IT SHOULDN'T be hard to make a good Christmas movie.

After all, you're releasing in the season of goodwill, when most people, despite their panics about present-buying and getting organised for the holiday, are more inclined to forgive obvious sentiment and flagrant cheesiness.

Personally, all it usually takes for me to start welling up is a single viewing of the "holidays are coming" Coca-Cola advertisement. And since that's been shamefully replaced by an inferior commercial this year, I was quite looking forward to indulging in the sight of ruddy-cheeked elves and families embracing beneath a Christmas tree, courtesy of Tim Allen and friends.

But The Santa Clause 3 let me down. Badly.

I may have only a vague recollection of the first part of this trilogy, and managed to miss episode two completely, but I wasn't expecting such a total let-down from number three.

After all, Mr Allen is the comedy genius who brought Buzz Lightyear to life, and it was quite fun watching him morph from a suburban dad into a jolly head of a holiday in The Santa Clause.

The Santa Clause 3 takes up its tale straight from where number two left off, immediately throwing us in there with him and a pregnant Mrs Claus in the North Pole on a busy Christmas Eve, and those who aren't devotees of the franchise may initially feel a little lost plot-wise.

He wants to keep his wife happy, as she's about to pop at any moment, but she's feeling incredibly homesick and wants some more adult company - namely, her argumentative parents Alan Alda and Ann-Margret, who don't know she's married to Santa.

Film focus Starring: Tim Allen, Martin Short
Director: Michael Lembeck (The Santa Clause 2, Connie and Carla)
Running time: 98 minutes
In a word: Drivel
Our verdict: Miss it
If you want to know more:

www.disney.go.com/ disneypictures/ santaclause3

Things are then further complicated by the presence of meddling Jack Frost (Martin Short), who is in trouble with the council of mythical beings, charged with upstaging Santa.

Told "you're not a holiday... and you kill fruit", he decides to secretly sabotage the smooth runnings of the workshops in order that he can finally have the glory and acclaim he feels he deserves.

And then there's the matter of the SOS (Secret of Santa), the snow globes and the all-powerful escape clause which Jack is desperate to discover, through which anyone can completely relinquish the role and return to real life, with no recollection of their previous, alternative existence.

While everything about this film may look absolutely lovely, it fails to have any impact other than a visual one. It's neither funny, nor sweet, nor is it heart-warming in any way.

And its message, about the commercialism of the Christmas period, has an ironic ring when it's coming from the third part of a festive cash-cow.

The cast do their best, particularly Short, but, rather than part with your under-pressure Christmas cash, my present to you is the advice to give this one a wide berth.

Then we might be spared the trauma of episode number four.