Keep the change, you filthy animal.

Its the most wonderful time of the year. Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

When we think about Christmas classics its easy just to think about the ones Ive mentioned to death:the Bass/Renkin specials and Its A Wonderful Life. But, in my own personal opinion, one of my favorite movies to watch around Christmas time, and one I make an effort to watch once a year is Home Alone. Actually I tend to find myself watching all four of them every Christmas but this is the best out of all of them.

Iconic for Macaulay Culkin's smart assiness, clever traps, sharp wit and of course the face, Home Alone has not only become a major staple of Christmas movies but also a major staple of kids movies in general. Its ultimately heartwarming, charming in its innocence and forever beloved and ripped off by many filmmakers and critics alike.

The story (which is recycled for the next three movies) is about Kevin. He has it rough. His brother is a jerk to him and his parents really don't seem to give a crap about him. The other members of his family are nihilistic, narcissistic, superficial and could care less about little Kevin. He is the unexplained black sheep of the family. Well the family decides to take a trip out of state and in the rush to beat the Christmas rush they leave in a flurry and leave one thing behind: Kevin. By the time they realize this they are already in the air. Kevin, taking advantage of his newfound freedom thinks everything is hunky dory. He's a smart kid so he knows how to get what he wants. But when a two man group of robbers decides they want to rob the house and take them for all they got, its up to Kevin to stop them.

This ensues

Its physical comedy at its most innocent and quite honestly at its finest. All the characters, especially Marv and Harry are well thought out and provide good laughs. And of course in the end it has a great moral and good family values.

I have to applaud Chris Columbus and John Hughes (RIP) on their great colaboration together and definetly have to say that this is one of my favorite movies growing up. Sure, in my opinion, it stumbles in the sequel only to get up for the third and then get shot in the face by four, but the Home Alone series will always be a well known Christmas/Holiday tradition for years to come.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT