When the holidays roll around, one festive flick is at the top of many people’s to-watch lists: Home Alone. And for good reason! However, its sequel should also be a priority, seeing as it’s the better choice.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is superior in several ways, which is almost unheard of when it comes to sequels of successful movies. A controversial take, perhaps, but one I’m willing to stand by.
Home Alone is rightfully among the most popular Christmas films
Make no mistake—I believe that Home Alone is not only among the best Christmas movies on Disney+, but also one of the greatest of all time. It’s a must-watch during the holiday season. Who doesn’t love to see Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister outwit a couple of veteran criminals in the sanctuary of his own home during Christmastime? Plus, Chris Columbus’ 1990 comedy features numerous iconic scenes (like Kevin’s famous mirror scream and the chaotic pizza delivery) that won’t soon be forgotten.
Home Alone contains a fantastic mixture of slapstick comedy, heartwarming moments, and Christmas spirit. It’s nostalgic in all the best ways and caters to a wide audience. The film is a great watch for your entire family or friend group, which is partly why it has withstood the test of time and remained a popular pick during the holidays.
Ultimately, Home Alone has become synonymous with Christmas, and rightfully so. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s the best movie in the Home Alone franchise. Instead, I believe that title should go to its successor, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is the superior movie
Credit: Disney+
Despite the fact that Kevin technically isn’t “home alone” in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, the sequel is still better than the first installment in the franchise. Perhaps this is a hot take, but it’s one that I have had since the first time I watched the 1992 movie. I have always loved Home Alone, but once I saw the second film, I knew it was the superior choice and would always hold a special place in my heart.
For starters, Home Alone 2 feels much more festive than its predecessor because it takes place in New York City. Many people claim that New York is one of the best places to visit during the holiday season for a reason. There is something about New York that screams Christmas, and the Home Alone sequel takes full advantage of the city’s magic.
Kevin stays at the Plaza Hotel, which is decked out in merry decorations. He visits a beguiling toy store. He walks through the streets filled with bustling crowds, frantic to get last-minute Christmas shopping done. Kevin even goes to Rockefeller Center, which is home to a gigantic Christmas tree. All in all, Home Alone 2 embodies Christmas, making it impossible not to feel festive after watching it.
Additionally, the second Home Alone movie’s climactic scene is better than the first film’s. Of course, the traps that Kevin sets in his house for Harry and Marv (such as the searing doorknob and the blowtorch) are pretty unforgettable. That doesn’t mean that the minds behind the popular holiday movie didn’t up their game for the sequel.
Perhaps the best trap that Kevin set for the two criminals is the one that is arguably the deadliest and just so happens to take place in Home Alone 2. Well, it definitely would have killed Marv; as you may recall, Kevin greeted Harry and Marv by throwing bricks at them when they arrived at his uncle’s abandoned home.
Home Alone 2 also features Harry unknowingly dunking his burning head into a toilet filled with kerosene, Marv getting electrified, and more iconic traps. No one could forget when birds attacked Harry and Marv towards the end of the sequel, either. All these slapstick comedic moments are better than what the first film offers.
The final reason why Lost in New York is superior to Home Alone is its cast. The sequel features the addition of Tim Curry as the hotel’s obsessive and paranoid concierge, Brenda Fricker as the woman Kevin befriends in Central Park, Rob Schneider as the bellhop, and Dana Ivey as the desk clerk. All these actors make the film better, and they certainly make it much funnier than the first movie.
The first two Home Alone films are the only ones worth watching in the franchise
Credit: Disney+
Unfortunately, while Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is an exceptional follow-up to Home Alone and managed to surpass it, the same can’t be said for the rest of the movies in the franchise. Home Alone 3, Home Alone 4, Home Alone: The Holiday Heist, and Home Sweet Home Alone just don’t live up to their predecessors. Since they don’t feature Kulkin as Kevin, they frankly never stood a chance.
The good news is that Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York more than make up for the other films in the festive franchise. They are both among the best classic Christmas movies, after all. But even though the first movie is a standout, its sequel surpasses it in almost every way, meaning Lost in New York must be on your to-watch list this holiday season.
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