FOUR CHRISTMASSES

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Although it starts out as a zippy holiday comedy "Four Christmases" loses focus and disperses into a less than satisfying comic experience.

Anti-Christmas San Francisco yuppies Brad and Kate (played by Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon) have a tradition of spending the holidays in tropical locales in order to avoid their dysfunctional families.

Heavy airport fog and a roving television crew instigate the couple into make the rounds at the homes of their respective families.

First on their list is Brad's unkind father Howard (Robert Duval) and Brad's mixed martial arts practicing brothers. Slapstick physical comedy ensues and it's off to mom's house where Sissy Spacek plays Brad's sexually adventurous mother who has taken up with Brad's former best friend.

Perhaps funny on paper, the segment falters and cracks in the script give way to some more uncomfortable than hilarious moments with Kate's batch of man-hungry kin she appropriately identifies as "cougars" try to sink their teeth into Brad.

"Four Christmases" is a sporadically funny movie that never quite comes together.

(Warner Bros.) Rated PG-13. 83 mins.