Home Alone: Family Fun Edition

A perennial holiday favorite since its 1990 box-office smash debut, critic-proof Home Alone bows on Blu-ray looking and sounding mighty spiffy. Writer-producer John Hughes and director Chris Columbus's megahit finds child star Macaulay Culkin (then 10) thwarting a pair of inept burglars (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) after he is accidentally left home alone while the rest of his family is en route to Paris for Christmas vacation. Combining raucous slapstick, broad comedy, and the timeless appeal of Culkin's charming performance as he lives out every eight-year-old's fantasy of taking charge and beating grownups at their own game, Home Alone is actually a more finely-crafted film than most critics would admit (Columbus would later helm the first two Harry Potter installments). Blu-ray extras on this “Family Fun Edition” include a feature-length commentary by Columbus and Culkin, several featurettes (behind-the-scenes, “making-of,” and a look at the stunts), a “Mac Cam” segment with footage shot by Culkin during production, a stunts featurette, a sampling of clips from international versions of the film, deleted scenes and alternate takes, and a blooper reel. Recommended. (J. Shannon)