Home Sweet Home Alone: A step up from other Home Alone sequels

Movie Review: Home Sweet Home Alone (2021) on Disney+

How many movies have there been in the Home Alone franchise? Five? Six? I've lost count. Still, the first two are the best with the others seeming like cheap rip offs. To me, anyway. And this most recent version doesn't seem much better, although it is a fresher take.

Aside from all the McAllister references, at least in Home Sweet Home Alone this story doesn't involve imbecile bad guys breaking into a home with the child defending it. No, this take has a set of down-in-their-luck parents misunderstanding the whereabouts of an antique doll and trying to break into what they think is the offending thief's home to retrieve it, the offending thief being a 10-year-old kid left at home while the imbecile family takes off for Tokyo. The 10 year old is Max (played by Archie Yates), a Brit transplant who lives with his mum Carol (played by Aisling Bea) and dad Mike (played by Andy Daly)--no reason given for why they live in a suburb of Chicago and want to visit Tokyo for Christmas. Mum is mistakenly booked on a flight separately from a load of other family members, leaving earlier the next morning, and Max leaves the commotion of the family for the quiet of the garage (in the winter?) and falls asleep in the car watching a movie, so when the unwitting family scrambles the next day to make it to the airport, and Mum isn't there to look after him, no one sees that Max isn't part of the crowd. Back to the distraught mother trying to get home from thousands of miles away on the busiest holiday travel day of the year cliché.

Meanwhile, the family who needs the antique doll to save their family home schemes to break into Max's home and Max busies himself setting up impossible obstacles. Jeff (Rob Delaney) and Pam (Ellie Kemper) McKenzie are hapless thieves, Max has way too many toys and devices, and their misunderstanding is way too convenient. 

What makes the biggest difference in Home Sweet Home Alone is the conclusion, which I won't spoil here. It's a completely different tack from the multiple previous storylines, and that's refreshing. Although they play up the financial difficulties of the McKenzies, which may be a downer for some families watching this film, the ending is much happier and more positive. And while the McKenzies do get injured, the injuries are nothing as severe as suffered by Harry and Marv in the original Home Alone and Home Alone 2. And that's another positive in my book.

So to wrap up this review, I'd rate Home Sweet Home Alone a very positive B- for Better than sequels 3 through 5.

A Boy Called Christmas: The magic of Christmas and the power of hope

Movie Review: A Boy Called Christmas on Netflix

This back-story film on the origins of Father Christmas begins with Maggie Smith in character as Aunt Ruth telling a small group of sleepy-eyed children a Christmas bedtime story. The bedtime story becomes the essence of the narration. Now, who wouldn't love the legendary Maggie Smith to tell them a delicious bedtime story? And so it ensues.

A Boy Called Christmas is about a boy called Christmas--clever, no?--who live an impoverished life alone in a Norwegian forest. His father (played by Joel Fry) is a woodsman. Young Nikolas (played by Henry Lawfull) helps his father but dreams of his late mother, who died when he was very young but gifted him with dreams of elves and the hope of a life of wonder in Elfhelm, one of the magical kingdoms of Viking lore. But Nikolas's father doesn't exactly buy into the legends and forces Henry to live a more realistic and rustic life until one day the king (played by Jim Broadbent) challenges the people to search far and wide for tangible signs of hope to encourage the people of the kingdom. His father sets off with a bunch of local men in search of Elfhelm, leaving Nikolas in the care of his self-centered sister (played by Kristen Wiig) and a red cap knit by Nikolas's mother. When Nikclas inadvertently discovers a map sewn inside the cap by Nikolas's mother, Nikolas runs off the find his father to help him in his quest. Thereafter lie mayhem and conflict. Also a pet mouse, a flying reindeer, a city of elves intent on imprisoning Nikolas, and lots of cold, snowy, mountainous terrain. 

