Home Alone (1990)

"Home Alone" is one of the most popular movies from the early 90's. Its success was phenomenal and it also made Macaulay Culkin a superstar.

The plot is quite original and surreal: a child who is home alone and capable of making the bandits's lives miserable? Sure, it's an impossible story, but who cares? Far from being a perfect movie, it is however okay and fun to watch, entertaining and contains slapstick humor too although I don't like some of the language used.

Our story takes place in Chicago at Christmas time, which makes this a Christmas film. In fact, the movie has lots of Christmas decorations, lights, snow and many other details which create the feeling and magic so characteristic of Christmas. To accent the Christmas atmosphere even more, there are a cup of nice Christmas carols such as "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (performed by Brenda Lee), "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch", "White Christmas", "Carol of the Bells", "Oh Holly Night" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and some brilliant instrumental musics.

Kevin McCallister is the hero of the story. He's not just any kid, he's a very smart one. He also knows all about the intentions of the "wet bandits" Harry and Marv and prepares them lots of unexpected "surprises". Their lives won't be easy with Kevin defending his house. Sure, they are the villains and as such they get what they deserve, but they do suffer a lot too. We almost feel sorry for them.

The "wet bandits" were nicknamed like that by Marv because their "calling card" (according to him) was to let the water running in every houses they robbed. That said, both "wet bandits" are hilarious. Harry is more cranky, while Marv is the most stupid of the two (although both are stupid) and maybe that's why people tend to sympathize more with him. Marv's stupidity also makes him the funniest of the two. Marv is the typical tall and clumsy guy with no brain, a bit like Averell Dalton from the Lucky Luke comics.

The movie has lots of funny moments. The funniest for me is when Harry and Marv pretend to be Santa Claus and his elf and the way Harry speaks in that scene, followed by the even funnier part when Kevin fires at Harry's pants. Whenever Kevin fools the bandits in a try to make them believe the whole family is at home when Kevin is all alone is funny too. For some reason, I also find funny whenever Kevin screams maniacally (particularly when he says he's not afraid anymore and sees Old Marley and screams out loud.

The scenes which Kevin fools and scares the Little Nero's Pizza boy and Marv with the gangster film "Angels with Filthy Souls" are hilarious, but in the case of the Pizza boy it is unfair for him. There was no need to scare the hell out of him - he was just delivering pizza and wasn't after Kevin.

Old Marley is an interesting character. I always felt sorry for him because of the lies Buzz tells about him. And the man never did anything bad to anyone. Buzz is a jerk and Uncle Frank is even worse. Buzz is mean for Kevin and Uncle Frank openly dislikes Kevin. When Uncle Frank tells Kevin «Look what you did, you little jerk!», Kevin's parents should tell him something like «Frank, stay out of this and shut up!».

The church is magnificent. It's one of the biggest and most beautiful churches I've ever seen in a movie.

Fmovies: There is no film to put beside Home Alone by way of comparison. It is a film genre of it's own. I read and hear reviews of this movie that express disgust and horror and I picture John Hughes chuckling. This was the intent, it was meant to upset the status quo and in "politically correct" times that we live in, isn't it a small surprise to see this film come to the forefront again? This is a movie that will freak out the uptight for as long as it exists in any media. It was meant to. As much as "Clockwork Orange" talked about "ultraviolence" this movie is all about ultra-bad pranks. We can numb ourselves to sex and violence but Home Alone is a movie you just will never get used to. There will be something in this movie that will get to you. As a last resort to make sure everyone is offended before you leave the theatre, John includes the always discussed paint can scene. No reason for this scene, except to make sure he gets you and also to make sure you leave talking about it. Obviously filmed on a budget, and using Hughe's stock cast, this is a movie simply about a young kid whose parents forget him while they go on vacation. All the characters are bizarre in one way or another. This movie reminds me of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" in that everyone in the film has something odd about them and both movies joyfully celebrate these uniquenesses. Not a movie to buy for Mom on Mother's Day... but worth seeing just to say you did.

