New Home Alone Movies Are Still Being Made, And You Should Be Very Worried

When Home Alone 3 premiered in 1997, I was just nine years old and curious to see it. It turned out to be a lazy reimagining of the first two beloved films, leaving a lasting mark of disappointment on the franchise. Even as a child, it was clear that the movie was a hollow copy, making me question who approved its production. To my dismay, while searching for the original films, I discovered that the series has expanded to six installments, the latest being Home Sweet Home Alone from 2021.

Every entry beyond the original two demonstrates that some franchises are better left in the past. The charm is gone. Repeating the same formula cannot restore it, especially when each new release feels like a cheap replica of its predecessor. Moreover, the stakes never increase. Each sequel is a lateral move with no fresh ideas, leaving one to wonder who these films are truly intended for beyond profit-driven motives.

Three Is Too Many, Six Is Excessive

Home Alone 3 was an understandable attempt by 20th Century Studios to capitalize on the success of the first two films. Set in a new neighborhood with a new family and a protagonist named Alex Pruitt (Alex D. Linz), it aimed to replicate the original 1990 hit. The problem was that audiences had already experienced the magic with a stronger cast. Aside from slightly modernized tech enabling new booby traps, there was little originality. While it performed decently at the box office, critics were unimpressed. The unique chemistry of Kevin McCallister and his family could not be duplicated, making the film a forgettable effort.

Home Alone 4: A Jarring Shift

Home Alone 4 stands out as perhaps the strangest in the series, bringing back the McCallisters with a completely new cast. Kevin is now played by Mike Weinberg, while Marv is portrayed by French Stewart. The storyline introduces a divorced Peter McCallister living in a mansion, with new themes of fractured family relationships and overreliance on technology. Traditional slapstick antics are replaced by dated gadgets, removing any sense of risk or excitement, and clearly marking this entry as made-for-TV.

Home Alone: The Holiday Heist

Home Alone 5 follows a similar pattern, introducing the Baxter family. Young Finn Baxter suspects burglars planning to steal an expensive painting. Predictably, he sets up traps that lead to predictable chaos, echoing the same formula perfected in the 1990s. The plot offers nothing new and merely repeats familiar beats.

Home Sweet Home Alone

Home Alone 6 was released straight to Disney+ and attempts to include familiar faces, like Officer Buzz McCallister (Devin Ratray), for nostalgia. The story involves Max Mercer being left behind, valuable dolls, and a pair of thieves. Max uses booby traps to save the day, resulting in the same predictable outcomes as previous sequels. Even with talented comedians in the cast, the film cannot salvage the tired franchise.

Stick to the Originals

All Home Alone films are available on Disney+, but the truth is only the first two are worth watching. Every sequel fails to raise stakes or bring originality, with each new entry being worse than the last. The series has long since lost its magic, and the remaining films exist purely as unnecessary additions.

Author: Grace Ellison