By Geno McGahee
I remember when DECK THE HALLS first came out and the reviews were mostly very bad. I elected not to watch it then, but now that I go on review sprees during the holiday season, I need to keep the content going. On the good side, this film had Danny DeVito and he is usually very good. Even in a bad movie, he will typically shine, and that’s sort of what I expected here. To my surprise, this film was actually hilarious and brought forth the best of Matthew Broderick as well, an actor that has a lot of comedic potential as he’s shown in the past in films like ADDICTED TO LOVE but can also be in stinkers like INSPECTOR GADGET as well.
Steve Finch (Broderick) is a stuffy family man that takes Christmas and the traditions very seriously. Despite objections from his children, he stays the course and keeps all of the traditions set, no matter what. He isn’t a man for change, but when the Halls move next door, he won’t have any choice. Buddy Hall (DeVito) moves to the house across the streets from the Finch family and it is immediately an annoyance for Steve. Steve’s wife, Kelly (Kristen Davis), immediately clicks with Buddy’s wife, Tia (Kristen Chenoweth), and their kids get along well too. Ashley Hall (Kelly Aldridge) and her twin sister, Emily (Sabrina Aldridge), become fast friends with fellow 15-year-old, Madison Finch (Alia Shawkat), and the 9-year-old, Carter Finch (Dylan Blue), likes the idea of the two hot chicks living next door. Everyone is happy except for Steve.
A rivalry is born as the Finch traditions are rattled. When Buddy purchases a sled and duct tapes antlers on horses, the Finch family runs out to see it. Steve gets a Santa suit forced on him, but then learns that the horses are wild and he is now going full speed through the city on a sled. At one point, the horses break free and he is launched, jumping over a car and prompting a child to note that Santa is real. This was a very funny scene and Broderick did a great job of playing the role. His reactions were great and they were even better when he awakes naked next to Buddy. Broderick really understood the role he was in and he played it very well.
When Buddy goes on Google Earth (or whatever name they gave it) and realizes that his house cannot be seen from space, he decides to change it. He is going to cover his entire property with lights and Steve is immediately irritated by the obnoxious display. It’s a neighborly war and each begins to sabotage and one-up each other as their families watch on and scratch their heads, acknowledging that their men are acting like children.
The two go head to head in an ice race, but begin to mend fences. At one point, they go to an Xmas festival where they watch three hot girls dancing on the stage and they begin to cat call. Steve begins yelling “who’s your daddy?” over and over again. When one of the girls turns around, it turns out to be Madison and Steve yells “I’m your daddy! I’m your daddy!” It was hilarious. Why did this film get such terrible reviews? This is a hilarious film.
DECK THE HALLS is a great holiday movie. Both Devito and Broderick work well off each other and embrace their roles. Broderick did amazingly well as the stuffy neighbor and DeVito obviously enjoyed his part as the obnoxious newbie in town. The rest of the cast was great as well. Davis and Chenoweth worked off each other as well as the two stars.
Much like CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS, this is fun holiday film more than a sentimental one, and it’s a laugh out loud comedy. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 8/10
