It isn't that so many people care about the new Home Sweet Home Alone, the sixth movie in the series, but it has gotten as much attention as any other major movie would. Home Alone 4 and 5 were released without any fanfare whatsoever, and there was absolutely no expectation for them to be good. In theory, the new film should have gone the same way.
However, with the internet and Disney+, there were more eyes on it than a Home Alone movie has gotten in 24 years. The film also sports a terrific cast that even includes an Academy Award winner, but that wasn't enough to keep it being critically scathed and hated by critics. But whether it's the Christmas aesthetic, flipping the formula on its head, or the Buzz cameo, there are still things to love about the new movie.
10 It Flips The Formula On Its Head
Before Home Sweet Home Alone, there were five movies in the series that all had the same premise; criminals invade a family home. Sure, Home Alone 3 attempted to switch the formula up by making the criminals international terrorists instead of petty thieves, but it was still essentially the same formula.
However, the sixth movie in the series depicts the home invaders as the good guys, as they're just trying to retrieve what was stolen from them in the first place. There have been a lot of memes at Home Alone 6's expense, but the film at least tries to do something different while still delivering the classic trademarks of the series.
9 The New Kevin Replacement
Just as the series' new Wet Bandits are essentially decent human beings, the movie flips the idea of the innocent child stuck home alone on its head too. Max Mercer isn't exactly a villain per se, as the whole thing is one big misunderstanding, but he's hilariously devilish. And though Carol Mercer is a great mother, Max seems to have been raised terribly.
The character is a kleptomaniac, as he steals from strangers' houses, and he's appallingly rude. But that all makes him more of an interesting character, and the kid's love of violent traps based on his behavior makes sense, as opposed to Kevin, who was a sweet kid for the most part.
8 Carol Mercer Brilliantly Embodies Kate McCallister
Carol is just as fun, and fierce as Kate McCallister, and the arguments she gets herself into, such as the one with the airline receptionist, are some of the most memorable scenes of the movie. And even though the movie is too derivative of the original, Carol still has some unique personality traits too.
It's easy to see where Max gets his wit and creative insults from, as his mother is full of one-liners. In fact, Carol might be more of an interesting character than Kate, as Kevin's mother wasn't as easy-going, though that might have something to do with the fact that she had lost her son.
7 Ellie Kemper And Robert Delaney
It isn't just the spin on the new home invaders that makes them so interesting, but as the roles are filled by Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney, they are hilarious too. It was a stroke of genius casting the two comedy actors, as they can move and react in creative ways, and their comedy timing together is perfect.
With Delaney coming from Catastrophe and Kemper perfecting her comedy chops in The Office, there are no better two performers that could match their chemistry. Jeff McKenzie is the funniest character in Home Alone 6, and Pam McKenzie is a close second. Together, they really do give Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern a run for their money.
6 A Great Supporting Cast Of Comedy Actors
It isn't just Kemper and Delaney that come from a comedy background, but it seems as if the entire cast were picked at an all-star night at The Comedy Store. Jim Rash plays the Bell Choir Leader, Kenan Thompson is the McKenzie's real estate agent, and Tim Simons is Jeff's obnoxious brother.
These are all comedians with major roles in hit shows like Community, Saturday Night Live, and VEEP. There is so much talent in every scene of the movie, and most of their jokes land that wouldn't have otherwise done so in the hands of a different actor.
5 It's So Much Better Than Home Alone 4 And 5
Though it might not be saying a lot, Home Sweet Home Alone is so much better than Home Alone 4 and 5. The fourth installment of the movie tried to have audiences believe that the McCallisters were back, despite them all being portrayed by different actors. And the fifth movie sees the kid setting up traps to catch a ghost.
Needless to say, the series had massively derailed, even if there are some Redditors like Home Alone 4 and 5. Though the new movie is totally derivative of the first Home Alone, it at least tells a coherent story and has a few laughs. And more than anything, it has put the series back on the right track.
4 The Buzz McCallister Cameo
Fans might have been hoping for a cameo from Kevin McCallister, but what they got instead was a cameo from Kevin's big bully brother, Buzz. In fairness, Buzz's cameo makes a lot more sense than if Kevin were to show up. The older version of Buzz is perfectly in keeping with the character from 29 years ago.
It's so easy to imagine Buzz becoming a cop because he had always enjoyed the power he had over people. And when Pam hinted that she might sleep with Buzz, it might have seemed strange, but his creepy attitude was perfectly in character. It's a low-key great piece of writing.
3 The Booby Traps Are Inventive
The booby traps and the Angels With Filthy Souls sequences in the Home Alone movies are like an old band playing their greatest hits, they're the only reasons fans pay the price of admission. That might be because the movies' narratives have gotten worse and worse with each consecutive release, but those tropes are still fun to watch.
Though there's no Angels With Filthy Souls, there are tons of great traps in Home Alone 6, and many of them are just as good as the ones in the first two movies. The icy road and the treadmill antics were refreshingly creative, and the make-shift pool ball cannon has become an instant classic.
2 Creatively Brings Modern Technology Into The Fold
Home Alone 3 hilariously based the movie around a microchip that would give its user access to nuclear weapons, but that was just a little bit farfetched. However, with so many advancements in technology since the last proper Home Alone movie, it only makes sense that the new malicious child would use that to his advantage.
At first, it's harmless fun, as there's a German-speaking digital home assistant, which causes the McKenzies to think Max has a German family. And in one of the funniest traps in the movie, Max attaches a VR headset to Jeff, who then believes he standing on the edge of a cliff, too scared to move.
1 It's Cheesy Christmas Fun That Hasn't Been Popular For A While
It's hard to remember the last major Christmas movie that was geared towards families and wasn't animated. But the new Home Alone movie is an unashamedly cheesy and fun holiday film, and while it might not capture the magic of the originals, it still has that Christmas spirit and aesthetic.
Family Christmas movies are now are a rare breed that was all but extinct before Home Sweet Home Alone. And though the new Disney+ movie was hated by critics and even audiences, if enough people watched it on the streaming service, it could lead to more.
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