Snow 2: Brain Freeze (NR)

SNOW 2: BRAIN FREEZE finds rookie Santa Claus Nick (Tom Cavanagh) and his bride, Sandy (Ashley Williams), settled into married life at the North Pole. But after a minor argument, Nick flees to the city via his magic mirror -- and ends up getting amnesia after sustaining a nasty bump on the head. Sandy has to find Nick and help him recover his memory in time to save Christmas, but she's warned that telling him the truth won't work; Nick has to believe he's Santa for the Christmas magic to work. Meanwhile, Nick's nemesis/romantic rival, Buck (Patrick Fabian), has figured out how to travel to the North Pole, and his greed threatens to ruin the holiday for everyone.

The main reason Snow 2 works is because Cavanagh and Williams have an undeniable chemistry; even more than in the first movie, Williams' goofiness and appealing charm make her seem like the perfect match to hapless Nick. It's a treat to watch Sandy find and guide Nick to the inevitable conclusion while simultaneously holding back from telling him who she is -- and to see Nick fall under her spell even more convincingly the second time around.

Lest it all sound too adult, rest assured that their chaste romance is accompanied by non-stop pratfalls and lots of reindeer humor. Buck is easy to dislike but not too threatening for young viewers. The saccharine-sweet ending and the fact that, in this movie, Christmas magic can even bring back the dead for a quick social visit, can be forgiven in light of the film's overall charm . And fans will be happy to know that the door is left wide open for Snow 3.