John Pasquin
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Russell Brand's rise as a star has been fairly swift and unconventional, sure, but usually the broad children's film comes far later in the career-- Tim Allen made The Santa Clause when he already had a hit network TV show, and Eddie Murphy had given us nearly a dozen edgy comedies before moving on to voice Donkey in Shrek.
With a plot that combines pieces from just about every Christmas fantasy movie, most notably "The Santa Clause", director Tim Hill ("Alvin And The Chipmunks") doesn't reveal anything really new or different.
The plot is uneven and forced at times, giving a mix of “The Santa Clause” and the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” films.
While the world's desperate cries for more sequels to "The Santa Clause" go unanswered, Universal Pictures brings us the next best thing: the same basic concept, changed to the Easter Bunny, mixed with "Alvin and the Chipmunks," and executed without distinction.
Hop appears to have been conceived in the minds of studio executives contemplating The Santa Clause and its dismal ilk and concluding that if it worked for Christmas, it will work for Easter too.
Actually the live-action-animation hybrid owes more to The Santa Clause and Alvin and the Chipmunks (Hop director Tim Hill was also responsible for the singing-rodent flick).
Rush Hour (1998)
Directed by Brett Ratner
influenced Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005)
Plot
The film echoes such genre outings as "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Rush Hour" by dumping Gracie into the hostile jurisdiction of Las Vegas FBI supervisor Collins (Treat Williams, "Hollywood Ending," walking through the film) just as her friends are being ransomed.
The Polar Express (2004)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
influenced by The Santa Clause (1994)
Visuals Characters
Santa Claus himself is kind of underwhelming; as someone else pointed out, despite being played by Tom Hanks, Santa looks more like Tim Allen in The Santa Clause.
Strangely, although Saint Nick sounds like Hanks, he resembles the Tim Allen version from The Santa Clause.
Fortunately, director Jon Favreau pushes the film right up to that line of corniess but doesn’t quite cross it (unlike the saccharine sequels to “The Santa Clause”).
In year's past, I've been disappointed by "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" "The Santa Claus 2," and "Jack Frost," but fortunately this year's "Elf" can be added to the fun list that includes such recent films as "The Santa Clause" and "Jingle All the Way," entertaining movies that make you laugh hysterically and can be watched over and over again without boredom.
Unlike other recent studio holiday films that try to appeal to both kids and adults -- think The Santa Clause or Jingle All the Way -- Elf nimbly straddles that fine line between silliness and sweetness.
But the story is so derivative that a couple of moderately savvy middle-schoolers could have written it after a quick review of formulaic movies such as The Santa Clause or Jingle All the Way.
The Three Stooges (2012)
Directed by Bobby Farrelly
influenced by Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005)
Actors far better than the material are squandered in supporting roles, while lesser-known ones, such as Emy Coligado (2005's " Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous ") as cutely bespectacled law firm secretary Ling, shine with brief screen time.
Obviously aspiring to use the Jumanji name to achieve something as broadly appealing as that Penny Marshall/Tom Hanks classic, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle lands closer to The Mask or The Santa Clause.