{"id":11521,"date":"2023-12-02T03:08:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-02T10:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/?p=11521"},"modified":"2023-12-06T15:11:24","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T22:11:24","slug":"candy-cane-lane-the-perfect-christmas-movie-to-watch-with-your-family-and-friends-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/2023\/candy-cane-lane-the-perfect-christmas-movie-to-watch-with-your-family-and-friends-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Candy Cane Lane * The Perfect Christmas Movie To Watch With Your Family And Friends In 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"207\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/CandyCaneLane.poster.jpg?resize=207%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11530\" style=\"width:120px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/CandyCaneLane.poster.jpg?resize=207%2C300&amp;ssl=1 207w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/CandyCaneLane.poster.jpg?w=400&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 207px) 100vw, 207px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood\u2019s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After Chris (Eddie Murphy) inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell) to better his chances of winning, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life and wreaks havoc on the whole town. At the risk of ruining the holidays for his family, Chris, his wife Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross), and their three children must race against the clock to break Pepper\u2019s spell, battle deviously magical characters and save Christmas for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Keila V. comments, \u201c<em>Candy Cane Lane<\/em>&nbsp;is the perfect Christmas movie to watch with your family and friends in 2023.&nbsp;<em>Candy Cane Lane<\/em>&nbsp;is filled with adventures, magic and laughter. It definitely brings the Christmas spirits to life!\u201d Tia O. adds, \u201cThe humor in&nbsp;<em>Candy Cane Lane&nbsp;<\/em>is one of its biggest highlights. Eddie Murphy\u2019s comedic timing and quick-witted performance make for some laugh-out-loud moments. He also brings charm, joy, and relatability to his character through his distinctive comedic style, making him one of my personal favorite characters.\u201d See their full review and Connor\u2019s interview below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Candy Cane Lane<br>By Keila V., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5RpR9htKl8M?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230223_BARCLA_07612R_V2_C3_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11529\" style=\"width:250px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230223_BARCLA_07612R_V2_C3_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230223_BARCLA_07612R_V2_C3_rgb.jpg?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230223_BARCLA_07612R_V2_C3_rgb.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Eddie Murphy as \u2018Chris Carver\u2019 stars in CANDY CANE LANE Photo: CLAUDETTE BARIUS \u00a9 AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Candy Cane Lane<\/em>\u00a0is the perfect Christmas movie to watch with your family and friends in 2023.\u00a0<em>Candy Cane Lane<\/em>\u00a0is filled with adventures, magic and laughter. It definitely brings the Christmas spirits to life!<br><br>The story follows a family from El Segundo, California who live on a street called Candy Cane Lane, where every year there is a contest for the best house lit up for Christmas. During this year\u2019s contest the competition between all the neighbors is way more intense than in previous years. To win this competition families must have the best and brightest lighting, the biggest Santas, the most colorful elves, the loudest music and the most incredible angels on their front yard. The dad, Chris Carver (Eddie Murphy) finds out about this huge contest on TV and goes crazy. He tries everything to win first place, even making a deal with a lunatic elf, Pepper (Jillian Bell), without even realizing that what he is doing would create a big problem for his family and the whole town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OGvB-Y_9sK8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230302_BARCLA_08601RC4_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11523\" style=\"width:250px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230302_BARCLA_08601RC4_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230302_BARCLA_08601RC4_rgb.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230302_BARCLA_08601RC4_rgb.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thaddeus J. Mixson as \u2018Nick Carver,\u2019 Genneya Walton as \u2018Joy Carver,\u2019 Madison Thomas as \u2018Holly Carver,\u2019 Tracee Ellis Ross as \u2018Carol Carver,\u2019 and Eddie Murphy as \u2018Chris Carver\u2019 star in CANDY CANE LANE Photo: CLAUDETTE BARIUS \u00a9 AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The film is hilarious, has a twist on classic songs, and a family we can all relate to. Mom, Carol Carver (Tracee Ellis Ross), is a super hard-working woman who is trying to get a promotion at work during the busiest time of the year. The oldest daughter, Joy Carver (Genneya Walton), has a dream to go to college and be part of the track team. The middle son, Nick Carver (Thaddeus J. Mixxon), is not a big math student, but has a passion for music and the youngest daughter, Holly Carver (Madison Thomas), loves Christmas as much as her dad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of my favorite scenes is when Chris and Holly Carver are looking for Christmas decorations and find a store in the middle of nowhere. The special effects in that store are super fun and magical. Another great scene is when the contest starts at Candy Cane Lane and Santa shows up in his sleigh, points his finger at every house on the street, and viewers erupt with excitement as each house brings a Christmas theme to life. You must watch and see the seasonal magic happening at Carver\u2019s house. I know you will just love it as much as I did.