*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*
It's rare that a sequel can be just as good as its predeccesor. However, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York proves to be just as entertaining and funny as the previous film. This is mainly because of Macaulay Culkin's solid performance as Kevin McCallister and the slapstick violence that feature throughout the film.
Most people would be surprised to discover that the McCallisters are preparing for another festive holiday due to the events of Home Alone. However, they're planning on travelling to Florida. Despite Kevin actually making it to the airport this time, he ends up on the wrong plane and arrives in New York, hence the title of the sequel. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Wet Bandits are also in New York after their escape from prison. Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) are both planning to rob the biggest toy store, Duncan's Toy Chest, and steal the money which is supposed to be for the children at the hospital. Fortunately, Kevin discovers their plan and is determined to stop them.
In some ways, Lost In New York can seem better than the previous film because there are more characters and more comedic opportunities. In this sequel, we are introduced to Tim Curry's concierge, who is suspicious after he sees Kevin checking in to the Plaza hotel alone. This leads to a very amusing scene where the employees of the hotel chase him into his room but are stopped in their tracks when they think a mad man is in the room but it's really Kevin playing scenes from fictional film Angels With Even Dirtier Souls. What makes this scene even better is that we can see Kevin silently laughing at their reactions.
Chris Columbus returns to direct with John Hughes writing the story again. I think this is also why Lost In New York is a good sequel as the majority of the cast and crew are back and everything that made Home Alone entertaining, including the booby traps, also return.
Speaking of the booby traps, before watching this sequel, I was hesitant. How do you improve on the traps from the previous film when there's no house? Conviniently, Kevin has an aunt and uncle who live in New York but, fortunately, they've left it because it's being renovated which means he has the perfect set up for his booby traps, he just has to come up with a smart plan that leads Harry and Marv to the house.
Of course, with the setting being in New York, there's an opportunity for Kevin to explore the Big Apple and he takes it. In a montage, we see him ride a yellow cab into the city and go to the top of one of the Twin Towers which, for obvious reasons, will have a much more emotional impact on certain viewers.
Despite Kevin being ten years old, he still gets frightened when he sees a mysterious 'bird lady' but, as he later discovers, she's a lonely woman whose only comfort comes from the birds. In fact, this character was based on a similar character from the 1964 Disney film, Mary Poppins. Much like the scene where Kevin discovers that his neighbour isn't scary and talks with him in a church, there's a heartwarming scene where he converses with the woman and she confesses that he's the first person that she's talked to. Fortunately, Kevin helps her get over her heartbreak and difficulty to trust people.
Despite Home Alone 2: Lost In New York making less money than its predecessor, it was still successful at the box office, making over $358million. I'm sure audiences were hoping for another sequel but, unfortunately, because none of the cast and crew returned, the sequels that were released were nothing short of disappointing and, if I'm honest, I'm not sure why the producers bothered making them.
I think that fans of Home Alone will find a lot to enjoy here and it's a perfect Christmas film that the whole family will find entertaining.
Most people would be surprised to discover that the McCallisters are preparing for another festive holiday due to the events of Home Alone. However, they're planning on travelling to Florida. Despite Kevin actually making it to the airport this time, he ends up on the wrong plane and arrives in New York, hence the title of the sequel. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Wet Bandits are also in New York after their escape from prison. Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) are both planning to rob the biggest toy store, Duncan's Toy Chest, and steal the money which is supposed to be for the children at the hospital. Fortunately, Kevin discovers their plan and is determined to stop them.
In some ways, Lost In New York can seem better than the previous film because there are more characters and more comedic opportunities. In this sequel, we are introduced to Tim Curry's concierge, who is suspicious after he sees Kevin checking in to the Plaza hotel alone. This leads to a very amusing scene where the employees of the hotel chase him into his room but are stopped in their tracks when they think a mad man is in the room but it's really Kevin playing scenes from fictional film Angels With Even Dirtier Souls. What makes this scene even better is that we can see Kevin silently laughing at their reactions.
Chris Columbus returns to direct with John Hughes writing the story again. I think this is also why Lost In New York is a good sequel as the majority of the cast and crew are back and everything that made Home Alone entertaining, including the booby traps, also return.
Speaking of the booby traps, before watching this sequel, I was hesitant. How do you improve on the traps from the previous film when there's no house? Conviniently, Kevin has an aunt and uncle who live in New York but, fortunately, they've left it because it's being renovated which means he has the perfect set up for his booby traps, he just has to come up with a smart plan that leads Harry and Marv to the house.
Of course, with the setting being in New York, there's an opportunity for Kevin to explore the Big Apple and he takes it. In a montage, we see him ride a yellow cab into the city and go to the top of one of the Twin Towers which, for obvious reasons, will have a much more emotional impact on certain viewers.
Despite Kevin being ten years old, he still gets frightened when he sees a mysterious 'bird lady' but, as he later discovers, she's a lonely woman whose only comfort comes from the birds. In fact, this character was based on a similar character from the 1964 Disney film, Mary Poppins. Much like the scene where Kevin discovers that his neighbour isn't scary and talks with him in a church, there's a heartwarming scene where he converses with the woman and she confesses that he's the first person that she's talked to. Fortunately, Kevin helps her get over her heartbreak and difficulty to trust people.
Despite Home Alone 2: Lost In New York making less money than its predecessor, it was still successful at the box office, making over $358million. I'm sure audiences were hoping for another sequel but, unfortunately, because none of the cast and crew returned, the sequels that were released were nothing short of disappointing and, if I'm honest, I'm not sure why the producers bothered making them.
I think that fans of Home Alone will find a lot to enjoy here and it's a perfect Christmas film that the whole family will find entertaining.
7/10
Read my review of the first Home Alone here
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