth.

The film opens with a clever bit about a passing airplane picking up the North Pole on its radar. Nervous elves and a somber Santa hold their breaths as the plane passes over, confused but oblivious to their surroundings.

And the whole notion that Scott must find a mate brings up the whole body transformation that made the first "Santa Clause" such a hoot. As Scott is "de-Santa-fying" we see his beard slowly disappear, his waistline shrink and his white hair magically return to its amber hue.

The love story is predictable, pleasant fare. As soon as the mean old principal literally lets her hair down, we know she's a goner for Scott. His resurrection of her school's boring staff Christmas party is one of those aw-shucks scenes we love to hate. Sure, it's syrupy but that's part of Christmas.

These saccharine scenes are balanced by the clone Santa's outrageous military takeover-toy soldiers and all. Toys are replaced by lumps of coal on the assembly line, and the elves suddenly look alarmingly like sweatshop laborers. If it weren't so over-the-top it would be depressing.

Perhaps the most ingenious comic bit is Art La Fleur's portrayal of the Tooth Fairy. Audiences may recognize La Fleur from countless films, cast as a tough guy mobster, police officer or detective. His sizable presence and close-set eyes made these roles a natural for La Fleur and give his take on the Tooth Fairy all the funnier.

"Santa Clause 2" won't win any great acting awards or even any technical kudos for special effects. But it does deliver exactly what families need these days: a healthy dose of hope and love.

Tim Allen: "Joe Somebody", "Big Trouble"	Elizabeth Mitchell: "Frequency", "Gia"
Eric Lloyd: "The Santa Clause"	David Krumholtz: "10 Things I Hate About You"
Spencer Breslin: "The Kid"	Wendy Crewson: "Air Force One"
Judge Reinhold: "Beverly Hills Cop"	Director Michael Lembeck: TV's "Everybody Loves Raymond", "Friends"