Candy Cane Lane

Eddie Murphy stars as a recently laid-off father desperately trying to win a lucrative Christmas decorating contest in this peculiar and anarchic festive comedy from director Reginald Hudlin. What begins as a conventional family film quickly descends into chaos after Murphy makes a Faustian deal with rogue elf Pepper (Jillian Bell), which could see him added to her collection of captive talking ornaments, among them Nick Offerman sporting a dreadful English accent. When Pepper casts a wicked spell based on a popular Yuletide song, Murphy is forced to enlist the help of his family to save Christmas and himself from meeting a terrible fate. The hectic adventure that ensues is never quite funny enough to justify its exceedingly convoluted plot, with Hudlin and screenwriter Kelly Younger's many ideas failing to gel into something coherent. It's not without charm, and the charisma of Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross ensure there are some laughs along the way, but not enough to ensure Christmas classic status.