By Aaryan Doshi and Vaughn Kraynak – Staff Reporters

The 1992 sequel “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” takes Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) on another hilarious and heartwarming adventure. The movie is directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes, the movie shifts the action from Kevin’s suburban home to the lively streets of New York City, creating an exciting and festive atmosphere. 

This time, Kevin gets separated from his family at the airport and accidentally boards a flight to New York while his family heads to Florida. Alone in the city, Kevin uses his father’s credit card to check into the luxurious Plaza Hotel and explore famous landmarks like Central Park and Rockefeller Center. Everything seems great until Kevin runs into Harry and Marv, the burglars from the first movie, who are now plotting to rob a toy store on Christmas Eve. Determined to stop them, Kevin creates an abandoned townhouse with creative and hilarious traps. As the crooks fall for every one of Kevin’s tricks, the movie delivers plenty of laughs. Along the way, Kevin becomes friends with a kind lonely pigeon lady in Central Park, learning about the importance of kindness, forgiveness, and family.

Macaulay Culkin is great as Kevin, combining cleverness, humor, and charm. The new setting of New York City makes the story feel bigger and more exciting, especially with its magical Christmas decorations and famous landmarks. Kevin’s traps are even crazier than in the first movie, with everything from falling bricks to exploding paint cans, creating moments that are both ridiculous and hilarious. The film also has touching moments, especially Kevin’s friendship with the pigeon lady and the subplot about Mr. Duncan, the generous toy store owner who donates to children in need. These scenes balance the comedy with heartfelt holiday messages about giving and caring for others.

The movie follows a similar plot to the original, making it feel predictable at times. Some of the traps and slapstick humor are so exaggerated they’re hard to believe, especially with how much Harry and Marv endure. Kevin’s family doesn’t get much development, and their scenes mostly revolve around trying to find him again. Also, the characters outside of Kevin lack development. Kevin’s family, once again, is only focused on trying to find him after he gets lost. They don’t have much to do or grow as characters, which weakens the emotional impact of the film. The main focus is on Kevin and the burglars, so the supporting characters don’t get as much attention, leaving them feeling one-dimensional.

Overall, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” is a fun sequel that brings back the humor and charm of the original movie. With its New York setting, creative pranks, and heartwarming moments, it’s a movie that families can laugh and smile at together every Christmas season.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars