Christmas with the Kranks on DVD!

Tim Allen made a name for himself as a stand-up comedian expounding on the virtues of being a man's man. Power tools and a trademark grunt made him a household name. And then for reason's known perhaps only to him he decided to make Christmas his shtick. 

First it was The Santa Clause. It wasn't a great movie, but it was at least an entertaining Yuletide diversion. Then there was the sequel, a movie that in all honesty I avoided simply because the trailer failed to provide me with any reason whatsoever to see it. 

And now we are presented with Christmas with the Kranks. Allen's white collar character is about as far removed from his Tool Time days as he can possibly get and we are the worse for it. 

The film tells the story of Luther and Nora Krank (Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) whose only daughter has joined the Peace Corps, taking her away at Christmas for the first time in her life. Figuring that the holidays won't be the same without their daughter, the couple decide to skip Christmas and opt for tropical cruise instead. 

This causes an uproar in their close knit community where their decision is likened to high treason. Of course, the plan falls to pieces when the daughter unexpectedly announces she is bringing her new boyfriend home for Christmas, leaving the Kranks to scramble to put together a holiday celebration in about 12 hours. 

Writer Chris Columbus is no stranger to holiday film making, with a list of credentials that includes Home Alone, Jingle All the Way and even Gremlins. 

What this story lacks, however, is genuine Christmas spirit. 

When the Kranks abandon Christmas, Luther insists that they go with a total abstention. He never explains why and that makes it hard to understand why he is so adamantly against "suggestions" from his neighbors that he lighten up.
Of course, his neighbors are no shining examples of what the holiday season is supposed to be about either. Neighbors Vic Frohmeyer and Walt Scheel, played by Dan Aykroyd and M. Emmet Walsh are nearly militant in their insistence that the Kranks observe Christmas.