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Home Alone (1990)
Raising Arizona (1987)
The Movie Criminal: Herbert McDunnough (Nicolas Cage), who's used to getting what he wants by using his sticky fingers.
Which is why, when he's unable to get his wife Ed (Holly Hunter) pregnant, he decides to kidnap a baby for her.
Why We Like Him: It's easy to understand Herbert's motivations - and he's a good (ish) father when the baby comes along, making sure the little one has everything it needs.
Even if he does STEAL everything the baby needs…
The Ladykillers (1955)
The Movie Criminal: 'Professor' Marcus (Alec Guinness), who rents a room at the house of old bird Louisa Wilberforce (Katie Johnson) in order to pull off a van robbery at the nearby King's Cross Station.
Why We Like Him: Marcus is so haughty and so sure of himself, yet he's continually foiled by a sweet-natured old dear who has no idea that he's a hardened thug with a posh accent. Brilliant.
Office Space (1999)
The Movie Criminals: Peter (Ron Livingston) and his work buddies, who come up with a way to scam their greasy bosses out of loads of money by siphoning excess pennies into a separate bank account.
Why We Like Them: Who hasn't wanted to rage against the machine?
Watching Peter and his buds challenging the system rallies the anti-establishment brute in us all - even if we're too afraid to do what they do. Perhaps for good reason.
Psycho (1960)
The Movie Criminal: Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), who pinches $40,000 from her work and quickly makes off with the money.
It's not long before she has to stop off at a desolate motel…
Why We Like Her: Marion's desperate and her boss is a pig, which doesn't exactly justify her actions, but it certainly helps us to understand her predicament.
She's also a smart cookie, switching her car when she encounters a policeman. We like a lady with brains.
Escape From New York (1981)
The Movie Criminal: Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), an ex-soldier who makes a living in a future 1997 by criminal means.
Except then it's his job to rescue the US President from the jail-state that is Manhattan.
Why We Like Him: There's something to be said for just, y'know, being a badass, which Plissken most certainly is.
He's also unbelievably cool - a gruff guy who takes nonsense from exactly nobody.
Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997)
The Movie Criminal: Dr Evil (Mike Myers), a sixties super-villain who escapes the clutches of do-gooder Austin Powers (Mike Myers) by going into a deep freeze - and then resurrecting his plans when he defrosts in 1997.
Why We Like Him: Try as he might, Dr Evil discovers that all of his evil plans are massively outdated, and his efforts to think big just aren't big enough.
Adorable. (And just wait til Mini-Me turns up in the sequels.)
Point Break (1991)
The Movie Criminal: Surfer extraordinaire Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), who robs banks with the rest of his surfing crew while wearing the masks of former Presidents.
Looks like Bodhi could end up crashing a burning, though, when young FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) comes to town.
Why We Like Him: It's impossible to hate a surfer dude. Fact. Especially when he's as awesome as Bodhi.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
The Movie Criminal: New York teenager Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio). Sick of the changes overtaking his life (his parents are broke, then get divorced), he takes off across America, steals $2.8m and impersonates doctors, pilots and lawyers along the way.
Why We Like Him: Yes, what he's doing is wrong, but Frank's having so much fun along the way that you can't help getting caught up in it all.
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
The Movie Criminal: Danny Ocean (George Clooney), a suave career criminal who breaks parole the minute he's let loose from prison and hatches a plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously - with the help of 10 of his best buds.
Why We Like Him: For a start, Danny's got oodles of style - he never looks anything less than a million bucks.
And his cockiness is matched by his easy charm. It's just impossible to hate this guy.
