HOME ALONE 5: HOLIDAY HEIST

2012 / Director. Peter Hewitt. 

There's only one place to put your expectations when watching something like HOME ALONE 5 - in the shitter. The first two movies in the series speak for themselves and have become staple Christmas favourites. I was one of the few people who liked the third one and still consider it to be underrated. And then of course a really terrible fourth movie came along. It was made for television and it was cheap 'n nasty. And so when HOME ALONE 5 found its way into my possession I wasn't exactly itching to watch it. It is also a made-for-television movie but I have to confess that there was an added curiosity for me... it was directed by Peter Hewitt. His name might not ring any bells for you but for me this was the suggestion that HOME ALONE 5 might be a return to form (of sorts). Some of Hewitt's previous films include Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, The Borrowers, Garfield, Zoom, Thunderpants and Tom & Huck... and so from a film-geek perspective Peter Hewitt is about as close to the John Hughes/Chris Colombus aura as the franchise could get. Malcolm McDowell also stars as one of the bumbling burglars and that was an added curiosity for me. - So what's the movie like? Better than part 4 and that's about it. The premise is the same only this time a brother and sister are left home alone during a snowstorm and three thieves stage a heist on the house knowing that a valuable piece of art lays hidden in a secret underground prohibition-era bar beneath the basement. It begins with a strong made-for-tv feel but when the action starts to pick up, the quality does improve. Some of the booby-trap creations are well handled and there's some surprisingly creative editing and montage work. I guess that's attributed to Hewitt's experience on larger films. So yeah, HOME ALONE 5... the kids might like it but most parents won't. 

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