This is your usual boy against the odds battle to survive and be understood story. It's also about the magic of Christmas and the power of hope. There are lots of interesting characters and fun settings, and children will enjoy seeing themselves in the personas of the children receiving a bedtime story by a beloved character actor and watching imaginative characters coming to life on their TV screens. It's also a story good for adults who like a little fantasy in their fiction--perhaps some hope in tough times.

A Boy Called Christmas isn't full-blown fantasy like a Babes in Toyland or Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. But it is fantasy an audience can suspend disbelief in long enough to enjoy the story and tag along for the journey and the warm-hearted message. I'd rate it A for admirable effort.

Power of the Dog: Well crafted visually but narratively creepy

Movie Review: Power of the Dog (2021) on Netflix

Power of the Dog is a well crafted film visually, but you never really know where the narrative is headed, you are just certain that things can't be what they seem. Phil is too uptight, without an apparent reason. His brother George is too nice about it, without a recourse. And the story proceeds with a kind of seediness to it around Phil's unkemptness and roughshodiness. 

Benedict Cumberbatch plays Phil, a manipulative cowboy picking on those weaker than himself. Only when his personal secret is endangered does he begin to show mercy, but it's too late. Someone is plotting to take him down, only no one including he and we as viewers don't see it till the end. Then we see the meaning of the title, too. I kept wondering where this story was going, and that was a weakness--it was kind of creepy.

George, played by Jesse Plemons, comes off not so much as Phil's opposite as much as the squishy soft remnant of Phil's obsessions. He has an interest in Rose (played by Kirsten Dunst), whom he marries, and brings her to the inner sanctum the brothers' loneliness. And here a battle of wills ensues between Phil and Rose for survival. Rose sends her son Peter (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) off to college, where he studies animal life and during his summer break comes to stay at the brothers' cattle ranch, there to defend his mother. 

There is a primitiveness to this film. It's probably more authentic to the life it depicts, but in its rawness it strips away any humanity and supplants it with bare naked bitterness. Any touches of decency get swallowed up and spit out. This gives Power of the Dog an edginess that begs for resolution that comes only at the end, and then without an emotional resolution. For all these reasons, I can't really rate this film more than a B for bewildering.

The Holiday: Always on my holiday-watch list

Movie Review: The Holiday (2006) on Hulu

If you're looking for light-hearted film fare over the holidays, go directly to The Holiday. We've come to rely on this rom com from 2006 for laughs and heart-tugs like we did Love Actually from 2003, only this is easily more watchable and feeling slightly less chaotic. Give it a try if you haven't already (on Hulu.com and Amazon.com). 

The Holiday has two professional women, played by Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, with troubled love lives skipping town (and men) for the holidays by swapping homes. Kate leaves her cozy cottage in Surrey England, Cameron gives up her luxurious layout in Los Angeles, hoping to bury their troublesome relationships behind them for the next two weeks. And after a few mix ups on first arrivals, things seem to go really well. Until Cameron meets Kate's handsome and available brother, played by Jude Law, and Kate meets Cameron's advertising jingle composer suddenly newly available, played by Jack Black. We've never seen Jack Black as a love-interest actor, but he's very likeable in this role. Add to the mix Cameron's elderly next door neighbor, played by Eli Wallach, who is retired, lonely, and just needs a little respect and love. 

This is an adorable film with no bump-your-head-on-the-ceiling-beam message, just good comedy and romantic fun that happens to take place during the Christmas to New Years holiday--like Love Actually and Die Hard and, recently, Love Hard. Honestly, I don't know how you can miss watching this film made simply to sit back and enjoy. I'd rate The Holiday A+ for Always on my holiday-movie list.

Kate: Definitely a gotta-see action film

Movie Review: Kate (2021) on Netflix

Here's another action movie you should see, just for the sheer moxie of the story. Think of John Wick but with a woman in the antihero role. Maybe a Sigourney Weaver from Aliens but taking on the Tokyo Mafia. In this case, it's Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Kate taking no prisoners and taking no sass in Tokyo. And she has Ani (played by Miku Patricia Martineau) as a sidekick. Woody Harrelson is her mentor/protector, although in many films we've come to find that Mr Harrelson rarely comes out at the end as the good guy. 

