A charmless Santa

This seasonable sequel to the 1994 blockbuster again features Ted Allen as the householder who knocked Santa off his chimneypot, then had to take the deceased old guy's place and do the reindeer rounds as per contract. But he didn't read the fine print. Now he finds out that he must find and marry a Mrs Claus before Christmas Day, or the event will be cancelled.

To make time to go awooing, he creates a Santa clone with a wax-polish face and plastic whiskers who takes over the toy factory that looks like a shopping mall filled with truanting kids and declares, fascistically, that every naughty child shall receive a sackful of coal instead of a stockingful of presents.

Compared with the original, this spin-off seems to be suffering an economy drive of charm and inventiveness. It's best recommended to nervous parents who fear that Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets may be too strong mincemeat for the little ones.

But I warn you, even with CGI reindeer flying at rooftop level in a sleightrain which director Michael Lembeck boasts was inspired by the famous sequence in John Ford's Stagecoach - in your dreams, Michael - some kids may be yelling for a touch of the Voldemorts.

The Santa Clause 2
Cert: certU