Blogmas Day 1: I'm Obsessed With Home Alone and Home Alone 2... but Home Sweet Home Alone Is Weird

Okay... when I tell you I love Home Alone 2... I LOVE HOME ALONE 2. I'm watching it right now as I write this... it's November 20th... I have a feeling I'll be watching it every day for the next 2 months... I'll probably watch Home Alone 1 just as much because I love that movie too... but Home Alone 2 is really my favorite. I don't even know if its my favorite Christmas Movie or my favorite movie in general... but as of the last few years I'd say it is.

Now the first Home Alone I think has better scenes with the Wet Bandits. They might get beat up a little harder in Home Alone 2... but the scene where he lights Harry on Fire is the absolute best. It's just so so funny. I also like the shaving scene... I like that he goes shopping on his own and orders his own pizza... its a fun movie.

Home Alone 2 has Tim Curry. And everyone knows that by the rules of physics any movie with Tim Curry is better than the one without Tim Curry. I think this is in the bible too. Does anyone know what Shock Treatment is? Nope. Because Tim Curry is not in it.

But yeah- Home Alone 2 has the hotel staff... led by of the Concierge Tim Curry... and they really add a lot to the movie. Especially during the scene where they confront Peter McCalister and Kevin tricks them with a clip from Angels with Even Filthier Souls... I always rewind that scene because... it really is the funniest scene in any movie. Probably my #1 favorite movie moment.

What I think differentiates all of the Home Alone movies are kind of the simple formula the movies have. The whole family is mean to Kevin. Something happens that makes the family late... and somehow Kevin gets left behind. Kevin figures things out on his own, encounters a scary looking stranger that he ends up befriending and helping by the end of the movie. He then faces the Wet/ Sticky Bandits and is reunited with his family.

ALSO in Home Alone 1... there's a whole scene with John Candy that is... amazing.

Home Alone 2 also has a kid just doing whatever he wants at a very fancy hotel in New York City... I would have gone crazy. My niece loves New York City and she would go CRAZY too. And she really loves the movie.

So... I have a soft spot for Home Alone 2. Now... I'm going to talk about what Home Sweet Home Alone did wrong.

What Home Sweet Home Alone did Wrong

Okay... so overall I don't think Home Sweet Home Alone is as bad as people are saying it is... and I think it's worth watching... but overall it has some problems. Mainly... the family isn't really fighting with the kid- Max- that much before they leave him home alone. This makes him being Home Alone feel like its less fun and more sad. Kevin's family is kind of mean in the first 2 Home Alone movies and Kevin gets in trouble when he really shouldn't. Him being left Home Alone is a way for him to prove himself and gain some respect from his family members.

Also... we don't get that much background on Max and his family. It's hard to even point out who his dad is in the movie... they don't really even show them once they get to Japan... it's just very odd. It also seems odd that they're going to Japan? They never really say why they're going there for Christmas... they're just going to Japan on Christmas.

We also get a lot of exposition about the "Wet Bandits"... in fact they are really the main characters of the movie. Which honestly- that's a good way to make a Home Alone Movie. That is a different take that definitely makes it feel more like it's own movie instead of something like Home Alone 3 or 4 or 5 or however many they have now. BUT... the fact that we have sympathy for them makes it really hard to watch them step on a bunch of legos... or get several injuries to them. They really don't do anything wrong the whole movie... but they do get really beat up.

There's also no scary looking stranger character... so the movie lacks a little bit of heart in that regard. And there's no John Candy and... that just kind of sucks. Keenan Thompson is a really funny actor... They wasted him in this movie... Not saying he could be John Candy... but I think he would have made a funny character for the mom to run into at the airport and catch a ride with.

There were a lot of really funny scenes in the movie. And I thought overall... it was good enough that I'll probably watch it again. I might even watch it again next year and in the future... but it was a little weird and it kind of missed the mark. I think even compared to other Disney Plus Christmas movies like Noelle and Godmother'd... this one isn't quite as fun... and I haven't watched those movies a second year... so yeah. Maybe I won't but... idk. It's not that bad.

Also it might just be that I tend to judge Christmas movies a little less harsh because even bad Christmas Movies are still pretty okay... but yeah. It missed the Home Alone Marks for me.

Bye!

-Shannon