What a terrible movie this is! 'Christmas with the Kranks' is a Christmas-comedy that is neither funny or about the spirit of Christmas. It is about a terrible neighborhood where Luther and Nora Krank (Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) want to skip Christmas for a change to go on a cruise. Christmas has cost them six thousand dollars last year, mainly on decoration, so this year they don't do Christmas-stuff and go on the cruise, still saving three thousand dollars. Unfortunately their neighbors disagree. It is a tradition that the whole neighborhood takes part in this holiday; skipping is not an option. The ending of the film basically says that the neighbors are right and that their cruel methods to stop the Kranks from going on the cruise is justified. How stupid can it get?
Well, even more than it already is. Of course the Kranks fail to skip Christmas because their daughter, only away for some weeks to join the Peace Corps in Peru, returns for the holidays together with her new fiancé. Right. So suddenly the Kranks have to do their usual Christmas-things that includes giving a Christmas Eve party. There is quite some hurry needed since the two lovebirds are already on their way. What do you know? All the cruel neighbors are willing to help! In a series of unfortunate events we see how things almost go wrong the entire time and turn out the way they should after all. How surprising.
The movie rolls from one stupid event into another, never funny, most of the time even annoying. It is hard to believe this story seemed funny on paper and that gives us the obvious question of why this movie was even made. Probably because it is about Christmas and could make some money, which it did. If there is one Christmas-movie to avoid in whatever year it definitely is 'Christmas with the Kranks'.
Well, even more than it already is. Of course the Kranks fail to skip Christmas because their daughter, only away for some weeks to join the Peace Corps in Peru, returns for the holidays together with her new fiancé. Right. So suddenly the Kranks have to do their usual Christmas-things that includes giving a Christmas Eve party. There is quite some hurry needed since the two lovebirds are already on their way. What do you know? All the cruel neighbors are willing to help! In a series of unfortunate events we see how things almost go wrong the entire time and turn out the way they should after all. How surprising.
The movie rolls from one stupid event into another, never funny, most of the time even annoying. It is hard to believe this story seemed funny on paper and that gives us the obvious question of why this movie was even made. Probably because it is about Christmas and could make some money, which it did. If there is one Christmas-movie to avoid in whatever year it definitely is 'Christmas with the Kranks'.