Deck the Halls
by John Whitesell
List Price:
Our Price: $2.71
You Save: $12.27 (82%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Alia Shawkat, Danny DeVito, Kristin Chenoweth, Kristin Davis, Matthew BroderickDirector: John Whitesell
Brand: TCFHE
Producer: John Whitesell
Producer: Arnon Milchan
Producer: Jeremiah Samuels
Producer: Michael Costigan
Writer: Chris Ord
Writer: Don Rhymer
Writer: Matt Corman
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 93 minutes
Published: 2007-11-01
DVD Release Date: 2007-11-06
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of Deck the Halls
DVD Review: Forget the Halls
Summary: 1 Stars
This film not only missed the mark, it missed the tournament. DECK THE HALLS is a Christmas movie hopelessly in search of a genre. The plot, which should have been simple, leans one way and then the other. At times DECK THE HALLS seemed to be a "Wanna Be" with blatant similarities to other comedies such as RV, CHRISTMAS VACATION, and PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES. Unfortunately the story trips over the holiday holly.
In the story Buddy Hall (Danny DeVito) moves in across the street from Steve Finch (Matthew Broderick). Finch is an upper middle class Massachusetts optometrist who holds the unofficial title as Mr. Christmas in his community. Finch is de-throned by his neighbor when Hall coincidentally decides to adorn his own home with so many lights that it will be visible from outer space. The gaudy Christmas display across the street only serves to push Finch over the edge. Though visitors and reporters gleefully flock to Hall's ever brighter work-in-progress, Finch is not amused by the noise, bright lights, and traffic blocking his driveway.
Finch loses his patience and attempts to sabotage Hall's efforts. Finch's attempts not only backfire, but draw retaliation from Hall. The obsessions of both men, Hall with his lights and Finch with toppling Hall, finally drive the two men's wives and children from their respective homes. The neighbors realize that in their various selfish pursuits they ignored their families. Finding something in common the two make peace, work together to lure their families back, and discover the Yule tide gift of friendship.
Sorry folks. The plot summary is better than the actual film. There were so many missed opportunities in this movie. From the original theatrical trailer I mistakenly thought that this would be a movie about two neighbors competing against each other with holiday decorations. That would have been a good premise. The film could also have gone deeper into Buddy Hall's story. Hall is a man who, as his wife explains in one scene, never finishes anything in his life. The holiday decorating obsession is just one example of Hall's misguided focus on something other than showing up for work every day. With additional concentration on this theme there could have been an entire movie. Instead it falls by the wayside.
Likewise there is no depth to Matthew Broderick's character. Nice family, beautiful home, promising career, spiteful neighbor. The fact that he is irritated by his neighbor's lightshow is one thing, but it is difficult to believe that this otherwise stuffy traditionalist would dress up in commando garb and assault his new neighbor's electrical utility box.
Unlike PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILE's main characters Del Griffith and Neal Page, Buddy Hall and Steve Finch are not nice people. Any sympathy we have for dreamer Buddy Hall is dashed when we see that he swipes Finch's newspaper, illegally patches into Finch's own electrical box to steal power for his light show, and breaks into the Finch house to set up a stolen Christmas tree. It then appears that Hall is trying to make amends by making a gift of a brand new SUV to Finch -- only to belatedly turn out that Finch is expected to pay for the expensive fully loaded vehicle. Buddy Hall is no Del Griffith.
Finch is no angel either. When he is not planning commando-style raids on his neighbor's holiday lights he is bombarding the Hall home with an arsenal of fireworks. His negative comments to Hall about Hall's outer space dream are just plain mean. In terms of civility Steve Finch is no Neal Page.
There are some isolated funny moments in this film. I did enjoy the scenes involving Hall's over-decorated home. Otherwise this movie goes nowhere. An added disappointment was that the wide screen version of my movie has a repeated chapter. The runaway Santa Claus sled and its aftermath appear twice. If my DVD bears that defect there are probably hundreds others with the same malady.
Description of Deck the Halls
Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito are hilarious as two neighbors trying to put the "win" in "winter" in one of the year's funniest comedies! Determined to unseat Steve Finch's (Broderick) reign as the town's holiday season king, Buddy Hall (DeVito) plasters his house with so many decorative lights that it'll be visible from space! When their wives (Kristin Davis and Kristin Chenoweth) bond, and their kids follow suit, the two men only escalate their rivalry and their decorating. It's anybody's guess whether the holidays will wind up jolly or jostled in this wild and woolly laugh-fest that the whole family will love!Bestsellers in DVD
![The Story of Jeremiah [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
The Story of Jeremiah [VHS]Vision Video; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Wresting With God [VHS]by Vision Video
Vision Video; Published: 1990-10-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS]Spring Arbor Distributors; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops:
Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops:
Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/ Party Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
![Strike the Original Match [VHS] Image](/images/Strike-the-Original-Match-VHS-0001374079-X.jpg)
Strike the Original Match [VHS]New Liberty Films; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
![Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS] Image](/images/Medjugorje-The-Miracles-and-the-Message-VHS-0001373293-X.jpg)
Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS]JPN Film Production; Release date: 1995-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.99
Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008by Mayo
DVD
Price in other shops:
Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single Userby Oakstone
DVD
Price in other shops:
Cost Accounting [VHS]by Charles T. Horngren, George Foster, Srikant M. Datar, Howard Teall
Pearson Canada, Toronto; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Widescreen Edition)Universal Studios; Release date: 2001-11-20; DVD
Best price: $9.92
Price in other shops:
PrancerMGM; Release date: 2001-10-02; DVD
Best price: $3.83
Price in other shops:
Home AloneFox; Release date: 1999-10-05; DVD
Best price: $7.16
Price in other shops:
Elf (Infinifilm Edition)New Line Home Entertainment; Release date: 2009-08-18; DVD
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops:
Four ChristmasesNLV; Release date: 2010-07-27; DVD
Best price: $4.73
Price in other shops:
Jack FrostWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-10-28; DVD
Best price: $2.96
Price in other shops:
Fred ClausWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-11-25; Published: 2008-11-01; DVD
Best price: $1.72
Price in other shops:
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Special Edition)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2008-09-30; DVD
Best price: $6.24
Price in other shops:
Jingle All the Way (Family Fun Edition)Fox; Release date: 2007-10-16; DVD
Best price: $6.15
Price in other shops:
Christmas with the KranksSony Pictures; Release date: 2005-11-08; Published: 2005-11-01; DVD
Best price: $2.98
Price in other shops: