“Planes, Trains & Automobiles” is a really funny holiday comedy and much better than both “Home Alone” and “Christmas Vacation”, which came out around the same time. It may well be very silly but it never seems implausible.

In “Planes, Trains & Automobiles”, Steve Martin (“The Man With Two Brains”, “Cheaper By The Dozen”) stars as Neal Page, who just wants to get home for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, bad weather means his flight has been cancelled. Things get even worse for Mr. Page as he now finds himself having to work with the well-meaning yet highly irritating Del Griffith (John Candy “Uncle Buck”, “The Blues Brothers”).

Steve Martin is perfectly cast as Neal Page. He’s just an ordinary guy with reasonable expectations and he gets angry at things that would make any sane person feel the same way. This film is one of the few where Martin has been given the right material. John Candy is the likeable big guy once again. While his shtick isn’t as funny as what Martin is doing, Candy is still enjoyable. The two work quite well here. We also see a brief performance by Kevin Bacon (“Tremors”) as a man racing Neal Page to a nearby taxi.

“Planes, Trains & Automobiles” isn’t the best comedy but it does consistently have you laughing. However, the best thing about it is the heart-warming ending that truly makes it a great holiday film. It’s a very zany picture but at no point will you find it unrealistic because the problems in the film such as delayed flights and no rooms at motels are the sort of problems that happen (especially around the holidays). I laughed a lot during this film and I think you will too. Both these stars have done more than their fair share of dud movies so it’ll be a pleasant surprise to see this film.