fred claus somehow avoid become this year the santa clause by at least have a bit more amusing moment than that tim allen starrer and but it doesn not mean that it get enough go for it that worth a trip to the theater . a holiday movie go and it contrive and sentimental . but actually and that could be the least of one concern a fred claus and boasting of have david dobkin ( shanghai knight and the wedding crasher ) at the helm and contain virtually nary a genuinely funny moment a it clumsily tread the line between a boorish vince vaughn vehicle and a fuzzy christmas film . in the end and it amount to not much of both . and with a cast that comprise of paul giamatti and kevin spacey and rachel weisz and and kathy bates and all the more it leave one disappointed . vaughn play fred and nick ( giamatti ) old and estrange brother and who once upon a time and leave him and their parent ( bates and trevor peacock ) after have have enough of endure his parent favoritism of his younger sibling . nick grow up to be santa claus ( and a the voice over tell u and time freeze on you and your family when you become a saint ) and while fred become a yuletide jade repo man in chicago who have a hard time remember his girlfriend wanda ( weisz ) birthday . he run in trouble with the law and have to call his younger brother ( who eerily look at least a decade old than him ) to bail him out of jail . nick agrees but only if fred agree to help out on the toy wrapping business up in the north pole . fred reluctantly agree but his cynicism clash with santa and the elf perpetually cheery nature and even a an efficiency expert ( spacey ) be check on the toy factory operation and only too happy to have the whole arctic operation shut down if thing fail . the film and a say and do have it moment and but the padded running length stretch them thin across it duration . in between be pile of christmas film clichés that be handle well in and say and elf and the attempt at sentimentality be as endear a last year fruitcake . vaugn and a usual and bring on his coarse charm to the table and but the neutered script of dan fogelman keep him from really do his thing . giamatti and underneath the bad fat suit and bring a jolly old charm to his iconic character and but unfortunately and have to play second fiddle to fred . spacey bring his game face and but his turn usually end a unfunnily vapid . ultimately and fred claus become a forgettable film that fall below what those involve in it deserve . sure and there be bad way to start the season at the cinema and but there be certainly far good way .