When a character in the movie actually says, "I don't know why they're always trying to remake classics - never as good as the originals," it is hard to tell if it is an act of acute self-awareness or weak self-defence. What this largely charmless and flat loose remake proves is that the there were two key ingredients that contributed to the long-lasting success of the original Home Alone that are sorely missing here: the delightfully sweet performance of Macaulay Culkin and the direction of Chris Columbus. Young Archie Yates - so good in Jojo Rabbit - tries hard but never feels like a comfortable fit here, the attempts at humour frequently fizzle out amongst longer dreary dialogue pieces, and the pranks are largely neutered, presumably in order to appease more PC viewers of today. Whilst Home Sweet Home Alone does not quite hit the dismal depths of the last couple of TV-level incarnations of the franchise - at least there is a snowy and Christmassy authenticity to the settings here - it will make you more inclined to 'Bah, humbug!' than 'Ho, ho, ho!'
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