History Main / HomeAloneAntics

## Gratuitous [[GroinAttack shot to the crotch]] resulting in cartoony sound effect (TheDragon being hit in the crotch by a baseball with a "thunk!" sound) -- check!\\
## Unfunny dialogue hoping to be turned into an obnoxious catch phrase (KidHero doing a hammy "that's gotta huuuurrrttt!" in response to the villains getting hurt) -- check!\\

[[quoteright:300:[[Film/HomeAlone https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/151112_cbox_home_alone_battle_planjpgcroppromo_xlarge2.jpg]]]]

->''"What's that movie that everybody was trying to rip off at that point in time? Oh! ''Film/HomeAlone''! And I just so happen to have the ''Home Alone'' ripoff checklist right here!"''

[[TropeNamers Named after]] and [[TropeCodifier popularized]] by ([[OlderThanTheyThink but not started by]]) ''Film/HomeAlone'', "Home Alone" Antics are an unusually specific trope. At its most well-known form, a kid sets traps in or around a house, and bad guys who are after the kid (or the house, or something inside the house) end up getting hurt by the traps.

* ''Film/HomeAlone'' is the TropeNamer and TropeCodifier. The majority of the film is actually about a boy's attempts to live on his own after his family accidentally leaves him at home when they go on vacation, and how he manages buying food, tricking people into thinking there are others in the house, and so on. However, the movie is overwhelmingly remembered for its third act, which consists of the boy MacGyvering various traps around his house to deal with two bumbling robbers trying to break in and rob the place, followed by said robbers getting caught in the traps and suffering plenty of AmusingInjuries. The traps only get more violent and extreme in the second movie.[[note]]Wrestler/author Wrestling/MickFoley, for his second autobiography, recounts how, out of curiosity, he had a doctor watch the sequel with him; the doctor concluded at least half the traps would be fatal more likely than not, and all would cause immensely severe injuries. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WKgNyvsNDM Broken down rather nicely here.]][[/note]] It should be pointed out that, in at least the first two ''Home Alone'' films, some of the traps were made worse, or entirely created, by the bad guys as they bumbled around. In fact, in both movies, Kevin was caught and would have been killed if there wasn't an intervention by an adult. In the first, the bad guys even catch up to Kevin early, and would have killed him had Kevin not been lucky enough to be within arm's reach of his brother's spider.

* ''Film/YankeeZulu'', while still having it PlayedForLaughs, takes it UpToEleven. The film contains over 10 minutes of purely a young Prince William ([[ItMakesSenseInContext yes, that Prince William]]) and a young South African girl borderline torturing the antagonist couple in a series of increasingly dangerous traps. At some point they make the man believe he's dead, only to get him to sit in a tub filled with highly flammable liquid and offer him a cigarette. While they do both get permanently injured to some extent (especially the man, who suffers major burns), they would have certainly been dead if not for the partially played AmusingInjuries trope.

** Special mention has to go to the ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' incarnation of Fred, who loves Traps as much as Daphne. This time the world exists in a universe where building traps is a hobby of import enough to warrant a magazine devoted to them and has notable celebrities in the field of building traps... and Fred is very much on track to become one. While Fred does act as the trap builder in almost every incarnation of the character, it's very notable in that this version [[UpToEleven turns the dial up to 11, rips it off, and then builds a trap for a dial that goes to 12]] and that these traps eschew the franchises' typical humor by working as intended from the outset without losing their Rupegoldberg nature.

-->-- '''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic''' [[https://youtu.be/g_dh6qDtiv4!t=1061 reviewing]] ''Film/BlankCheck''

* A regular occurance on ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo'' after a LetsSplitUpGang when Scooby and Shaggy are on the run from the monster of the week, then set up some kind of elaborate scenario in order to confuse the monster. Notable, in that while the scenarios tend to work as planned, the break in manners that still end up catching the bad guy.

This is the {{Lighter and Softer}} version of ProtectThisHouse, and a variant of the HumiliationConga. A subtrope of {{Slapstick}} and by extension, DieHardOnAnX. Related to HomeFieldAdvantage, as the kid is probably setting up the traps in his own home or some place he's more familiar with than his opponents.

