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Christmas With the Kranks 2004 SONY PICTURES, DIRECTED BY Joe Roth Starring Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis & Dan Aykroyd Not all holiday movies strike a bulls-eye. Some fall just a little short, and some never even come close. Christmas With the Kranks is one of those movies that could have very well been a bulls-eye. It could have been considered a classic years from now. But unfortunately, I don’t believe that to be the case. But before I do what all other critics do and bash this movie, let me establish something. Its not a bad movie. But its not a great one either. Its just there. It struggles between magnificent and mediocre. It seems like so much more could be brought out, but for whatever reason, remains passively inside each character. No one takes any initiative in this film. Not Tim Allen, Jaime Lee Curtis, or even the funny Dan Aykroyd give this movie anything special. It could have just as easily been done by a group of no-name, rising talents and looked the same. Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis play Luther and Nora Krank, two bumbling parents in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Come Christmas time, everyone has a Frosty the Snowman on their roof, lights on their house, and a million decorations . The Krank’s were no different. But this particular year, when everyone began to prepare for the holidays, the Krank’s decided to take a Holiday vacation and “skip” Christmas after their daughter Blair leaves home for the Peace Corps. The street is in upheaval, furious that they would pass up the festivities that everyone had grown to love. Luther holds strong in his quest for the Caribbean, while Nora feels the pressure to just give in. It looks as if their quest is about to pay off, until they get a phone call from Blair. She’s heading home with her new boyfriend for a good, family Christmas. The Krank’s have nothing prepared and seem to have the whole neighborhood against them. Can they pull it together in time for Blair‘s arrival? I have heard a lot of mixed reactions about this movie. Most critics hated it. Some people I have talked to seem to find the humor in it. So what do I think? I think its “OK”. Its nothing fantastic, but its not the worst I’ve ever seen. I can see why it got a lot of negativity, after all, its somewhat boring. The first half of the movie doesn’t seem to create any form of hype whatsoever. The dialogue and characters all seem very low-key. Not much to grab anyone’s attention. I really like Tim Allen. Ive enjoyed all three installments in the Santa Clause series. But this film just didn’t grab me. Its hard to turn everything around and find everything that could have made this movie great, as you might see some of the flaws that most people already have. Tim Allen’s character just wasn’t funny. Not entertaining. And at times, the whole “Murphy’s Law” concept of everything going wrong at the worst possible time seems just a pinch too cliché. What does make it a decent movie is that it has a very visible moral. The age-old Christmas ideal of putting past differences aside and being nice to one another shines through. Whether it be the persistence of Nora, the town’s decision to help the Krank’s prepare for Blair, or Luther’s class-act gift at the end, the message is clear. I would watch it again. I might gain a better prospective a second time around. Everything and everyone deserves a second chance. I think that’s one good thing I have over Ebert. I know that he gave this movie zero stars. However, I think you’ll find something to laugh at. MOUNT CRUMPIT RATING: 2 / 5 |
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