In Chicago, a large family is getting ready for Christmas. All the kids are running around and having fun.

However, an 8-year-old boy named Kevin is being tormented by his cousins. After the pizza comes, Buzz, this large boy, bullies him. He fights back, which angers everyone. His mom then forces him up to the attic bedroom.

That night, Kevin secretly wishes that his family would disappear. Then he goes to sleep.

A power outage occurs in the neighborhood. When the electricity returns, it resets the digital clock in Kevin’s parents’ bedroom.

His mom and dad wake up and see that the digital clock says “12:00,” even though it’s not even 8. But they think they overslept and start rushing everybody to get ready since their flight to Paris leaves in less than an hour.

Once the family is finally ready, the parents, Aunt Leslie, and Uncle Frank do a headcount of all the children. A neighbor who looks kind of like Kevin is there, too. Kevin’s mom accidentally counts him. Then everyone leaves.

Kevin wakes up and sees that nobody is home. He acknowledges that he’s actually home alone and is happy. He eats junk food and watches TV. But he also gets scared at times—especially with this old neighbor, Marley, whom people think is a serial killer.

There are also these untrustworthy men, known as the “Wet Bandits,” Harry and Marv. They start stalking Kevin’s house.

Luckily, Kevin is able to trick them into thinking his family is still there. So, Marv and Harry temporarily give up.

Meanwhile, on the plane to France, Kevin’s mother has a feeling that she forgot something. She realizes that it’s Kevin himself.

While home alone, Kevin also takes on some responsibilities, such as doing laundry. He even goes shopping to buy food and supplies.

He also continues to protect his house by fooling Harry and Marv about his family being home. So far, he succeeds.

Because Kevin is a child, though, he also acknowledges that he can’t do everything by himself. For example, when he orders pizza, he uses a movie and its dialogue to communicate with the delivery man, even if it doesn’t go well.

In Paris, Kevin’s family tries everything they can to get home to him. Unfortunately, there are no flights available for a while.

At some point, while he’s out, Kevin runs into Marley. Marley confesses that he isn’t actually a serial killer. He turns out to be kind.

He also reveals that he went to the church to see his granddaughter perform in the choir. In addition, he says that his son won’t talk to him. Kevin convinces him to try to contact him again, though.

Not long after, Marv and Harry figure out that Kevin is home alone. But Kevin is ready to fight them.

Who will win?

This movie kept my attention all the way through. It was also very funny. I laughed hysterically several times.

Some of the funniest moments include:

• When Kevin ran from a cop after accidentally stealing a toothbrush from a store—particularly when he crossed an ice-skating area.
• When Kevin used the obnoxious characters’ dialogue to communicate with the pizza man while he was home alone.
• When he used dummies and cardboard cutouts to fake his family’s presence in the house.
• When he watched the animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
• Most importantly, when he and the “Wet Bandits” battled each other.

The fight scene that I mentioned above turned out to be hilarious and not scary at all. Marv and Harry kept getting hurt in humorous ways.

There isn’t anything violent in this film, despite how Kevin is portrayed as screaming on the film cover of the digital and DVD versions. However, despite the movie’s PG rating, there is some mature content, such as mild swearing. I recommend that viewers be at least 10 to see this film—maybe a little younger if they’re mature enough.

Anyway, it’s not just the humor I loved. I also admired Kevin as a character and how he grew throughout the movie. Even at 8 years old, he knew that being alone meant taking on responsibilities, such as doing laundry.

I felt bad for him at the beginning of the film. His cousins were mean to him, especially Buzz. I was bummed that he didn’t get in trouble for bullying Kevin.

However, the separation between Kevin and his family makes them change. I’m not going to say how the story ends. See the film to find that out.

The pacing was neither too fast, nor too slow. Each scene changed at the right time.

Like with any good film, this one had lots of twists and turns. I will admit that some parts were a little too sluggish. But those were minor moments.

Overall, I enjoyed Home Alone. It was a funny watch as well as a great holiday classic.

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.