Candy Cane Lane
PG, 117 minutes, Prime Video
3 stars
It must be difficult to come up with a fresh idea for a Christmas film after all these years.
There's only so many variations on the holiday season that can be spun into film, and most these days tend to feel like just another Christmas movie we've already seen.
Yet Candy Cane Lane - the new Eddie Murphy family Christmas comedy - manages to come up with a brand new idea.
In this film, Chris Carver (Murphy) is determined to win the $100,000 prize on offer for having the most spectacular home on the street as part of an annual Christmas competition, especially after being laid off from his job.
So he visits a weird Christmas store underneath an overpass and buys an extravagant yard decoration - a giant, tiered, tree-reminiscent piece representing the 12 Days of Christmas song.
But little does he know, as soon as he signed for his purchase, Chris actually signed a binding contract with a mischievous elf called Pepper (Jillian Bell of Godmothered, chewing every bit of scenery on offer) and has agreed to complete her sneaky quest before Christmas or he'll forever become one of her tiny Christmas figures in her tiny Christmas village.
Chris and his festively-named family, wife Carol (the ever delightful Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish), eldest daughter Joy (Genneya Walton, Never Have I Ever), son Nick (an impressive Thaddeus J Mixson, who recently appeared as young Michael B Jordan in Creed III) and youngest daughter Holly (Madison Thomas) must now track down the "golden rings" that all the birds and characters from the 12 Days song are holding on to - now that they have, naturally, come to life from the yard ornament.
Tracking down the missing geese-a-laying and turtledoves and more provides Candy Cane Lane with plenty of opportunity to showcase Murphy and Ross's physical comedy skills, and does make for some interesting set pieces.
But the highlight of the film is undoubtedly the people that have become trapped as Christmas figures through Pepper's meddling in the past.
Characters who once had their own lives and personalities are now fated to forever sing Christmas carols, light lamps and live a generally Yuletide life.
Nick Offerman (sporting a questionable British accent), comic Robin Thede and Chris Redd are the main mini people, while an a cappella group, Pentatonix, are the constantly-singing Christmas choir.
The whole tiny people concept is tried and true (Honey I Shrunk the Kids still remains the best example) and always amusing. In this instance the porcelain nature of the characters is reminiscent of Joey King's China Girl character from the forgettable Oz the Great and Powerful.
On the whole, Candy Cane Lane is a decent enough family Christmas movie. It's not going to be an immediate classic or a must-watch in future years, but it'll give the kids a laugh and fan the flame of festive fun.
As a fun aside, this is at least the third film this Christmas season with a black actor playing Santa (comedian and Broadway star David Alan Grier), following the fun Dashing Through the Snow (where Lil Rel Howery dons the red suit) and The Naughty Nine (where Danny Glover takes the reindeer reins).
Candy Cane Lane is directed by Reginald Hudlin (House Party, Boomerang, Marshall) from a script by Kelly Younger (Muppets Haunted Mansion).
It also stars Ken Marino (playing much the same character he does in every project), Timothy Simons (Veep, Don't Worry Darling), and Danielle Pinnock (Ghosts, Young Sheldon).
