“Home Alone” is certainly a timeless classic Christmas holiday film. Now that Home Sweet Home Alone is available to watch online, the franchise has six movies to evaluate. In 1990, Chris Columbus released the first film in the series, titled simply Home Alone. The film became an immediate classic. Keeping the first success in mind, another installment starring nearly the same group of actors was released two years later. Four more films have followed, all except one featuring an entirely new set of Home Alone characters. This content entails a list of all 6 Home Alone movies according to their ranking from worst to best.
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Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House- 2002
Intriguingly, the fourth film in the series is the only one that wasn’t released in theatres. Instead, ABC aired a made-for-television version of the holiday family comedy in 2002.
Kevin McCallister (Mike Weinberg) is a little boy whose parents have recently divorced. The plot centers on his attempts to cope with this change. Peter, the family patriarch, has invited his son and daughter to accompany him to the estate of his wealthy lover, Natalie, to meet a visiting royal family. When Kevin runs across his old nemesis Marv and Marv’s wife, the mood in the house takes an unexpected turn. Unfortunately, despite a few amusing moments, the film’s plot is muddled, and the ensemble doesn’t have the same charisma or authenticity as the original.
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Home Sweet Home Alone- 2021
The latest installment in the series has a different premise from the one that started it all. Max Mercer, played by Archie Yates, puts up a series of traps to protect himself when a couple accuses him of stealing an antique doll from their open house. Home Alone is an interesting example of a movie that subtly switches roles to make Max seem like the bad guy instead of the intruders. Unfortunately, since the “burglars” are really the victims of the scenario, this undermined the film’s foundation. Although the film isn’t terrible, it could have used a lot more polish due to its strange approach.
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Home Alone: The Holiday Heist- 2012
This fifth installment of the series came out a full decade after the release of Home Alone 4. Just like in Home Alone 3 and Home Sweet Home Alone, Kevin McCallister isn’t a major player in this picture. Instead, the story centers on Finn Baxter, a ten-year-old introvert and technophile who rarely ventures outside his house. Finn and his family are blissfully unaware that a gang of thieves is targeting their home in order to steal a priceless masterpiece. When Finn and his sister are left alone at home, he sets up a series of traps to protect them against intruders. The concept does not have the same natural feel as the prior two. Though it may not be the best Home Alone film overall, its dedicated cast makes up for that.
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Home Alone 3- 1997
Home Alone 3 presents a bold, new, and outrageous take by omitting characters from the prior two films. 8-year-old Alex Pruitt, played by Alex D. Linz, is forced to protect his family’s home from a group of international North Korean terrorists who have stolen a computer microchip. Unpredictable as ever, Home Alone 3 aims to revive the spirit of its predecessors. Although it is no match for the original, it is nonetheless a pleasant movie with a few genuine laugh-out-loud scenes. However, Kevin and the Sticky Bandits’ absence was noticed by viewers, who longed for the show’s original cast.
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Home Alone- 1990
The original Home Alone has become an annual tradition for millions of people around the world. Kevin McCallister, a young boy of eight, is famously the film’s protagonist. He is the first youngster left alone to protect his family’s home using just his wits and intelligence. All the family is getting ready to take a trip to Paris, but there’s been a power outage, so they’ll have to postpone their departure by a day or two. The family packs up their bags and dashes into the airport in a panic. Kevin oversleeps and is left behind in confusion. Kevin, though, has his own quality time cut short when he is visited by burglars Marv and Harry. Outstanding work is turned in by the all-star cast, which is only bolstered by the film’s charming screenplay. The picture has been a staple of holiday viewing for three decades after its initial release.
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Home Alone 2: Lost in New York- 1992
Sometimes sequels are even better than the first film, but that’s a rare occurrence. In the case of Home Alone, there’s no disputing that Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is much more entertaining than its predecessor. Kevin’s family must once again devise a last-minute plan to fly back and pick him up after a mix-up leaves him wandering New York City alone. Meanwhile, Kevin stays at a five-star hotel, takes a limo about town (complete with his own personal driver), and meets a pleasant bird lady in Central Park. But when he runs into Marv and Harry amid an attempt to rob a toy store, his dream quickly turns into a nightmare. The new movie takes a very different approach to the narrative. Fans love the quotable lines and unforgettable performances from Tim Curry and Rob Schnieder.
