Above everything else, very very funny

Rating: 9/10 (10 January 2011)

Home Alone is a simple concept, but one of genius. A small boy (Kevin, played by Macaulay Culkin, accidentally left behind by his family as they depart on Christmas vacation, finds himself in the family home which is about to be burgled by a pair of crooks. However, the little lad is full of innovative ideas for fighting off their depredations, and the crooks themselves are woefully inept.
This idea comes out, in practice, as a chunk of set-up and a slushily sentimental coda which bracket the centrepiece - the assault and defence on the McAllister house, which is played as a live action Tom And Jerry cartoon.
Sentimentality is appropriate for a Christmas movie (and in any event it is good to see Catherine O'Hara, often in overstated comedic roles, playing with a softer edge). Besides, a dose of saccharine is a small price to pay for the wildly funny slapstick violence inflicted by Kevin on the hopelessly outclassed Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern). Both actors play with a broadness which is not only just right, but also absolutely necessary. And young Macaulay Culkin's Kevin is an engaging combination of resourcefulness, malice, and vulnerability.
A hugely enjoyable family movie.