Eddie Murphy’s filmography practically screams risk-free choices in the past decade. If the film is not family-friendly, he has played the straight man instead of the act that made him a comedy legend. (If you watch Coming 2 America, he has hardly any of that disappointing film’s funniest lines.) Per the studio, his latest movie, Candy Cane Lane, is Murphy’s first headfirst dive into a holiday comedy (hold your objections, Boomerang fans). The Prime Video streaming entry is not a classic by any means but has a frenetic energy that is unmistakably likable.
Eddie Murphy stars as Chris Carver, a family man married to his lovely wife, Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross). Both are working professionals, and they are raising three children. There’s Joy (Genneya Walton), who aims for a track scholarship to Notre Dame rather than her parent’s alma mater, USC. (The Carvers cheer “Fight On” so much that I think the school is paid product placement.) Chris and Carol’s middle child, Nick (Creed III’s Thaddeus J. Mixson), is underachieving in school because he has his head stuck in his tuba, loves music, and hates math. Lastly, their youngest child, Holly (Madison Thomas), is a precious child looking to support her father’s holiday cheer.
However, Chris is laid off during the holidays by his callous boss, Tre (a cameo from Moonlight’s Trevante Rhodes)). Even though Carol is up for a big promotion, Chris feels an urgency to bring in money fast. After seeing an annual neighborhood contest advertisement for the best-decorated home that promises a $100,000 prize, he signs a deal with Pepper (a very funny Jillian Bell), a naughty elf who tricks Chris into a Scrooge-like holiday game. While she gives Chris enough magic to win the prize, he will forever become a plastic toy. The only thing that will save him is if he collects enough gold rings despite all the craziness Pepper unleashes when she brings the 12 days of Christmas to life.
Candy Cane Lane is written by Kelly Younger, a writer whose experience working on the Muppet franchise, serves him well and is a detour here. Directed by Reginald Hudlin (House Party), the film blends genres. It’s as if they took their favorite 90s theme films—Jingle All the Way, Small Soldiers, and Jumanji—tossed them in a bag, and shook it as hard as they could, and Candy Cane Lane is the result.
Some of the movie’s best gags involve the cast of plastic toys. Nick Offerman plays Pip, an old English barrister. SNL’s Chris Redd plays a fast-talking lamplighter who thinks he is smooth but is not. Suffice it to say, the shtick gets old quickly. Danielle Pinnock’s morning talk show host is a highlight and brings some comic levity to the film’s cheesy themes, dragging the story down.
Speaking of those cheesy themes, Candy Cane Lane loves to bring that old 90s cliche that children know better than their parents. In an annoying scene, the Carver’s children turn the tables on their father. Chris’s involvement in bringing them holiday cheer is a subject of complaint. It’s frustrating. As if the audience now expects the parents to ignore their lies about various subjects and not hold them accountable. Part of you will pray that Murphy will give his kids a Theo Huxtable wake-up call. Sadly, the writers have him put his tail between his legs. Being your children’s best friend instead of a parent should stop in family-oriented stories.
The standout is Jillian Bell, who excels in the madcap villainous role. The film’s secret weapon, she brings a certain quality to the third act that almost saves the film completely, or at least prevents it from being total drivel. However, we should grade Candy Cane Lane on a curve. This film never falls into cheap family film sophomoric fare. The parents also have a family-friendly wholesome message and Murphy has regained some of his famous comic charm in the film’s final act. And as we use this word again, these attributes are rare in mainstream family comedies today. The result builds up enough goodwill and charm from its cast for adequate family viewing over the holiday season.
Candy Cane Lane is currently available to stream on Prime Video.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9d2G3l3UO4]
Candy Cane is by no means a classic, but it builds up enough goodwill and charm from its cast for adequate family viewing over the holiday season.
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GVN Rating
I am a film and television critic and a proud member of the Las Vegas Film Critic Society, Critics Choice Association, and a 🍅 Rotten Tomatoes/Tomato meter approved. However, I still put on my pants one leg at a time, and that’s when I often stumble over. When I’m not writing about movies, I patiently wait for the next Pearl Jam album and pass the time by scratching my wife’s back on Sunday afternoons while she watches endless reruns of California Dreams. I was proclaimed the smartest reviewer alive by actor Jason Isaacs, but I chose to ignore his obvious sarcasm. You can also find my work on InSession Film, Ready Steady Cut, Hidden Remote, Music City Drive-In, Nerd Alert, and Film Focus Online.