** [StoryBreakerTeamUp Michael Myers and the Wet Bandits end up switching targets]] from their respective movies. The bandits end up terrified before dying from Laurie's traps while Myers is completely implacable to Kevin's traps before cornering and strangling him.

* ''Film/ThreeNinjas'' includes a scene early on where kidnappers are tripped by traps set by the brothers. It's actually a double subversion since the kids' first plan was to call the police, especially since the robbers have guns, but decide to do it anyway to convince their dad that their grandfather is a good teacher.

* Similarly parodied in a ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' sketch where [[StoryBreakerTeamUp Michael Myers and the Wet Bandits end up switching targets]] from their respective movies. The bandits end up terrified before dying from Laurie's traps while Myers is completely implacable to Kevin's traps before cornering and strangling him.

[[TropeNamers Named after]] and popularized by ([[OlderThanTheyThink but not started by]]) ''Film/HomeAlone'', "Home Alone" Antics are an unusually specific trope. At its most well-known form, a kid sets traps in or around a house, and bad guys who are after the kid (or the house, or something inside the house) end up getting hurt by the traps.

%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!

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[[TropeNamers Named after]] and popularized by ([[OlderThanTheyThink but not started by]]) ''Film/HomeAlone'', Home Alone Antics are an unusually specific trope. At its most well-known form, a kid sets traps in or around a house, and bad guys who are after the kid (or the house, or something inside the house) end up getting hurt by the traps.

There can be variations on the concept. It doesn't have to be a kid who sets the traps or tricks the bad guys - in fact, in one movie, it was a ''dog''. The traps don't always need to be "set"; they can be part of the architecture/environment. However, the one required aspect is [[TheFamilyForTheWholeFamily dumb/goofy villains]] being tricked into falling for the traps in a comedic manner.

!!Examples include:

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder:Film - Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' has an unusual case -- the [[AnimateInanimateObject Enchanted Objects]], upon realizing that they won't be able to keep the AngryMob out of the castle, decide to assemble in the foyer, freeze, and let the humans break in. As soon as [=LeFou=] grabs Lumiere to get a better look at things, the candelabra shouts "Now!" and all of the objects begin to attack and/or frighten the mob in various ways, ranging from the Wardrobe jumping off a balcony onto several men to the Footstool tricking others into the kitchen, whereupon the utensil drawers spring open to reveal knives standing at attention and the stove blazes and roars. In short, the defenders ''are'' the traps. This manages to ShooOutTheClowns, leaving only Gaston to actually confront the Beast in the second half of the film's climax. As this film was originally released a year after ''Home Alone'', one of the kid-skewing television ads for it actually focused on this sequence, even using the phrase "home alone" in the announcer's voiceover.

[[folder: Film - Live Action]]

* ''Film/HomeAlone'' is the TropeNamer and TropeCodifier. The majority of the film is actually about a boy's attempts to live on his own after his family accidentally leaves him at home when they go on vacation, and how he manages buying food, tricking people into thinking there are others in the house, and so on. However, the movie is overwhelmingly remembered for its third act, which consists of the boy MacGyvering various traps around his house to deal with two bumbling robbers trying to break in and rob the place, followed by said robbers getting caught in the traps and suffering plenty of AmusingInjuries. The traps only get more violent and extreme in the second movie.[[note]]Wrestler/author Wrestling/MickFoley, for his second autobiography, recounts how, out of curiosity, he had a doctor watch the sequel with him; the doctor concluded at least half the traps would be fatal more likely than not, and all would cause immensely severe injuries. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WKgNyvsNDM Broken down rather nicely here.]][[/note]]
** It should be pointed out that, in at least the first two Home Alone films, some of the traps were made worse, or entirely created, by the bad guys as they bumbled around. In fact, in both movies, Kevin was caught and would have been killed if there wasn't an intervention by an adult. In the first, the bad guys even catch up to Kevin early, and would have killed him had Kevin not been lucky enough to be within arms reach of his brother's spider.
* ''Film/MouseHunt'' replaces the child with [[AnimalNemesis a rodent]], with the traps being the work of the same humans they later backfire on, [[WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry Tom & Jerry]] style.
* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'''s climax featured Nancy fighting off Freddy Krueger with booby traps and improvised anti-personnel devices the heroine [[ChekhovsGun had been studying earlier in the film]].

