Deck the Halls DVD Review

Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito star in Deck the Halls.

Courtesy of Fox

It's that time of year again. The lights are twinkling, Santa's back in the mall and a whole slew of Christmas movies are heading your way. Will Deck the Halls stand out in the crowd?

Deck the Halls - All Is Calm, All Is Bright

Steve "Mr. Christmas" Finch (Matthew Broderick) is sent into a funk when his new neighbor Buddy Hall (Danny DeVito) angles to usurp Steve's title by putting up enough Christmas lights to make his house visible from space! As quickly as their relationship deteriorates, their wives become friends and so the stage is set for the ultimate Christmas show-down.

Deck the Halls - Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Not to be outdone by his new neighbor, Steve gets on the mega-watt bandwagon. As their Christmas cold war heats up, so do the bulbs on their obsessive light displays. But the Christmas excess doesn't end there - there's piped-in holiday tunes and even a nativity scene with real live animals (including a donkey, sheep and camel). And hey, what says "Merry Christmas" more than the willful destruction of private property?

Deck the Halls - DVD Features

With a mediocre movie comes mediocre DVD features. There are deleted scenes, funny outtakes, an audio commentary by Danny DeVito and a behind-the-scenes look into lighting up Buddy's mega-watt house. That's about it.

Deck the Halls - Bottom Line

Deck the Halls is the definition of mediocrity. Its jokes fall flat, gags are dull and cliche after cliche provide a near-constant sense of deja vu for the audience. It's sad to see such seasoned actors as Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito involve themselves in such an embarrassing, soulless production. Bah humbug!