The 1990 classic Home Alone is a family film, a comedy and a holiday movie. Then it would be Knuckleball, in which a 12-year-old boy is dropped off at his grandfather’s remote farm in the dead of winter (but not Christmas!) When gramps also departs, young Henry uses booby-traps to defend himself against a murderous neighbour. He also gives us, as Grandpa Jacob, ’80s legend Michael Ironside, whose line readings sometimes skirt perilously close to comedy. On the plus side, Peterson crafts a chilling homage to The Shining; handles the why-doesn’t-he-use-his-cellphone question nicely; and delivers a decent followup to his last feature, 2012’s Lloyd the Conqueror, a comedy about live-action role play.

Source: National Post September 28, 2018 16:19 UTC