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The film\u2019s message is that family comes first and they will always be there for you. It doesn\u2019t matter what challenges you are facing, when you have your family by your side, you will always figure out a way to find solutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give&nbsp;<em>Candy Cane Lane<\/em>&nbsp;5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. It is available on&nbsp;Prime Video beginning December 1, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Candy Cane Lane\u00a0\u00a0<br>By Tia O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 14\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j-etP3BzMvc?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230112_BARCLA_02146RC3_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11528\" style=\"width:250px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230112_BARCLA_02146RC3_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230112_BARCLA_02146RC3_rgb.jpg?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230112_BARCLA_02146RC3_rgb.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Eddie Murphy as \u2018Chris Carver\u2019 and Tracee Ellis Ross as \u2018Carol Carver\u2019 star in CANDY CANE LANE  Photo: CLAUDETTE BARIUS \u00a9 AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>I thoroughly enjoyed the movie\u00a0<em>Candy Cane Lane,\u00a0<\/em>directed by Reginald Hudlin. The witty humor and stunning set design make this one of my new favorite holiday movies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This adventurous comedy follows Christmas lover Chris Carver (Eddie Murphy) and his family as they compete in the annual neighborhood house decorating Christmas contest. However this year the stakes are higher; the winner of the contest will receive a $100,000 cash prize. After unintentionally making a deal with mischievous elf Pepper (Jillian Bell), she casts a spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life. To prevent disaster before Christmas, Chris and his family must break Pepper\u2019s spell before it&#8217;s too late.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The humor in\u00a0<em>Candy Cane Lane\u00a0<\/em>is one of its biggest highlights. Eddie Murphy\u2019s comedic timing and quick-witted performance make for some laugh-out-loud moments. He also brings charm, joy, and relatability to his character through his distinctive comedic style, making him one of my personal favorite characters. Chris Carver is the type of dad every kid would love to spend time with during the holidays. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230308_BARCLA_09357RC4_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11525\" style=\"width:250px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230308_BARCLA_09357RC4_rgb.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230308_BARCLA_09357RC4_rgb.jpg?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/candy-cane-lane-CCLN_2023_UT_230308_BARCLA_09357RC4_rgb.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jillian Bell as \u2018Pepper,\u2019 Eddie Murphy as \u2018Chris Carver,\u2019 and Madison Thomas as \u2018Holly Carver\u2019 star in CANDY CANE LANE Photo: CLAUDETTE BARIUS \u00a9 AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The set design in this film is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Set designer Adam Mull absolutely captures the wonder of the Christmas Spirit in every set design. My favorite scene is when Chris and his daughter Holly (Madison Thomas) first meet Pepper at her Christmas Shop. As soon as they both walk through the door the scene explodes with Christmas magic; each Christmas tree is decorated with beautiful unique ornaments and the environment made me feel like I was right there in the scene.\u00a0 Adam Mull transformed this movie into an onscreen winter wonderland; in every scene you can see how much time and effort went into this film&#8217;s creation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The film\u2019s message is that, through thick and thin, families should stick together and use teamwork when tackling a problem. This message is important for families to hear year round but especially during the holidays; a time where many families come together and spend quality time with one another.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give&nbsp;<em>Candy Cane Lane&nbsp;<\/em>5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults.&nbsp;<em>Candy Cane Lane&nbsp;<\/em>premieres on Amazon Prime Video December 1, 2023. Make sure to check it out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j8H4JGqIiV0?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Candy Cane Lane&#8221; is the perfect Christmas movie for the year 2023. Eddie Murphy stars as Chris, a man obsessed with winning his neighborhood\u2019s annual home decoration contest and inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf, Pepper, played by Jillian Bell. The magic spell cast by Pepper brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life, causing mayhem in the whole town. Chris, his wife Carol, and their three children must tackle challenging magical characters and break Pepper\u2019s spell to save Christmas for everyone. The film is appreciated for its adventure-packed storyline, humor, and the embodiment of Christmas spirit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4949,15],"tags":[7245,5411,7241,7252,7237,7253,7251,7239,7242,7240,7254,7244,7236,7238,121,5739,7243,7246,7247,7250,7248,7249],"class_list":["post-11521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feature-film","category-feature-film-reviews","tag-anjelah-johnson-reyes","tag-brian-grazer","tag-charisse-hewitt-webster","tag-chris-redd","tag-d-c-young-fly","tag-danielle-pinnock","tag-eddie-murphy","tag-genneya-walton","tag-jillian-bell","tag-karen-lunder","tag-kelly-younger","tag-ken-marino","tag-lombardo-boyar","tag-madison-thomas","tag-nick-offerman","tag-reginald-hudlin","tag-riki-lindhome","tag-robin-thede","tag-stephen-tobolowsky","tag-thaddeus-j-mixson","tag-timothy-simons","tag-tracee-ellis-ross"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paS5I2-2ZP","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11521"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11521\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11533,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11521\/revisions\/11533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}