I knew it was you, I could SMELL ya getting' off the elevata

Rating: 9/10 (7 May 2004)

Too many sequels suffer from Deja Vu, and hardly any of those carbon copies improve upon the original. Home Alone 2 is a carbon copy, but it's also much better and more complex a movie than the first. In another mad rush to the airport the McCallisters make a point of remembering Kevin this time, but he gets lost in a crowd at the airport and follows a man who looks like his dad onto the wrong plane. Thirteen of the McCallisters are going to Miami for Xmas (do they never stay at home?) but Kevin is headed for the Big Apple, and he's going to have that once-in-a-lifetime vacation he's been wishing for.
There's much more for Kevin to see and do in New York. He scams his way into the Plaza hotel where a suspicious Concierge (Tim Curry) gives him mighty evil looks at every encounter. He goes to Duncan's Toy Chest, the biggest toy store in town and takes many scenic photographs. Though it is a little unnerving now seeing Kevin on the roof of the World Trade Centre.
But the Wet Bandits have escaped, and they have just arrived in New York with loftier ambitions and bigger heists to pull off. They even brush by Kevin a few times not knowing he's there. Typically though, once they get a hold of him the give away far too much info. Once Kevin escapes he takes matters into his own hands once more. His Aunt Georgette from the first movie is still in Paris so he uses her half-renovated home as a huge mousetrap for the bungling burglars.
The booby traps this time are much more painful and nasty, so it's all the more amusing for us. Who can possibly fail to laugh at Marv getting the shock of his life when he tries to turn on the taps? If the movie were to be released now I doubt if it would be let away with a PG rating. Still, it's nothing for any parents to worry about. Unless you fear your child is going to set your head on fire with a blowtorch.
Home Alone 2 has a more satisfying climax than the first. The film doesn't simply end once Harry and Marv are back in the slammer as there is more plot to it than that. Brenda Fricker has a (rather questionable) role as 'The Pigeon Lady' a woman who lives in Central Park and talks to no one-until Kevin reaches out. Plus Eddie Bracken shows up as Mr. Duncan and gives Kevin the best Christmas morning ever as a token of his appreciation.
With a bigger story (okay, some of it re-used) and more characters and a better playground for Kevin, Home Alone 2 manages to be a superior sequel. While not excessively so. There's loads of fun to be had in Kevin's antics, and Tim Curry is downright brilliant as the mischievous Concierge.
It's a great movie on it's own but sadly it will always be called a copycat. Watch it now from a fresh perspective and you might like it more.