* ''Film/ThreeNinjas'' included a scene early on where kidnappers were tripped by traps set by the brothers. It's actually a double subversion since the kids' first plan was to call the police, especially since the robbers have guns, but decide to do it anyway to convince their dad that their grandfather is a good teacher.

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in ''Film/SpyHard'': A bunch of secret agents chasing a CaptainErsatz of [[Film/HomeAlone Kevin McAllister]] through a house simply evade and defuse all of the traps.

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

* In an episode of ''Series/TheDickVanDykeShow'' while Rob is away Laura watches a scary movie on TV and is afraid that someone will break into the house. Milly comes over and they set booby-traps at the front door etc. so that whoever might break in will make a loud noise so they can bean him with a baseball bat. Naturally, Rob comes home earlier than expected and trips the homemade alarm.

[[folder: Newspaper Comics ]]
* One ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' strip has Calvin's parents come home to find a house full of booby traps, because Calvin watched a scary movie while they were out and then rigged up defenses against a monster attack.

[[folder: Professional Wrestling ]]
* In a Falls Count Anywhere match in 2010, Wrestling/ChavoGuerreroJr takes on Wrestling/{{Hornswoggle}}. The match ends in the hallways backstage with a paint can from an unknown source hitting Chavo in the face and knocking him out, allowing Hornswoggle to easily pick up the victory. Creator/MacaulayCulkin even makes a cameo appearance.

[[folder: Puppet Shows ]]
* The episode "Home Alone Sweep" from ''[[Series/TheSootyShow Sooty and Co]]'' has Sweep left home alone. He hears sounds outside and starts setting traps for the burglars. [[spoiler:However, it turns out that the 'burglar' was actually Matthew, who ends up falling into all of his traps.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder:Web Originals]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' episode "Tails in Charge", Tails sets traps for Scratch and Grounder to get back at them for [[TakenForGranite turning Sonic to stone]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1992'': An episode did this. Ariel was grounded (or "beached") at the palace while Triton was away, and had to stop two saltwater crocodile thieves from looting the palace.
* ''WesternAnimation/MrBogus'':
** In the first act of the episode "[[Recap/MrBogusS1E5ShopAroundTheClock Shop Around The Clock]]", Bogus sets up a series of tactics and scenarios in order to stop Jake and Butch from stealing a priceless crown from the department store. These include controlling a pair of fishing pants, dressing himself up as a conductor to use music instruments to attack Butch, and controlling a fisherman dummy to chase away the two baddies.

* A regular occurance on ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo'' after a LetsSplitUpGang when Scooby & Shaggy are on the run from the monster of the week, then set up some kind of elaborate scenario in order to confuse the monster. Notable, in that while the scenarios tend to work as planned, the break in manners that still end up catching the bad guy.

** Special mention has to go to the ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' incarnation of Fred, who loves Traps as much as Daphne. This time the world exists in a universe where building traps is a hobby of import enough to warrent a magazine publishment devoted to them and has notable celebrities in the field of building traps... and Fred is very much on track to become one. While Fred does act as the trap builder in almost every incarnation of the character, its very notable in that this version [[UpToEleven Turns the Dial Up To 11, Rips it off, and then builds a trap for a dial that goes to 12]] and that these traps enshew the franchises' typical humor by working as intended from the outset without losing their Rupegoldberg nature.

* Parodied in a cutaway gag in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS12E8ChristmasGuy Christmas Guy]]", showing what would happen if the robbers in the trope namer were smart, namely not slipping on toy cars and not holding onto a burning hot door handle. [[BoomHeadshot The results]] [[WouldHurtAChild aren't pretty.]]
* Similarly parodied in a ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' sketch where [[StoryBreakerTeamUp Michael Myers and the Wet Bandits end up switching targets]] from their respective movies. The bandits end up terrified before dying from Laurie's traps while Myers is completely implacable to Kevin's traps before cornering and strangling him.

