Er, a Home Alone film that won’t even call itself Home Alone 5?

This doesn’t bode well - does it?

You could be forgiven for thinking thatHome Alone 4was the pitiful last gasp of once-majestic franchise.

But time heals all wounds, including (apparently) fatal ones.

Ten years afterHome Alone 4, someone willed the series back to life.

And this time they were determined not to squander the lingering goodwill that anyone might feel for the series.

And do you know what Gen Y adults like?

Anything they remember from their childhoods.

LikeHome Alone 3, it also dispenses with the McCallisters in favour of a new family: the Baxters.

Yes, thats right.

Edvard Munch.Home Alonehas gone highbrow.

No prizes for guessing how it turns out.

I was fascinated by the implications this could have for the Hone Alone Cinematic Universe.

Would they take a step into the supernatural by showing an actual ghost?

As it turns out, no.

The only ghost haunting this franchise is the ghost of Malcolm McDowells credibility.

But the strangest thing happened, readers.

Maybe it was the sheer awfulness ofHome Alone 4throwing even basic competence into sharp relief.

Maybe it was the strain of watching multipleHome Alonemovies in such a short period of time.

Or maybe it was the last remnants of the Sudafed overdose I accidentally took a few days earlier.

But as I watched this film, I came to realise that it was actually… quite good.

Its not like its Kurosawa, but it has characters.

It has META jokes, like what22 Jump Streetinvented.

Theres also a console-gaming, college-age manchild imported from Seth Rogens catalogue who gives it some much-needed millennial appeal.

My wife, who never saw theHome Alonemovies as a child, declared it her favourite.

On just about every level, its reaching comfortably beyond the necessary minimum.

The direction has some artful qualities.

The script is well-written.

The cast is surprisingly credible (Him out ofMy Name Is Earl!

Her out ofTwilight: Eclipse!

Actual Malcolm McDowell!).

The ending even manages to dredge up some genuine emotion without having to beg for it.

It seems to have been made by people who actually gave a shit.

And that instantly puts it above about 60% of all movies.

First kill:NONE!

Basically every trap in this film is fundamentally non-fatal.

Actually, if theres anything you could truly criticise, its that the traps arent that great.

PC gone mad, is what it is.

Gratuitous references:Oh, there are loads.

But here, theyre used to good effect.

Inevitably, he reprises that scene fromHome Alone.

Hes topless in front of a mirror, miming to songs.

Hes testing out the bathroom products.

We know exactly whats coming.

He gets out the aftershave.

Nudge nudge, audience, the direction seems to say.

He slaps it on his cheeks.

I laughed so hard I nearly choked.

If youre going to reference the previous films, THAT is how you do it.

Schmaltz level:Low.

Plus people are constantly talking about ghosts and stuff, so its hard to feel too involved.

Tree decoration scene:Present.

Number of times anyone is home alone in this movie:ZIP.

A reasonably large oversight in an otherwise solid movie.

You practically can see McDowell thinking I worked with Kubrick.

as his knees crumble.

Have your people call my people.