Carbon copy lacks the wistful appeal of the original...

Rating: 6/10 (25 December 2010)

MACAULAY CULKIN is back again as the little lost boy who seems to have the ability to lose his parents at airports in HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK. While the plot fails to be as engaging as the original, a big asset is all of the New York location photography that gives us great glimpses of the big city for an added dose of realism.
It starts out pretty much the way the original did, with the family planning a Florida vacation and with Kevin pursuing all of them as they make a mad dash through the airport. This time, he doesn't deliberately stay behind--he mistakenly believes he's following a man wearing a coat similar to his father.
But what's really missing are the characters that made HOME ALONE such a treat--and they aren't topped by the bird lady sequence and her friendship with the boy, nor are the bungling exploits of bad guys JOE PESCI and DANIEL STERN as funny, even though they are as clueless as ever in trying to deal with Culkin's nasty pranks.
The violence employed by Culkin gets even nastier this time, which turns out to be a drawback because, after all, this isn't a cartoon where we know no one is really getting hurt.
But in general, the story moves swiftly, the parents' reaction to discovering that he's lost is just as funny (as is their encounter with an official while trying to explain the situation), and the supporting cast does their best to keep things lively. Nice to see EDDIE BRACKEN as a toy store mogul in a huge toy store where a key scene takes place.
Fans of HOME ALONE will no doubt appreciate this sequel, but they aren't likely to be as fond of it as the original--which had a wistful sort of charm totally lacking here.
John Williams' score is a pleasing asset, once again providing a sprightly backdground that gives the film added cheer.