Home Alone VS Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

[Brundlefly 1362]

Basically the same like Jaws and Jaws 2, but the movies have not such a big range of quality.

 

I like the first film more, because it is not that violent and it has a certain charme that is not so present in the second film. A few moving dialogues from the first film are also copied for the sequel and just sound cheesy.

 

Both Home Alone scores are not among my favorites, but the second one is substantially based on the first score, so I prefer the latter.

[Þekþiþm 5413]

HA2 because it has Trump.

[Thor 2483]

HOME ALONE for film. For score, it's trickier. They're pretty even. But it's as if the second sounds "bigger" somehow; more lush. So perhaps I'll go for that.

[Stefancos 9623]

I prefer the first film simply because it's more original. Same for the first score I guess, though the difference in quality really isnt that substantial.

[publicist 3097]

'Home Alone': with its often chamber-sized Prokoviev/Tchaikovski tone it has more charm and also is vastly more uniquein JW's oeuvre than HA2, which really is a boilerplate for every such score after that (and there has been more than enough of that even in 2001).

[Naïve Old Fart 3474]

Although there's much to enjoy in the score for HOME ALONE 2, nothing beats SETTING THE TRAP, from the original.

HOME ALONE is a tender story about motherly love, wrapped up in a heist/adventure movie. The sequel is utterly redundant.

[Disco Stu 8880]

I suppose I pick the first for both, but I really do love "Christmas Star" from the second film a lot.  I wish the melody had been used more throughout the score, it's one of Williams' loveliest.

[Brundlefly 1362]

2 hours ago, Richard said:

HOME ALONE is a tender story about motherly love, wrapped up in a heist/adventure movie. The sequel is utterly redundant.

Well, that's clear and the film knows it and makes fun of it.

[Score_Fan 28]

As much of a basic, by the beats re-do of HA1 is, HA2 is quite charming and hilarious.

[Datameister 653]

Haven't seen either film. I prefer the first score - in the second one, the derivative stuff is derivative, and the new stuff just doesn't especially do it for me.

[Koray Savas 1464]

Guess I'm in the minority. I prefer Home Alone 2 for both film and score. The film is genuinely hilarious, and the score has everything that's great from the first and then some.

[Jay 12119]

Both films are childhood favorites, until I rewatched them as an adult I'd say I liked them equally.  Nowadays I appreciate the first film more, but the second has plenty of charm.

 

For the scores its harder to compare I think.  Ultimately, I have to like the first one more, its so straightforward and simple, to the point.  The second one has some amazing new themes and really fun action material, but isn't as cohesive as a listening experience... and many parts are too similar to the first.

[Tom 1139]

The first film has real heart, particularly with the old man Marley and the church scene (the bag-lady subplot of II doesn't even come close).  Plus Buzz is funnier in the first and not to mention John Candy. 

 

HA1 for score as well: so much charm, heart, and variety. 

[Koray Savas 1464]

I love John Candy but he's nothing in Home Alone compared to Tim Curry. 

[Disco Stu 8880]

Hmmmm, if I had to choose I'd pick "lovable goofball John Candy in timeless family classic" over "fun, hammy Tim Curry in unnecessary follow-up to a timeless classic that lacks the original's heart."

[John 2020]

Home Alone 2 because of this scene

 

[Brundlefly 1362]

4 hours ago, Tom said:

The first film has real heart, particularly with the old man Marley and the church scene (the bag-lady subplot of II doesn't even come close).  Plus Buzz is funnier in the first and not to mention John Candy. 

True. Whereas the Marley stuff is really touching and credible the scene with the pigeon lady is just exaggerated and superfluous.

[Koray Savas 1464]

3 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

Hmmmm, if I had to choose I'd pick "lovable goofball John Candy in timeless family classic" over "fun, hammy Tim Curry in unnecessary follow-up to a timeless classic that lacks the original's heart."

Unnecessary follow-up? I'd reserve that for the other sequels!

[Disco Stu 8880]

I'm glad for HA2's existence if only for the two great Williams Xmas songs it gave us, but it's an unnecessary retread that I thought took the cartoon violence to an outlandish degree and had none of the genuine emotion of the first.

 

I've never seen 3 or 4, why would I?!

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 4814]

I keep seeing Home Alone VHS.

[Brundlefly 1362]

I didn't even know there are five HA films for years!

[Tom 1139]

14 hours ago, Brundlefly said:

True. Whereas the Marley stuff is really touching and credible the scene with the pigeon lady is just exaggerated and superfluous.

my friend got nailed because there was a rumor he still wore dinosaur pajamas. 

[Koray Savas 1464]

On 5/17/2017 at 9:17 PM, Disco Stu said:

I'm glad for HA2's existence if only for the two great Williams Xmas songs it gave us, but it's an unnecessary retread that I thought took the cartoon violence to an outlandish degree and had none of the genuine emotion of the first.

 

I've never seen 3 or 4, why would I?!

Home Alone was always a live action cartoon. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern played those roles to perfection, and they're the ones that seal the deal of the sequel. 3 is actually not that bad. John Hughes wrote it, so it had some merit. Glennie-Smith's score is decent too. Would like to see a releas of it someday. Never bothered with 4. 

[mrbellamy 3610]

Home Alone 1 is probably a better movie in most respects but I think 2 has bigger laughs. I don't think I've ever listened to 2's score, though, come to think of it.

 

12 minutes ago, Koray Savas said:

3 is actually not that bad. John Hughes wrote it, so it had some merit. Glennie-Smith's score is decent too. Would like to see a releas of it someday. Never bothered with 4. 

 

Yeah I thought Home Alone 3 was pretty funny. The parrot's good. The trap setting sucks, though, because they used this instead of Williams...

 

 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 4814]

I don't know which to choose?

[Koray Savas 1464]

Oh man that brings back memories! 

[bollemanneke 1142]

Movie: definitely Home Alone because 2 is waaaay too long and unrealistic.

Score: hmm... probably 2 because of the two great carols. I mean, obviously 1's carols are amazing too, but the action music in 2 is also better.

[Bespin 3165]

Merry Christmas to everyone!

[Richard Penna 935]

On 5/20/2017 at 2:46 AM, Koray Savas said:

Home Alone was always a live action cartoon. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern played those roles to perfection, and they're the ones that seal the deal of the sequel. 3 is actually not that bad. John Hughes wrote it, so it had some merit. Glennie-Smith's score is decent too. Would like to see a releas of it someday. Never bothered with 4. 

 

Considering the usual diminishing, #3 is not a bad film - it's silly but fun. Glennie Smith's score functions perfectly well and I really dig that guitar riff that plays repeatedly when the cops rush to Alex's house. (I resorted to a DVD rip to get that)

 

At least we have a suite on the OST and the credits are clean.

[Borodin 150]

On 5/7/2017 at 6:37 PM, Brundlefly said:

Home Alone VS Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

 

I don't know, maaann, you're freakin me out.

[Borodin 150]

On 5/7/2017 at 8:47 PM, dougie said:

HA2 because it has Trump.

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 3474]

On 5/8/2017 at 12:29 PM, Brundlefly said:

Well, that's clear and the film knows it and makes fun of it.

Wrong.

It makes fun of the audience watching it.