Santa (Tim Allen), aka Scott Calvin, juggles a full house of family and the mischievous Jack Frost (Martin Short) who is scheming to take over the "big guy’s" holiday.

How about a new villain and a dash of It's a Wonderful Life to spice up the third installment of the popular Tim Allen holiday franchise? Under the onslaught of another Christmas season, Santa Claus/Scott Calvin (Allen) is feeling even more pressure because Mrs. Claus (Elizabeth Mitchell, reprising her role from The Santa Clause 2) is expecting a little Claus and also longing for the company of some "tall people." So Scott agrees to let her parents (Ann-Margret and Alan Arkin) visit as long as they believe that they're really in Canada rather than at the North Pole. Further complicating matters is a visit by Scott's ex-wife (Wendy Crewson), her husband (Judge Reinhold), and their daughter, Lucy (Liliana Mumy). Enter the bad boy of the Council of Legendary Figures, Jack Frost (Martin Short), who's supremely jealous of the figures who have their own holidays, especially Santa. So he launches a plan to sabotage the toy factory and compel Scott to invoke the little-known Escape Clause and wish he'd never become Santa. The resulting evocation of a classic Christmas movie, It's a Wonderful Life, is seasoned with a splash of Back to the Future when Scott rewinds 12 years (has it really been that long?) to when it all began. Though neither sequel has matched the charm of the original Santa Clause, both have been safe, reliable family fare. (All ages: some crude humor) --David Horiuchi