The Santa Clause 2
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution | Release Date: November 1, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
48
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
16
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
Seattle Post-IntelligencerEllen A. Kim
While it lacks the original's streamlined core, the father-son relationship, the sequel gets by on assembled moments of sentiment Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The movie is not a special effects extravaganza like "The Grinch," but in a way that's a relief. It's more about charm and silliness than about great hulking multimillion-dollar high-tech effects. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
For an anonymous Saturday afternoon, it's the best lump of coal Hollywood can jam in your stocking. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleC.W. Nevius
A nice little holiday movie. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Won't replace anyone's annual viewing of "It's a Wonderful Life." But your family could find a worse way to take a holiday break. Read full review
63
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Isn't perfect, but it's fun, and Tim Allen shines Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Frankly, if I were Mrs. Claus, I might be looking for Santa Clause 3, outlining the grounds for annulment. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderBill Stamets
Television director Michael Lembeck maintains a tidy pace suitable for commercial breaks, and though the committee-written script cites fuzzy logic, eBay, and Utah marital customs, it predictably avoids any mention of Christ. Read full review
60
VarietyScott Foundas
Festooned with cute, mugging kids; lots of jazzy redos of beloved Christmas tunes on the soundtrack; and enough tug-at-your-heartstrings moments to make an entire theater feel warm on a blustery winter afternoon. Read full review
50
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Has the disjointed feel of a bunch of strung-together TV episodes. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyJon Strickland
While the film is not entirely successful, it still manages to string together enough charming moments to work. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Allen has fun with all his roles -- The rest of the acting is bland, but the movie's preteen target audience won't mind, and adults will find occasional grown-up jokes to chuckle at. Read full review
50
New York PostJonathan Foreman
There's not a moment in it that feels fresh or authentic or inspired. But neither is it offensive. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldKeith Cassidy
This sequel, while lacking the freshness of the original, shares much of its charm and for the most part rises above some trite, syrupy dialogue. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Entirely inoffensive, so it makes for perfect family fare -– but only if the children are young enough to be indiscriminating about what they're seeing. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMark Caro
No question, the new movie is amiable family entertainment, and Allen is such an affable actor that maybe kids won't begrudge him seeking romantic fulfillment in order to remain their favorite Santa. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineSteve Simels
You have to have a certain affection for any movie in which a stressed-out Mother Nature announces ominously, "Don't mess with me -- I'm pre-El Niño." Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Tony Burrough's vast Toy Workshop and Elf Village at the North Pole is the film's strongest asset. The workshop is a dazzling and accurate display of the Art Nouveau style in sinuous full flower. Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
The only parts of the film that ring true -- and they sometimes ring touchingly true -- are the ones that give Mr. Allen simple human themes to work with.
40
The New York TimesDana Stevens
Captures the true spirit of the holiday. It's mildly sentimental, unabashedly consumerist (with anything-but-subliminal advertisements for McDonald's hamburgers and Nestlé candy tucked inside), studiously inoffensive and completely disposable. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarrit Ingman
Sweet enough while it lasts. Read full review
40
Dallas ObserverRobert Wilonsky
Once more, Tim Allen drops a lump of coal down the chimney. Read full review
40
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
Despite the obviously mercenary nature of this sequel, there's a thimbleful of clever ideas at work here, most notably in the way Allen's RoboSanta begins to turn his toy factory into a tiny dictatorship. Read full review
38
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
The movie is as padded as Allen's jelly belly. Read full review
38
USA TodayClaudia Puig
If you value your time and money, find an escape clause and avoid seeing this trite, predictable rehash. The 90 minutes could be better spent doing holiday shopping. Read full review
30
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Allen, who's a natural charmer, seems to be at half-strength here. Read full review
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