HOME ALONE
[Probable Spoilers]
A film review by Jaye Mathisen
Copyright 1990 Jaye Mathisen
Summary:
A young boy's family forgets to take him on their
vacation to Paris. Thrills and spills abound as
we follow Kevin around the house, doing all the
things he's ever wanted to do. Of course, there's
the obligatory bad guy who's vanquished in the
end.
I wasn't expecting much going to this film. How funny can it be to watch some wild child and his antics around the house while his parents are gone? The answer is: Not very. Oh sure, there are some funny moments, and some of the situations are amusing, but this is definitely a movie that appeals to younger people than me.
The biggest problems with the film are all the contrived things that appear throughout the show. There are also some odd asides that have to be chalked up to "let's get a laugh," rather than some real need. The plot is all too predictable, and while there is occasionally some inspiring camera work, young Macauly Culkin doesn't really have what it takes to carry a whole movie yet. Yes, he's funny, and he has some great bits, but as a whole, he just didn't pack it.
I should mention that as a "grown-up," I didn't really get a kick out of it, but if the gales of hysterical laughter coming from about every child in the theater are any clue, this movie has gobs and gobs of appeal to the much younger crowd. Perhaps they can relate better to some of Kevin's family problems which appeared out of nowhere.
Rating: Take your kids to it, but if you don't have any, or can't get ahold of some, then skip this one. It's not trash, it's just not great. 2 stars (**) on the old 1 to 4 star scale.
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