Home Alone 2: Lost in Absurdity
A Google search of "Home Alone is better than Home Alone 2" provides pretty much nothing but reasons why the sequel is superior. Maybe I'm the only one, but I think Home Alone 2 takes all the unbelievable, unlikely, and yeah right moments from the first movie and tries to push the implausibility needle as far as it can go. There are plot holes in the first Home Alone, for sure. You're telling me that the power goes out in a house with over ten people in it, and nobody wakes up early? Everyone just sleeps until the doorbell rings? I mean, that's the whole movie right there.
But in Home Alone 2, one - count it, one - clock in the entire house is unplugged, and everyone oversleeps again. Uncle Frank even comments that they give the worst wake-up calls. And for Peter to be so incompetent with the alarm clock, how on Earth can he afford that house? He's probably run his company into the ground with his stupidity.
They go to a Christmas concert at the kids' school, which Buzz promptly ruins by being, well, Buzz. Concert's ruined, and when Kevin realizes it, he shoves Buzz in what could arguably be self-defense, since he doesn't know what all Buzz is doing back there. This causes a chain reaction that ruins the concert further, but it was already ruined. Kate jumps up and yells at Kevin. She must be the worst mother in the world to blame Kevin for what Buzz had done. This, of course, doesn't actually lead to anything because Kevin makes it to the airport. It's a color-by-numbers of the original movie.
In order for the movie to work, the following have to happen:
They have to be running late (solution - Peter unplugs one alarm clock).
Kevin has to be so concerned with putting batteries in his Talkboy that he's willing to risk losing sight of his family, who are running away from him as fast as they can (solution - [SCENE MISSING]).
Kevin has to end up at a different gate (solution - A guy who looks identical to Kevin's dad comes in, also running. I know people dressed identically run through airport terminals all the time).
Kevin has to be able to get on the other plane (solution - his ticket/boarding pass, which is in a paper American Airlines folder, gets mixed up with a stack of boarding passes that are clearly not in any envelopes. Then the inept airline employees don't bother skimming through the boarding passes, which would have taken maybe two minutes. They just let him board instead, telling him to take whatever free seat he can find without first determining whether or not he is in first class (where he could easily be since that's where his "dad" is) or coach).
Kevin has to not know he's on the wrong plane (solution, he puts on his headphones right before the flight attendant announces their destination, and presumably keeps them on for the entire flight so that he doesn't hear any of the pilot's messages (he gets off the plane still no knowing he's on the wrong flight)).
He also is fortunate to have all of his father's money and credit cards.
Oh, and the flight to Chicago to New York is the same length as the Chicago to Miami flight. It goes on and on.
I like both movies. But if the premise of Home Alone is preposterous, the entirety of Home Alone 2 is just one absurdity after another. The only thing I can think of that would explain why peoplelike it better is because it's set in New York. Because that's so rare.
Check out this article for more unless you've tuned me out already. I don't blame you. Everyone likes the sequel better. For some reason.
