29th August, 2008 Login • Register
Search This Site
Deck The Halls (2006) DVD Review
Deck The Halls (2006) DVD Credits:
Deck The Halls (2006) Directed by:
John Whitesell
Deck The Halls (2006) Written by:
Don Rhymer
Deck The Halls (2006) Cast:
Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Chenoweth, Kirstin Davis
Deck The Halls (2006) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
Deck The Halls (2006) DVD Release Date:
6th November 2007
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

User Rating:  Log in to rate this DVD
Deck The Halls (2006) Synopsis:

A family comedy about one-upsmanship, jealousy, clashing neighbors, home decoration...and the true spirit of the holidays. Steve (Matthew Broderick), a suburban dad and Christmas enthusiast, leads a well-ordered, well-planned, and well-organized life. His new neighbor, Danny (Danny DeVito), is Steve's polar opposite: a big personality with big dreams, which have yet to materialize. But Danny's latest dream - to create the biggest holiday light display in the world, visible from outer space - is turning Steve's disciplined world into a chaotic nightmare. As Danny's home explodes with festive lights of incredible design, increasing complexity, and exponentially-growing wattage, Steve becomes a man on a mission. At any cost, he will thwart Danny - or top him.

Deck The Halls (2006) DVD Review:

Ah Christmas; chestnuts roasting, children caroling and Danny Devito warming Matthew Broderick’s naked body in an attempt for homophobic humor. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Deck The Halls follows the zany exploits of neighbors Buddy (Devito) and Steve (Broderick) as they try to outdo each other in order to become their small New England town’s Christmas go-to guru. Buddy is new in town and laments to his wife that his life till now has been meaningless and that he wants to do something big and worthwhile. So instead of helping out at a local charity or getting involved in a political group, Buddy decides to put an obnoxious power sucking display of lights on his house in order to be seen from space. Broderick, Buddy’s uptight optometrist neighbor, is rightly annoyed and begins a war of inane Christmas hijinks with Buddy. General wackiness ensues.

The usually charming Broderick and Devito seem very tired as they wade through their shallow roles and their reluctance is easily felt. The Lovely Kristin Chenoweth provides the film’s only positive energy. She commands attention every time she appears on screen and her talents are wasted showing cleavage and playing doting wife to Devito. Kristin Davis is also wasted playing Broderick’s one dimensional Betty Crocker wife.

Everything about the film feels like K-mart kitsch; from the CGI opening to the tacked on syrupy sweet ending. With its bright lights and childlike plot one would assume that this atrocity could be suited for kids. This notion is dismissed early in the film when Buddy’s wife Tia (Chenoweth) comments on Broderick’s morning wood. The ick factor is further hammered home as Steve’s ten year old child plays peeping tom to Buddy’s oversexed twin daughters and once more when Steve and Buddy ogle at sexy Santa’s helpers, only to find out that they are lusting after their own daughters.

At one point in the film Tia states “They are acting like a bunch of twelve year olds.” Fortunately even twelve year olds have more tact and maturity than the lead boneheads. Much of the film consists of half-assed slapstick consisting of a totally bonkers sleigh ride and a high octane speed skating race! The film ends on an eye rolling, consumer friendly note with the town’s citizens raising their cell phones to the stars and embracing the true meaning of Christmas.

Extras include painfully unfunny deleted scenes, ho hum bloopers, cast interviews where everyone is either drunk or annoyed, and commentary with Danny Devito and director John Whitesell. The DVD commentary almost makes the film worth watching for its awkward hilarity. Devito acts as if he’s seen the film for the first time and the Whitesell tells one horribly boring film set anecdote after the other resulting in a train wreck of a commentary. Avoid this mind numbing holiday tripe at all costs.

Our Rating: Extras Rating: User Rating:  Log in to rate this DVD

Deck The Halls (2006) DVD review written by: Tyler Lumm

Content Management System provided by P J Thomson - Freelance Web Design - PHP/MySQL Development