Home Alone 2: Lost in NYC - A darker side of Kevin?

Okay, so I finally watched Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Before this, I'd only seen snippets, but never the whole thing. First off, NYC looks AMAZING at Christmas. But something felt...different about Kevin this time around. Like, in the first movie, he's scared and reacting to the situation. Totally understandable for an 8-year-old. But in this one? He's way more aggressive and almost…calculating? Think about the scene in Duncan's Toy Chest. He actively taunts Mr. Duncan, then plants that recording to cause chaos. It's funny, sure, but also kinda mean-spirited, right? And that's before he even runs into Harry and Marv again. He's like a mini-sociopath with a trust fund (well, his dad's credit card, lol). My theory? The first Home Alone changed Kevin. He knows he can outsmart bad guys now. He's got this, like, superhero complex brewing. That's why he's so quick to start pranking people and rigging traps. It's not just self-defense anymore, it's almost...fun for him? What do you guys think? Am I reading too much into a Christmas movie, or did Kevin McCallister's stay-at-home vacation turn him into a tiny little menace? Also, is the turtle doves thing just pure saccharine or does it actually mean something profound? Still processing...