Movie review: Candy Cane Lane

Candy Cane Lane cast. (Courtesy)

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Trevante Rhodes.

Directed by: Reginald Hudlin

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy

Rating: 7/10

A man is determined to win the neighbourhood's annual Christmas decorating contest. He makes a pact with an elf to help him win, and the elf casts a spell that brings the 12 days of Christmas to life, which brings unexpected chaos to town.

Thumbs up:

Eddie Murphy carries the movie and helps to push it over the line. It is a step up from his previous Amazon Original, Coming 2 America. It is great largely due to the likability of the characters, quality acting, the surprising quirkiness of Jillian Bell's character, the antics of the figurines, and good production value. Candy Cane Lane is a unique and wonderful holiday film and a nice way to prepare for the spirit of everything, even if it is cheesy.

Thumbs down:

Sadly, the movie jumps from scene to scene and every moment of conflict or drama is resolved within a maximum of three minutes. The runtime is also too long. There is no need for a festive, comedy Christmas film to be two hours long. The only other aspect that was in bad taste is the jokes about the religious side of Christmas, which is strange for a Christmas movie.

Verdict:

Candy Cane Lane may be for everyone, but it beats the 50 Hallmark exclusive movies that are definitely about to flood your favourite streaming service.