Carl Roberts 
Google and McCauley Culkin have delivered an EPIC Christmas commercial 28 years in the making…
We are all used to the advertisements on TV over Christmas. Trying to sell us things that we really don’t need or making us panic buy goods to tide us over for the holidays even though most stores are open again on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas in the UK). Every year, we can count on the “Coca-Cola” truck commercial rolling across our screens, Its traditional song echoing from the speakers. Supermarkets trying to outdo each other with their Christmas commercials, each proclaiming to be the best. They usually start appearing from the middle of November and are forgotten about by Boxing Day. Unless they are something out of the ordinary.
Google has hit a home run this year. Their Christmas commercial appeals to adults of various ages and to families the world over. Is it world shattering? No. Will it redefine TV advertising? Not a chance. Is it life changing? Certainly not. Then why is it so good?
Home Alone is one of the most treasured Christmas movies ever. Its touching, funny and its cartoon violence is inspired. McCauley Culkin was a sweet innocent child, to begin with, but during the course of the film, he shows us he has a mean side, the traps he plans for the would-be burglars are inspired by Looney Tunes cartoons. And boy, do we laugh as Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern fall victim to his childish but inspired pranks. the film lives long in the memory.
Google has brought back Culkin to make their Christmas commercial this year. And? I hear you ask. They have brought him back as a now adult Kevin McCallister from Home Alone, his character dressed the same as he was as a child in the movie. Opening with his ‘Mom? Dad?’ line from the film, we immediately find ourselves smiling at the memories. The Commercial follows Kevin throughout remade scenes of the original film, now with Google’s home hub to assist him. It turns everything from the 1990 film on its head and its all the more enjoyable for it. It did make me laugh when Culkin did the bed jumping scene again as an adult, only this time, he hurts his back doing it. Time has moved on but the charm has not.
My only complaint, which is minor, is it’s a shame they couldn’t get Pesci and Stern to make a brief cameo appearance as Harry and Marv 28 years later but I guess you can’t have everything. It would have made the commercial even better but as it is, the commercial is fantastic and worth viewing again and again.
A large well done must go to Google for coming up with the commercial, to begin with but kudos must go to McCauley Culkin for agreeing to come back as Kevin and to make the commercial in the first place. His sense of comic timing is still evident to see and we of a certain age will enjoy the memories he brings back.
Sorry Coca-Cola and the Santa truck, there’s a new Christmas favourite commercial in town. You’ve had your day. For McCauley Culkin and Google have just delivered us…
The Best Christmas Commercial…EVER!
The Future of the Force. The future of pop culture writing.
Source: Google
Carl Roberts is the News Editor for The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