There can be variations on the concept. It doesn't have to be a kid who sets the traps or tricks the bad guys - in fact, in one movie, it was a ''dog''. The traps don't always need to be "set"; they can be part of the architecture/environment. However, the one required aspect is dumb/goofy villains being tricked into falling for the traps in a comedic manner.

* The final battle in ''Film/RamboLastBlood'' has Rambo setting booby traps all over his ranch for [[BigBad Hugo Martinez]] and his HumanTraffickers to fall for. Unlike ''Home Alone'', the traps are ''very'' bloody.

* ''[[Film/DialCodeSantaClaus 3615 code Père Noël]]'', a 1989 French thriller that is said to have inspired ''Film/HomeAlone'', to the point where writer/director René Manzor threatened a lawsuit. A young boy named Thomas tries to contact Santa Claus and accidentally gets in touch with a local criminal, who learns that Thomas' mother is a wealthy manager of a department store and that his home is probably filled with valuables to steal. Very much DarkerAndEdgier than ''Home Alone'' and played as a horror-thriller; the criminal, [[BadSanta dressed as Santa]], kills Thomas' dog in front of him, [[spoiler:and later kills the cop who shows up to investigate before Thomas' grandfather kills him]].

* ''3615 code Père Noël'', a 1989 French thriller that is said to have inspired ''Film/HomeAlone'', to the point where writer/director René Manzor threatened a lawsuit. A young boy named Thomas tries to contact Santa Claus and accidentally gets in touch with a local criminal, who learns that Thomas' mother is a wealthy manager of a department store and that his home is probably filled with valuables to steal. Very much DarkerAndEdgier than ''Home Alone'' and played as a horror-thriller; the criminal, [[BadSanta dressed as Santa]], kills Thomas' dog in front of him, [[spoiler:and later kills the cop who shows up to investigate before Thomas' grandfather kills him]].

* Some could make an argument that the climatic battle in ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' turned out like this with M setting up explosive traps all around Skyfall Manor for when Silva's men invade the estate. Of course, given ''Skyfall's'' theme of "old methods vs. new methods," it's not a stretch to imagine that old-school spies--who likely got their start as soldiers and commandos--learned this stuff as basic training.

Named after and popularized by ([[OlderThanTheyThink but not started by]]) ''Film/HomeAlone'', Home Alone Antics are an unusually specific trope. At its most well-known form, a kid sets traps in or around a house, and bad guys who are after the kid (or the house, or something inside the house) end up getting hurt by the traps.

* Given [[RealityEnsues a very dark twist]] in ''Film/BetterWatchOut'', where it turns out that [[spoiler:swinging a paint bucket into someone's face from the upstairs balcony (which Luke saw in ''Home Alone'' and decided to try out in real life)]] will ''[[YourHeadASplode kill them]]''.

** A DiscussedTrope (and giving a ShoutOut to the TropeNamer) yet averted on the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E9HomerBadman Homer Badman]]". Homer wants to leave the kids alone to go to a candy convention, only for an [[WhatTheHellHero understandably]] [[RealityEnsues horrified]] Marge to say no and call the babysitting service--which sets up the [[AccidentalPervert rest of]] [[ConvictedByPublicOpinion the episode's]] [[StrawmanNewsMedia plot]].

* Parodied in a cutaway gag in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS12E8ChristmasGuy Christmas Guy]]", showing what would happen if the robbers in the trope namer were smart. [[BoomHeadshot The results]] [[WouldHurtAChild aren't pretty.]]

* In a Falls Count Anywhere match in 2010, Wrestling/ChavoGuerreroJr takes on Wrestling/{{Hornswoggle}}. The match ends in the hallways backstage with a paint can from an unknown source hitting Chavo in the face and knocking him out, allowing Hornswoggle to easily pick up the victory. MacaulayCulkin, most well-known as Kevin from the TropeNamer series of films, even makes a cameo appearance.

** In the first act of the episode "[[Recap/MrBogusS1E5ShopAroundTheClock Shop Around The Clock]]", Bogus sets up a series of tactics and scenarios in order to stop [[ThoseTwoBadGuys Jake and Butch]] from stealing a priceless crown from the department store. These include controlling a pair of fishing pants, dressing himself up as a conductor to use music instruments to attack Butch, and controlling a fisherman dummy to chase away the two baddies.

