Streaming Service: Amazon Prime
Movie Name/Year: Candy Cane Lane (2023)
Genre: Holiday, Comedy, Fantasy
Length: 1h 57min
Rating: PG
Production/Distribution: Amazon Studios, Eddie
Murphy Productions, Imagine Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Amazon
Prime Video
Director: Reginald Hudlin
Writer: Kelly Younger
Actors: Eddie Murphy, Tracee
Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Genneya Walton, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Madison Thomas,
Nick Offerman, Chris Redd, Robin Thede, David Alan Grier, Ken Marino, Anjelah
Johnson-Reyes, Lombardo Boyar, Timothy Simons, Danielle Pinnock, D.C. Young Fly,
Iman Benson, Belle Le Grand, Tiago Roberts, Trevante Rhodes, James DuMont, Ali
Astin, Riki Lindhome, Catherine Dent, Kimberly Christian, Amanda Schoonover,
Haiden Pino, Tom Lindsey, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Kevin
Olusola, Matt Sallee, Aidan Kennedy, Amy Johnston
IMDb Blurb: A man is determined to
win the neighborhood'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.
Cat’s Point of View:
When I first watched the trailer for Candy Cane Lane,
I was fairly bouncing in my seat with anticipation for its release on Prime
Video. Every time I see a movie billing Eddie Murphy (Mr. Church, Coming 2
America, You People) in a comedy, it gets all my nostalgic feelings of glee
stirring. When paired with the concept of a fun family Christmas movie and the
rest of the star-studded cast, Candy Cane Lane was a no-brainer to add
to my must-watch list for a December “Family Movie Night.” (It was a foregone conclusion that this film
would land on my personal Top 20, as well.)
I’m a bit frustrated with the low-trending rating scores
I’ve seen for Candy Cane Lane. Was it the best Christmas comedy movie
I’ve ever seen? No, and yet it was a fun experience. I certainly didn’t feel
like my time was wasted. My family and I watched together and we had a great
time.
There were some sketchy CGI effects in the opening sequence
of the film that set up expectations for potential wonkiness, but it honestly
didn’t seem to repeat itself. A few of the comedic moments were a little
cringe, but it had less of that flavor of comedy than quite a few recent
well-received movies. The themes of family, the Christmas spirit, and putting
loved ones over “keeping up with the Joneses” and the commercialization of the
holiday all fit within the story without feeling like someone was preaching.
Seriously, Candy Cane Lane was far more entertaining
than most of the recycled Christmas romance stuff that plays nonstop this time
of year on the Lifetime and Hallmark networks. My daughter and I were also very
excited about how the story worked our favorite a capella group Pentatonix into
the tale.
I do feel that with a team such as Murphy and Tracee Ellis
Ross (Little, Black-ish, American Fiction) playing his his on-screen
wife, there was considerable potential for more of Murphy’s trademark comedic
style. There was, however, nothing wrong with his more straightforward
character who was working at being a good dad and family provider - even if
slightly Christmas-obsessive.
Jillian Bell (Green Eggs and Ham, Fool's Paradise, Good
Burger 2) has been firing on all cylinders playing villains this year, too.
Over all, Candy Cane Lane had an interesting concept
that felt fresh where its Christmas Magic was concerned while delivering relatable
family content. It was a bit of a bonkers ride, but it was easy to just go with
the flow. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Candy Cane Lane to anyone
looking to add something fun to a family movie night this Holiday Season.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic
Score – 39%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience
Score – 42%
Metascore – 47%
Metacritic User Score – 4.4/10
IMDB Score – 5.7/10
Trust the Dice: Cat’s
Rating – 4/5
P.S. – There are some bloopers
and an additional scene mid-credits.
Movie Trailer:
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