It’s been 30 years since Home Alone hit the cinemas.
We recall with nostalgia how an eight-year-old troublemaker who’s left behind by his family turns out to be the hero. He devises over a dozen homemade boobytraps and uses them to thwart two dim-witted robbers who are attempting to burglarize McCallister’s home.
Here’s how we rank the top traps from this classic movie:
Tar-Covered Basement Steps – 3/5
Marv attempts to get out of the basement by going up the interior stairs. But Kevin has smeared the steps with tar, which makes him lose his shoes and socks. When Marv tries to take another step, he steps onto the nail and falls down screaming in agony. While painful, the nail through the foot isn’t as deadly as some of the traps that Kevin deploys around their home. But there’s the risk Marv could get a nasty tetanus infection that’s life-threatening.
Hot Doorknob -2/5
Harry walks right up to the front door then grabs the doorknob. Kevin has heated up the doorknob till it’s red hot. When Harry gets hold of the doorknob, it burns and brands him with an “M”. This booby trap doesn’t harm seriously. If it was extremely hot, his hands would have burst into flames.
Fake Light Bulb – 3/5
Marv breaks into the basement then starts fumbling for the light switch. Moments later, he stumbles on what appears to be a cord switch for the overhead light. He pulls it and an iron box flies through the laundry chute and hits him hard in the head. The iron leaves a soft plate mark on his right face. How he survived a four-pound steam iron dropping 15 feet is nothing short of a miracle as his eye sockets would’ve been damaged badly in real life.
Icy Stairs -3/5
One of the easy-peasy traps to execute, the icy stairs stops Marv from scaling the steps and getting into the McCallister home. Kevin pours water on the steps. Moments later, Marv slips and falls badly. He’s lucky to have escaped without life-threatening injuries. Because in real-life scenarios, many people suffer serious harm when such a misfortune happens.
Paint Cans -3/5
Kevin swings a paint can that hangs from the top railing to stop Marv and Harry. He waits for them to take a few steps then swings the paint can right on their heads. The boobytrap knocks the burglars back. As with other booby traps, the real extent of the damage doesn’t come out clearly. But with the weight and trajectory of the load, it’s very possible Marv and Harry would have sustained severe injuries.
Treehouse Rope – 4/5
The movie’s climax also happens to be the most dangerous for the two burglars. Kevin escapes from the main house to the treehouse that’s some meters away using a rope. Marv and Harry go through the upstairs window and scale the rope. Midway, Kevin cuts the rope using a pruning shears. And the two men swing with the other half of the rope and hit a brick wall. In real life, the impact and the subsequent fall would have been devastating, possibly resulting in death.
Blowtorch – 3/5
Harry tries sneaking into the house through the backdoor. When he pushes the door, he triggers a blowtorch that shoots a flame straight to his head lighting it on fire. Harry rushes out screaming and manages to put out the fire by dipping his head in the snow. Lucky for him, the fire dies out. In real life, Harry would be nursing serious burns.
Conclusion
Home Alone shows us the genius of a boy who’s determined to stop two burglars from breaking into their home. While scenes are comical, we can’t underestimate the potency of some of Kevin’s booby traps.
Next time you sit down and watch this movie with your family on Christmas, think about the pain or injuries a person would endure in real life.
