In this second sequel to Tim Allen's holiday blockbuster from 1994, Santa (Tim Allen) goes toe to toe with a jealous Jack Frost (Martin Short). It seems Frost is dismayed because he has yet to receive his own holiday, so with a heart full of deceipt and contempt, he plots to steal Santa's job by means of tricking the jolly one into giving up the position willingly (I smell slight shades of A Nightmare Before Christmas - minus the sweetness and creativity). To make matters even more complicated, Clause must tend with visiting in-laws (played by Ann-Margret and Alan Arkin), a slightly bitter pair who, after being rendered unconscious for their long trek to Santa's Workshop, are tricked into believing they're actually in Canada. After all, all the residents of this snow covered village end their sentences with "a" so it must be Canada, right? Before long, Arkin and Margret are reunited with their loving daughter Carol (Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell), and they are shocked to discover she's preggers. What doesn't appear to shock them is the fact that most of the residents of this quirky little town are around four feet tall.

Look, I hate to sound like a cynic by going to town on a movie like this. The Santa Clause 3 isn't offensive in any way. It's full of cheery little songs and simplistic plot devices, but ultimately, it's pretty darn boring. As far as contemporary Christmas films go, it lacks the sweet, charming nature of say, Elf. Furthermore, it's unable to evoke that warm and fuzzy feeling I really want when I watch a holiday film.

Tim Allen is on cruise control. He does nothing special here. Martin Short is too often kept in check. If the film makers would have just let him go off, perhaps the movie would have been funnier. Only in the final moments, when he's allowed to break into song and act like a mad man, do we see that sort of manic side of him that might have saved the movie. Ann Margret is luminous. She has a nice little moment (in which she sings a little tune) with Martin Short early on in the picture. I also enjoyed Alan Arkin's dryness as Bud, Carol's clueless father.

There isn't anything too memorable here. I liked the moments in which Jack Frost and Santa double back to scenes in the first movie (a film device that worked to much stronger effect in–dare I say it–Saw III), but overall, I can't recall much of anything in this flick. It isn't terrible enough to earn an F rating or anything like that, but I'll certainly never watch it again. If any of you yearn to see a decent holiday film, first of all wit until the holidays and then may I suggest re-visiting Tim Burton's magical A Nightmare Before Christmas in digital 3-D. It may be a bit on the unconventional side, but this wonderful movie provides the Christmas spirit that Santa Clause 3 is sorely lacking.