It is one of the most enduring debates in all movie fandom: which is best, Home Alone or Home Alone 2? For years fans have gone back and forth, with some favoring Home Alone’s more grounded slapstick comedy, others opting for the sequel’s more over-the-top violence. Now, Chris Columbus, who directed both comedy masterpieces, has issued his verdict.
Speaking on the Fade To Black podcast to promote Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club, director Chris Columbus landed on Home Alone 2, which may be a surprising choice for some fans of the films. Why? Because it has a “really violent” sense of humor.
“You know, it’s interesting,” Columbus began. “Home Alone 2 has this really violent sense of humor. It takes Home Alone 1 and takes it to the next level in terms of the third act. So, I really do love that.
“I don’t watch them that much, but when I see 2, it makes me laugh a little harder than 1. Because it’s absurd. It’s silly. You know? Marv gets electrocuted, he turns into a skeleton. There’s no reason for doing any of this. We just felt we could get away with it.”
1990’s Home Alone sees eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) defend his family home from two burglars, Joe Pesci’s Harry and Daniel Stern’s Marv. He does so by laying traps for the thieves, some of which spark Tom and Jerry-style violence any normal human would probably die from (the nail in the foot scene makes me wince every time).
1992’s Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, however, amps up the brutality, and sees Marv suffer the aforementioned electrocution as Kevin increases the voltage, high falls, and multiple bricks to the head (poor Marv). In short, Home Alone 2 includes multiple scenes with action that should result in instant death, but Harry and Marv keep on coming.
Whatever your favorite, it seems the first two Home Alone movies will remain in the past. Earlier this month, Columbus spoke out about why he doesn’t want Hollywood to remake the 1990 film, especially as it turns 35.
“I think Home Alone really exists as, not at this timepiece, but it was this very special moment, and you can’t really recapture that,” the filmmaker told Entertainment Tonight during a recent red carpet appearance. “I think it’s a mistake to try to go back and recapture something we did 35 years ago. I think it should be left alone.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
