By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
LEGO has created a successful niche industry for itself by producing building sets based on popular TV series and shows, and with the new Home Alone set, it’s really outdone itself.
TLL has written several stories over the past year about these LEGO nostalgia sets, such as the ones created for the hit shows Seinfeld and Friends, but LEGO has really gone over the top with its new building set based on the 20th Century Fox smash Home Alone.
Directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes, the Christmas saga of a young boy accidentally left alone at Christmas, and forced to defend himself against two inept home invaders, turned into one of the biggest seasonal hits in history, and instantly catapulted Macaulay Culkin into stardom.
Now, fans of the film can recreate the experience the story for themselves, with a massive replica of the McCallister family home. LEGO has not only replicated the house from Home Alone, but also included the key scenes from the holiday movie, using an astounding 3,955 pieces to create a structure filled with tributes to the film’s brilliant use of slightly brutal slapstick humor.
Released in 1990 by 20th Century Fox, Home Alone remains one of the most viewed holiday movies of all time. In the film, young Kevin McCallister is accidentally left home alone for Christmas, after his family mistakingly go on holiday without him. For Kevin, the mishap gives him a chance to do whatever he wants, until The Wet Bandits (played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) discover he’s home by himself, and decide to rob the house.
Unfortunately, as we find out through wincingly painful stunts, they really chose the wrong kid to pick on, and what ensues is a bout of comedy violence that would makes John Wick look like an amateur.
As well as Kevin’s palatial house, the set includes LEGO figures such as Kevin, The Wet Bandits, Marley, and Kevin’s mum, and also includes the Wet Bandits’ van. Some of the scenes recreated are when Kevin gets pizza delivered (thanks to the movie Angels With Filthy Souls Playing on a tiny LEGO TV); when he fakes a party to scare off the crooks (complete with Michael Jordon picture), numerous booby traps – like the infamous paint can in the face – and even the tree house Kevin uses to zipline to safety.
Like earlier sets based on films and series, the Home Alone LEGO house was originally a LEGO Ideas submission, where the public puts forward ideas for new LEGO sets.
With close to 4,000 pieces crafted to stunning detail, the set does come with a hefty pricetag of $249, and will be available on Nov. 1. In the meantime, you can check out the promo video LEGO created for the new set.