Home Alone 3 (1997)
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An 8-year-old boy must defend his home from a group of international criminals after they unknowingly take a high-tech device into his neighborhood.
The story
After a woman mistakenly takes a bag containing a stolen microchip, a group of international criminals begins searching a suburban neighborhood in Chicago to recover it. Eight-year-old Alex Pruitt, who is home from school with chicken pox, discovers the criminals' activities while spying on his neighbors. When he realizes the importance of the item they are seeking, he attempts to alert the authorities. The criminals soon realize he is watching them and attempt to break into his home, leading to a confrontation where Alex must use his wits to defend his house and the woman who is being held captive by the intruders.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Criminals working for a North Korean-linked terrorist organization steal a $10 million microchip in California. The chip is hidden in a toy car, which is accidentally taken by a woman named Mrs. Hess. The criminals track the car to a neighborhood in Chicago. Alex Pruitt, an 8-year-old boy with chicken pox, receives the toy car as a gift and discovers the stolen chip inside. He alerts the U.S. Air Force, who cannot help him directly. When the criminals realize he knows their secret, they attempt to break into his home. Alex sets up various booby traps to defend himself and his home. During the confrontation, he manages to rescue Mrs. Hess from the criminals. While the police and FBI arrest three of the criminals, the leader, Peter Beaupre, hides in a backyard snow fort. He is eventually located and apprehended after a parrot triggers a set of fireworks. The film ends with a celebration for Alex, who receives a reward for his actions, while the criminals are shown to have caught his chicken pox during their arrest.
- First release year
- 1997
- Runtime (minutes)
- 102
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Raja Gosnell
- Writers
- John Hughes · writer
- Cast and characters
- Alex D. Linz · Alex Pruitt; Haviland Morris
- Genres
- crime; comedy
- Themes
- bravery; home defense
- Tone and mood
- comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- home invasion; terrorism; children
- Reception
- The film received negative reviews from critics, though it received a 'B+' average from audiences on CinemaScore.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Razzie · Worst Remake or Sequel · 18th Golden Raspberry Awards · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was intended to be produced simultaneously with Home Alone 2.; The script originally planned for Macaulay Culkin to play a teenager.; The film was shot in Chicago and Evanston, Illinois.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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