The James Logan Courier

Reviewed by Jacqueline Truong, Courier Staff Writer

Deck the Halls
Rated PG
1 hour 35 minutes


Watching “Deck the Halls,” yet another cliché holiday comedy filled with humorless jokes and trite lessons about the true meaning of Christmas that's in theaters now,is similar to the experience of receiving those awful, holiday sweaters from grandma again. If you are anticipating for the heartwarming spirit of the holiday, try to steer clear from “Deck the Halls.”



The basic plot line of this film focuses on the rivalry between Dr. Steven Fincher (played by Matthew Broderick) and Buddy Hall (played by Danny DeVito). Dr. Fincher and Hall are rivaling neighbors who are competing against one another to be the “Father of Christmas.”

Finch, a local optometrist in a New England town, is a traditionalist who has always made meticulous holiday plans, until a new neighbor, Hall, moves across the street in the middle of the night. Like Finch, Buddy, a failed car salesman, is obsessed with constructing a Christmas exhibition that can be viewed from space. Thus, he decorates the outside of his house with tons of bright lights, sets up a manger with live animals, creates a gigantic candy cane forest, and he even has loudspeakers that plays the holiday tunes, which can be heard more than a block away form the house.

Upset that Buddy has interrupted his meticulous holiday plans and that Buddy is attracting too many onlookers with his holiday decorations, Fincher plots against Buddy, trying to sabotage his neighbor; he does everything from short-circuiting Buddy’s display to ruining the arranged figures dressed in perfectly sewed costumes. However, each of Fincher’s attempts backfires on him, making him even more aggravated than before.

Ironically, Fincher and Buddy’s families' actually get along with each other; the only ones who can’t seem to get along is Fincher and Buddy.

Though there are some sporadic amusing moments, the jokes are crude and do not seem appropriate for a fun family film. The film tries to end on a profound note, which ends up becoming cheesy..

This film will definitely not be a movie that families will continue to watch each holiday season because not only does it lack the holiday's spirit a good holiday movie needs, but there are no touching moments which make us want to watch it over and over again with our family while eating roasted chestnuts.