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Every year, millions of viewers succumb to the captivating cinematic magic of Home Alone. The classic Christmas-time tale tells the story of Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old perceptive boy. After being left behind by his Paris-bound family, he must stay to defend his home from two burglars. Those same two burglars, known as Harry and Marv, endure an unmindful string of handmade booby traps orchestrated by Kevin himself. Carefully created, the baited traps assist in making the robbery less effective. After every rewatch, Home Alone fans remain puzzled as to how Harry and Marv managed to survive the entire ordeal. Let’s take a look at the 10 most painful booby traps in Home Alone.
10. BB Gun To The Forehead
During their initial plan to enter the house, Harry realizes that Kevin has a BB gun. After he eats a pellet, Marv takes a turn in entering. Low and behold, he also eats a pellet right to the forehead. Realistically, he would have undoubtedly suffered a concussion. Nevertheless, Marv wails in agony as he feels the effects of the shot. While other Home Alone booby traps are far more painful, this one still gives viewers a headache.
9. Zip-Line Disaster
Amidst the film’s insanely clever traps, Harry and Marv encounter a zip-line connecting from the main home to Kevin’s tree house. Believing that they have him right where they want him, the pair begin their journey across. However, they didn’t anticipate Kevin equipping himself with a hedge cutter. Kevin eventually cuts the line, causing The Sticky Bandits to smash into a brick wall. As such, this tactic makes for one seriously painful booby trap.
8. Crowbar To The Abdomen
Following their zip-line disaster, Harry and Marv eventually catch up with Kevin. However, he uses a tarantula to slip away after placing it on Marv’s face. Fearing that the tarantula crawled onto Harry’s stomach, Marv equips himself with his crowbar and smashes it onto Harry’s abdomen. Truthfully, this stunt would have broken several ribs, though Harry manages to pop back up with annoyance. Still, it’s one of the more realistically painful stunts. Furthermore, it’s a self-inflicted trap by his own friend.
7. Slipping On Ice
Leaving his ice skates at home, Harry endures one of the most statistically painful traps in the first Home Alone. As he prepares to enter the house through the front door, he manages to slip on the large sheet of ice covering the steps. As he’s unwarrantedly soaring through the air, he might have figured he should have stayed home instead. Realistically, he would have left in an ambulance, as he likely would have broken several vertebrae. He might have even broken his neck or spine, leaving him completely paralyzed. Nevertheless, he simply gets up and continues.
6. Glass Stepping Stones
One of the most painful Home Alone booby traps happens when Marv smashes his bare feet through a layer of glass ornaments. Believing his plan to be completely sneaky, the taller Sticky Bandit orchestrates an idea to enter the house through an open window. Unbeknownst to him, the area has been carefully trapped and prepared for this exact scenario. Marv’s feet would have suffered incredible pain and damage, which would have likely required several hours in the emergency room and stitches to fix the wounds. As such, this remains one of the most painful booby traps in the film.
5. Stepping On A Nail
Marv’s feet undeniably suffered throughout the entirety of the Christmas classic. Before smashing his feet through glass ornaments, Marv attempts to enter the McCallister Home through the basement. After stepping on tar-covered steps, Marv’s exposed feet press onto a sharp nail. The sheer pain causes him to fall backward off the stairs. Not only would the pain be nearly unbearable, but he would likely require urgent medical attention. As such, Marv’s nail mishap makes for one of the most painful booby traps.
4. Iron Knockout
Easily one of the most deadliest and painful traps in Home Alone, Kevin triggers an iron to fall down the home’s laundry chute. After Marv tugs at a string, the iron comes tumbling down in a hurry before smacking Marv directly in the face. Not only would this injury cause a severe concussion, but it also had the potential to actually kill him. Therefore, this scene cements its legacy as one of the most painful booby traps in the entire movie.
3. Touching Fire
Any time skin meets scorching temperatures, it never ends well. While Harry comes up with a plan to sneak in the house through the front door, his plans quickly reach an unfortunate roadblock. As Harry goes to open the door, the searing-hot doorknob immediately burns his hand, causing an immense amount of pain. Frantically, he slides down the icy steps and sticks his burning hand in the freezing snow. Despite the cold attempting to cool the burn, Harry would require serious medical assistance for the third-degree burns.
2. Paint Can Punch
If ever there was a trap in this movie that carried a potential for possible death, then the paint can definitely take the cake. As Harry and Marv strenuously attempt to capture Kevin, their plan quickly proves to be ineffective as Kevin launches several cans of paint in their direction. Even if absolute death isn’t the logical conclusion, then at the very least, they would have been knocked out. Furthermore, the pair would have found themselves surely concussed.
1. Fire To The Skull
Arguably, the most painful of Kevin’s booby traps comes when Harry finally enters the McCallister’s home. While his entrance is made to be easy, he soon realizes that perhaps he should have snuck through a window like Marv did. The opening of the door immediately triggers a blowtorch set by Kevin, and the top half of Harry’s head is caught on fire. Despite the agonizing pain, much like his hand, Harry would need to seek immediate help for the burns. Nevertheless, his hatred for Kevin proves to provide him the most determination. As such, this is the most painful of the many booby traps in Home Alone.
