Santa's brother is coming to town in this seasonal family comedy. Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) has spent the best part of his life living under his younger brother Nicholas (Paul Giamatti)'s shadow. When your sibling happens to be Santa, it's not easy living up to his example. While Nicholas became a much-loved legend, Fred became a repo-man. Now Fred's shady dealings have caught up with him and he faces a stretch in jail unless he can come up with a good deal of cash. His only recourse is to turn to his brother. Over the objections of his wife (Miranda Richardson), Nicholas agrees to help his brother on one condition: he comes to work in Santa's toy shop to earn the money he needs. Will the irascible Fred cope with his elvish duties or will he cause a calamitous Christmas for all?