The Santa Clause

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1:42

The Santa Clause

PG

1994

1h 37m

Kids & Family

Holiday

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

57 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Divorced dad Scott (Tim Allen) has custody of his son (Eric Lloyd) on Christmas Eve. After he accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit, they are magically transported to the North Pole, where an elf explains that Scott must take Santa's place before the next Christmas arrives. Scott thinks he's dreaming, but over the next several months he gains weight and grows an inexplicably white beard. Maybe that night at the North Pole wasn't a dream after all -- and maybe Scott has a lot of work to do.

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Critics Consensus

The Santa Clause is utterly undemanding, but it's firmly rooted in the sort of good old-fashioned holiday spirit missing from too many modern yuletide films.

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Aug 23, 2017

3/4

A genial, lightweight entertainment.

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Jeff Shannon

Seattle Times

Dec 6, 2013

3/4

This is Allen's movie debut, and it's easy to see why his show is a ratings smash. There's an effortless quality to his humor, but it's also got a quietly urgent edge to it.

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Dec 6, 2013

3/5

I was surprised to find The Santa Clause rather easier to take than anticipated.

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Mal Vincent

The Virginian-Pilot

Mar 2, 2022

3/4

There's a laughable edge that makes it all entertaining - not hilarious, just chuckle kind of chuckles...

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Jim Rohner

Battleship Pretension

Apr 14, 2021

The original is actually quite entertaining, with Allen's sardonic wit standing in gleeful contrast to his surroundings...

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Dec 12, 2020

2.5/4

...a perfectly watchable yet entirely unmemorable family-friendly...

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Teddy B

@RT90521672 5 days ago

I find this such a mixed case. The general conceit is inspired, but the execution is tired and uneven. Scott Calvin is one of those characters that loses all of their interest when they learn from their mistakes; and Allen plays him with a sort of constipated irony that is pretty unpleasant to watch. The look and feel of the film is there---everything else just needs to step up its game to meet it head-on.

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Stephen C

@dogfood23111 Sep 29, 2026

The worldwide gross is $190,539,357.00 over a production budget of $22,000,000.00. Profit of $168,539,357.00.

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Austin B

@RT35999578 Sep 12, 2026

Austin B Boswellllgmailcom

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 9, 2026

The Santa Clause = a 3.5 star Movie!

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diogo13 T

@Tua_mera Jul 11, 2026

É um bom filme de natal

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Conor T

@RT72920782 Jun 26, 2026

A fun 1990s Christmas classic!

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John Pasquin

Director

Tim Allen

Scott Calvin

Judge Reinhold

Dr. Neal Miller, the Psychiatrist

Wendy Crewson

Laura Miller

Eric Lloyd

Charlie Calvin

David Krumholtz

Bernard, the Arch-Elf

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Synopsis

Divorced dad Scott (Tim Allen) has custody of his son (Eric Lloyd) on Christmas Eve. After he accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit, they are magically transported to the North Pole, where an elf explains that Scott must take Santa's place before the next Christmas arrives. Scott thinks he's dreaming, but over the next several months he gains weight and grows an inexplicably white beard. Maybe that night at the North Pole wasn't a dream after all -- and maybe Scott has a lot of work to do.

Director: John Pasquin
Producer: Bobby Newmyer, Brian Reilly, Jeffrey Silver
Screenwriter: Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick
Distributor: Hollywood Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures, Buena Vista International [us], Walt Disney Pictures
Production Co: Hollywood Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, Outlaw Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Kids & Family, Holiday, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 11, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $145.5M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo, Dolby Digital

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