Eddie Murphy's Attempt to Illuminate Candy Cane Lane Falls Short

Eddie Murphy starring in "Candy Cane Lane," a rather mundane Christmas movie, feels like using a high-performance sports car for a simple errand - effective, but a bit overkill. The goal here is to attract family-friendly viewers to Amazon Prime.

Murphy seems to be aware of this mismatch, as he delivers a low-energy performance, especially in comparison to his co-stars. There's also room to question Amazon as the ideal platform for a movie about family values over consumerism, but a certain level of marketing-driven contradiction is a holiday tradition in itself.

Amazon may not be the ideal platform for a movie with flashy packaging but lackluster content. The film is a blend of "Jingle All the Way" and the reality show "The Great Christmas Light Fight," featuring Murphy as Chris. His long-standing competition with the reigning king of the neighborhood's Christmas-light contest takes a new turn when he loses his job and the event is sponsored with a $100,000 prize. Desperate to win, Chris makes a deal with an elf, unaware of the consequences. This serves as a reminder to always read the terms of service.

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'Candy Cane Lane' has Eddie Murphy deck the halls

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The situation is kept secret from Chris' wife (played by Tracee Ellis Ross) and their children for a while as they each deal with their own issues related to Chris' controlling nature. One child is exploring colleges while the other is eager to pursue music at the expense of their other classes. These subplots will all be addressed amid the chaos. Directed by Reginald Hudlin, who previously worked with Murphy on "Boomerang" over 30 years ago, "Candy Cane Lane" has fun with the idea of Christmas in sunny Southern California, including little details such as Murphy's character, a USC fan, being surprised by his daughter's interest in an athletic scholarship from Notre Dame.

The holiday magic in "You People" is lacking and fails to generate any sparks, even the closing outtakes sequence falls flat. This, combined with another forgettable streaming movie, "You People," suggests that Murphy has entered a dad-role phase, but these projects have not effectively showcased his comedic or dramatic talents as "Dolemite is My Name" or "Dreamgirls" did. This represents a natural progression for Murphy, including his long-delayed "Coming 2 America" sequel, but has not been as impactful as his previous work.

During the holiday season, "Candy Cane Lane" offers a decent option for the yearly lineup of festive movies. However, even by holiday movie standards, it falls short of delivering a truly captivating experience.

Don't miss the premiere of "Candy Cane Lane" on December 1st, exclusively on Amazon's Prime Video. This film is rated PG.