This type of family comedy truthfully works better if you are grown up with the stooges. Because this film has a climactic scene with more slapstick than most can take. I can though. But if you think this is strictly a kids film, parents will like it too I bet. The plot follows a kid (Macaulay Kulkin) who gets left behind in a Chicago suburb while his family leaves for Paris. And though the house is all his, 2 burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern who give the best on-screen duo of 1990) want the house. But not without the climax. While most of the film is unbelievable (both good and bad), most of the film should keep families in good spirits, unless parents don't enjoy seeing Pesci getting his head on fire and Stern screaming like a girl. Funny, even if it's not John Hughes' (writer/producer here) best. B+

Home Alone fmovies. In the Eighties, John Hughes churned out a handful of movies and scored many, many hits. Quite rightly, as most of them were seriously funny - I'm DEFINITELY not referring to Curly Sue, so relax! In one particular scene from Uncle Buck, Macaulay Culkin interrogates a babysitter through the letterbox to make sure she's not a baddie. This inspired Hughes to write a whole new movie. Who would have known that this and its sequel would go on to become two of the biggest hits of all time? Both Hughes and Chris Columbus seem to prefer setting their movies during the holiday season (Gremlins, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Christmas Vacation) and manage to pull them off without too much sentiment, or sickening amounts of gooey love.

There are two reasons why Home Alone was such a big success. The first is that it's about a kid who outsmarts grown-ups, something that happens every day, only there's a worldwide conspiracy of silence. This movie yells it out loud and clear. The second is John Williams's magical score, which elevates the movie way above slapstick family fare to something more serious and regarded. It was nominated for an Academy Award, along with the Christmas carol Somewhere In My Memory, but lost to John Barry's Dances with Wolves. Damn! In a mad rush to the airport one morning, the MacCallister family forget one little thing...Kevin (Culkin). He is an eight-year-old kid who wants nothing better than a peaceful Christmas and some time to himself. It's hard for him to get this when living in a house with seven other people(the exact same house from Planes, Trains And Automobiles, don't you know0. With the rest of the MacCallisters in Paris, Kevin runs wild doing whatever he wants, eating whatever he wants and watching whatever TV show he wants.

But there's one major problem. The Wet Bandits, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), are on the prowl and have knocked off every other house in Kevin's street. His is next. And seeing that he's man-of-the-house now, he HAS to defend it.

Using whatever tools are at his disposal (rusty nails, blow torches, Micro Machines) he sets up a labyrinth of booby traps, so that the Wets can't break in. Their idiot-proof determination proves to be their downfall, as they are tortured and torn-up upon entering Kevin's domain.

Although this is not the only point of the film, there is an important message that family is what really matters to a child, or to anyone, and having them home for the holidays is better than wandering a huge house all by yourself.

There are some movies that work best at Christmas and this is one of them. I'm not saying that in a couple of decades it will be the new It's A Wonderful Life, but it will be remembered fondly at the very least.

Don't be a Scrooge. It's Christmastime. Go rush to check out Home Alone.

"Home Alone" is a hilarious film about a young boy (Macaulay Culkin) who is accidently left home during the Christmas holidays after the rest of his family goes to Europe. At first Culkin loves the situation, but soon he is scared to death when he learns that burglars Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are targeting his house. However, Culkin is pretty smart for an eight-year-old and he has plans for them when they attack. Chris Columbus' direction is smart and so is the over-achieving screenplay. This film has a little bit of something for everyone and the fact that the backdrop is the Christmas holidays, only makes it that much more special. All the performers do well and in the end the film also does. 4 stars out of 5.

My all time favorite film. Macaulay Culkin did superbly as a child actor, but as he grew up, he simply disappeared into oblivion. His last good film being Ritchie Rich (1994), live-action film adaptation of the Harvey Comics comic book character Richie Rich.

So from his highest grossing film Home Alone to Richie Rich is only a 4 year reign.

In this film we have the pairing of two talented actors in Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern(I REALLY LIKE THE WAY THIS GUY ACTS & HIS SENSE OF HUMOR!!!). They are a pair of burglars Harry Lyme (Pesci) and Marv Merchants (Stern), specializing in housebreaking when the occupants are off on holiday. This time its on Christmas. The McCallister's have planned a trip to Paris. Meanwhile Harry has his sights set on the McCallister House.

However things don't necessarily go as planned... Kevin has been forgotten at home and the McCallister's realize this too late.

Now Kevin is all alone against a duo of hardened(?), professional(?) crooks. 2 vs. 1 is not a fair fight(or so you think...).

What happens next is why this film has become the most grossing American comedy film of 1990. I WON'T reveal what happens next, so either go see it at a Cinema you like or watch it on DVD/CABLE or ONLINE or buy the DVD either at a DVD store or online.

This film has a decent sequel: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York which follows the further mishaps in the life of Kevin.

Other Macaulay Culkin films worth seeing/having: Uncle Buck, The Good Son, My Girl, Getting Even with Dad, and Richie Rich.