Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Determined to unseat Steve Finch's reign as the town's holiday season king, Buddy Hall plasters his house with so many decorative lights that it'll be visible from space! When their wives bond, and their kids follow suit, the two men only escalate their rivalry - and their decorating.
Deck the Halls is a formulaic holiday comedy that hits every expected beat of the neighbor-rivalry genre without distinction. The plot is a thin, predictable escalation of pranks with little surprise or heart. Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick do serviceable work but are hamstrung by a weak script that gives them little to work with beyond broad slapstick. The cinematography is flat and functional TV-movie level work. The premise of Christmas lights visible from space offers a mildly amusing hook but the film does nothing inventive with it, recycling well-worn holiday comedy tropes throughout. The resolution is rushed and saccharine in the most generic way. A thoroughly mediocre seasonal filler that earns its modest reputation.