Home Alone 2: Lost In New York

A sequel to 1990’s Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York follows Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister as he inadvertantly flies to New York City while his family, including mom Kate (Catherine O’Hara) and dad Peter (John Heard), ends up in Miami – with the narrative subsequently detailing Kevin’s solo exploits in the Big Apple and, eventually, his run-ins with Joe Pesci’s Harry and Daniel Stern’s Marv. There’s ultimately never a point at which Home Alone 2: Lost In New York feels like anything other than a shameless retread of its vastly superior predecessor, and yet it’s equally clear that the movie admittedly boasts (and benefits from) an ongoing emphasis on appealing, engaging elements – with Culkin’s predictably charming turn as the mischievous protagonist going a long way towards smoothing over the picture’s less-than-fresh atmosphere. (It doesn’t hurt, either, that the supporting cast boasts solid work from Eddie Bracken, Tim Curry, and Brenda Fricker, although, as expected, both Pesci and Stern scene-steal their way through the film’s second half.) The absurdly overlong running time (120 minutes!) prevents Home Alone 2: Lost In New York from working up much in the way of forward momentum, to be sure, as the movie’s been suffused with a whole host of subplots that can’t help but come off as either padded-out or entirely superfluous – with, at least, the whole thing rallying for an entertaining (and undeniably familiar) climax devoted to Kevin’s brutal treatment of Harry and Marv. The final result is a fairly unnecessary followup that nevertheless manages to sustain one’s interest for much of its two hours, with the undercurrent of mostly affecting sentimentality cementing Home Alone 2: Lost In New York‘s place as a just-good-enough holiday endeavor.

**1/2 out of ****