The Santa Clause 3 : The Escape Clause (2006)

The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause is a 2006 American Christmasfantasy comedy adventure film directed by Michael Lembeck. It is the third and final installment in The Santa Clause trilogy following The Santa Clauseand The Santa Clause 2.

The film stars Tim Allen returning as Scott Calvin/Santa Claus and Martin Short as Jack Frost. Allen and Short had previously worked together in the 1997 Disney comedy feature film, Jungle 2 Jungle. Most of the supporting actors from the first two films reprise their roles, with the exception of David Krumholtz, who played Bernard the Arch-elf. As a result of his absence, Curtis (played by Spencer Breslin), who was previously the Assistant Head Elf, has now been promoted to Bernard's former position. Like the previous film, this film was shot in the Canadian cities of Vancouver and Calgary. This was Peter Boyle's final film to be released before he died from cancer one month after its release (The 2008 film All Roads Lead Home would be released posthumously.).

Its production was completed in February 2006. The movie was released in theaters on November 3, 2006 in the US followed by a release date of November 24 for the UK. The DVD and Blu-ray were released on November 20, 2007 in the U.S. and November 12, 2007 for the UK.

Scott Calvin/Santa Claus and his wife Carol/Mrs. Claus are expecting their first child as Christmas Eve approaches. Scott invites his in-laws, Sylvia and Bud Newman, to the North Pole, along with Scott's former wife, Laura, her husband, Neil, and their daughter, Lucy. Meanwhile, he is summoned to a meeting of the Council of Legendary Figures, consisting of Mother Nature, Father Time, the Easter Bunny, Cupid, the Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman. Jack Frost also arrives, jealous that he has no holiday or special occasion in his honor. Because he has been promoting himself during the Christmas season, Mother Nature suggests sanctions against him. When Santa says he is dealing with how to get the in-laws to come without revealing that he is Santa, Jack Frost negotiates a light sentence of community service at the North Pole, helping Santa and the elves put up various Canadian-themed paraphernalia, as Carol's parents believe Scott is a toymaker in Canada.

However, Frost's ultimate goal is to trick Santa into renouncing his position. When elf Curtis inadvertently reveals the Escape Clause, Frost sneaks into Santa's hall of snow globes and steals one containing Scott as Santa. If Scott holds the globe and says, "I wish I'd never been Santa at all," he will go back in time and undo his career as Santa. When Lucy discovers this, Frost freezes her parents and locks her in a closet. He then orchestrates situations that make Scott think he must resign to make things better.

Frost tricks Scott into invoking the Escape Clause and both are sent to Scott's front yard in 1994, when Scott caused the original Santa to fall off of his roof and had to replace him. Frost causes the original Santa to fall off the roof and grabs Santa's coat before Scott can, making Frost the new Santa. Scott is sent back to the present day, where he has been CEO of his old company for the last 12 years and business takes priority over family. Laura treats him coldly and explains she and Neil divorced, revealing that the new timeline has affected other people as well. Scott also learns he and Carol never married and Carol moved away years ago.

Scott goes to find Lucy and Neil, who are vacationing at the the North Pole, which Frost has turned into a touristy resort. Christmas is now "Frostmas", the elves are miserable, and the reindeer are confined to a petting zoo. When Scott finds Lucy and Neil, Neil expresses his resentment for Scott's causing the separation between Neil and Laura. Scott confronts Frost as Santa Claus and tricks Jack Frost into recording his voice stating the Escape Clause. Scott has Lucy steal Frost's snow globe and bring it to him; when Frost finds out and takes the globe back, Scott plays the recording of Frost saying, "I wish I'd never been Santa at all", invoking the Escape Clause and causing Scott and Frost to be sent back again to 1994. Scott restrains Jack long enough to let the Scott Calvin of 1994 get the coat, making him Santa Claus again and taking him back to the North Pole in the present and the family where no time has passed.

Scott as Santa reconciles with his family and Jack is arrested by elf police. He reveals he cannot unfreeze his victims unless he is unfrozen himself. Scott and Lucy use a gift Scott gave her, a snow globe of her warmly hugging a snowman, to unfreeze Frost and reform him. The "Canada" ruse is dropped and Carol tells her parents she is Mrs. Claus. Scott sees his new baby boy, named Buddy Claus, who is born just two hours before Santa must deliver Christmas gifts.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452681