Sequels rarely outshine their predecessors, yet Home Alone 2: Lost in New York triumphantly blows the original completely out of the water. Home Alone 2 transforms the small scale suburban setting of Home Alone into a lavish, urban spectacle, embracing the grandeur of Manhattan, placing Kevin McCallister in a sprawling playground for his weapons and traps of mass destruction.

Not only does this film bring back cinema’s greatest antagonists Harry and Marv, but they also bring in Tim Curry to be an additional big bad guy! Instantly this outdoes the original.

John Williams’ score swells with operatic intensity, while the luxurious Plaza Hotel Kevin stays at and Tim Curry’s devilish concierge adds layers of theatrics unmatched by the modest McCallister home from the first film. Home Alone 2 is not a rehash but an amplification, an absolute holiday masterpiece. It is, quite literally, the Citizen Kane of Christmas comedies.