Well, there needs no introduction to this movie which is probably as famous as Michael Jackson, George Bush, Bill Gates, Lady Gaga, Michael Schumacher or any other international icon renowned the world over. Home Alone and its sequel Home Alone 2:Lost in New York is all about a young kid named Kevin McAlister who gets separated from his family on separate occasions, gets chased by two petty thieves, outsmarts them & finally returns to his family.Although the Home Alone series has four released movies till date(The fifth movie releasing in Christmas 2012), I would be focusing mainly on the first two movies- Home Alone(1990) and Home Alone 2:Lost in New York(1992), in this review.
Plot :-
Home Alone 1 :- Kevin McAlister(McCaulay Culkin), an 8 year old kid, is a subject of ridicule among his siblings.He finds himself often ignored by his family, although this is not the subject matter mentioned or focused in the movie.During Christmas, the McAlisters decide to spend a short vacation in Paris.Being a huge family with their cousins too staying along with them, their cousins too living along with them as well as in the hurry and confusion to head to the airport, Kevin is left back at home.However, he does not realise that the infamous "Wet Bandits", thieves named Harry(Joe Pesci) and Marv(Daniel Stern) are making plans of breaking into that house on Christmas night.Kevin overhears their conversation and decides to outsmart these guys by setting in booby traps.Watching them fall prey to every trap forms the crux of this comical satire.Later, they manage to grab him but in the nick of time, a person named Marley(who has many rumours against him)comes to his resuce by knocking both the bandits with a shovel and takes Kevin home. Shortly after, Harry and Marv are arrested.
Meanwhile, Kevin’s mother, Kate McAlister(Catherine O’Hara) had been dissapointed that the family had left Kevin back home and was on her way back.The next morning she arrives and is glad to find her son safe & secure.Meanwhile, the other McAlisters too head back home and reunite with Kevin.
Home Alone 2:Lost in New York This seems more fun than its prequel.A sequel to Part 1 of the movie, its all about the McAlister family planning to go to Miami, Florida to spend another Christmas vacation.However, to make the film get its base as of a comic caper, everything goes topsy-turvy when Kevin oversleeps the previous night and in the hurry and confusion of the entire family, Kevin accidentally boards the flight to New York, from where the fun begins.
On Christmas Eve, Kevin tours the fascinating city in a limousine and visits the famous Duncan Toy Chest, where he meets its philanthrophic owner, Mr Duncan and learns that the Christmas sales would be spent on charity.Later, he checks in a classy 5 star hotel and spends lavishly using his credit card.
One world famous scene here is when he chases out the suspicious hotel employees(including the check-in guy who has been keeping quite a sneaky track of him right from the start) by a video recording, setting its volume to max, giving them the illusion that there is a tough guy with a machine gun inside.
However later, he accidentally bumps into the notorious Wet Bandits , Harry and Marvonce again, who chased him to his life in the previous movie.Here too, he manages to outsmart them with the same tricks and tantrums as previously, leading to a laugh riot.
The family discovers once again that Kevin is not among them and his Mom, Kate McAlister is all set to go to New York to find him.
After beating Harry and Marv black and blue, he stands near a Christmas tree and prays his wish to get reunited with his family.His mother spots him there and both of them reconcile.
The next morning after reuniting with his family, a truckload of toys from Duncan’s toystore comes as a reward to Kevin and his family.The film ends when Kevin’s dad, PeterMcAlister(John Heard) shouts out to Kevin after learning that his room service bill in New York sums up to $967.
Performances:-
The sole show-stealer of the movie is the cute young Kevin(McCaulay Culkin).The emotions portrayed by him are those of one would expect of a naughty, fun-loving youngster and he does so with such ease, getting into the skin of his character.
The next guys, The Wet Bandits, Harry(Joe Pesci) and Marv(Daniel Stern) are the notorious angle of the movie.Playing typical petty dumb thieves have made them do quite enough justice to their roles.
Kate McAlister(Catherine O’Hara) is the next most focused among the main characters.ALthough she does not have a lengthy peace of role, but plays a typical careless, but concerned mother.
Other characters such as that of Kevin’s Dad, Peter McAlister(John Heard), Buzz(Kevin Ratray), his oldest brother as well as surprise spot character such as the Bird Lady, Mr Duncan, Tim Curry(the Hotel Plaza employee in New York), etc do manage to make their characters felt.
Direction/Film-release :-
World reknowned filmmaker and Oscar nominee, Chris Columbus, who also directed other blockbuster flicks such as Mrs Doubtfire, Stepmom, Fantastic Four, Percy Jackson and the Olympians as well as a few films of the Harry Potter series, has directed both the movies.His idea of casting an 8 year old kid to be the focus of attention by doing stuff even matured adults or grown ups couldnt manage, such as outsmarting notorious thieves with deadly ease, getting lost at home as well as in a foreign city, forms the crux of the movie.Such a concept hadnt been thought of in movies, atleast until its time.
Undoubtedly, McCaulay Culkin, aka Kevin became an instant hit across the world with the release of these two movies.Home Alone series, seemed to be one of the most watched films of all time, world over, only today to be rivalled by the Harry Potter series, Titanic, Pearl Harbor, just to name a few.