Film Review – Candy Cane Lane

Eddie Murphy catches the holiday spirit in “Candy Cane Lane,” a PG-rated production that reunites the actor with his “Boomerang” director, Reginald Hudlin. Scripted by Kelly Younger (“Muppets Haunted Mansion”), the picture tries to make sense of a somewhat convoluted plot that deals with magical mayhem involving a villainous elf, community antagonisms concerning a holiday decoration competition, and family issues where each character is assigned their own little life hurdle to manage. There’s a lot to “Candy Cane Lane,” and the feature feels heavy because of it, ignoring the possibilities of a straightforward comedy about the strange ways of pride to delve into visual effects and screenwriting formula, with Hudlin showing little tenacity when it comes to delivering a tighter, funnier film. It’s not a lump of coal, but there’s certainly a better movie to be made with these working parts. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com