Tim Allen has quite a reputation for holiday movies. He starred in The Santa Clause in 1994, which led to two sequel movies in 2002 and 2006. The actor added another hilarious Christmas movie to his resume in 2004 with Christmas With The Kranks.

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For certain holiday movie fans, Tim Allen is an annual part of the seasonal festivities. The Santa Clause is a classic for children of the 1990s, but Christmas with the Kranks (based on John Grisham's Skipping Christmas) brought a refreshing holiday romp to the 2000s. Which comedy is Tim Allen's best Christmas movie?

Christmas With The Kranks: More Realistic

Luther and Nora standing in a mall at Christmas in Christmas With The Kranks

Christmas movie viewers don't usually expect their choices to be terribly realistic, but it’s nice to see the occasional portrayal of problems that could actually happen in the real world. Luther Krank is fed up with the cost of Christmas, so he sees his daughter’s first Christmas away from home as the prime opportunity to skip the holiday altogether.

Luther and Nora’s plan backfires when Blair announces that she’s coming home for Christmas. Though the adventure is over the top, the movie is still a clever and comical way to present an adult issue.

The Santa Clause: Blends Fantasy With Reality

Tim Allen in The Santa Clause

While Scott Calvin’s journey to Santa-hood isn’t a likely story, his life in the real world is pretty believable. Scott works hard and loves his son, but he’s jaded and sarcastic.

The divorced dad struggles to understand his emotions, and he is quick to pick a fight with his ex-wife. The movie uses Scott’s North Pole adventure with Charlie to bring the dad and son closer, and it blends the fantasy with reality in a creative way.

Christmas With The Kranks: "Free Frosty!" Is Genius

Nora on the floor in Christmas with the Kranks

Christmas with the Kranks puts an interesting spin on a classic Christmas character. Frosty becomes more than a snowman in this movie. He’s a gigantic decoration that towers atop each neighbor’s house. The Kranks are quickly singled out for not putting the oversized snowman on their roof.

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Neighbors invade Luther and Nora’s front yard and yell, “Free Frosty, Free Frosty!” Mix that with a fun remix of the traditional “Frosty the Snowman” song, and it’s a snowy snafu like no other.

The Santa Clause: North Pole Magic

The Santa Clause North Pole

In a nutshell, there are Christmas movies with Santa, and there are Christmas movies without Santa. The Santa Clause turns a regular person into Santa overnight. For people who typically like movies about Santa, this Tim Allen film is the obvious choice.

His character is a cranky businessman whose life turns around with some extra cookies, cocoa, and gift-giving. In addition to the satisfying character arc, the movie also presents a picturesque design of the North Pole.

Christmas With The Kranks: A Fascinating Proposition

Christmas with the Kranks

Tim Allen is a great fit for Luther Krank. Luther and Scott Calvin would be good friends. They both like to complain, they love their kids, and they get into ridiculous situations. Luther proposes something that no Christmas movie dad has ever dared to propose: just skip Christmas entirely! No tree, no decorations, no Christmas cards, no presents.

All the trappings of the holiday are taboo in the Krank household. Luther’s plan is fascinating. He and Nora are to take the money they would normally spend on Christmas and apply it to the price of a Caribbean cruise.

The Santa Clause: Serious Family Issues

Tim Allen as Scott Calvin and Eric Lloyed as Charlie Calvin in The Santa Clause

Aside from creating a worthy Santa story, The Santa Clause also offers views a window into some serious problems within a family.

Laura and Scott aren’t on great terms, but Charlie’s obsession with Santa and the North Pole becomes a threat to the entire family dynamic. It is heartbreaking to see Scott lose his visitation rights, but it brings an unexpected depth to an otherwise cheery movie.

Christmas With The Kranks: Hysterical Neighbors

Christmas with the Kranks poster

The world of The Santa Clause is kept to Scott’s family and the North Pole, with limited inclusion of Scott’s workplace, Charlie’s school, and Charlie’s soccer team.

Christmas with the Kranks is a nice change because it gives the Kranks’ neighbors great importance. Vic Frohmeyer runs the street with relentless attention to detail. His minions keep a watchful eye on Luther when the man refuses to comply with neighborhood Christmas traditions.

The Santa Clause: A Family United

The Santa Clause

Despite the sadness the family endures in The Santa Clause, they also become stronger because of Scott Calvin’s unique life change. It's not normal to become a legendary figure over one holiday.

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Once everyone accepts Scott's position as Santa, their hearts are opened to the gift of Christmas, and all the adults find a way to be civil and co-parent Charlie with his best interest at the center.

Christmas With The Kranks: Friends Become Family

The family raising a toast in Christmas with the Kranks

Like Scott Calvin, Luther Krank has one child. He loves his daughter, Blair, even though he’s reluctant to throw out his holiday plans for her. When Luther and Nora struggle to throw together a Christmas Eve party for Blair and her boyfriend, the community rallies together to help the Kranks save their Christmas.

After all the taunting and torment, the Christmas fanatics on Hemlock manage to help their neighbors and enjoy Christmas Eve with them.

The Santa Clause: Only The Beginning

Santa and Jack Frost in the North Pole in The Santa Clause 3

It wouldn’t really make sense for Christmas with the Kranks to have a sequel. The movie accomplishes the story’s goal in one installment. The Santa Clause, on the other hand, grew into a formidable trilogy as the 2000s progressed.

Because Scott Calvin put on the suit in the first place, he got to be Santa for years after that. He found love again and remarried, he fought off two Yuletide villains (including Martin Short as Jack Frost, pictured above), and he welcomed a new baby to the North Pole. Even if fans like the first movie best, they can’t deny that the other two are fun to watch.

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