Big trouble in the Big Apple

Rating: 7/10 (23 December 2017)

My wife and I are just back from five days in New York and even though this movie was made 25 years ago, with so many of its landmarks unchanged, it certainly enhanced our enjoyment of the film especially as we'd somehow never seen it before.
Watching it on the run-up to Christmas helped too but the fact of the matter is that the movie's highly entertaining and enjoyable anyway. I get that McCauley Culkin's goofy grin, floppy hair, big ears plus of course that scream of his might irritate some but I otherwise found all these plus his smartness and rebelliousness quite acceptable.
I enjoyed the way the writer and director, knowing that this is a sequel bound to end up with the same slap-sticky, booby-trapped conclusion as its mega-successful predecessor found a clever and even credible way to separate Kevin again from his family. I loved the New York winter locations while on the acting side, I equally enjoyed the cameo as toy-store owner Mr Duncan by veteran Eddie Bracken, who starred in so many great Preston Sturges films of the 40's. John Williams also delivers a playful soundtrack in keeping with the frivolities depicted on the screen.
In these and other ways, director Chris Columbus harks back to those Golden Age Hollywood days, not by coincidence is "It's A Wonderful Life" referenced again in one of his movies, but here too he contributes a lasting seasonal classic which I dare say will likewise be watched and enjoyed by families at Yule time down the years.