home alone take everyone by surprise when it become the top money earner of 1990. director chris columbus and writer or producer john hughes and most of the cast and production staff reunite two year later for this sequel and home alone 2 represent lose in new york . but the cynic in one have to ask and do we really need a sequel to home alone . it feel like everyone have return because they know they have a sure fire hit on their hand rather than any press concern to continue this story arc . this be chris columbus first time direct a sequel and and a expect and he fall into the exact same trap that cripple many a sequel . he fail to do anything different with it . it may have trade in be leave at home for the city of new york and but it still the same exact story a last time . kevin mccallister ( macaulay culkin and obnoxious a ever ) be separate from his family at christmas . he enjoy the freedom to do whatever he want . until thing turn sour . the burglar be back and and just happen to be in new york as well . he set up another mine field of home make booby trap for them . the lonely snow shoveller from pt 1 have be replace with a lonely pigeon lady . she rescue him . he get reunite with his family . home alone 2 feel like a much more calculated attempt to recreate the successful element of home alone . the first be not quite a holiday classic and but it be reasonably successful . due to john hughes fine screenplay rather than anything on columbus part . pt 2 stick to the formula lay out by pt 1 with an almost alarming reverence . it tick off each situation like a check list . and i be afraid the fault for that lie with john hughes . his script have none of the tiny amusement or sharp insight that propel the first film . he just copy his own screenplay and and graft it onto a new setting . i think it be around this point that john hughes sell himself out to hollywood . nowadays he only churn out increasingly formulaic fluff . merely the same concept with whole different actor . chris columbus have also borrow an idea or two from his debut feature and adventure in babysitting . the story of four kid lose on the street of chicago one night . that film always seem like a missed opportunity to me . chris columbus be far too bland a a filmmaker . he play the whole situation too safely and and never really get the best out of it . in fact when i first saw it and i think if it have be make by john hughes and it could have be a much good film . i be hop for that with home alone 2 and but unfortunately i do not get it . this be an even great disappointment . columbus blandness couple with hughes lack of imagination all add up to a very boring film . home alone 2 never really ignite . it miss the natural warmth and amusing development of the first film by a mile . there be something almost mechanical to it all . like watch different plot point click into place at exact moment . but the one thing that really work against the film be macaulay culkin . home alone get a lot of mileage from young kevin innocent and wide eyed view of his predicament . by this point and that innocence have all but go . culkin precocity have completely take over and and now he just an obnoxious brat we couldn not care less about . it impossible to feel for his plight because he so unlikable . and have him mouth inane sentiment in a shallow attempt to make him seem wise only irritate . they lack any conviction and hollow out an already empty film . we do get a few amusement from some of the new member of the cast . tim curry get a few laugh a the manager of the plaza hotel . in a performance seemingly model on basil fawlty and his grow suspicion of kevin be pretty funny and even if he a bit stupid to be suckered in by kevin trick . and dana ivey and rob schneider fill out the cast nicely a the equally suspicious ( and equally stupid ) hotel staff . but nothing else work . there be time when home alone 2 think it be really clever and by drop in know reference to the first film and in a vain attempt to make you think this be not a rehash . but it be . and it not above reuse the same gag either . we even get another film that kevin use to dupe people with . which also happen to be a sequel . you can almost imagine chris columbus and john hughes pat themselves on the back at time like that . of course what people come to see the movie for be harry and marv ( joe pesci and daniel stern ) go through another of kevin obstacle course . but where it prove to be the comic high point of the first film and chris columbus have blow it up to absurd proportion for this one . the trap in pt 1 be at least keep within the boundary of plausibility and but sadly columbus have throw all that out the window . it amazing theyre still breathe and much less walk after the thing they go through this time . they even fall off the top of a building with no apparent after effect . it at this point you realise youre watch the live action equivalent of a looney tune cartoon . only not a funny . i do not even want to talk about the improbable and contrive happy end . home alone 2 be a real stinker . it never as funny a it like to think it be and or a warm either . it just a pointless sequel that only reveal a blatant calculation at the heart of the enterprise . another bland film from the drab chris columbus and and the start of the sad decline of john hughes once proud career .