Merry Kidsmas

Rating: 7/10 (6 December 2015)

That cover shot of young McCaulay Culkin's goofy face has put me off watching this festive movie for years but in mid December on a rainy, cold afternoon and having watched most of the best of the Christmas-themed movies around, I turned to this at last. And sure, Culkin gets more screen close-ups than Greta Garbo ever did, either due to the director wishing to emphasise his "cuteness" or maybe in some way to cover up his inexperience at acting, but the movie is so fun that you get used to it as it rolls entertainingly along.
Seems to me that young Kevin gets the best Christmas present ever when, as he thinks, he makes his horrible family disappear over the holidays, but when house burglar Joe Pesci and his hapless accomplice determine to loot Culkin's parents' house, the fun and games commence as the kid fights back, plus of course there's time for a big dollop of Yuletide sentimentality as the youngster makes friends at last with the sinister-seeming old man next door, sorting out the latter's family problems in the process.
The movie's really fun as you warm to the initially brattish Kevin and have to admire his methods of keeping the baddies at bay, firstly with his automated mannequin show and then of course when he seemingly booby-traps the whole house to repel the invaders. Pesci is very good, offering us a family-entertainment version of the psychos he plays for Scorcese, with nary a cuss-word in sight but it's the kid's movie with young McCaulay's acting improving as the movie progresses which almost makes me think the film was shot in chronological order.
I have to admit that before watching, I expected this to be an indigestible slice of over- sentimental nonsense, but instead was well-entertained by a clever and funny family feature which rightly deserves its reputation as a latter-day Christmas dare I say classic.