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Movies / On DVD / Deck the Halls
Deck the Halls

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Deck the Halls (2006)

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Reviews Counted:79

Fresh:5

Rotten:74

Average Rating:2.9/10

Consensus: Relying on flat humor and a preposterous plot, Deck the Halls is an unnecessarily mean-spirited holiday movie that does little to put viewers in a holiday mood.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some crude and suggestive humor, and for language.

Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:01-12-2006

Synopsis: DECK THE HALLS is a family comedy about one-upsmanship, jealousy, clashing neighbors, home decoration...and the true spirit of the holidays. For Cloverdale, Massachusetts optometrist Steve Finch... DECK THE HALLS is a family comedy about one-upsmanship, jealousy, clashing neighbors, home decoration...and the true spirit of the holidays. For Cloverdale, Massachusetts optometrist Steve Finch (MATTHEW BRODERICK), no time of the year can compare to the glory of the Christmas season. And, for many years now, he's carried on a series of heartfelt but hokey Yuletide traditions that his family – wife Kelly (KRISTIN DAVIS), daughter Madison (ALIA SHAWKAT), and son Carter (DYLAN BLUE) – at this point, can barely tolerate. Despite his family's exhausted protests, super-organized Steve has the December calendar chock full with everything from shooting the Finch's annual Christmas card photo, to their ritual tree harvesting and neighborhood caroling night. There's also scheduled time for shopping, "personal reflection," and the town's yearly Winterfest carnival, which Steve joyously oversees. But Steve's Christmas bliss is suddenly destroyed when slippery car salesman Buddy Hall (DANNY DeVITO) moves in next door and Steve finds himself going toe-to-toe with his new neighbor. Buddy quickly begins to undermine Steve's dominance as the local "King of Christmas" when he sets out to festoon his new house with enough glowing holiday lights so it will be visible from outer space. We're talking a lot of lights, here! But why stop at lights? Motivated by the celebrity he's achieving with his dazzling, megawatt decorations, Buddy adds a live manger scene complete with donkeys, cows, sheep, and an imported camel, while continuing to wreak havoc on an infuriated Steve in a host of creatively twisted ways. Though Steve is in meltdown mode over Buddy's holiday shenanigans (never mind that Buddy's tapping into the Finches' electricity to power his décor!), wife Kelly has bonded with Buddy's brassy better-half Tia (KRISTIN CHENOWETH), while Madison has buddied up to the Halls' sexy, dim-bulb twin daughters Ashley and Emily (SABRINA & KELLY ALDRIDGE), who light up the life of younger Carter as well. Kelly and Tia and the kids become increasingly impatient, though, with Steve and Buddy's escalating rivalry and eventually threaten to pull the plug on the guys' entire Christmas season. Can Steve and Buddy declare a ceasefire before the holidays are ruined altogether, or will they continue their one-upsmanship until personal victory is achieved? In Deck the Halls, ‘tis the season where just about anything is possible. --© 20th Century Fox [More]

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Danny De Vito, Kristin Davis, Kristin Chenoweth

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Danny De Vito, Kristin Davis, Kristin Chenoweth, Alia Shawkat, Dylan Blue, Kelly Aldridge, Sabrina Aldridge, Fred Armisen, Gillian Vigman, SuChin Pak, Ryan Devlin, Jorge Garcia, Gary Chalk

Director: John Whitesell

Director: John Whitesell
Screenwriter: Matt Corman, Chris Ord
Producer: Michael Costagan, Jeremiah Samuels
Composer: George S. Clinton
Studio: 20th Century Fox

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Reviews for Deck the Halls

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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'My stupidity astounds me!' chortles Danny DeVito in Deck the Halls, a line that pretty much sums up this tale of warring neighbours with very different ideas about celebrating Christmas.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/30/06
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Got any kids who've been naughty this year? Here's their present.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Sam Toy
Sam Toy
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Deck the Halls is no classic, but it has its amusing moments and its tender ones ...

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
11/21/06
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

The quintessential Hollywood Christmas movie. It's Grumpy Old Christmas.

Full Review Source: Can Magazine | comment Comment
11/21/06
Fred Topel
Fred Topel
Can Magazine

Although it borrows ingredients from many familiar Christmas flicks, it's got a sly twinkle of its own.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment 1 Comment
11/22/06
Jennie Punter
Jennie Punter
Globe and Mail

The ending is so sweet that it'll send your family out of the theater for 3 1/2 solid minutes of smiles before everyone starts drinking and pointing fingers again.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment 1 Comment
11/22/06
Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith
New York Post

As good-hearted as it may be, Deck The Halls is too lightweight to leave more than a fleeting impact.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
11/18/06
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Mr. Broderick and Mr. DeVito look tired and out of sorts, and you can hardly blame them, given the picture's inept, curdled mixture of sappiness and crude humor.

comment Comment
11/22/06
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Not that we expect much from a Holiday movie about neighbours competing over Christmas lights (how familiar is that?), but John Whitesell's film is so lacking in any plausible plot that I squirmed in my seat throughout the entire duration of the screening

Full Review Source: Sympatico.ca | comment Comment
12/19/06
Angela Baldassarre
Angela Baldassarre
Sympatico.ca

It's not horrible, but every sight gag and 'real meaning of Christmas' speech has been seen and heard before, and it steals gratuitously from Chevy Chase's masterpiece National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
11/21/06
Annemarie Moody
Annemarie Moody
Arizona Republic

In essence a title and release date in search of a movie, Deck the Halls is a lifeless, workmanlike comedy conceived to provide holiday shoppers an inoffensive respite from the mall.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
11/21/06
Brian Lowry
Brian Lowry
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

In the tradition of Christmas with the Kranks and Jingle All the Way comes Deck the Halls; another Christmas lump of coal sure to dampen the yuletide glee of anyone pumped for the holidays.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
11/22/06
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
eFilmCritic.com

Deck the theatres with mediocre material... fa la lame.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
11/27/06
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

banal

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
10/23/07
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Deck the screenwriter, deck the director--then go and deck your own halls.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
12/11/06
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

... the film equivalent of a fruitcake or snowman sweater you don't want but can't regift.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
11/21/06
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

You might be wondering just when the heartwarming spirit of the season is going to come crashing down upon these boy-men.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
12/01/06
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

You can't even say Deck the Halls lacks the courage of its convictions, because it doesn't have any

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
12/01/06
Daniel Eagan
Daniel Eagan
Film Journal International

...this sour eggnog combines bad taste with ersatz holiday cheer.

Full Review Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette | comment Comment
11/22/06
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

... a mirthless comedy with Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick as warring neighbors, can be described as whatever is the opposite of a Christmas classic.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
11/21/06
David Hiltbrand
David Hiltbrand
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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