Fred blahs

Vince Vaughn has done it again. And again. And again. And again. \nThe major criticism of Vaughn's work is that he always plays the same character -- a lovable oaf whose wink-and-a-one-liner combination can charm the pants off anyone. Vaughn started the trend with his breakout role in "Swingers" and, save a few detours, he has stayed on that same character path. \nVaughn's latest turn as the title character in "Fred Claus" is more of the same. The movie opens on the birth of Nicholas Claus in a fairy-tale cottage long ago. When the huge baby pops out and says, "Ho ho ho," the family is delighted, and Frederick promises to be the best big brother ever. However, as Nicholas becomes known for his giving nature, Frederick grows bitter. \nFlash forward to present day. Fred is a repo man; Nick (Paul Giamatti) is Santa Claus. Fred hates his family, but through a series of events he is forced to visit the North Pole for the first time. Throw in an efficiency expert (Kevin Spacey), a love-struck elf, an orphan who wants a puppy and an injured Santa, and you have a recipe for fun. \nThe movie's problem is that it contains so few surprises. Sure, Vaughn's one-liners keep the movie rolling, but there is no spark. Had "Fred Claus" gone the way of "Bad Santa" instead of pimping the same old Santa myth and the importance of family and forgiveness, it might have been a winner. Instead, it's a mediocre feel-good flop. \nEven the "special" effects are lame. Take, for example, a laughable scene in which a trail of light darts through stock film shots of skyways to show that Santa's sleigh is traveling around the world. The most disturbing effect, however, is the superimposing of average-sized actors' faces on the heads of little people. Ludacris as an elf-DJ is both creepy and distracting. \nI wasn't expecting "Fred Claus" to be a revelation in the film industry or in Vaughn's career, but I just hope at this point he's exhausted every possible role in which he says, "Let's get hopped up and make some bad decisions." Kids will love "Fred" and parents won't mind seeing it with them, but if Vaughn doesn't change his momentum, this could be the nail in the coffin of his career.