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Story

Mrs Carol Claus (Elizabeth Mitchell) is about to give birth at Christmas, the busiest time of the year. Carol is emotional at the prospect of becoming a mother and misses her family. Santa (Tim Allen) is under a lot of pressure and devises a ruse for bringing Carol’s parents to the North Pole by disguising it as Canada and thus not breaking any Santa secrets. To add to Santa’s troubles, an emergency meeting is held by the Council of Legendary Figures to discuss what to do with Jack Frost (Martin Short). He has been unashamedly promoting himself and trying to upstage Santa. The Council wants to expel him, but he begs for another chance. Santa takes him on as an additional helper.

Jack Frost has ambitious plans and sets out to sabotage Santa’s efforts to get presents ready in time for Christmas. He discovers that there is an escape clause to being Santa and tricks the overstressed Santa into invoking it. Jack Frost assumes the role of Santa and turns the North Pole into a ghastly theme park. Meanwhile the real Santa, who has returned to a miserable life as Scott Calvin, has to devise a way of putting things back the way they were.

Themes

Family relationships

Violence

There is some violence in this movie including:

  • a girl elf kicks Santa in the shin
  • Jack Frost pushes a loaded trolley into an elf
  • Jack Frost causes an explosion which sets machinery on fire
  • Jack Frost breathes on Laura, Santa’s ex-wife (Wendy Crewson) and husband Neil (Judge Reinhold) and turns them to ice
  • Santa and Jack Frost fall from the North Pole through the sky and land heavily on the ground
  • Jack Frost and Santa fight. Frost hits Santa with a shovel
  • Santa hits Jack (who is now Santa) and a policeman with a giant candy cane.

Sexual references

Jack Frost tries to chat up Carol’s mother.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

None

Nudity and sexual activity

None

Product placement

None

Coarse language

None

Ideas to discuss with your children

Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause shows that good eventually wins over evil and that pride comes before a fall. It presents values of forgiveness and kindness. It could also give you an opportunity to talk with your child about the importance of spending time together as a family.

Supported By

  • Department of Social Services

Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

Member Organisations

  • Parenting Research Centre
  • The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
  • Murdoch Children's Research Institute

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