Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister has become the man of the house, overnight! Accidentally left behind when his family rushes off on a Christmas vacation, Kevin gets busy decorating the house for the holidays. But he's not decking the halls with tinsel and holly. Two bumbling burglars are trying to break in, and Kevin's rigging a bewildering battery of booby traps to welcome them.

This has always been one of my favorite holiday movies and I was overjoyed to see Fox release it just in time for Christmas. John Hughes and Chris Columbus did a great job with this family adventure and the themes are classic. This film still holds up well and is just as fun now as it was nearly twenty years ago.

The HD presentation is okay but a bit lacking in the detail department. The print seems to be in good shape but the image has a softer focus than I typically prefer. Colors look really good with natural tones and plenty of saturation. Fine object detail can be a bit wanting but overall dimension and depth isn’t too bad. I was hoping this one would be a bit better looking but catalog titles are always a bit hit or miss.

The 5.1 soundtrack does a good job with the material but I would never call this a real dynamic mix. The soundtrack selections are great and open up the soundstage a bit and dialogue never sounds unnatural. Surround use is a bit gimmicky at times but it does open the mix up a bit.

Fox includes quite a few extras for this family fun edition including a feature commentary with the director and star Macaulay Culkin. There are a few production features that look at the making of the film and some of the stuntwork plus a look at the film’s popularity and staying power. Some deleted scenes and a blooper reel are also included.

Just in time for the holidays comes one of my favorite catalog classics. Fox has done a good job with the presentation overall though I was hoping for a bit more from the picture. Still I can’t imagine not having this one on the shelf.