Once again, it is Christmas time, and the McCallister family is planning another vacation, only this time they are bound to go to Miami, Florida. Unfortunately, at the airport, Kevin separates from the rest of his family and goes to New York City. Kevin will soon realize that he will not only be alone in a big city with a luxury suite at the Plaza. He will also reunite with his rivals Harry and Marv, who are planning to rob a toy store. Kevin plans to defeat the bandits once and for all by using traps to defeat them and save Duncan's Toy Chest. Following the events of the phenomenal classic: Home Alone (1990), we are reunited with the whole cast who return with a brilliant sequel. Writer John Hughes and Director Chris Columbus also return alongside the magnificent composer John Williams who all worked on the first film. Just like the last movie this one manages to delight and entertain audiences once again, me especially. I loved this film just as much as the first as it delivered some amazing comedic scenes, heartfelt moments and an overall exciting Christmas adventure. Although this film gets some bad reviews, I tend to pay no mind since despite its few faults, this movie is just so good and doesn't deserve all the flack it gets. Kevin's family must have the worst parents in cinema history ever because why would you go on another family vacation at Christmas again after the traumatic repercussion of the first film? To do it again a year later just seems so bizarre as if they hadn't learned their lesson, especially when they sleep in once again. However, things do go okay, to a point. Kevin makes it much further but accidentally boards the wrong plane at the airport. With his father's card, he checks in at the Plaza hotel where we are introduced to a set of great characters and moments. The Hotel Staff add a whole extra level of humour to the film, especially since Tim Curry plays the Plaza Hotel concierge and every scene he is in just stupendous. He has some of the best facial expressions and deliveries ever and this film was no exception. I particularly love the sequence where Kevin uses a gangster spoof movie (similar to the way he used it in the last one) to trick the Hotel Staff. The whole ordeal is just incredible and everyone's reactions to the situation are priceless. Alongside making some enemies Kevin does make some friends in the form of toy shop owner Duncan and the Pigeon Lady. Kevin helps them out and comforts them as they help him with his issues. However, once again the highlights of this film are the return of Harry and Marv and the onslaught of traps used against them. There are some unbelievable traps used in this film, which are deadlier than the last and I would go as far as to say even funnier. Even though there are some repeated traps, there are a few twists to them and changes. For example, in the previous one, Kevin throws two paint cans attached to a rope at the two intruders down the stairs, which is repeated however with an added third part catching the bandits off guard. I will never get over one of the traps that has never ceased to leave me in side-splitting agony from laughter being the moment when Marv tries to use a tap at a sink which Kevin has electrically charged. The moment he touches it he starts his marvellous scream we all know from the first film and as he does his hair stands on end. Kevin turns it up to the point where Marv's skeleton is shown and still screaming before being released and returning to normal. Comedy at its finest. Overall, this film is a decent sequel that adds more whilst referencing the previous instalment. It has a combination of a heartwarming story and rich amounts of comedy laced throughout making it ideal viewing for the entire family during the festive season. There is also a none connected 3rd follow-up with a new family in Home Alone 3 (1997).
