Home Alone 4: Taking back the House
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2008-07-12T17:40:23Z
128.192.128.78
/* Controversy */
{{for|the ''[[Malcolm in the Middle]]'' episode|Home Alone 4 (Malcolm in the Middle)}}
{{Infobox Film
| name = Home Alone 4
| image =
| caption = Home Alone 4 DVD cover
| director = [[Rod Daniel]]
| producer = [[Lisa Demberg]]
| writer = [[John Hughes (film director)|John Hughes]] (characters)<br>[[Debra Frank]] (written by)<br>[[Steve L. Hayes]] (written by)
| music = [[Teddy Castellucci]]
| released = [[November 3]], [[2002]]
| runtime = 89 minutes
| country = {{USA}}
| language = [[English language|English]]
| preceded_by = ''[[Home Alone 3]]''
| followed_by =
| imdb_id = 0329200
}}
'''''Home Alone 4''''' is a [[TV movie]] that premiered on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] in late [[2002 in television|2002]] and is the fourth film in the ''[[Home Alone Series]]''. The film stars [[Mike Weinberg]] as Kevin McCallister, the protagonist of the first two films in the series. [[French Stewart]] plays Marv Merchants, who was one of the Wet Bandits previously played by [[Daniel Stern (actor)|Daniel Stern]] in the first two films. The film was directed by [[Rod Daniel]] and released on [[October 20]], [[2003]] on [[DVD]] as '''''Home Alone: Taking Back the House'''''.
== Plot ==
Christmas this year looks gloomy to Kevin McCallister ([[Mike Weinberg]]). His parents Peter ([[Jason Beghe]]) and Kate ([[Clare Carey]]) have been separated for the past 8 months, and with their divorce looming, things at home with Kate are difficult enough without the added friction and bullying dealt to Kevin by his older brother Buzz ([[Gideon Jacobs]]) and older sister Megan ([[Chelsea Russo]]).
Peter extends an invite to Kevin and his siblings on his Christmas Eve visit to stay with him and his rich new girlfriend Natalie ([[Joanna Going]]). Kate simply offers love and affection to the kids. The kids side with Kate, and all is well -- but the invitation dwells on Kevin’s mind. So on Christmas Eve, Kevin sneaks out unbeknownst to Kate, grabs a taxi, and arrives on Natalie’s doorstep to spend the holidays with Peter.
Natalie lives in an unusual mansion -- a "smart house" in which almost everything responds to remote commands: doors open and close at will, the chandelier rises and lowers, a swinging bookcase reveals a secret bar, etc. Even better, the frosty butler, Prescott ([[Erick Avari]]), and the kindly housekeeper Molly ([[Barbara Babcock]]), are at Kevin's beck and call.
But just as Kevin settles into his luxurious surroundings, Peter and Natalie leave to pick up some royal houseguests at the airport, including an 11-year-old crown prince.
Kevin is taken under the wing of Natalie’s housekeeper Molly when he is the sole witness to two criminals -- Marv Merchants ([[French Stewart]]) and his even more clumsy wife Vera ([[Missi Pyle]]) -- breaking in easily to case the mansion with the help of an inside man who gave Marv a remote to it.
Chaos ensues as Kevin’s antics get him into trouble. Natalie and Peter don't believe Kevin, and Prescott even claims to have seen nothing, which makes Kevin suspicious that maybe Prescott is the inside man.
Peter decides they should all trim the Christmas tree, and they do. Kate comes over to bring Kevin some things and it's obvious that she and Peter still love one another deep down inside. Marv and Vera plan to kidnap the prince, and they decide to make their move on Christmas morning, so that night, Kevin rigs the house with booby traps.
As Christmas dawns, Kevin is left at the mansion while Natalie and Peter go out to pick up the royal guests that are staying with them over the holidays.
In their absence, Marv and Vera break in again, intending to kidnap the crown prince. But they didn't realize they'd be facing off with Kevin instead. Kevin lures Prescott to the basement and locks him in, then finds out that Prescott was not the inside person. Molly was. She locks Kevin in the basement as well. It turns out that Molly is Marv's mother.
Kevin escapes, courtesy of the dumb waiter. While it may not be his house, he still has to protect it. With the help of the house's high-tech wizardry, Kevin repeatedly thwarts Marv, Vera, and Molly by turning the tables on them.
