HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK
A film review by Chad Polenz
Copyright 1997 Chad Polenz
** (out of 4 = fair) 1992, PG, 120 minutes [2 hours] [comedy] starring: Macauly Culkin (Kevin MaCallister), Joe Pesci (Harry), Daniel Stern (Marv), Brenda Fricker (The Pigeon Lady), written and produced by John Hughes, directed by Chris Columbus.
The idea of a small boy somehow separated from his family at Christmas, and then proceeding to befriend a misunderstood person, outsmart adults, and torture criminals in a cartoonish style is an idea that can (and should) be used once. "Home Alone 2: Lost In New York" is such a retread of the original it is one of the most predictable films I've ever seen. This story tries a too hard to be a lighthearted family movie and thus becomes very corny and sappy.
The film basically starts out the same as the first one, with the house full of people running all over the place, preparing for a family Christmas vacation in Florida. We get a lot of the same jokes with Kevin (Culkin) being dumped on and his mischievous antics, most of them provided by his Talkboy tape recorder (one of the most blatant plugs I've ever seen).
The funniest moment occurs near the beginning when Buzz, (Devin Ratray) Kevin's oldest brother, embarrasses him during his solo at a Christmas pageant, to which Kevin retaliates by punching him which causes a domino effect knocking the entire 100-kid choir off the stage. Perhaps this is just foreshadowing the jokes to come; lots of slapstick we've seen before that don't often work.
Through a series of cartoony coincidences and cliches, Kevin ends up on the wrong plane bound for New York City while the rest of the family heads to Orlando. But he is even more clever this time and proceeds to check himself into the Plaza Hotel.
Most of the film is plotless, it is just the adventures of Kevin alone in New York with a lot of money (he had his father's wallet with him) and a wild imagination. The problem is it's just too dumbed down, and that's saying something compared to the original.
Those idiot criminals Harry and Marv (Pesci, Stern) are back, and proceed to run into Kevin again (and again...). They are planning to rob a toy store, and tell him all the details, which of course he captures on tape. In fact, the Talkboy plays act as as an important source for plot and jokes. It allows Kevin to constantly fool people, but I found it impossible to believe no one realizes what they are hearing is a tape.
Of course there is the token scene where Kevin and his house of tricks (this time his uncle's abandoned for renovation townhouse) nearly kill Harry and Marv, but that's the entire premise of making and watching these films. I found myself laughing, but only a little bit. After a while the slapstick seemed just too painful and too fake to watch.
"Home Alone 2" doesn't work as a comedy, although I'm sure kids will like it. From beginning to end it is filled with cliches and complete retreads of all the jokes that worked in the original. Incredible coincidences and outrageous slapstick comedy are devices that can only work once (if at all), but Hollywood thrives on sequels.
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