Home Alone 2: Lost in New York blows Elf out of the water. While both movies feature a theme of innocence versus the grim reality of life, Home Alone 2 beats Elf at every turn.

Home Alone 2 is far more believable movie than Elf. Though both movies require a suspension of disbelief to enjoy (how did such inept criminals break out of jail?), Elf requires much, much more. Watching an adult acting childish is unrelatable to both the adult and child viewers, but watching Kevin McCallister defend his home from the Sticky Bandits brings out the kid in all of us. Kevin’s actions inspire ingenuity in all viewers, and, c’mon, who hasn’t thought about how they would defend their house against would-be burglars at least once because of this movie? Home Alone 2 opens the gate to the realm of imagination and incredible dreams, while Elf just leaves viewers wondering what “Christmas spirit” is.

Home Alone 2 is a real feel-good tale that, while comedic for the most part, still has a number of heartfelt moments. It explores the ideas of friendship, family, and acceptance through sincere portrays, something Elf attempts to do through Buddy’s estranged relationship with his father, but ultimately fails to catch the viewers’ heartstrings. As the audience, we are able to contrast Kevin’s rather hilarious realization that he is home alone with his mother’s rather agonizing revelation. When Kevin finally meets his mother in front of the dazzling Christmas tree, the audience experiences a moment of genuine connection between the two. And yet, even with the heavier toned conclusion to the story, the movie ends with a funny moment of Kevin having spent too much money on room service.

When a family is settling down on a chilly December evening, they want a feature-length film to start watching at 10pm and bring them to midnight, when the kids will happily go to bed. With a two hour run time, Home Alone 2 completes this job perfectly. The 97 minute Elf, on the other hand, doesn’t, leaving viewers at an unsatisfying 11:30 pm and the kids screeching to stay up longer.

Home Alone 2 is a great sequel to an incredible first movie (which honestly makes for a just as great Christmas family movie, just without that giant Christmas tree), expanding on the Home Alone universe with a heart warming Christmas atmosphere, making for the best Christmas time family movie. Besides, who doesn’t like a cameo from their current president, Donald J. Trump?