* One ''Franchise/ArchieComics'' story has Archie and Jughead house-sitting for Mr. Lodge. Although the mansion has a sophisticated security system, the boys decide to play it safe and add some extra anti-burglar defenses, involving the usual buckets of water, tin cans, flypaper, etc. Of course, Mr. Lodge comes home and walks into all the booby traps.

* ''Film/BlankCheck'' is mostly about a kid who lives it up with money he obtained dishonestly, but near the end, he suddenly knows how to use the layout of his castle to stop the bad guys who are out to get him.
* ''Ping'' is about a dog that manages to trip up two dumbass robbers who are attempting to rob the house.
* ''Alone in the Woods'' involves a boy tricking and tripping up two bad guys as he tries to rescue a kidnap victim.

* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_(film) Remote]]'' is an obscure 90s film where the child protagonist ends up on his own and must battle three silly villains all with the help of a… remote control! Or, being more specific, with a variety of remote-controlled toys that the kid (who has an obsession of collecting them that his parents are fed up with) had to hide within the model home that the villains have taken refuge in (and thus he is trapped on).
* Some could make an argument that the climatic battle in ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' turned out like this with M setting up explosive traps all around Skyfall Manor for when Silva's men invade the estate. Of course, given ''Skyfall's'' theme of "old methods vs. new methods," it's not a stretch to imagine that old-school spies--who likely got their start as soldiers and commandos--learned this stuff as basic training.
* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'''s climax featured Nancy fighting off Freddy Krueger with booby traps and improvised anti-personnel devices the heroine [[ChekhovsGun had been studying earlier in the film]].
* Given [[RealityEnsues a very dark twist]] in ''Film/BetterWatchOut'', where it turns out that [[spoiler:swinging a paint bucket into someone's face from the upstairs balcony (which Luke saw in ''Home Alone'' and decided to try out in real life)]] will ''[[YourHeadASplode kill them]]''.

* Played for horror in ''Film/TheAggressionScale''. Owen is definitely psychotic to some degree and his traps are absolutely brutal, with gory results. [[PayEvilUntoEvil Good thing the people who end up falling into them are a bunch of Mob assassins]].

* In one episode of ''Series/ClarissaExplainsItAll'', Clarissa and Ferguson are home alone while their parents are on a date night. Naturally, there is a freak thunderstorm which knocks out the power and the phones. When they think someone is trying to break into the house Ferguson sets up a series of improvised traps that hinder the burglar. Unfortunately the lights come back on at that moment revealing the intruder to be their dad.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' episode "Tails in Charge", Tails sets traps for Scratch and Grounder to get back at them for [[TakenForGranite turning Sonic to stone]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Clarence}}'', Clarence, Jeff and Sumo set traps after being scared by a show about burglars. Chad comes to the house looking for some backstage passes he left in the house. In a variation of the trope, Clarence recognizes Chad and the kids have to trigger the traps on themselves to keep Chad from being hurt. [[spoiler:It ''almost' works.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTales'': In "The Tea Party", the seven girl ponies have been using an abandoned house for their club meetings. When they discover a group of other ponies stealing the furniture, they booby trap it to deter the thieves from going inside. However, they later discover the "thieves" are actually a family who have been fixing up the place since they would like to move in. The girls, feeling bad about what they have done, help them work on the house.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': The episode "I've Got Batman In My Basement" has Batman, well, [[TropeNamer stuck in]] [[BatmanInMyBasement the basement of a kid's house]] while he recuperates from injuries taken while fighting the Penguin. The final act of the story has the Penguin and his goons finding the house and going in, forcing the kid and his friends to improvise a defense using the contents of the Bat-Belt (and ''still'' almost getting killed until Batman wakes up and pulls a "BigDamnHeroes" moment). [[WordOfGod Interestingly, this was one of the episodes that]] [[CreatorBacklash the entire production team (from Timm himself down to the animators)]] [[OldShame hated to work on the most]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1992'': An episode did this. Ariel was grounded (or "beached") at the palace while Triton was away, and had to stop two saltwater crocodile thieves from looting the palace.