We live in a time where reboots of classic films are coming thick and fast.
You can hardly take a breath at the moment without some slick Hollywood exec bursting into an advert, with a generic Chris Pratt type celebrity stood awkwardly by their side, before screaming at you, “Hey, you know that film you love? Well we’re doing it again! Why? Because money!”
However, with the recent trailer drop for Home Sweet Home Alone, has the reboot obsession officially jumped the shark?
If you are yet to see the trailer for the new Home Alone reboot, you can take a few seconds to have a look below…
However, you can also not bother checking it out if you have ever seen the film Home Alone — you know, the film that literally everyone has seen. If you haven’t seen Home Alone then I am honestly impressed. Seriously, that is a genuine achievement! Odds dictate that you would have seen it by accident at the very least by now, so congrats, you can go and watch this new film and probably have a whizz-bang time with it.
Home Sweet Home Alone’s trailer sees a handful of, albeit competent, actors trudge their way through a film that no one asked for a remake of. However, what seems to be missing is a snippet of voice over which says, “Am I the only one getting déjà vu?”
The comparison is so stark that it may actually have you questioning reality.
Watching the trailer feels as though I have developed some sort of memory-afflicting illness, or that I have inexplicably morphed into Christian Bale in The Machinist, only for me to start questioning reality — in particular, questioning whether the original Home Alone actually exists.
Sure, the characters names have been changed, but it’s…guys, look, it’s the same film! It’s Home Alone, right? You know Macaulay Culkin, yeah? Well he was in a film called “Home Alone,” and it is this film. In fact, they didn’t just make one Home Alone, they made about four of them! Has the world gone completely mad or just developed some hive-mind-esque 1990 amnesia?
However, that being said, Culkin did recently give everyone involved his best wishes via Twitter…
All remakes aren’t bad, right?
Remakes (or reboots if you’re cool and edgy) are by no means a new thing. The fact of the matter is, some people like to take another run at something, add their own little spice to it, and that can be a great thing.
Look, I’m a stalwart defender of Tim Burton’s Willy Wonka film, but there are things like Ocean’s Eleven which is a stellar remake! (Seriously, check out the original Ocean’s Eleven starring Frank Sinatra and co if you want to make 2 hours and 7 minutes feel like an eternity!)
And, while I found the new Lion King remake about as entertaining as being slapped in the face while Michael Flatley river-dances across my testicles, the new Lion King at least tried something with new technology. Sure, the animals look terrifyingly expressionless, but there was kind of a purpose behind it.
With Home Sweet Home Alone though it is just beat for beat Home Alone!
But, could this turn out to be a smash hit film?
While the majority of people are far from on board with Home Sweet Home Alone, there is always the chance that this might do incredibly well for Disney, hence it’s existence. Pretty much all of their high-budget remakes, aside from Mulan, have been commercial successes for the company — which is a warning that we’re not going to stop seeing these remakes be made until people stop going to see them.
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Cynicism aside, perhaps there is a chance of something special or unexpected lurking in Home Sweet Home Alone? Buzz McCallister (played by Devin Ratray) from the original Home Alone does seem to make an appearance in the trailer, so perhaps Macaulay Culkin will surprise everyone by showing up — or perhaps the film turns into a time-travel caper halfway through? There just needs to be something in this film that stops it being HOME ALONE…IT’S JUST HOME ALONE! WHY DOES THIS EXIST IF IT’S JUST HOME ALONE?! Sorry, I just had to get that out of my system.
Are you looking forward to Home Sweet Home Alone? If so, why in God’s name are you looking forward to it? Is the tidal wade of Disney reboots finally starting to peter out, or is it stronger than ever? Let us know your thoughts on Hollywood’s furious attempts to turn back time and give the past a glossy finish in the comments.