Nostalgia-proofed holiday classic

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2019)

Like many other people of my vintage, HOME ALONE has been a staple of the holidays for as long as I can remember. The story is essentially a kid's fantasy: not just staying home alone and getting to play by one's own rules for a while, but also inflicting comical pain upon very obvious bad guys. The Christmas-y mise en scene and clever use of low camera angles complete this nostalgic, feel-good comedy's sense of festive atmosphere.
As an adult, the contrivances that cause the plot to occur are more apparent, of course. And the slapstick climax is shockingly violent-- it never occurred to me just how brain-damaged or DEAD the Wet Bandits would be. However, none of these things bother me in the least. Maybe it's nostalgia. Maybe the movie's strengths are so potent as to cancel anything else out. I don't know. All I know is the movie still makes me laugh in my 20s as much as it did when I was a child.