Home Sweet Home Alone - Movie Review

Home Sweet Home Alone - Image from Disney+

I still remember being a kid watching the Home Alone movies, dreaming of having a Talk Boy of my own and getting Lost in New York.  Kevin McAllister and the Wet Bandits had some crazy times together in the 90s and over the years, Fox has tried to keep the franchise fresh with new installments of the film.  2021 brings the latest (Home Alone 6 is anyone is counting) with the release of Home Sweet Home Alone on Disney+.  Admittedly, I did not enjoy Home Alone 3 and never watched 4 or 5, but my boys love the original 2 like me and I thought this one was worth a shot.  Rather watch our review than read it?  Check out what Caleb and I thought right after watching the movie over on YouTube.  My full thoughts are below!

Home Sweet Home Alone is no original in my eyes.  There's just something about the McAllister family that makes the Home Alone movies special.  But, this film does hold up well on it's own - maybe because there are some nods to the McAllister family themselves throughout.  I won't spoil those for you, however, there are a few Easter Eggs that are fun for audiences to note.  

Home Sweet Home Alone was popular with my kids likely for the same reasons that the original worked - slapstick, physical humor delivered well, if even predictably, by the cast.  I thought the storyline was a little more convoluted than the original - while still feeling eerily familiar.  Max is 10 years old and his family travels out of the country for the holidays (Tokyo rather than Paris).  He's sleeping (in a car rather than in an attic) and family forgets him.  Sure, it's fun for a little bit, but then he starts missing his family.  Duo (married couple rather than serial criminals) attempt to break-in to the house (to find something they think Max took rather than just robbing the family clean).  Battle lines are drawn and the hilarity ensues.  Much more of a heartwarming wraparound ending then just the family reunion we get in the original.

Home Sweet Home Alone - Image from Disney+

Max, played by Archie Yates, does a nice job in the movie - especially in the more dramatic scenes where I think he is better than in the comedic parts of the film.  Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney play our haphazard criminal couple bringing the cheesy slips and slides and one-liners to life.  Keenan Thompson even has a role in the film (he's everywhere these days - did you spot him in Clifford The Big Red Dog?) which enhanced the laugh value of several scenes.

Click to print this super cute Home Sweet Home Alone luggage tag!

Is Home Sweet Home Alone worth a watch?  Sure.  My youngest thinks it's even better than the original, but I think he's wrong.    It's still a fun movie this holiday season and a solid add to the Christmas line-up on Disney+.

About Home Sweet Home Alone (From Disney+)

20th Century Studios’ “Home Sweet Home Alone” is an all-new adventure comedy from the beloved holiday film franchise. Max Mercer is a mischievous and resourceful young boy who has been left behind while his family is in Japan for the holidays. So when a married couple attempting to retrieve a priceless heirloom set their sights on the Mercer family’s home, it is up to Max to protect it from the trespassers…and he will do whatever it takes to keep them out. Hilarious hijinks of epic proportions ensue, but despite the absolute chaos, Max comes to realize that there really is no place like home sweet home.

The film stars: Ellie Kemper (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), Rob Delaney (“Deadpool 2”), Archie Yates (“Jojo Rabbit”), Aisling Bea (“Living with Yourself”), Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”), Tim Simons (“Veep”), Pete Holmes (“The Secret Life of Pets 2”), Devin Ratray (“Home Alone”), Ally Maki (“Toy Story 4”), Chris Parnell (“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”) and is directed by Dan Mazer (“Dirty Grandpa”). The screenplay is by Mikey Day & Streeter Seidell (“Saturday Night Live”), story by Mikey Day & Streeter Seidell and John Hughes (“Home Alone”) based on a screenplay by John Hughes. Hutch Parker, p.g.a. (“X-Men: Dark Phoenix”) and Dan Wilson, p.g.a. (“Patriots Day”) serve as producers, with Jeremiah Samuels (“Stuber”) serving as executive producer.