Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Chris Columbus, 20th Century Fox, PG 120 Minutes.
Following his huge hit with ‘Home Alone’ filmmaker Chris Columbus reteams with Macaulay Culkin in his hilarious 1992 sequel in which Kevin reluctantly agrees to accompany his family-including parents Kate (Catherine O’Hara) and Peter (John Heard)-on their Florida holiday.
However, during the family’s furious dash to catch their plane Kevin is left behind mistakenly boarding the flight to New York just as Kate senses in the time elapsed that Kevin is missing again from their family group.
After arriving in Florida Kate and Peter immediately tell the police of their son being lost, unaware that Kevin is in New York with his dad’s bag containing cash and credit cards.
Wasting no time Kevin uses his dad’s credit card to book into the plush Plaza Hotel watched rather suspiciously by the concierge (Tim Curry – ‘Congo’) while the bellman (Rob Schneider – ‘Judge Dredd’) carries Kevin’s bag to his suite and receives a disappointing tip.
Still suspicious of the McCallister booking the concierge rushes to the suite to speak to Kevin’s father but is fooled by Kevin using an expedient dummy to impersonate his dad having a shower causing the concierge to apologise.
During Kevin’s visit to Duncan’s Toy Shop he meets Mr Duncan (Eddie Bracken – ‘Vacation’) before being shocked at bumping into Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) the inept duo from his earlier encounter and then escaping from their clutches.
On learning of their plan to rob the store Kevin sets up some booby-traps nearby only to be caught by the culprits and then saved by the Pigeon lady (Brenda Fricker – ‘Moll Flanders’), who used her birds to attack the bumbling bandits.
When Kevin is finally reunited with his family on Christmas Eve it’s his crafty brother Buzz who accepts the hotel bill detailing the excessive expenses Keven charged to his dad’s credit card and causes an uproar.
Columbus has certainly crafted a fun-filled family Christmas movie with many memorable scenes, especially where Kevin replays a gangster movie scene to force the concierge and other staff to apologise using the words “Merry Christmas ya filthy animals.”
Of course the major highlight beside the entertaining storyline is the perfect performance of Culkin in a Christmas movie considered one of the best ever released alongside ‘Home Alone’.
Home Alone 2 is to be televised on 7flix on Friday 18 December at 6.00pm.
Vic’s Verdict: 4 Stars
