Back when Home Alone 4 came out, for some insane reason, I gave it an above-lukewarm review, which is a million times what it deserved as it was utterly terrible. Now, 10 years later, Fox have went back to Home Alone for a new Xmas TV movie special. It's watchable, but it ain't no classic.
Finn Baxter (and his haircut from 1994) moves into an old house in New England with his parents and older sister. He's addicted to video games and she's addicted to staring at her cell phone. Since most kids are like this nowadays I would have the preferred the unrealistic, healthy, proactive types. Kevin McCallister was a misfit, not a stereotype. Finn is a sorry reflection of today's youth.
Hidden in the basement is a prohibition era hooch bar with a priceless painting hanging on the wall. Three bumbling thieves, including Malcolm "I'll do anything for a paycheck" McDowell and the unusually attractive Debi Mazar, want to get their hands on it and plan a robbery while the parents are at some Xmas party in the mountains. Kevin...I mean Finn, defends the house with booby traps while his sister is trapped in the hooch bar.
Harry and Marv were the kind of idiots who made for good comedy when getting tortured. But the thieves in this movie are not really that bad, and I kinda felt that they deserved to get the painting. Why should I root for a shut-in child and his torn-faced sister? John Williams gets a 'themes by' credit but approximately 1% of his famous Home Alone score is used, and on top of that it's a bit too loud and overbearing. And since the parents are loud, reactionary idiots I saw no point in wishing for them to reunite with their kids.
Saying it is better than 4 is like saying that AIDS is better than cancer, but it makes for a pleasant, one-off addition to your Xmas movie list.
