Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is the 1992 sequel to the 1990 film Home Alone, and the second film in the series. Home Alone 2 was written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. It features Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, Devin Ratray, Kieran Culkin, and Gerry Bamman. Tim Curry, Rob Schneider, Dana Ivey, and Brenda Fricker are also featured.

Eddie Bracken, Ally Sheedy, Bob Eubanks and Donald Trump make cameo appearances. The movie was filmed in Oak Park, Illinois, Chicago, Miami, and New York City (which was star Culkin's hometown at the time). Also, the film became the second most successful film of 1992, earning over $173 million in revenue in the USA and over $358 million worldwide, but was badly received by critics.

Home Alone 3 followed in 1997, and Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House followed in 2002, both without Culkin in the lead roles.

Synopsis
The McCallister family prepares to spend Christmas in Miami. Kevin McCallister, Peter and Kate's youngest son, finds that "there's no Christmas trees" there. At the school's Christmas pangent, his older brother Buzz humiliates him during his solo, causing him to punch him in the stomach. Later, Buzz apologizes to him and the rest of the family, but he refuses to apologize and also reiterates his disgust with the family's decision to go to Miami before he storms up to the third floor bedroom of the house, wishing that he had his own money so he could go on his own vacation by himself. When Kate reminds him that he got his wish the year before and that maybe he will get it again this time, he replies, "I hope so!"

The McCallisters accidentally wake up late on the day of the flight due to Peter accidently resetting the clock. They hastily depart to Chicago O'Hare International Airport for the flight to Miami. While Kevin gets batteries for his, he follows a man who is wearing the same coat as Peter toward a flight to LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Once in Miami, the McCallisters realize that he did not make the flight and Kate faints.

Kevin gets scared by the appearance of a lady who is tending to pigeons before checking into the Plaza Hotel, which he had heard mentioned on a game show the night before, using Peter's credit card from his wallet. While there, he tours the city and visits Duncan's Toy Chest, where he meets the philanthropist owner, Mr. Duncan. He is told that the proceeds from the Christmas sales will go to the Children's Hospital. After donating some money, Mr. Duncan allows him to take a pair of ceramic turtle doves as a gift from the store's Christmas tree before instructing him to give one to another person for friendship. He runs into Harry Lyme and Marv Merchants, who have escaped from prison in Chicago to continue their robberies in New York City by changing their name from the "Wet Bandits" to the "Sticky Bandits", before returning to the Plaza. However, Mr. Hector, the hotel's concierge, confronts him about the credit card. He escapes, but runs into the bandits once again, where he uses his Talkboy to record their plans of robbing Duncan's Toy Chest that night before he flees by hiding in the back of a hansom cab.

While in a one-room motel in Miami, the McCallisters discover that Kevin has been found using Peter's credit card and is on the run. The family manages to fly to New York City and once at the Plaza, they confront the staff for letting him check into the hotel alone and letting him escape. Kate decides to find him against the advice of Peter and the staff, while Mr. Hector gives the family a complimentary suite. Kevin discovers a house belonging to his Uncle Rob being renovated. While in Central Park, he runs into the pigeon lady, only to get his foot caught in between some rocks. After she frees him, they watch a Christmas concert in a loft above Carnegie Hall. He discovers how her life has fallen apart and how she dealt with it by taking care of the pigeons in the park and he promises to be her friend. He returns to Uncle Rob's house to prepare a series of booby traps throughout it.

Kevin arrives at Duncan's Toy Chest during the break-in and photographs the bandits before he shatters the store's window and sets off the alarm by throwing a brick tied with a note to Mr. Duncan through it. They chase him and spring every trap in the house as he calls 911 from a phone booth. They trap him when he slips on a patch of ice and take him to Central Park, where they decide to kill him. When the pigeon lady discovers them, she throws a bucket of bird seed on the bandits which causes the pigeons to attack them while Kevin escapes. Shortly after he sets off fireworks he bought earlier to signal the police. Harry and Marv are arrested and the stolen money is recovered; furthermore, the police also have Kevin's photos and cassette to use as evidence against the pair. At the store, Mr. Duncan finds Kevin's note and realizes his role in stopping the bandits.

Meanwhile, Kate is looking for Kevin in Times Square, and comes across two police officers. She remembers his fondness for Christmas trees and asks them to take her to Rockefeller Center, finding him in front of the the tree. While there, the two reunite and reconcile as they return to the hotel.

A truckload of gifts from the toy store comes to the Plaza on Christmas Day as a reward for Kevin's foiling of the robbery, and Buzz suggests that had it not been for Kevin getting on the wrong flight, they would not be in this suite with the Christmas tree and gifts in the first place. So, he decides to allow him to open up the first present as a sign of reconciliation. While everyone else is opening their presents, he runs out to give the pigeon lady one of the two turtle doves Mr. Duncan gave him and reaffirms his promise. Meanwhile, Buzz receives Kevin's room service bill from his original stay, a service charge of $967.43. He calls out, "Kevin! You spent $967 on room service?!". Kevin immediately runs back to the hotel and the film ends.

