Home Alone (1990) Director: Chris Columbus

As it is 'the Season' after all, it's only fair that I gourge myself on festive films, a true guilty pleasure. I'm aiming to watch as many as possible this Christmas and to revisit some childhood faves, Home Alone being one of them.

The premise of Home Alone is that cute kid Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin - when he was cute. Have you seen him now?!) gets left behind at Christmas when his family go on holiday to Paris. Some naughty thieves (one being Joe Pesci) target his house as they know the family has gone away. Kevin outwits them in a series of hilarious booby-traps and prat-falls. It's rather simples really. And some of the traps are actually quite vicious (not as vicious as Saw)...but it's not as funny as I remember it.

I can't really criticise anything written by the legendary John Hughes as he is a GOD but I actually prefer Home Alone 2 which is set in New York. That's the one with the pigeon lady and chase through the department store. I think the reason for this is also going back to my youth; I used to borrow Susan Haste's Gameboy Home Alone 2 game which I loved. That has to be it. Home Alone is a classic and a very enjoyable Christmas indulgence movie. Plus it has John Candy in it. Like I said, you can't criticise John Hughes OR John Candy.

I've never seen Home Alone 3 or 4. I don't think I want to.

3/5