Christmas with the Kranks [2004]

Season's Greetings, and enter the spirit of the season, with 'Christmas with the Kranks'! :-)


A bit of festive fun   November 22, 2005
8 out of 10 found this review helpful

This is a reasonably watchable movie, perfect for the days leading up to Christmas when the madness starts to get to you!
It is well acted and you can sympathise with the characters' decision to escape for the festive season. Unfortunately, this decision doesn't go down too well with their neighbours who expect them to keep up the normal Christmas traditions.
There are the usual cringing and wincing moments -enough to keep the watcher entertained.
It is well worth a viewing, if only to enjoy the part where the Tim Allen character has botox. Classic! It made me cry with laughter!


Disappointing despite great actors!   December 28, 2005
Salomon (Scotland)
5 out of 8 found this review helpful

Looking forward to this film, especially in the run-up to Christmas, then what a disappointment. . . All characters are rather crazy, which should have been funny, but unfortunately it isn't. The scenes where you are supposed to laugh are obvious, all that's missing is a sitcom-like laughter in the film, but it is just so not funny! After a while it becomes quite annoying how the neighbours are terrorising the Kranks because of their decision to skip Christmas, - after the tenth creepy "hint" you just want to scream "I GET IT: THE NEIGHBOURS FOR SOME REASON TRY TO BULLY THE KRANKS INTO HAVING THEIR HOUSE ALL KITSCH CHRISTMASSY AND THEY DON'T WANT TO".
Jamie Lee Curtis looks very scared a lot, which isn't so funny, Tim Allen is grumpy, the neighbours are horrible, - there isn't one likeable person in this film! One scene is almost funny in a cringeworthy way where Curtis stands in full bikini clad glory (I admire her for her bravery there!) in a tanning shop and the vicar - and the whole shopping mall, it seems - stare at her. This could have been very funny indeed if they hadn't tried to lengthen this scene until it is not funny anymore. In fact,that priest doesn't stop staring and seems quite a pervert actually.
The Christmas feeling just doesn't shine through anywhere, and there are too many annoying scenes (where Allen buys the last available tree which is - you guessed it, - a brown, dry months-old thing, I mean PLEASE!) that spoil any enjoyment that might otherwise be had from good actors who fell victims to a bad script, poor editing and lame directing.
This does not come anywhere near Home Alone, and the only thing that warmed my heart was the anger for wasting my time watching one of Hollywoods worst Christmas production I have ever seen. The only reason I am writing this review is to spare others from doing the same.


Great family fun film   February 11, 2006
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Really enjoyed this film, really funny. Will be on of my classic family christmas films to watch each year. One to watch with all the family.


terrible film   January 13, 2006
2 out of 5 found this review helpful

Start off ok but then goes off track half way through....I couldn't wait for the end. Not funy at all.