The Santa Clause (1994) started a trilogy of North Pole magic for 90s and 2000s kids to watch during the holidays. Though all three movies are great, the first is often the favorite. It introduces Scott Calvin as a disillusioned, divorced dad who needs to be reminded of the spirit of Christmas.
While spending Christmas Eve with his son, Scott catches Santa Claus on the roof, shouts at him, and accidentally leads the jolly old fellow to his demise. Scott then puts on the suit and unwittingly becomes Santa’s successor. In the subsequent movies, Santa must find the balance between work, love, and family. The creative franchise is full of funny characters that fans love to watch every year.
Carol/Mrs. Claus
Carol Newman is presented as a cold, strict school principal in The Santa Clause 2. She has disciplined Charlie routinely for his vandalism habit, and Scott Calvin steps in to help his son correct his ways.
In the process, Scott falls in love with Carol, just in time to secure a Mrs. Claus to satisfy the newly discovered caveat of his contract. Carol warms up to Scott and learns to believe in Santa. Her sense of humor comes out more and more, even in the third movie when she is pregnant, tired, and upset with Scott's lack of time for her.
ELFS Leader
The first movie in the trilogy has some clever characters that are never seen again. The ELFS troop is essentially the North Pole’s military unit. The stealthy elves use their rigorous training to help Charlie get his dad out of jail, and it’s pretty funny watching them create a diversion before Santa’s escape.
As the ELFS leader says, they're "elves with attitude." The special unit's plan involves giving an officer a doughnut and breaking Santa out of his jail cell using some tinsel. No matter how old the Christmas movie gets, these elves always appear innovative and feisty.
Quinton
Quinton's job is important, but it might make adult viewers chuckle. In the North Pole of the first film, everyone has a designated task to keep things running smoothly in Santa's workshop.
Quinton is tasked with helping create an anti-inflammatory outfit for Santa so that he doesn’t get burned going down the chimney. With the help of Santa’s own son, Quinton dreams up the safest suit ever so that Santa survives and looks good doing his work. He joins his colleagues in a silly stroll through the Pole to show off Santa's protective gear.
Curtis
Curtis is introduced in The Santa Clause 2 and takes Bernard's spot as head elf in The Santa Clause 3. He's introduced as a fun-loving member of Santa's workshop, and his first scene shows Curtis relaxing with a musical toy Santa that sings "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." As Curtis takes on more duties, he can still be a witty guy, but he becomes much more serious.
Judy
Judy is everyone’s favorite elf—aside from Bernard, of course. She has been working on the perfect cocoa recipe for hundreds of years, and she’s definitely gotten it right. Judy is wise and good-natured, and she is fodder for some funny jokes throughout the holiday movie.
Scott Calvin awakes in a pair of red silk pajamas, a gift from none other than Judy. Naturally, Scott’s ex-wife can’t know about the magical North Pole night, so Scott passes it all off as a gift from the waitress at Denny’s. Unfortunately, Judy did not return to the North Pole for the other movies in the series.
Neal
Neal is a loving husband to Laura and a good stepdad to Charlie, but he gets stereotyped for his job as a psychiatrist. Neal is a calm, rational person with a renowned sweater collection.
In the first movie, he wants the best for Charlie and worries that all this Santa talk will damage the boy in the long term. Neal isn’t perfect, but he has a quirky sense of humor and is a funny foil to Scott Calvin.
Jack Frost
Jack Frost comes along in the third movie to wreak havoc on everything Santa has worked for. Frost is jealous of Santa's importance as a legendary figure and wants all the glory to himself. He slyly turns the North Pole upside down and nearly ruins Christmas as he tricks Scott Calvin into temporarily giving up his place as Santa. The outfit, the makeup, and the icy demeanor all add to the comedy of the nippy character.
Bernard
Bernard is the head elf in the first two movies of the trilogy. He has a very matter-of-fact way of life and prefers to keep things running according to protocol. Bernard has his hands full with the new Santa, but he manages to give Charlie some much-needed encouragement, starting with that legendary snow globe gift that figures into the second and third movies.
Bernard likes to get down to business, but he has time to crack a joke. The best one is at Laura and Neal's house. The elf chows down on a turkey leg and notices how dry it is, so he asks, “haven’t you people ever heard of basting?” Bernard keeps his sense of humor as he mentors Curtis in the second movie, but it doesn't make sense that he disappears without explanation in the third.
Scott Calvin/Santa
Tim Allen makes an oddly perfect Santa Claus. The job warms his heart and brings him closer to his young son. Santa is still Scott Calvin, though. He is always ready with a wisecrack for family and friends, and he comically adjusts to his growing Santa body in the first movie.
The man goes to the bathroom, shaves his whole face, smiles at himself in the mirror, and watches with amazement as the hair instantly grows back. Scott/Santa is one of the funniest characters in the trilogy, and he continually works to be a better dad.
Charlie
Charlie is the youngest main character in the original film, and he is the cutest and funniest of them all. He reminds adults what it’s like to believe wholeheartedly in the magic of Christmas. It all starts with the famous words of “The Night Before Christmas.” Charlie doesn’t hear “there arose such a clatter.” He hears, “there a Rose Suchak Latter.”
Sure enough, the boy runs out to the front of his house and sees a latter, sponsored by the Rose Suchak Latter Company. These whimsical little touches bring out Charlie’s innocent wonder and funny way of viewing the world. He becomes less funny as he grows into a rebellious teen, but he still makes people smile with his jokes and his kind heart.