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Deck the Halls
EMAILPRINTTwentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 22 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 14 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy | Family/Kids
Written by:
Matt Corman
Chris Ord
Don Rhymer
Directed by: John Whitesell
Release Date:
Theatrical: November 22, 2006
Running Time: 95 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG for some crude and suggestive humor, and for language
Starring Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis, Kristin Chenoweth, Alia Shawkat, Dylan Blue, Sabrina Aldridge, and Kelly Aldridge
Deck the Halls is a family comedy about one-upsmanship, jealousy, clashing neighbors, home decoration -- and the true spirit of the holidays. (20th Century Fox)
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Big Momma's House 2 Malibu's Most Wanted See Spot Run
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jennie Punter
Isn't exactly what you'd call fresh. But although it borrows ingredients from many familiar Christmas flicks, it's got a sly twinkle of its own.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Ella Taylor
Though DeVito and Chenoweth bring a rough plebeian charm to the proceedings, it's nothing short of tragic to see the great Ferris Bueller relegated to grimacing straight man.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Ken Fox
Filled with forced yuletide cheer and mixed messages about the true meaning of Christmas, this loud and obnoxious holiday comedy boasts a fine cast and little else.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
In this year's lump of coal, Matthew Broderick is the control freak who lives for toasty yuletide cheer, and Danny DeVito is the vulgar pest who wants his holiday lights seen from space. The dueling-neighbor crankfest is blah.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Sam Adams
Like a fatally snarled string of Christmas lights, Deck the Halls promises holiday cheer but delivers only frustration.
Read Full Review >The New York Times A.O. Scott
Mr. Broderick and Mr. DeVito look tired and out of sorts, and you can hardly blame them, given the picture's inept, curdled mixture of sappiness and crude humor.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Peter Debruge
Unfortunately, this dimwit concept barely has enough spark to power a single strand of Christmas lights, much less rival the classic-by-comparison "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" in side-splitting Yuletide snafus.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Jessica Reaves
Nobody expects every holiday film to ascend to classic status; in fact, we're happy to let most fade from memory as soon as the decorations are taken off the trees. We can, however, demand they live up to a certain level of fun, thereby allowing parents to watch along with their kids without plotting the most direct route to the exit.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
Broderick is uptight; DeVito is obnoxious; and, somewhere, Nathan Lane is thanking his lucky stars he didn't get roped into this dreck.
Read Full Review >Variety Brian Lowry
A lifeless, workmanlike comedy conceived to provide holiday shoppers an inoffensive respite from the mall.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Stephen Hunter
I literally did not count a single laugh in the whole aimless schlep, except for the hucksters who made it, on their way to the bank.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Josh Rosenblatt
What's interesting about typical Hollywood Christmas movies is that regardless of how crass, vulgar, or mean-spirited they may be, by the last scene they will inevitably try to wrap viewers in a blanket of warm seasonal cheer.
Read Full Review >ReelViews James Berardinelli
When it comes to comedy, Deck the Halls is remarkably tedious.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Ty Burr
The saddest part is that "Deck" wastes four comic talents ranging from the near-genius (Matthew Broderick, Danny DeVito) to the inspired (Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth ) to the charming (Kristin Davis of "Sex and the City").
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer David Hiltbrand
Can be described as whatever is the opposite of a Christmas classic.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt
The sheer nastiness of the jealous one-upmanship and angry sabotage puts a damper on the yuletide comedy. You're much better off watching a DVD of "Bad Santa."
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold
It is so contrived and utterly stupid in every way that it surely must be the nadir of the genre.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
This one follows the depressing pattern of "Surviving Christmas" and "Christmas With the Kranks": enforced holiday cheer gives way to bilious hatred, then hollow forgiveness.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow
There isn't an earned moment of uplift or laughter in the movie. Everything in it is prefab.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 4.2 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Brandon C. gave it a1:
Starts out somewhat interesting, and DeVito is always good--he could read the phone book and make it interesting--but, he can't overcome the horridly cliched script full of trite, heartstring tugs. Broderick seems to sleepwalk it, and looks a tad bloated.
Elad gave it a7:
What the hey! It's a zany Christmas movie and you'll enjoy it if you enjoy zany Christmas movies. Predictable but in a good sort of way.
Mister B. gave it a9:
Arguably the most important work from a major studio this year. "Deck the Halls" skewers commercialism, organized religion, familial dysfunction, pop psychology, and the modern industrial condition ... and that's just the first reel. Broderick's manic vulnerability hasn't been put to such good use since "Max Dugan Returns," and DeVito is charming and smug all at once. This will surely replace "It's A Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story" for required Christmas viewing.