Kate is a wickedly efficient assassin, skilled in all the killer arts. But she blows an assignment to take down the leader of the yakuza syndicate in Japan. It results in her being poisoned with polonium, giving her only 24 hours to find her own assassin and complete her original assignment. Struggling to survive, she runs into the granddaughter of her target, who could help her locate the old man but at first acts more as a deterrent, until they find they have more in common than in detraction.

Lots of action, with chase scenes, gun battles, fights, and bloody melee. I'd say a notch or two below a John Wick bloodletting, but still, you will be wowed. I'd rate it an A+ for antihero wins the day. This is definitely a gotta-see action film.

tick, tick...Boom!: What a great musical

Movie Review: tick, tick...Boom! on Netflix 

I was prepared for tick, tick...Boom! to be good but not this good. Boom! What a great musical!! Based on the musical play by Jonathan Larson and writer of Rent and directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, it scintillates on the screen with energy while oozing with honesty and earnesty. This is really great stuff. You will be captured by it from beginning to end.

tick, tick...Boom!, written for film by Steven Levenson, is about Jonathan Larson's eight-year tussle with creativity and writer's block to finish his Broadway play before his 30th birthday--before he loses his youthful energy, his friends who have moved on with life, his friends who are dying of AIDS all around him, his girlfriend who wants to finally get her break... And the Monday before his birthday is scheduled a big working session of the play before interested parties that can make or break taking his play into production, and he has one critical song to write but not a whisper of inspiration anywhere. The pressure!

The film is shot in New York City, so it is full of character. There is tons of movement and color and energy. And there is, of course, music everywhere. Think of the energy of Lin-Manual Miranda's Hamilton. It's present here. 

The ensemble cast isn't notable, but they shine together with Andrew Garfield in the lead as Larson. I'd rate it A++ for absolutely fantastic.

Love Hard: Adorably innocent holiday rom com

Movie Review: Love Hard (2021) on Netflix

First, Love Hard is not a porn movie. It's a holiday rom com and it's adorably innocent fun. You see, it's another of those Christmas movies that isn't really about Christmas it just takes place around the holiday season, and a couple of the characters reference their favorite Christmas movies that also aren't really about Christmas they just take place around the holiday: Love Actually and Die Hard. Thus, they form this movie's title from those two titles. Get it? 

In this film, Natalie Bauer (played by Nina Dobrev) writes articles about failed dates. Her whole love life is an amalgam of failed first dates. But she has been using a new dating app and she has met this amazing new guy, Tag (played by Darren Barnet), who has amazing photos and says the most amazing things and has set Natalie's heart atwitter. Natalie lives in L.A. and Tag lives in Lake Placid, NY, but Tag mentions, wouldn't it be wonderful if she could join him for Christmas? All seems too good to be true, but maybe this is finally the first date that breaks the mold for Natalie, so she makes plans to surprise Tag and join him unannounced for the holidays.

You can imagine, when Natalie gets to Tag's house it isn't as she imagined it. Tag is actually Josh (played by Jimmy O. Yang)--Tag was Josh's best friend in high school so Josh has lots of photos and stories to fake his identity. But now Josh's family has met Natalie and everyone's expectations are very high, so to save face Natalie and Josh agree to fake their relationship through Christmas and then they will break it off. In exchange, Josh will arrange for Natalie to meet and date Tag. What could go wrong with all that? You will see.

This is ultimately about truth and honesty. Everyone's feelings are tested. Some of the writing is cliched but if you can accept the original concept and enjoy the innocence of the ploy, it's a fun holiday-themed story with a hopeful end. The final scenes are a nice touch. I would rate Love Hard a B^ for brings the love home. It would make a great way to start the Christmas/holiday movie season.