When Christmas movie fanatics hear “Home Alone”, their minds surely drift off to the boisterous McCallister house during the holiday season – loud music, wild children, and all. The film is notorious for its booby-trap filled plot, overprotective parents, and comedic villains. Above all, Kevin McCallister makes his way into viewers’ hearts with his clever tricks and lovable, childish nature. What viewers do not associate Home Alone with is Tom Holland and Summer Vacation in Seattle. With the new Home Alone 7: Lost in Seattle coming out in theaters this month, old-time Homies are a bit hesitant to see another remake of the already perfected movie. Is it really going to give the original a run for its money?

Home Alone 7 has a well established cast, prime location, and large dollar investments. The movie has already received great reviews from its premiere. Esteemed movie critic Armond White praised the movie for “capturing Home Alone in a new light”. He also stated that “character development and execution was phenomenal, despite Tom Holland’s unfitting age”.  After seeing the movie for myself, I beg to disagree. Sure, he is a talented actor and has acquired quite the fan base, but can he really play a mischievous eight-year-old? I think not. Even with layers of makeup and an unconvincingly peppy wardrobe, he is not even remotely close to Macaulay Culkin in the 1990 film. Casting Tom Holland as the “new Kevin” is clearly a clever publicity stunt that is sure to bring in a crowd, but this is not enough to make the new film outshine the original. 

In addition to the sketchy protagonist, Home Alone 7 takes place in Seattle. Who goes to Seattle for summer vacation? This will not be a huge crowd pleaser, but at least will give Lakesider’s a chance to see some of their favorite Seattle landmarks like the pigeon on 32nd street. Kevin even makes a random pit stop at Lakeside School to try some of our legendary brownies. Thank you Pamela! Some Lakesiders even make it into the background of the movie. Perhaps the prospect of seeing a blurry version of yourself for a split second is enough to persuade you to see Home Alone 7, but mark my words, the movie will only disappoint. 

As we have seen with the past five Home Alone remakes, nothing can trump Macaulay Culkin’s portrayal of Kevin, nor the novel plot the original provides. Although the second movie also holds a special place in the Cinema Hall of Fame, nothing quite beats the novelty factor of the first. From the 1997 remake, to Home Alone: The Holiday Heist‘, no director has been able to replicate the successes of the original film. The real question is, will Home Alone 7 break this trend? After watching the new movie, I can confidently say that the original movie is irreplaceable. Movie magic is not something producers can cast or screenwriters can script, it is a phenomenon felt deep inside the heart.