Light it up! Any idea sooner or later can be brought to absolute absurdity and what previously caused exceptionally warm feelings becomes something intrusive, annoying and simply exhausting. This is true even for a holiday like Christmas. Unfortunately, many of us forget what this day symbolizes and what tradition demands of us. No one is saying that we should kneel in church from evening to morning, but at the same time, this does not mean that all attention should be given to the frantic shopping races in search of sales, the choice of the most fluffy Christmas tree for fabulous money and other mercantile little things that tend to destroy the whole Christmas extravaganza. However, we have to state the fact that modern people are increasingly replacing simple human joys and family values with something completely alien, from which there will definitely be no joy. Perfectly understood such a cheerless, and yet gaining momentum soulless competitive trends and John Whitesell, a rather popular American director, known for his work on many famous series. And when Whitesell had the opportunity to direct one of the rare feature films of his long career, and even on the subject of Christmas collisions, he had no right to turn down such an attractive opportunity. Working on the story for a couple with three writers, Whitesell conceived to show the audience may not be the most revolutionary and resourceful, but definitely entertaining and funny picture, in which you can guess the motives from many Christmas films of the past, to which Chris Columbus and John Hughes put a hand. Of course, the box office of the tape, entitled in the domestic box office as “Welcome, or Neighbors are forbidden entry” was not as great as the creators would like, but this story found and gained considerable fame for its viewer, not least thanks to the motley duet of Matthew Broderick and Danny De Vito, who tried to build a special type of rivalry between themselves, passing all the limits of what is allowed.
So, the plot of the film takes us to a quiet American town, whose residents are preparing to celebrate Christmas. This is where the family of Steve Finch (Broderick) lives, a frankly boring, predictable man who rejects any surprises in favor of clearly established rules. Every day, Steve tries to make sure that his plans are not subject to the slightest change, and since he is used to celebrating Christmas according to long-established family canons, so be it and nothing will change. Traditional photos with his wife and children in Christmas sweaters, a walk in the neighborhood yards with carols, the choice of the cutest Christmas tree and many other trifles endlessly amuse Steve, while his son and daughter no longer consider it something intriguing, gradually losing faith in a father who can create a real holiday. And all Steve could have tolerated, if one day in the neighborhood suddenly appeared overly energetic Buddy Hall (Danny DeVito). Broken cheerful with two charming daughters and a pretty wife instantly turns the life of the town upside down, infecting everyone with his enthusiasm, which is completely out of step with the measured character of Steve Finch. Buddy may not be so rich, his house is not the largest in the area, and yet he planned to make it the focus of urban Christmas. To do this, Buddy needs to collect just a stunning number of festive lights, and thereby create from his monastery almost the brightest star on the planet! Naturally, Steve does not have warm feelings about this idea, because he previously considered himself one of the best, albeit predictable, organizers of Christmas. Thus, armed with pride and trying to prove to everyone that no one really knows him yet, Steve declares Buddy an improvised war, which sometimes reaches the point of absurdity. But since no one in the confrontation is going to yield, the situation heats up to the limit and is simply full of all sorts of nonsense to the delight of a smiling audience.
Without actually inventing anything extraordinary, the filmmakers nevertheless managed to plunge us into the atmosphere of festive madness, which is so comfortable to watch from the sidelines on the screen. It is no secret that many Americans, and especially those who live in quiet isolated towns or suburbs, with special piety relate to the celebration of Christmas. A couple of weeks before the onset of this cherished time, they begin with strict attention to every little thing to decorate their houses, buy greeting cards with an exceptionally precisely selected pattern, and also organize parties, the menu for which can cost more than one thousand dollars. Of course, behind all this festive tinsel is lost the true message of Christmas, its spiritual principle and morality, drowning under the influx of gifts, illuminations, toys and elegant Christmas trees. And movies like Welcome or Neighbors No Entry remind us that the frantic race to be the most hospitable and skilled host isn’t as important as what we have in our hearts. In fact, it does not matter what wreaths weigh on the entrance doors and how many sparkling balls hang on spruce branches. The true meaning is that it is banal not to forget about those who are nearby, congratulate them from the heart and maybe just have a festive punch with them to celebrate the birth of Christ. For clarity, we get a real extravaganza of the Christmas carnage with the participation of two respectable citizens who just have to understand that each of them is wrong in his own way and it is necessary to accept his mistakes and at the same time be able to forgive.
For Matthew Broderick, the role of the monotonous pedant Steve Finch did not become a special milestone in his career, since he has long been a symbol of the ordinary unsophisticated Americans who do not count on anything special in life. In real life, Broderick as an actor also ceased at all costs to obtain special heights, paying much more attention to growing children, from which participation in the film by John Whitesell did not exactly pull him out of his usual comfort zone. In fact, Broderick plays himself and because of this looks very organic in the frame. But who draws almost all attention to himself, so it is always a windy Danny DeVito. His image turned out to be not the most pleasant and attractive, but this story simply needed a conflict, which De Vito masterfully ignited and proved that despite his small height, crossing his path is more expensive.
In the end, I want to say that the comedy turned out to be partly predictable and at the same time mischievous and fun. So don't pass by.
7 out of 10