A timeless Christmas classic

Rating: 7/10 (13 January 2012)

Spending Christmas in sunny Australia threw my Christmas spirit array, and I needed something to make it feel more Christmassy. Home alone was the perfect film to do this. Watched by families every year, the film never fails to bring a smile to the face and a Christmas feeling in your heart.
Released in 1990, the film is still a classic. However what I hadn't remembered was how slow the film is to get going. The vast majority of the film seems to concentrate on Kevin's adventures in the house but that's not why kids watch it, they want to see the bad guys meet their comic demise. It just felt a little dragged out before the action finally began.
Likewise as much of a legend as Macaulay Culkin is, he just wasn't as good as I remembered. When he was trying to act sad, it just felt a bit wooden. He really came to life when he used comedy or was setting up the traps against the bad guys. In comparison to his family though, he was superb. The other group of actors were just slightly too dull for me and I didn't particularly enjoy their scenes.
For me the two robbers were the highlight of the film. Two actors have never been picked so perfectly. Their timing, their facial expressions, their tone was just fantastic and even in my 20s, I still laughed out loud at their performances. The film is pretty basic but that's all it needs to be. The stunts are fun and childish and didn't need to use any special effects to make them any better. It's simple but just right.
A fantastic film that will never lose its charm, it's a Christmas must-see, every year.