Even though I'm not from US or any western country that might celebrate Christmas or have snows, Home Alone has been a part of my childhood. Especially the first one and the horribly titled Home Alone "3", both of these used to play fairly regularly on TV and I just thought they were so much fun. I still remember Home Alone as a very well structured compelling story that felt like it had a very organic pace. So when I saw there was a sequel I was...sort of hesitant.
Most comedy sequels are not that good mainly because they try to rip off the feel of the original film, the only thing of value they bring is a higher production value which doesn't say much for how sincere the creators are or how compelling the movie itself is.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York falls in those same traps, we have a very similar plot setup which even the characters admit feels similar but it doesn't have that compelling energy or curiosity to it. I think unlike the last time, this time we know Kevin will be okay because the ridiculous novelty of seeing a child alone (albiet in a much bigger setting) and seeing him live on his own has kind of worn off. Kevin even felt kind of annoying here because he sure seems like a very seasoned adventurer with the way he carries himself in his interaction with adults. There's not... this sense that this is a child who's finding his way in a massive city.
The movie also feels like it's pigeon-holed to follow a certain path and that feels tiring to watch too. This is a problem with bigger comedies, when you have an extremely large setting and not enough stimulus to move the plot somewhere organically, you end up going in a lot of places that feel redundant, to see Kevin walking around New York looking for a plot beat to interact with just doesn't give off a lot of energy and charm in my opinion.
So yes, I ultimately did get kind of bored by the whole setup but there are some good things in it too. First of all, this movie is a gem in today's age, I mean how many Christmas comedies get made in this modern age? And if there are, most probably they are infused with some wide-appealing genre like PG-13 action just so they can convince people to show up. Second, Chris Columbus despite the movie's faults with pacing and a rehashed plot, I think has directed a really well made film. Everything looks gorgeous, the physical stunts all look really good and believable on screen and the film really showcases off New York in a great way, it feels like you're taking a trip for the city yourself. This is all before the movie settles on a few principal locations of story importance but those first few minutes at the start of watching the whole city is awesome.
And really, I think the familiarity of the plot isn't inherently bad, sure it feels tiring to me but I bet people enjoy this type of stuff: to watch the same kind of comedic antics but in a grander scale I guess isn't a big egregious crime especially in comedies but I just wish it had more originality to it.
Anyway, I don't mean to knock this film off completely, I'm glad it exists and I guess it is the most natural place a story like this could go to. And yes, despite getting bored, I did have a few laughs so that's good
6.5/10
