The third “Home Alone” was always at a disadvantage because it’s the first film where Macaulay Caulkin was replaced as the central character, this time by Alex D. Linz. The young actor’s performance is solid, even charming, but he was left with impossibly big shoes to fill — so impossible that he was made into a totally separate character named Alex. It’s safe to say that the audience would not have been satisfied with anyone but Culkin. Regardless, Linz might have earned more praise for his performance if he had been given better material to work with.
The slapstick comedy and quippy dialogue that defined the first two films are undermined in the third by crass and persistent toilet humor. It feels like this movie was not just made for little boys but by them as well.
The premise of the third “Home Alone” is even more exciting than the others on paper, involving high-tech espionage and a case of mistaken identity. However, the structure — with the parents constantly returning — dilutes the tension and excitement of the original premise.
In “Home Alone” and “Home Alone 2,” Kevin’s mother’s quest to return to her son after a moment of neglect is the beating heart of the film. In “Home Alone 3,” Alex’s parents show no consideration for him whatsoever. The premise of the first two movies presents questions about the McCallisters like “When will they be reunited?” and “Will Kevin forgive his mother for abandoning him?”, while the third simply asks “When will Alex’s parents believe him?” The answer is, predictably, at the very end.
Despite its many flaws, the reason it scores so high on the list is Linz’s charisma, the cartoonish charm, and the comedic timing — something the subsequent films mostly lack.