One of the best feelings in existence is throwing on a pair of fuzzy socks, cranking up the fireplace, curling up with a wool blanket, and of course, watching a Christmas movie. 

But classics like “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and “Frosty the Snowman” may feel older than the itchy, ugly Christmas sweater you’ve had since childhood. Even though these traditional movies of the winter months may bring comfort, there’s always room to spice it up and look for something new.

In an effort to harken back to a fan favorite, Disney+ released “Home Sweet Home Alone,” a spin-off from the original 1990 hit “Home Alone.” While the original film is known for its iconic slapstick material of burglars getting fried, burned and punched, it also pulled viewers’ heartstrings by showing the importance of family during the holiday season. 

So, one would assume the same would happen with this new film? Well, not quite. 

Director Dan Mazer had all of the elements to make a perfect movie: kid alone for Christmas, two people breaking into a house, ridiculous boobie traps, justice and holiday warmth. But in Mazer’s attempt to replicate the witty, heartfelt moments of the first film in the “Home Alone” series, the result was a movie lacking originality.

The film focuses on Jeff and Pam McKenzie (Rob Delaney and Ellie Kemper), who are selling their home to keep up with finances since Jeff lost his job. When the couple realizes a collectible doll they have stored away in the den may be worth up to $200,000, Jeff hopes to sell it, but he soon discovers it is missing. 

Jeff suspects 10-year-old Max Mercer (Archie Yates) stole it while visiting the McKenzie’s open house a few days prior. Jeff and Pam muster up the courage to break into the Mercer residence, thinking the whole family had gone to Tokyo for the holiday, but in reality, Max is still the only one home. Therefore, chaos and embarrassment via pranks unfold.  

With a script written by “Saturday Night Live” cast member Mikey Day, there should be plenty of slapstick goofiness tastefully accompanied by a pinch of snark and quirk. However, most of the jokes fell flat and had no substance whatsoever. 

When it comes to slapstick, there’s more tact required than just someone getting hit with thumbtacks all over their face. “Home Sweet Home Alone” borders on aggressive with overly-exaggerated, physical comedy.

Many of the pranks are similar to the 1990 film, such as Legos on the floor and slippery driveways glazed in ice; but this time around, the practical jokes feel far more sinister. Seeing someone get pummeled by an eight-ball in the face, hurled down a flight of stairs from an unexpectedly dangerous yoga ball or lose their taste buds from scalding hot sauce in a Christmas cookie was too much.

Sure, when Harry and Marv got branded, tarred and feathered in the 1990 film, that was also pretty horrific. But they were criminals, trying to scare a kid and make some dough along the way. 

In this film, Jeff and Pam are normal people. Jeff is a computer analyst and Pam is a teacher. They have two kids, annoying in-laws and corny dad jokes just like any family. Trespassing wasn’t the best idea, but the act is somewhat justified by the McKenzies’ goal of taking back what is rightfully theirs — the doll.

Empathizing more with the antagonist than the protagonist makes a huge difference when there are bags of flour flying toward the air causing destructive pain. 

The only fun part about watching this film was the ability to catch references and innuendos from the original film. Although Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) was not in attendance, it’s mentioned he now owns a business in home security, titled McCallister Security.

Kevin’s older brother, Buzz (Devin Ratray), returns to the screen all grown-up as a cop. When Buzz gets a call from the station to check on Max at his house since he’s all alone, he delightfully turns it down, saying Kevin apparently calls in a “home alone” prank every year. 

Another easter egg for fans of the series is a moment in the recent release when a television set in the background plays the audio made iconic by the original film: “Keep the change you filthy animal.”

Growing up, “Home Alone” was a favorite for me and my dad. We would laugh hysterically with tears in our eyes when Marv would step on broken ornaments or Harry would get his hair torched off. We would plop ourselves on the couch, munch on our bucket of Christmas popcorn and have the best winter afternoons with the film. 

That same level of nostalgia was not achieved with the new film. I was mostly cringing and gasping at how bad it was instead of actually giggling. 

The exception was the intense slow-motion scene of Jeff and Pam eagerly trying to climb the wall of the Mercer house while playing a choir performance of “Oh Holy Night.” There were farts, grunts and just the intense struggle that made me laugh out loud. But let me remind you -- my ideal book to read is “Farts: A Spotters Guide,” and one of my favorite television shows is “Impractical Jokers.” So that scene was like Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony to me.

Overall, was “Home Sweet Home Alone” worth viewing to spice up this season’s holiday watchlist? I suppose. But it’s like someone is handed a hot chocolate filled with 50,000 marshmallows instead of just a delightful handful; a large clump of them smothered in a mug, similar to this new release, is a sugar rush with a bad ending. Let’s just stick to the classics, shall we?