CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS (2004) *** This is really a mood movie. I don't mean that Chris Columbus has created an atmospheric masterpiece, more that if you're in the right mood it's quite nearly a great movie, and if you aren't it sucks. If you're soooo into that glorious, jump-up-and-down Christmas spirit before the opening credits, you're in for a ride. Little Steven as musical supervisor, so you know it rocks. Cheech Marin as a cop, that's funny and he's always good. I don't know if it's John Grisham's fault (that's my first guess, but the other writer's Chris Columbus), but the Tim Allen character is never credible as this semi-rugged individualist preparing to run against the social currents. What is he, an accountant? If you're in the right mood, well who cares, he'd kind of funny. If he's never quite a real character, then he's perfectly matched with his wife. Jamie Lee Curtis can't quite decide whether she's mainly socially obsequious and demure, or an iron lady with a velvet veneer. So she blows back and forth and is never more convincing than when she giggles. The brilliance of the film, though, is unquestionably Dan Aykroyd. We all suspected that he could be obnoxious and…oh, my goodness. But it's rare to see a more clearly good heart, and such an awkwardly so one at that, and that's so in evidence, too. There are all kinds of mandatory warm and ulterior Christmas messages in there (wrong mood: "Bah, hubug!", right mood: "Yeaaaa for Christmas!"), and the re-working of Santa's sleigh is somehow the signature piece for the film..
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