Home Alone 3

Marbles, mousetraps, spray paint and glue are just the beginning of the booby traps awaiting audiences in John Hughes' Home Alone 3. This time cute kid star Alex Linz (One Fine Day) takes over Macaulay Culkin's precocious character, as he outwits the bad guys while staying home alone with the chicken pox. "No matter how old they are, no matter how big they are, they can't beat me here. They can't beat me at home," says Linz before defending his domain from four comical crooks who are chasing a $10 million missile chip which mistakenly ends up in Linz's remote control toy car. Joe Pesci may be missed (the goofy burglar in previous Home Alone entries), but Linz is charismatic and kids are sure to enjoy the can't-miss formula of wreaking mayhem on adult enemies. Pet pals like Doris the rat and a singing parrot add to the fun of this entertaining, and--most importantly--sell-through priced babysitter. Recommended. (M. K. Lau)