Review by: Andrew Chan FCCA AACTA
Review Date: 5th December 2012
On DVD across USA, Australia and Hong Kong

I used to be a big fan of the “Home Alone” franchise; in fact, I am shameful to admit that I have now officially seen all 5 of them. That’s including 3 of them where nobody has probably seen. The good news is that this episode is the best since the Macaulay Culkin’s days (namely the 90s “Home Alone 1&2”).

The kid played by Christian Martyn lacks the charisma of the former child star (Macaulay Culkin), but is likable enough for a fun enough experience. It follows the same formula as the rest of the series, namely robbers trying to break into a big house. Still, the film somehow still manages to induce some life in the series, even if it is just numb fun for the duration.

Maybe I am just a lost kid with a missing childhood, yearning for more nostalgic fun. That’s why I have always enjoyed the first two “Home Alone” as it sparks life and thrills into my own childhood, which is quite frankly rather dull and uninteresting in-comparison.

All in all, “Home Alone 5: The Holiday Heist” with it’s made for TV direction is actually adequate and contains some moment of predictable fun. In fact, if all worse goes worse it at the very least made me want to re-watch the original and revokes the childhood fun I never had. Two words, it’s ok… (Neo 2012)

I rated it 5.8/10