Home for the Holidays

Rating: 10/10 (28 November 2019)

This is one of my favorite movies of all time as well as one of my favorite Christmas films.
It's also another one of my childhood gems, it's was just so much fun for so many reasons but also heartfelt at the same time. I really like the plotline as it's sort of a wishfulment fantasy being the man or woman of the house and just having complete freedom to do whatever you want and make your own rules.
There is so much to like, from the production value, which is great, really like how the traps were set up and conducted. Even the music is great, from some soundtrack bits but it's really the score by one of my favorite composers John Williams which makes it the most memorable. From that theme song which is one of my favorite themes of all time, as it has both a Christmas tune but at the same time a sense of foreboding as it reminds us as fun and cheerful as the film is there is still trouble in paradise. But another tune which is "All of my Memories" is just beautiful and perfectly reflects the theme of the film.
I really like the characters, from the Wet Bandits Harry and Marv played well by Joe Pechi and Daniel Stern. Both your classic comic duo much like Abbot and Costello and any other you can think about, both are so much fun as both are pretty much numb skulls.
Well Harry is more the smart one of the bunch as it seems like he the only one that really supplies the brain power of their schemes. However, this guy is no genius as his Achilles heel is that he's arrogant thinking he's so clever and listens too much to his own greed which we know both these things can make people stupid or do some stupid crap.
Marv is pretty much Harry's flunky as he's dumb. But what makes him really funny is how he's a bit of a man child sometimes, like having these delusions of grangur in being one of the most famous criminals in history by leaving the water running as their calling card as "The Wet Bandits", despite the fact he clearly needs a reality check as he's just increased their chances of getting caught and identified. But I really love some of his lines, he's got some great lines, one of my favorites "he sounded like a snake" I know a small line but it's funny on two counts.
But of course, my favorite character is the main protagonist Kevin McCallister played well by Macaulay Culkin. I really like that he's not some stereotypical annoying all smiles kid. Kevin really felt like a real kid whom is a relatable character as some of what he's gone though is some of the things that we may have experienced a time or two in our lives when we were kids.
It's interesting what kind of household he lives in which must be the busiest household I've ever seen as it seems populated with twenty plus people. I remember whenever I watch the film, I always wonder who that person or the other in the family is. I honestly wouldn't mind if they made some sort of TV program (on a premium channel) called "The McCallister's" where we could see Kevin and the rest of the family years later, get to know the rest of them and see what shanagans they get into. If not there's always a licensed comic book, follow up; and if one or both these happened it would be the true third sequel. Well, it's a nice thought anyway.
Alright back to Kevin, he's charismatic, has some of the best lines in the film. My favorite from him is "This is it, don't get scared now" yeah that's the kind of line I use whenever there is a final battle in certain Horror movies or survival horror video games. The film is almost at times like a one man play sometimes as in most scenes Kevin has only himself to talk to, but he does it so well because he's got a lot of interesting things to say.
I really love how smart he is, this guy you could say could almost be a genius as he's a tactician, from building those elaborate traps. However, he is still naive like a child which increases the relatability factor as we've been through that. Like one of my favorite scenes is seeing Kevin dig though Buzz's trunk and he first looks though a Playboy magazine and says one really funny line that cracked me up "No clothes on anyone sickening", yeah that what most of us and myself felt at Kevin's age.
However, the one thing about him that makes him the most enduring is he is highly sympathetic. He has a big family but he is the only one that is the most underappreciated, doesn't really get much attention nor help when he needs and asks for it, none of the breaks and for some fraked up reason seems to be the target of ridicule for most family members, seriously what the frak is everyone's problem.
Like in one scene he is trying to ask some people to help him pack a suitcase as he's never done it before, which is understandable because he's still really little which means there are a lot of things, he's never done himself before. But of course no one is or wants to help him do it, seriously not one member could take five to ten minutes of their life to show/help him pack, it wouldn't of killed them instead they act like they have more important things to do which they don't.
The worst of all is Buzz, this is a guy you sort of love to hate as he's kind of funny or even just plain hate as he really presses a wrong button with you. What I really don't like about the guy is that he's is just so full of crap; from that story he tells both Kevin and another brother about a neighbor you just see as he's telling that he has a crap eating grin on his face, so you know the story is bull crap just to get cheap amusement. And another which was eating Kevin's Cheese Pizza on purpose and insulting Kevin once more, thinking he's so funny which pushes Kevin over the edge.
I really love that Kevin retaliated, I'd do the same thing any bully that ever takes away my Cheese Pizza or even video game playing are going to meet Goku and Vegetta (my left and right fists); I know that sounds bold but human right need to be defended.
Sadly, Kevin unfortunately get punished for something that wasn't his fault, let alone doesn't even have dinner. But the last part of that scene are really sad when instead of the mom talking and exercising understanding with Kevin to hear what really happened, she just retorts in a mocking and insulting tone, which I thought was uncool, I guess she forgot the old saying "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all" At that moment I just knew that was the final straw and Karma was about to come down on the family hard.
There are so many great and memorable scenes and moments throughout the film, so there is hardly a dull moment.
One of my favorite scenes no doubt is when Kevin is watching a gangster pic and of course he's eating probably the biggest ice cream sundae I've ever seen, man I can never eat that many scoops. That film he watches is great, I honestly thought that was a real movie but no it's not. This is something as kids we always dreamed about which was to see Rated R films without restrictions.
I just love the exaggerated nature of the film as we see the lead gangster Johnny solve his dilemma with a Tommy Gun (yeah that does work every time in those pics) and he just says one of my favorite movie quotes that cracked me up, "Keep the change you filthy animal." But I really like Kevin's reaction to that film as he's closing his eyes despite the fact there is no gore or squib effects. But for a kid his age that would be considered graphically violent and not something he's totally used to seeing. And this joke with the gangster movie gets funnier as we see it used in two different scenes in two different ways.
And of course, there is the famous big battle near the end of the film which is in my book one of my favorite battles of all time. It's basically a home invasion battle which I think is cool because it's sort of like a strategy game battle, since the battle takes place on your own turf it makes you the general, giving you plenty of opportunities to tactically take out invaders whichever area they occupy. But of course, it's pretty much a slap stick/ physical comedy fest as we see the Wet Bandits constantly getting hurt by Kevin's traps and miraculously surviving, this was just hilarity at it's best, it made me laugh till it hurt.
I'll just say a couple of my favorites as I don't want to give too much away, from the first scene seeing Kevin use the BB gun on both robbers, it's just funny how Harry reacts to the pain and he is just saying a bunch of gibberish in frustration.
Another of course is the nail trap, it's funny because of just the delayed reaction as it pain doesn't even register until a little latter and I just laughed along the way.
However, despite all the fun of the film this film has heart as the revolving theme is about appreciating family. There is one scene I found sad when Kevin is looking at a family whom is home for the holiday's enjoying Christmas, he has a sad look on his face, which I'll admit put a tear in my eye. That scene shows what Kevin truly wanted which was simply to have Christmas with his family. Or even some bits with the family feeling guilt over the loss of Kevin from the mom evaluating her own parenting and a member or two not enjoying their time in Paris as they know in their hearts it's not a real vacation as their family is incomplete.
This just makes the pay off even sweeter, I'll just say both Kevin and the Macalister's get what they want for Christmas. No one is ever alone for the holidays as long as there are still people that love you.
Rating: 4 stars