It was only a matter of time before Macaulay Culkin played the richest kid in the world. But after progressing to the teen-angst shenanigans of Getting Even With Dad, it is something of a backward career step to make flesh Harvey Comics pint-sized hero surely a lad of ten or under in the original cartoon strip. Still, this larger-than-life Home Alone variant (just add money) has its moments, even if theyre almost all courtesy of token Brit Hyde as Cadbury, this generations John Geilgud-style snooty English butler, who ultimately proves, along with Mike McShanes oddball professor, to be Richies closest ally.
Its Hyde who also narrates the story, kicking off with Richie the baby being taught the words Wall Street and blue chips by his money obsessed father. This kid has got it all, of course, his own fairground roller-coaster, his own McDonalds, but, predictably enough, he still envies the low-life city kids having a simple game of baseball. To spruce up the plots more obvious sentimental leanings, bad guy Larroquette plans to steal the entire Rich fortune by putting a bomb on the plane when the family head to London to see the Queen except that Richie never gets airborne, and its up to him and Cadbury to save the day.
Events hobble along amiably, if rather tamely, until a cheekily plagiarised finale set against the Riches own Mount Rushmore-style giant rock-face sculptures. Wearisome grown-ups might appreciate the glimpses of North By Northwest showing on TV, an in-joke thatll no doubt be lost on the tots, hopefully, too busy soaking up the pitch perfect slapstick and dropping popcorn to care.