Credit: 20th Century StudiosHow are there suddenly six movies in the Home Alone franchise? Just like the Wet Bandits, it seems the studio doesn’t know how to quit, despite all the danger signs. But while the series started out with solid theatrical releases, it became straight-to-video galore in no time.
Here are all six movies ranked from worst to best.
6. Home Sweet Home Alone
When Disney announced that it was releasing a new Home Alone movie onto Disney+, we couldn’t help but feel pessimistic. After all, the last three films in the series are hardly classics like the first two, so what could a reboot do to remedy those disappointments?
Well, it turns out we were wrong about one thing — Home Sweet Home Alone (2021) is not a reboot. Not that it matters, because it’s still really bad. Young Max Mercer (Archie Yates) is insufferably arrogant and rude, and he’ll have you rooting for the “bad guys” within minutes.
Jeff McKenzie (Rob Delaney) and Pam McKenzie (Ellie Kemper) are hardly like the Wet Bandits, as they only break into young Archie’s home to retrieve a family heirloom he stole in the first place. But even putting all that aside, the whole thing just feels really cheap.
5. Taking Back the House
Home Alone: Taking Back the House (2002) is the weirdest entry in the entire series, and though we’ve ranked it one place above Home Sweet Home Alone, it’s the one film on this list that’s bound to leave a really bad taste in your mouth.
The reason? Well, apparently the McCallisters are back, and we say “apparently” because every single one of them has been recast. Why didn’t the filmmakers just go the extra mile and have them be different characters, rather than try and spoil the first two movies?
It doesn’t matter, though, because no one takes this film seriously. We’ve nothing against Mike Weinberg (Kevin McCallister), and it’s always fun to watch a kid take out the crooks at Christmas, but there’s a reason why Daniel Stern refused to reprise his role as Marv.
4. The Holiday Heist
Sadly, as we arrive at fourth place, things don’t improve much. Home Alone: The Holiday Heist (2012) might be as harmless as Home Sweet Home Alone and Taking Back the House, but if you’re looking for a fun Christmas movie, you won’t find it here.
Sure, the film is entertaining enough, as Finn Baxter (Christian Martyn) takes on Sinclair (Malcolm McDowell) and his band of not-so-merry crooks, but there’s really not much else to sink your teeth into with this incredibly uninspired Home Alone sequel.
By this point, the series has gotten so far away from itself in terms of quality that you might forget what brought you here in the first place. But don’t worry, because there are plenty of good things coming up as we continue to inadvertently back-track through this series.
3. Home Alone 3
Finally, some light at the end of the tunnel. Well, sort of. Home Alone 3 (1997) isn’t all that bad, but it’s not all that great, either. Alex Pruitt (Alex D. Linz) is the first kid to replace Kevin McCallister, and he’s a somewhat worthy successor.
Stuck at home with chicken pox, Alex is unknowingly in possession of a microchip some international thieves previously misplaced at an airport. But breaking into his home to get it isn’t going to be easy, because Alex has even more engineering talents than Kevin.
A huge suspension of disbelief is required here, but it would be a lie to suggest the same thing isn’t needed for the first two movies. Home Alone 3 has some pretty fun traps, and though it takes a bit of a dip in quality, it’s nothing compared to the three movies that follow.
2. Home Alone
Trudging our way backwards through the Home Alone series wasn’t easy, but getting here was definitely worth it. Home Alone (1990) is a bona fide classic, and it marks director Chris Columbus’ first efforts in the Christmas movie territory, before he returned for the sequel.
After being left home alone by his family over the Holidays, Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) thinks his Christmas wish has come true, until he realizes that his house is the soon-to-be-target of local crooks Harry and Marv, who are also known as the Wet Bandits.
But as soon as they step inside, holiday hijinks ensue. See, it turns out that Kevin is a very resourceful kid, as he transforms his large home into one giant boobytrap. Home Alone is both a hilarious comedy and heartwarming film, and it was followed by an even better entry.
1. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
To many fans, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) is the last true entry in the series, and who wouldn’t want to check out here? The 1992 sequel has it all — Kevin lost in the Big Apple where he comes face to face with Harry and Marv all over again? You got it!
The film does what many sequels do — it offers up a much bigger playground with higher stakes (the Sticky Bandits plan to rob a toy store whose Christmas Eve takings go to the local orphanage every year) — but it pulls it off and then some.
Lost in New York is also just as iconic as its 1990 predecessor, another rare feat for sequels. But not only is it more heartwarming than the first film, it’s funnier, too — Harry and Marv must be cartoon characters to survive what Kevin has in store this time.
All six Home Alone movies are currently streaming on Disney+.
How would you rank the Home Alone movies? Let us know in the comments down below!