credit: Home Alone
In 1990 a movie came along that did something that had been done numerous times in the past. It made us laugh, and it gave us an icon to enjoy for years afterward. Kevin McAllister was a little jerk, to begin with, and someone that was obviously spoiled and even lacking in humility. But he was also a kid, and he was entertaining since once he was on his own, he had to figure things out in order to survive. He quickly discovered that the world was not about to bend to his will and that he had to be clever and even cautious in order to get by from day to day. Unfortunately, after the second movie, more movies were made, and Home Sweet Home Alone is the latest in the franchise. While it wasn’t a bad movie, the idea of making more appears to be something that Disney is thinking about, and at this time, it feels as though letting this franchise sit for a while would be a better idea.
credit: Home Alone 2
It’s possible to run a franchise into the ground, and Disney knows how to do it.
There are plenty of people who would say otherwise, but the fact is that the Mouse House knows how to milk a franchise for all its worth before it’s finally brought to the point where the story can’t be sustained any longer. The Home Alone franchise is at this time still a favorite of many people, but the fact is that the movies that came after the second one didn’t really spark that much of an interest in those who watched the first two movies, while the most recent movie was an attempt to get back to what made the movies popular in the first place. It felt a bit psycho, to be fair, but at the same time, it was a return to the normalcy that people were missing, in a way. The fact is that the first movie can’t be replaced, but the efficiency of the movies can be degraded with each new addition.
No Home Alone movie is going to top the first two. That’s already been proven.
The movies that came after the second movie was, well, horrible in that they went above and beyond in their attempt to keep the franchise moving. Some folks might have enjoyed them, but others would no doubt agree that they weren’t anywhere close to as entertaining as the first two. Home Sweet Home Alone was a decent attempt at recapturing the magic of the original movie, but nothing has come along yet that can top the first and most iconic movie that kicked things off so long ago. The rumor that Disney might be trying to make yet another movie and perhaps even bring back some of the original characters is one that some people are willing to embrace, while others are more likely to shake their heads at. In truth, it feels as though trying to continue this idea without Macaulay Culkin is less than desirable.
credit: Home Sweet Home Alone
Home Sweet Home Alone was admittedly entertaining as it did its own thing.
There was a spark of something in the most recent movie that made it feel as though Disney hadn’t completely forgotten what had made the original movie so great, and while there were several cringe-worthy moments that might not have been needed, but were thrown in any way since it was an attempt to entertain people in the same manner that had been done decades before. The story centered around a slightly egotistic and bratty kid that needed to remember what Christmas was all about. While there was a point to these movies, it does feel that they were made more for fun and less for the drama that was bound to be used to tie it so neatly at the end. Home Alone has been such a great movie that a lot of people would likely be heard to state that they would be just as happy to see it left as it is rather than be given another movie.
Another Home Alone movie might continue to dull the original idea down.
This doesn’t feel like it should be possible, but it’s definitely likely if more movies are made in this franchise since, at some point, the main idea is going to be lost, and whoever is helming the movie is going to do their own thing. While that could be interesting and even bring about a new idea that might be every bit as iconic as the original, it’s fair to think that if a new idea swings too far off the mark, it could have huge ramifications for the franchise moving forward. The first movie will always be the best, that much is certain, but it’d be nice to know that the movies that come after it would be just as entertaining.