The Holiday Season means it’s time to dust off two of my favorite seasonal movies.
Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York have been near and dear to my heart ever since I was a kid. It all started from borrowing the VHS tapes from my grandma each year and it’s evolved to include my family now as my son clamors to watch these movies weekly.
While I’ve always loved both of the films, I’ve always thought Home Alone 2: Lost in New York was the better movie.
Before we unpack that statement, it’s important to note that these two movies are the exact same movie. The second film follows the first film’s plot almost exactly, it just puts protagonist Kevin McCallister in New York City instead of his home in Chicago.
I am old enough to have watched these both on VHS tapes, but I’m not old enough to have seen these when they were originally released. This may be the key to my perception. Some of my earliest memories of the films had me watching the sequel first before returning to the first one.
That may be the foundation for my opinion, but it isn’t the only reason.
I’ve always loved that Home Alone 2 took place in New York City. While admittedly a less likely scenario than the first film, this did create a more fun premise.
As a kid, who doesn’t want to take a vacation on their own. Kids get left home alone often as parents work or other circumstances necessitate it so being left at home in the first film always felt less exciting.
Traveling to New York and staying in the Plaza Hotel seemed so much fun. Not to mention all the fun sights throughout the city.
Second, Home Alone 2 featured some fun actors. Both Tim Curry and Rob Schneider make hilarious appearances as hotel staff. These two made some of Kevin’s antics funnier while the pizza guy from the first film didn’t quite have the reactions that Curry would muster.
John Candy is always a welcome sight and his chemistry with Catherine O’Hara in the first film is great. That said, having Curry and Schneider as the guest stars in the second film really outshines Candy’s appearance.
What also makes Home Alone 2 fun is there’s some progression rather than a reset button where nobody learned anything.
You see this first with Harry and Marv remembering the events of the first movie as they wander through the abandoned home. Although, that doesn’t do them much good.
Furthermore, Kevin is a bit more mature though that depends on how much growth a child can have at this point. And still, his family can still be hilariously awful as they don’t seem to have learned much in child care.
In the end, I think it’s the change in location along with Curry and Schneider’s appearances that really inch Home Alone 2 ahead of the first film.
That said, both are ridiculous and I love watching both films every year. What about you? Which Home Alone movie is your favorite? Are there other movies that are must-sees during the holidays? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.
Featured Image: 20th Century Studios (via Empire)
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