Deck the Halls
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Movie Reviews of Deck the Halls
Movie Review: Come on all you Grinches out there - it was funny!
Summary: 4 Stars
I have young twins who absolutely howled over some of the incidents in this movie. My husband even laughed out loud over the Santa girls dancing scene. This movie is a treat for kids - no swearing, no sex, not even one bad thing. If you have children younger than 12, they will love some of the funnies in this movie. No, it's not a literary classic, but it does what it sets out to do - entertain me and put me in the Christmas spirit!Movie Review: enjoy
Summary: 4 Stars
Deck the Halls
Bought this as I started seeing it on a Bus trip to New York, and the dvd was damaged - after seeing the beginning, wanted to see the rest. Really good. Laughed alot, which is what everyone needs.
Movie Review: I thought it was a pretty good movie
Summary: 4 Stars
I got this movie previously viewed for $4 from a Hollywood Video that was going out of business. I thought it was pretty good and there were some funny moments. I'll most likely watch it every Christmas.Movie Review: Forget decking the halls, see what how they deck the house in this one
Summary: 3 Stars
There are two reasons to see "Deck the Halls," and those two reasons would not be the stars Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick. This 2006 Christmas comedy was apparently inspired by "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," or the episodes of "Home Improvement" where Tim tries to outdo the neighbor's Christmas display, or any other movie or television show that is based on the oxymoronic notion of cut-throat decorating at Christmas time, none of which is enough to warrant seeing this film either, especially if you can get your hands on one of those others instead. But still, there are a couple of reasons to check this movie out nonetheless.
Steve Finch (Broderick) is not only the town's eye doctor, he is also Mr. Christmas. However, Buddy Hall (DeVito) has moved in across the street and when he learns that his house cannot be seen from space by an online site that is mapping the Earth, he decides the solution is to deck his house with every Christmas tree light he can get his hands on. Broderick and DeVito can do these roles in their sleep, or at least in low gear, and the script never gives them any reason to rev up their performances. As their respective wives, Kirstin Davis and Kristen Chenoweth, also have little to do until Chenoweth finally gets to sing near the end and serve as a reminder that you just cannot make a living being a singing star on Broadway these days. However, I keep thinking they cast her because she is approximately DeVito's size, setting up the visual humor of their tall blond twin daughters, and not because she is a talented Broadway musicale actress. For that matter, Davis is just spinning her wheels waiting for the "Sex in the City" movie to give her something decent to do.
This is not a particularly funny movie, also hindered by the fact that neither of the main characters are the types you want to identify with, especially in from of family members. However, there are two things this movie--whose winter night scenes were primarily shot during the day in summer (see the special features for the explanation)--got right. The first is that the light display is absolutely awesome. I have seen some impressive things on YouTube and the nightly news showing us what some people have come up with for Christmas in years past, but I do not remember anything coming close to the spectacular light show they came up with for this movie. The least you can do is put this on while you are cooking Christmas dinner and actually watch the part when Buddy puts on the light show for the neighbors. The second thing they get right is when Steve and Buddy have pretty much ruined the holiday for their families and they have to do something to get back in good with their wives. At this point I believe that what is required is a grand gesture, and despite their problems previous to that point in the movie, the boys do come up with something that fits the bill. These two things are not quite enough to justify rounding up, since I cannot really name anything else to recommend seeing this film let along actually buying it to own for Christmases yet to come, but that house alone is enough to rent it or catch it on television sometime.
Movie Review: COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
Summary: 3 Stars
DECK THE HALLS
I didn't get to many chances to watch some Christmas movies that much last month because of certain things but this one I did catch. I have heard people say they loved this movie and others say they hated it, I fall somewhere in the middle I suppose. At first glance this seems like it has the potential to be a holiday classic. Sadly after watching this it falls flat and never reaches the level of entertainment the actors can deliver. Still this is not a horrible movie or at least to me. It may be the things going on with me lately that makes me feel like a need an escape ever once in a while but I thought the film was ok.
Steve Finch [Broderick] is a man set in his ways who believes in traditions and is about to begin his duties of planning the town Christmas. That is until a man named Buddy Hall [Danny DeVito] moves in across the street, then things don't seem to go his way. Buddy is a guy that is bored with life and just wants to find his purpose in life. It turns out that purpose may be to annoy his neighbor in trying to be seen from space. So as Buddy try's to light his house up with Christmas lights the neighbors go to war. Subtle at first but as the war rages on it gets nastier, even costing them their families.
I found this film to be a little tame at times because before watching it I really thought they went all out on each other. Tame may not be the right word but I thought they went at it harder. Things get childish at times which may be another downfall in this film but to be honest sometimes it is entertaining. I kinda expected a little more of a war between the two especially since the three writers on this film have done some entertaining films in the past. That may be indeed be the problem, the script and not the actors.
To be honest as far as acting goes this film is pretty good since they are only performing what is on the page. DeVito is pretty entertaining to me in this one since he is very believable in the role. Same can be said for Broderick who seems like the type that could be up tight like his character. Everyone in the film do good jobs from the wives to the towns' people. Director John Whitesell who has done some good stuff especially in the TV world could be at fault as well for not helping the film reach its full potential.
To be fair the film is not horrible and can be an entertaining at times, in fact it is a good natured movie. The cast does bring something to it that it needed and like I said I enjoyed especially for what is going on right now. I do recommend this movie with the brain off and as a rental. I know people who don't like this film but I do know others who do, if I had to choose I would say I am one of those who do.