Marv, Vera, and Molly get quite a work out from Kevin's booby traps, and soon, the police arrive and take them to jail. Peter decides he'd rather be with Kate and the kids than Natalie. So it is a merry Christmas after all. But not for Molly, Marv & Vera
== Trivia ==
This movie is considered to be non-canon in the "[[Home Alone]]" movie series because there are several inaccuracies in the movie.
==Controversy==
The movie received negative reviews{{Fact|date=June 2007}} and critics panned the movie so much the directors cancelled plans for anything relating with ''Home Alone 4'' aside from releasing it onto DVD.
*Many fans were outraged by the fact that the Kevin in this film did not look anything like the original Kevin.
*In ''Home Alone 2'' he is mentioned as being 10, but in this movie he is said to be 9.
*In this movie Buzz looks like he's 12 or 13 instead of 19 or 20.
*Many of the key characters (like Uncle Frank and Fuller) did not appear in this movie.
*The family unexplainably shrinks from five children to three.
*Due to a goof by the film-makers, the characters of Marv and Harry got mixed up ([[Joe Pesci]] and [[Daniel Stern (actor)|Daniel Stern]] refused to reprise their roles as Marv and Harry saying the job was too painful and embarrassing, as all the stunts are real).
*The movie does not take place at the McCallister's original house.
*Many of the stunts in the film were criticized saying they are too ridiculous or impossible.
*Kevin's mom resembles the look of Alex's mom from Home Alone 3, more than Kevin's mom from the first two movies
*The lack of stunts
*The timeline was also innacurate (see Below).
==Changes==
===Marv Merchants===
Marv was also completely different from what he was in the first two movies. Out of nowhere, he had married a teen named Vera, and he looked identical to Harry (who gained only brief mention). Many people were outraged with Marv's characteristics. {{Fact|date=August 2007}}
===Timeline inaccuracy===
Although Kevin was supposed to be age 9 in the early 1990s in this movie (instead of age 10 as he was in ''[[Home Alone 2]]''), the movie referenced culture and technology from the late 1990s.
A [[PlayStation]] game console (released in [[1995#September|September]] [[1995 in video gaming|1995]]) is featured in the movie. While Kevin burns a CD to play back Marv's voice at Vera, he should have used an [[audio cassette]] since CD-Rs weren't released to the consumer market until the late 1990s. Also, a mid-to-late 1990s [[Dodge Caravan]] or [[Plymouth Voyager]] was depicted instead of one from the early 1990s.
If this is supposed to be the same Kevin McCallister he should be around 13, not 9.
The police cars resemble Plymouth models possibly used in the 1980s, not the 1990s.
===Siblings===
This film only shows Kevin having a brother and a sister [Buzz and Megan], whereas in the first two films Kevin had two brothers and two sisters.
== Injuries suffered by bad guys ==
===Marv===
* Is hit in the forehead by a computerized door that Kevin programmed to close quickly.
* Lands on a hot stove and gets burned.
* Kevin covers him in hot liquid food.
* During the kidnap rehearsal, gets hit in the groin by the grappling hook, sending plunging from the window.
* A dumbwaiter slams on his head (because of Kevin) and on his right hand (because of Vera).
* A bookshelf crashes down on him.
* Vera slaps his face.
* A remote-control airplane (piloted by Kevin) flies into his groin.
* Falls down the stairs.
*Falls flat on his back after falling off the chandelier (with Vera)
*Gets hit with a pot
===Vera===
*During the kidnap rehearsal, she lands into the bushes as Marv gets hit in the groin by a grappling hook.
*Hit in the head by a pot.
*gets covered in food
*falls down the stairs
*falls flat on her back after falling off the swinging chandelier
=== Molly ===
*Gets stuck in the elevator after Kevin jammed it
*Gets hit with a pot (because of Prescott)
===Both===
* Get stuck in a shelf which Kevin spins, giving them quite a ride
* Get flooded in the bathroom and try to swim out
* Take a wild water ride down the stairs from the bathroom
== Loss of Harry ==
Marv's partner, Harry, did not appear in this movie, though he's mentioned several times.
==References==
* {{imdb title|id=0329200|title=Home Alone 4}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|id=home_alone_4|title=Home Alone 4}}
{{Home Alone}}
[[Category:Home Alone]]
[[Category:2002 television films]]
[[Category:American television films]]
[[Category:Christmas films]]
[[Category:Comedy films]]
[[Category:Sequel films]]
[[nl:Home Alone 4]]
[[ja:ホーム・アローン4]]
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