Home Alone 3

Home Alone 3 tells a whole different story then the original two. Instead of the McCallisters, we meet the Pruitt family and in particular the main character Alex. A computer chip worth ten million dollars is placed into a toy car by our four villains in an attempt to get through airport security. There is a mix up at the airport, and the toy car ends up in the possession of an older woman who gives it to little Alex as a gift. The four bad guys track the car to a neighbourhood in Chicago and break into a series of houses looking for the chip. Alex (who is HOME ALONE with chicken pox) see's the crooks breaking into the houses an calls the cops, only to look like a prank caller each time. The villains looking for the chip eventually realize that little Alex has it and that's when the fun begins - Home Alone style.

I actually enjoyed Home Alone 3 as a kid and as an adult now. No, it isn't as good as the original films and no Alex Linz is not Macaulay Culkin. But this movie gets points for breaking off from the McCallister storyline. I mean how many times can that family forget the same kid? Young actor Alex Linz who plays Alex in Home Alone 3 does a great job taking on this big role, he manages to not put in an annoying performance like so many child actors can be do these kind of movies. The crooks include three men and one female, and I like that they added a woman into that villain role. They all are good actors and add plenty to this movie.

The best comedic moments come from the crooks, especially David Thornton as 'Unger'. There are some ho-hum funny moments which fall flat such as the talking parrot and a few scenes with Alex's older brother and sister who "torment" him. Another flaw was the actual "home alone" bit, and the fact that Alex isn't really home alone as we've seen in the first two films. His mother leaves him for a couple of hours as he recuperates from Chicken Pox, hardly the same as Kevin McCallister went through. And I don't like that it doesn't take place ON Christmas. But those drawbacks don't take away from the whole movie at all.

Home Alone 3 isn't great, but it takes some risks by moving from the original plot and adds some smarts it with the computer chip story. These aren't your simple criminals like the wet bandits were, they are after far more than some jewellery and expensive silverware. I recommend Home Alone 3 for sure!

6/10

I don't think the film is as bad as the rating suggests, but it does pale in comparison to the first two films, which are holiday classics to me! There were some bits I liked, but some bits where improvements would have been appreciated.

The positives are that Alex D Linz makes a cute and charming lead, though Macaulay Culkin is definitely better. The film does look lovely, and there is evidence of some detailed direction. And the parrot was awesome. Believe me, this film is much better than the vomitous Home Alone 4.

The negatives are that some of the violence, that was classic in the first two films, seemed to have been reduced to cartoon slapstick. Another problem was that I didn't recognise any of the characters, and the uneven script didn't allow them to develop properly. Also, I do miss the antics of the Wet Bandits, the new villains weren't as effective.

All in all, a perfectly adequate, but uneven film, that is much better than its abysmal follow up. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Precocious youngster Linz—a target of torment for his older siblings and uptight next door neighbor—is stuck at home with the dreaded chicken pox. He stumbles upon a top secret computer chip that makes him the target of four, high-precision international spies determined to re-obtain it, but the feisty youngster is determined to defend his home at all costs. The whole thing is pretty formulaic, but smarter crooks, an appealing cast, and a surprising amount of unexpected laughs help overcome the script's familiarity and wild leaps of logic. Not very original, but there are more than enough good gags and amusing situations to make it worth a look. **½

Four high-tech industrial spies are trying to smuggle out a top secret military microchip to North Korea. A mixup at airport security leaves Mrs. Hess with the microchip hidden in a remote control car. After Alex shovels Mrs. Hesses' driveway, she gives him the car as payment. The spies have tracked the chip to Alex's neighborhood, and faces off against Alex who is home sick with the chicken pox.

I like the cat and mouse game, but the premise is way too serious. It's not so kid friendly to start. But this is not a horrible sequel. The fact is the kid isn't Macaulay. And the movie doesn't have as much whimsy as the previous two. The bad guys are real bad guys, not the silly Wet Bandits.

For those of us who want to see Scarlett Johansson, she has a minor role as the sister. It's nothing special to write home about. She does have a few scenes.

Has the same title only this ain't the Home Alone you'd all be familiar with.

No one from the original is in it. And the plot to it isn't as amusing as the first 2 were.

This one has to do with some secret group of agents accidentally misplaced there product at the airport which has some important chip in it that's top secret. They track down where the product is which is in Chicago, and located in somewhere in a neighborhood. 4 agents now have to check every house and find that chip.

A kid who's supposed to be the new version of Kevin has the chip only he doesn't know it yet.

He likes to watch neighbors with his telescope and goof around. When he notices the agents breaking into the neighbor's homes, he calls the police. When they get there they didn't find any of the intruders in the neighbor's home. When the agents plan on breaking into our main hero's home, he has to prepare himself to set up traps and give them hell.

This movie was good at first but it's not the same. Those who like the first 2 Home Alone movies, you might not like this one. Rent it first, and see for yourself.