There are some Christmas movie debates that I understand. Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? I think so, but I get why others would say no. What people’s favorite version of The Grinch or Miracle on 34th Street is, is a topic that has no right answer. When it cmes to Home Alone, however, I sort of assumed the world was of one mind about the franchise. But apparently I was very wrong.
The first two Home Alone movies are seen as classics by many, not me, but that’s fine. Lots of people love them, and the first movie is generally regarded as one of the best Christmas movies ever. The films were so successful that even when Macaulay Culkin decided he was done with the franchise, the studio continued to pump out sequels. I thought we were all in agreement they were terrible, but apparently not as several fans are defending Home Alone 3 on social media, saying things like…
Home Alone 3 stared a young actor named Alex D. Lintz as a boy who defends his home from thieves while home suffering from chicken pox. It’s the only movie in the franchise to not star Macaulay Culkin that saw a theatrical release, but the movie is generally seen as pretty bad by both fans and critics. Its biggest notable feature is an early performance by Scarlett Johansson. But it turns out the movie has fans that not only think it’s good but are tweeting it’s the best in the franchise…
Needless to say, I was not prepared for the Home Alone 3 defenders. I’ll be the first to say that every movie is somebody’s favorite, but it seems a lot more people than I ever would have guessed love Home Alone 3. Many are calling it the best in the franchise, though some have a more nuanced take, believing that, while the first two are better movies, the third is an underappreciated gem…
We don’t see movies like Home Alone 3 as much anymore. Attempts to keep franchises going without the stars that made them does still happen, but like The Bourne Legacy, they are rarely seen as anything more than the cash grab they appear to be. Maybe because the concept behind Home Alone movies was simple enough, it made it easier to make something that fans would appreciate…
I suppose I’ll have to re-evaluate Home Alone 3, if this many people seem to agree that the movie is good, whether or not they agree it’s some sort of forgotten masterpiece, maybe there’s something there. If nothing else, fans of the Home Alone franchise may want to give it another chance.
Home Alone 3 is available with a Disney+ subscription, so its easy enough to give it a look this holiday season and make your own determination.