Eddie Murphy’s Strange Vacation Comedy – The Hollywood Reporter

“Candy Cane Lynn”

Claudette Barrios/Amazon

The neighborhood’s holiday house decorating competition heats up to an unbelievable degree in director Reginald Hudlin’s Christmas special, Candy Cane Lane. The stakes are high for Chris Carver (Eddie Murphy), a Christmas-obsessed man determined to win first place for the most festive house in his neighborhood. Every year, he comes in second place to his annoying neighbor Bruce (Ken Marino). This season will be different, but not in the way Chris expected.

It starts with layoffs. After being unexpectedly and unceremoniously fired from his job, Chris finds himself stripped of purpose. He struggles to tell his family the truth and urges his wife, Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross), to keep the news between them. Instead of being honest with his three kids, Chris vows to make this Christmas the best one ever. His daughter Joy (Jenya Walton) is going to college next year, which means Carver family gatherings won’t be the same. Nick, their son (played by Thaddeus J. Mixson), is standing right behind her. The changes to the annual contest — there’s a $100,000 prize this year — only serve to increase Chris’ desire to win.

When it comes to holiday movies, Candy Cane Lane Not at the bottom of the pack, but far from the top. As Chris tries to create the best show and learn some Christmas lessons, his adventures become increasingly bizarre. The narrative moves through unconvincing territory before ending on a forgettable note.

During his first day of unemployment, Chris ignores Carol’s request to drive their youngest daughter, Holly (Madison Thomas), to school. Instead, he scours their California neighborhood looking for the perfect decorations. They’re hitting the big box stores — and they’re coming up with empty shelves and out-of-season merchandise. (Target has already brought out the pink hearts and chocolates for Valentine’s Day.) Just as father and daughter were about to give up, they stumbled upon a pop-up store down the highway.

It’s owned and operated by Pepper (Jillian Bell), a strange woman whose eagerness to sell Chris’ holiday paraphernalia should have been an immediate red flag. Fascinated by the details of its decor – including a miniature set of realistic dolls – Chris fills his shopping cart while unloading his problems on Pepper. He bought a huge tree with “Twelve Days of Christmas” characters on it. She promises that she will grant his wish (winning the neighborhood contest) and asks him to sign a receipt containing inches of fine print.

There is a lot of preparation and attunement involved Candy Cane Lane, which feels like three different films before the main narrative even begins. The familiar feelings of Chris being laid off suddenly turn into a more sinister mood when he enters Pepper’s store. Is this a heartfelt Christmas movie or a more surreal exercise? Candy Cane Lane He asks: Why not both?

In theory this could work, however Candy Cane LaneThe story (screenplay by Kelly Younger) prevents her from doing so. The film functions as a vehicle for meaningless jokes about modern life rather than a cohesive narrative focused on holiday cheer. A trip to the department store gives Chris a chance to comment on how quickly seasonal departments move, and an encounter with Pepper is the subject of a light-hearted conversation about the capitalist underpinnings of Christmas. These scenes play out a desperate act of demonstrating the film’s importance and self-awareness.

Christmas movies don’t need to have all the mystical aspects Candy Cane Lane Depends on. It’s one of the few genres that has generally escaped the self-conscious banter that has tainted more recent comedies. Holiday movies can be as shamelessly satirical and ridiculously contrived as they want, as long as they deal with some universal sentiment. But it is difficult to locate Candy Cane Line Heart, because it’s so engrossed by its clever twists and delightful plot lines.

A number of strong performances are worth noting, although they do not save the film. Murphy and Ross deliver assured comedic roles and manage to deepen their characters by highlighting the strength of Chris and Carol’s marriage. Danielle Pinnock and Timothy Simons play local news anchors, and their minor dispute is one of the film’s truly funny themes.

After Chris opens the tree in his front yard, strange things start happening in the neighborhood. He wakes up the next day to find all the characters cut out of their decorations and seven swans swimming in his swimming pool. At first he blames Bruce, accusing Franzia’s loving neighbor of vandalism. But after consulting with Holly, Chris realized that the deal with Pepper was bad.

She turns out to be a disaffected elf – from the North Pole who refuses to prove her moral superiority by punishing people she deems unworthy; Chris, with his desire to win a community competition, falls into this category. Domain Candy Cane Lane It expands when Chris realizes that his problems are much deeper than unemployment. If he doesn’t collect the golden rings from the tree, Pepper will turn him into a doll. He will face a similar fate to the other miniature people he admired at the store previously (voiced by Nick Offerman, Chris Redd, and Robin Thede).

The adventure takes many turns, as Chris tries to save his family from Pepper’s vengeful wrath. Despite the number of times Candy Cane Lane Attempts to convince us of its dangers never seem urgent. Chris discovers more truths about Pepper, enlists his wife and children to help him defeat her, and they all learn some lessons along the way. But with so much going on, hardly anything sticks.