The core idea of a small child abandoned and on their own in a large house for the festive period is a great one. Add in two hapless burglars for him to defeat, and it should have been a Christmas classic.Where this fails is all in the execution. More than two of thirds of the film is done before the principle characters encounter each over in a meaningful way. An eight year wandering about a big house and going shopping just isn't very interesting. One or two of the slapstick pranks hit the mark as does the creative use of a classic gangster film to impersonate adults. The "Keep the change you filthy animal" line is used to particularly hilarious effect.
Culkin, Pesci and Stern are all well cast.
Verdict: The ingredients are there for Christmas magic, but something is lost in the mix.
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