Cast

 * Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister
 * Joe Pesci as Harry Lyme
 * Daniel Stern as Marv Merchants
 * John Heard as Peter McCallister
 * Catherine O'Hara as Kate McCallister
 * Devin Ratray as Buzz McCallister
 * Hillary Wolf as Megan McCallister
 * Maureen Elisabeth Shay as Linnie McCallister
 * Mike Maronna as Jeff McCallister
 * Gerry Bamman as Frank McCallister
 * Terrie Snell as Leslie McCallister
 * Jedidiah Cohen as Rod McCallister
 * Senta Moses as Tracy McCallister
 * Daiana Campeanu as Sondra McCallister
 * Anna Slotky as Brooke McCallister
 * Kieran Culkin as Fuller McCallister
 * Tim Curry as Mr. Hector
 * Rob Schneider as Cedric
 * Brenda Fricker as the Pigeon Lady
 * Eddie Bracken as E.F. Duncan

Track listing

 * 1) "All Alone On Christmas" (4:14) (Darlene Love)
 * 2) "A Holly Jolly Christmas" (2:14) (Alan Jackson)
 * 3) "Somewhere In My Memory" (3:58) (Bette Midler, composed by, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse)
 * 4) "My Christmas Tree" (2:35) (Home Alone Children's Choir, composed by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman)
 * 5) "Sleigh Ride" (3:44) (TLC)
 * 6) "Silver Bells" (4:15) (Atlantic Starr)
 * 7) "Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas" (2:40) (John Williams)
 * 8) "Christmas All Over Again" (4:15) (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) (Only included in the Home Alone Christmas album)
 * 9) "Jingle Bell Rock" (2:09) (Bobby Helms)
 * 10) "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (2:33)  (Not included in the soundtrack)
 * 11) "Cool Jerk (Christmas Mix)" (2:39) (The Capitols)
 * 12) "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" (2:14)
 * 13) "Christmas Star" (3:16) (John Williams)
 * 14) "O Come All Ye Faithful" (3:26) (Lisa Fischer) (Does not appear in the film) (Possibly a bonus track)

Score album
In addition, a CD with excerpts from the score by John Williams was issued in 1992. The track listing is as followed:


 * 1) Somewhere In My Memory 3:49
 * 2) Home Alone 2:01
 * 3) We Overslept Again 2:46
 * 4) Christmas Star 3:18
 * 5) Arrival In New York 1:41
 * 6) Plaza Hotel And Duncan's Toy Store 3:45
 * 7) Concierge And Race To The Room 2:04
 * 8) Star Of Bethlehem 3:28
 * 9) The Thieves Return 4:35
 * 10) Appearance Of Pigeon Lady 3:19
 * 11) Christmas At Carnegie Hall (O Come All Ye Faithful / O Little Town Of Bethlehem / Silent Night; 5:02)
 * 12) Into The Park (3:49)
 * 13) Haunted Brownstone (3:01)
 * 14) Christmas Star And Preparing The Trap (4:17)
 * 15) To The Plaza Presto (3:22)
 * 16) Reunion At Rockefeller Center (2:36)
 * 17) Kevin's Booby Traps (3:41)
 * 18) Finale (3:55)
 * 19) Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas (2:51)

Special edition album
On the film's tenth anniversary, released a two-disc special edition soundtrack, containing the previously noted cues along with additional compositions that were left out from the final film.

The complete track listing is as follows:

Disc One
 * 1) Home Alone (Main Title) (2:07)
 * 2) This Year’s Wish (1:47)
 * 3) We Overslept Again / Holiday Flight (3:19)
 * 4) Separate Vacations* (1:58)
 * 5) Arrival in New York** (2:59)
 * 6) The Thieves Return (3:28)
 * 7) Plaza Hotel (3:04)
 * 8) Concierge (1:31)
 * 9) Distant Goodnights (Christmas Star) (Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse) (2:05)
 * 10) A Day in the City (:59)
 * 11) Duncan’s Toy Store (2:41)
 * 12) Turtle Doves (1:29)
 * 13) To the Plaza, Presto (3:27)
 * 14) Race to the Room / Hot Pursuit (4:08)
 * 15) Haunted Brownstone (3:02)
 * 16) Appearance of the Pigeon Lady (3:21)
 * 17) Christmas at Carnegie Hall (5:15) O Come, All Ye Faithful / O Little Town of Bethlehem / Silent Night

Disc Two
 * 1) Christmas Star - Preparing the Trap (Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse) (4:22)
 * 2) Another Christmas in the Trenches (2:33)
 * 3) Running Through Town (1:16)
 * 4) Luring the Thieves* (4:02)
 * 5) Kevin’s Booby Traps (7:23)
 * 6) Down the Rope / Into the Park (5:06)
 * 7) Reunion at Rockefeller Center / It’s Christmas (5:21)
 * 8) Finale (2:00)
 * 9) We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Traditional) and Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas (Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse) (2:51)
 * 10) End Title (1:32)
 * 11) Holiday Flight (alternate) (2:32)
 * 12) Suite from “Angels with Filthy Souls II” (:56)
 * 13) Somewhere in My Memory (Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse) (3:57)
 * 14) Star of Bethlehem (Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse) (3:32)
 * 15) Christmas Star (Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse) (3:23)
 * 16) Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas (orchestra) (2:23)

Box office
The film opened to $31.1 million from 2,222 theaters, averaging $14,008 per site.While it started off better than the original, the final box office gross was much less. $173,585,516 was taken in domestically and $185,406,165 overseas. The film leaves with a total of $358,991,681 worldwide.

Reaction
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York was shunned by critics. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two out of four stars he commented that the film's gags were overly cartoonish and too sadistic. He also stated that "Cartoon violence only works well in cartoons, which makes it funny only in cartoons. Most of the live-action attempts to duplicate animation have failed, because when flesh-and-blood figures hit the pavement, we can almost hear the bones crunch, and it isn't funny." Another critic called the film "Money grubbing sequelitis at its most pathetic." One critic went so far as to say that Kevin was the true villain of the film. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 21%"Rotten" rating with Critics, and a 62% rating with Users.

Despite the negative reviews from critics and a box office success, the film has since gained a cult following.