Deck the Halls
There glows the neighborhood.
Two neighbors in a small New England town go to war when one of them decides to decorate his house for Christmas with so many lights that it will almost be visible from space. The neighborhood is turned upside down as the two families try to discover the true meaning of Christmas.
Member Reviews
Where's the meaning of Christmas? - movie_goer
Let's be Honest Deck the Halls will never be a Christmas classic. I have a funny feeling the director and actors assumed so aswell.
This could possibly be the worst Broderwick film to date. From Ferris to Producers and now this?Getting older in Hollywood is a b*tch, Most A-lister will eventually feel the wrath of downsizing to a B-lister. while i'm tearing this film to peices i thought i'd bring up the forced relationship of Broderwick and Devito it was more painful then getting teeth pulled. If the Chemistry's not there... it ain't gonna fly. To sum up the movie: It was So bad that even Santa had them on his Naughty list. Let's just pray theirs no sequel!!!It's Not Awful But It's Certainly Not A Christmas Classic - revsdd
Deck The Halls was clearly inspired by National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, with the main plot being essentially an extension of what for Vacation was a subplot. Buddy drives his neighbour Steve crazy with an outrageous display of Christmas lights on his house, just as Clark Griswold did to his neighbours in Vacation. Deck The Halls also copies Vacation by showing the passage of time by the opening of the dates on a Christmas calendar. Unfortunately, Deck The Halls isn't as funny as Vacation, although it has its moments. Steve's accidental horse-drawn sleigh ride comes to mind. The real problem with the comparison between the two movies though is the spirit. Clark Griswold was a lovable character who always meant well. Steve and Buddy are just plain unlovable. Steve is an uptight guy obsessed with Christmas traditions and rituals to the point at which he saps the joy out of the season. Buddy on the other hand brings some joy back to the town, but his goal is essentially self-centred: he wants to make a name for himself by having so many lights on his house that it will be seen from space, and he doesn't care about the impact of this on his neighbours. His character is also not particularly well-developed and he's a bit of a mystery to be honest. By the end, of course, there's reconciliation (it is, after all, a Christmas movie) but the overall mood was a mean-spirited one throughout. There were also some logical inconsistencies in the story (not surprising, perhaps, given the kind of movie this is)such as Buddy being called into his manager's office and told that his job as a car salesman is in danger because his sales are down? Down from what? Buddy hasn't worked there for more than a couple of weeks! Having said that Broderick and Devito are excellent as Steve and Buddy, as are Chenowyth and Davis as their wives. I appreciated the movie ending with "O Holy Night," but still there's not enough here to make this a Christmas classic.Terrible! - eoguy
A good laugh is so hard to find today and Christmas movies now seem to be a dime a dozen. Deck The Halls is, in my opinion, one of te most unsatisfying xmas film of the fall/winter. Why? There just isn't any heart. In the film, Matthew Broderick faces off with his new neighbor, Danny Devito, over the light and sound DeVito is producing all through the night in his silly attempt to have his house seen from space. What makes this movie unmoving, boring and hearltess? well let me count the ways. The plot is weak. The Space concept is so weak it makes most children's films seem like today's best thrillers. None of it is very funny. Even the crude jokes that are placed in the film aren't funny. If i am going to watch something that is raunchy, at least make it funny. But the worst part of the film is that you don't care about anyone. Not one character makes you want to care for them. The wives are not understanding of their husbands feud. The husbands act selfishly, foolishly and childlishly throughout the movie. The children are rebellious (for the most part) and are really just little brats. The Sherrif if a cross dresser, the town is full of snobs, and for WHAT? SO THIS GUY CAN GET HIS HOUSE SEEN FROM SPACE BECAUSE HE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE HE'S DONE ANYTHING? wow, just lame. The truth is everything about this movie is pointless and sad, and the only two benefits you will get out of it are a few laughs you will relate to with bad neighbors and an example of a family (and town for that matter) you are so glad not to have.
Member Reviews
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Where's the meaning of Christmas? - movie_goer
Let's be Honest Deck the Halls will never be a Christmas classic. I have a funny feeling the director and actors assumed so aswell.
This could possibly be the worst Broderwick film to date. From Ferris to Producers and now this?Getting older in Hollywood ...It's Not Awful But It's Certainly Not A Christmas Classic - revsdd
Deck The Halls was clearly inspired by National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, with the main plot being essentially an extension of what for Vacation was a subplot. Buddy drives his neighbour Steve crazy with an outrageous display of Christmas lights on his ...Terrible! - eoguy
A good laugh is so hard to find today and Christmas movies now seem to be a dime a dozen. Deck The Halls is, in my opinion, one of te most unsatisfying xmas film of the fall/winter. Why? There just isn't any heart. In the film, Matthew Broderick faces off ...