Four Holidays

Rating: * *

Verdict

: A star-studded cast does its best to save a shambolic mess.

Vince Vaughn starred in 2007's disappointing

Fred Claus.

Unfortunately, the experience didn't put him off Christmas-themed movies as he's back this year starring in

Four Holidays

, a festive comedy filled with cheap laughs and very little Christmas spirit.

The larger-than-life Vaughn (Brad) teams up with the pint-sized Reese Witherspoon (Kate), and they make an unlikely pair, both physically and romantically. There is little sexual chemistry, with Brad and Kate coming across more as BFF (Best Friends Forever), joined by a shared determination to never marry and have kids for fear of ending up like their own separated and dysfunctional parents.

They're so paranoid about spending time with their families that each Christmas they lie, pretending they're off to do charity work in a third world country and then take a luxury holiday that generally involves scuba diving.

Only this year, San Francisco's airport is closed due to fog, and Brad and Kate are spotted by their respective families on the television news, stranded at the airport. And so begins a lesson in karma as they now have to visit their four very different families in one day.

There is little to like about this self-centred couple, who speak to each other in a language that implies too much therapy, and so there are very few reasons to care about their situation. It's also hard to know who to feel sorry for, Brad and Kate for having their worst nightmare come true, or their families for having to put up with them.

Fortunately Vaughn, who also co-produced

Four Holidays,

has managed to secure a top-rate cast (just like he did on Fred Claus) including Sissy Spacek, Robert Duvall, Mary Steenburgen and Jon Voight. While none give the performance of a lifetime, their presence keeps you interested, and helps elevate this film from a patronising and predictable comedy into a harmless piece of fun.

If you're after a meaningful tale to help get you into the spirit of Christmas, you won't find it here, but if you're a fan of Vaughn's ad-libbing motormouth, you're bound to have a laugh.

Francesca Rudkin

Cast

: Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Sissy Spacek, Robert Duvall

Director

: Seth Gordon

Running Time

: 88 mins

Rating

: M (Contains sexual references)

Screening

: SkyCity, Berkeley and Hoyts Cinemas