“A married couple tries to steal back a valuable heirloom from a troublesome kid.” -IMDB
There are two things Home Sweet Home Alone have going for it before the movie ever begins. First, it has a stellar cast of comedic actors: Ellie Kemper, Rob Delaney, Archie Yates, Aisling Bea, Pete Holmes, and Kenyan Thompson, among others. Second, you know it’s not going to be as good as the original. Nothing will ever touch the original. So you go in with absolutely no expectations, which serves the viewing experience quite well. Let me clarify…
Unlike the original (and unsurprisingly give its being released by Disney), Home Sweet keeps everything nice and tidy. The plot is changed from the original to make child, mother, and adversaries quite blameless in their predicaments. The child believes he will be kidnapped by his adversaries and so is fighting for his life. The mother entrusted her child’s trip to the airport to relatives, who in turn were distracted by business of the morning and left him. The adversaries are a down-on-their-luck couple who mistakenly believe that the child has stolen an incredible value doll. There is even a lovely little callback to the original via a fun little cameo from one of the original cast members. And at the end, everything is wrapped up and tied together with a nice little bow.
All of this wholesomeness makes Home Sweet a family-friendly, pleasant enough watch, if not forgettable. And for how many comedy legends are in the movie, I felt that many of them were underused.
But, overall, if you’re looking for an easy watch with a Christmas tone, this movie will serve you well enough. But then again, there’s always the original. And it never goes out of style.
Rating: 5 out 10 Claire Bears
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Streaming: Disney+
With: Ellie Kemper, Rob Delaney, Archie Yates
Directed By: Dan Mazer
Let Me Clarify 