Most of the time when I watch sequels, I am disappointed in them because they appear to cheapen the original film. This is quite apparent when viewing a horrible sequel that was developed for Home Alone titled Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Unlike the first Home Alone movie, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York has almost nothing worthy of note that distinguishes it from the original movie except for a change of scenery and slightly different characters.

Who Is Lost In New York?

Like the first Home Alone movie, Kevin again finds himself punished the night before a family Christmas trip to Miami Florida. Disappointed that he will not be in an area with snow and going to a place where there will be no Christmas trees, Kevin wishes again that he could have a vacation -- this time on his own.

Well, again the McCallister family is rushed to catch the plane due to another situation with their alarm clock not functioning. As they rush in the airport shuttles, Kevin's mother makes sure that he is there so that he can give him his plane ticket, but other than that -- again Kevin is separated from his family through circumstances and is lost again.

This time, Kevin winds up on a plane going the opposite direction -- to New York and the McCallister family does not realize that Kevin is not with them until they are getting the baggage from baggage claim. Kevin realizes he is on the wrong plane and in the wrong place once he is in New York, but instead of going directly to the individuals at the airport he decides to make his own vacation instead.

However, New York holds surprises for Kevin -- the two burglars from Chicago have escaped and are in New York now! Can it be that Kevin will cross their paths again? Or are they on their way to freedom?

What I Like About Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

It is increasingly difficult for me to really find things about Home Alone 2: Lost in New York that I enjoy. However, there are a couple of things that I will briefly mention.

The first thing that I enjoy about Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is the soundtrack for the movie. These include great selections such as A Holly Jolly Christmas by Alan Jackson, Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms, It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas by Johnny Mathis, other vocal pieces, as well as great instrumental selections by John Williams. Personally, I would rather listen to the soundtrack instead of watching the video, but my son doesn't understand why.

The second thing that I enjoy about Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a particular scene where Kevin is watching How The Grinch Stole Christmas on television and then it cuts into a section of the hotel where the hotel butler (Tim Curry) discovers that the credit card that Kevin used to check into the hotel was reported stolen to the credit card company. In that scene, he smiles just as the Grinch does when he is plotting his scheme to steal the Who's Christmas, and the parallel is really fascinating.

What I Don't Like About Home Alone 2: Lost In New York

Where do I begin? Again as the first Home Alone movie, the portrayal of adults as idiots is absolutely appalling. Kevin's parents are just as stupid as before, but more than that the idea that they did not instruct Kevin on how to deal with being alone in a more appropriate way should this happen again is even more disheartening.

It appears to me that most parents would have instructed their children to have gone to the authorities and asked for help. At least that would have made sense. The idea that Kevin would be totally on his own in New York without going to the airport officials for assistance, deciding himself to go on a vacation on his own is stupid. My children have more sense than that!

I realize this is what makes the plot work in the first place, but still, I don't like it.

The main thing I don't like about Home Alone 2: Lost In New York is that it really isn't much different than the first movie. There's a house with pranks, and the same bad guys. While the location is different the entire story is really the same and that makes the movie LESS funny!

However, I suppose that the reason why the second movie was created was that the first one was so successful. Yet, it really appears to me that another type of sequel would have been more appealing. This one is not.

Recommendation

Naturally, younger children will enjoy Home Alone 2: Lost In New York and will want to watch it. Other than a few scary parts in Central Park, the movie really isn't any different than the other one was. While I am not too thrilled about either one of these movies, I am even less thrilled about this one!

Even though my youngest son loves this movie and wants to watch it quite often, I really am tired of it and the entire McCallister family especially after viewing this same scenario for several years.

Therefore, I do not recommend the purchase of Home Alone 2: Lost In New York unless you are able to get it for a substantially reduced price (under $5).

Note: Main characters of Home Alone 2: Lost In New York include:

Macaulay Culkin - Kevin McCallister
Joe Pesci - Harry
Daniel Stern - Marv
Catherine O'Hara - Kate McCallister
John Heard - Peter McCallister
Tim Curry - Mr. Hector (the English Hotel Butler)
Brenda Fricker - Pigeon Woman
Eddie Bracken - Mr. E.F. Duncan

Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: VHS
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12