Is it just me or are holiday-themed movies getting lazier each year? New Eddie Murphy vehicle Candy Cane Lane definitely fits the bill as one of the least inspired major holiday offerings to stumble along for quite some time, alongside slightly-more-terrible Melissa McCarthy flick Genie. While host to a few cute moments, Candy Cane Lane does nothing new for holiday-season filmmaking. Overflowing with questionable dialogue and an even worse villain, this middling family comedy lacks creativity and Christmas spirit.
In the town of El Segundo, Christmas is a pretty big deal. No one knows this better than Chris Carver (Murphy) and his family, all of whom are named after the holiday. Chris has a long-standing rivalry with his annoying neighbor, Bruce (Ken Marino), over who has the best-decorated yard. Chris makes everything handmade, while Bruce basically throws as many blow-ups into his process as possible. This year, their town has been chosen as the site of the Candy Cane Lane Spectacular, live from El Segundo. One major difference sets this apart from other years: the winner of the best-decorated house nabs a prize of $100,000!
Freshly laid off from his job right before Christmas and desperate for cash, it turns out Chris could really use the money to support his family. His daughter (Genneya Walton) longs to attend Notre Dame for college; his son (Thaddeus J. Mixson) wants to be a famous tuba player. Family matriarch Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross) at least throws her hat in the ring for an open director of operations position at her job. With Christmas just three days away, the flashy new store Kringle’s may have just what the doctor ordered to help Chris win it all. Unbeknownst to Chris, his receipt counts as contract to evil elf Pepper (Jillian Bell). If Chris cannot find five gold rings before the bell dings on Christmas Day, he is doomed to spent an eternity as a small glass miniature.
The setup for Candy Cane Lane seems okay enough, but a distinct lack of flavor dooms it from the outset. When the most interesting angle of the movie lies in the miniature people who have been shrunk down to size (“The Carolers,” voiced by musical group Pentatonix), there could be an issue. The script from Kelly Younger (Muppers Haunted Mansion) aims to mix Night at the Museum with Christmas with the Kranks, to disappointing results. Definitely worth noting—how poor the villain is, which could be contributed to the writing. Pepper lacks a presence of any kind, and a character like her needs a distinct hook. Between Pepper and her role in Good Burger 2, Bell is 0/2 on unseasoned villainous turns.
One thing that does work are the miniature people, though they are given plenty of iffy dialogue too. They are visually specific, and when they aren’t spouting lines about riding around in small cars like Barbie, their caroling delivers big-time giggles. The Carver family is comparatively a more mixed bag—giving the kids scenes where they get doused in cow’s milk or have to run a marathon from cardboard-people just does not work on any level. I was hoping the family dynamics would soar. The only one that functions on a serviceable level is between Chris and Carol.
Evil chickens and comical miniature people stop Candy Cane Lane from being a total misfire. When a stereotypical ending free of surprises eventually rolls around, it leaves little to the imagination. We have seen this all before, and done with far more conviction. Perhaps for younger, less demanding viewers, Candy Cane Lane will be a sugary-sweet holiday concoction. For me personally, I will stick with less generic content.
Take a trip down Candy Cane Lane and into its fantastical world when the film premieres globally to Prime Video on Friday, December 1st.
