Some of my pet peeves about movies have to do with the exaggerations that are used in scenes and the clichés that are used in certain plot themes. I will write about a few of these but this list is not all inclusive.
The first that comes to mind are the scenes where one group bursts in upon another group gathered in a 14 ft. x 14 ft. room and starts firing sub-machine guns, rifles and pistols. The noise is deafening and the destruction to furniture, decor, windows and other inanimate objects is complete; but, not one person is hit by the gunfire. They all, after hiding behind desks, chairs and such and returning fire, are able to make it out a doorway. This is incredible. I venture to say that if I were able to surprise a group by entering the room with intent to harm someone I could kill at least one if I had only a pellet gun.
Another often noted scene is where an attacker tosses a hand grenade into a building's doorway or window and the entire building is blown up. Well, unless the grenade contains a cup full of nitro or the building is a straw hut, this is not going to happen. In army training I have been lying prone within 40 yards of 50 standard army hand grenades going off simultaneously and was only lifted a couple of inches off the ground. I have thrown grenades and have had them thrown at me. They are immensely destructive but they are not as powerful as a stingray missile or Hamas rocket. They will not destroy a building like a 500 pound bomb dropped from the sky.
It is fun to watch for awhile the acrobatics of a martial arts actor taking on a crowd of assailants. But, believe me, when a normal size man kicks you in the face during a fight you are not going to bounce to your feet without a mark or a bruise and be ready to go again. If you have ever seen cage fights on TV you will note that when an opponent is downed and being pummeled the referee is quick to stop the action. The lightly gloved punches can be lethal and a direct kick to the head pretty much ends the fight. But on screen we watch the combatants continue to battle after multiple such blows that often only end when one participant is knocked over a railing and falls 75 feet to the pavement below where he often is only stunned.
Car chases provide the greatest spectacles. I love it when the police are chasing the bad guys and in the process both adversaries manage to cause multiple wrecks of innocent drivers caught in their pathway. Spinning victim's cars then crash into others. Can you imagine the suits against the local departments that would follow? And all too often when the pursued or the pursuer finally flips his vehicle several times and/or catapults off of a cliff the driver and passenger will crawl out, dust off clothes and prepare to continue the action on foot. Please! In actuality most law enforcement agencies have a policy that when an auto chase becomes too hazardous the officers involved must back off for safety reasons. That is not true of all such agencies though. I and my wife were near victims while walking on the sidewalks of Dayton, Ky. That morn when a vehicle was being pursued by a police car both both vehicles careened around a corner at high speed and slid right up against our curbside. They disappeared in the distance without looking back or losing speed. But, hey, that was in Kentucky.
Let us not forget the cliché endings of some suspense movies. The bad guy finally catches the good guy/girl and a furious fight ensues. The evil one is eventually killed by falling over a railing, being fatally shot or stabbed and the hero comforts his loved one in his arms. But, wait, the body is now missing! And, watch out!, he is behind you. Oh, darn, I should have checked on that body or at least have picked up his fallen weapon. Now I don't actually hate these scenarios; I can always fast forward through them. But they are peeves and I am - - - - -
Just sayin'
The first that comes to mind are the scenes where one group bursts in upon another group gathered in a 14 ft. x 14 ft. room and starts firing sub-machine guns, rifles and pistols. The noise is deafening and the destruction to furniture, decor, windows and other inanimate objects is complete; but, not one person is hit by the gunfire. They all, after hiding behind desks, chairs and such and returning fire, are able to make it out a doorway. This is incredible. I venture to say that if I were able to surprise a group by entering the room with intent to harm someone I could kill at least one if I had only a pellet gun.
Another often noted scene is where an attacker tosses a hand grenade into a building's doorway or window and the entire building is blown up. Well, unless the grenade contains a cup full of nitro or the building is a straw hut, this is not going to happen. In army training I have been lying prone within 40 yards of 50 standard army hand grenades going off simultaneously and was only lifted a couple of inches off the ground. I have thrown grenades and have had them thrown at me. They are immensely destructive but they are not as powerful as a stingray missile or Hamas rocket. They will not destroy a building like a 500 pound bomb dropped from the sky.
It is fun to watch for awhile the acrobatics of a martial arts actor taking on a crowd of assailants. But, believe me, when a normal size man kicks you in the face during a fight you are not going to bounce to your feet without a mark or a bruise and be ready to go again. If you have ever seen cage fights on TV you will note that when an opponent is downed and being pummeled the referee is quick to stop the action. The lightly gloved punches can be lethal and a direct kick to the head pretty much ends the fight. But on screen we watch the combatants continue to battle after multiple such blows that often only end when one participant is knocked over a railing and falls 75 feet to the pavement below where he often is only stunned.
Car chases provide the greatest spectacles. I love it when the police are chasing the bad guys and in the process both adversaries manage to cause multiple wrecks of innocent drivers caught in their pathway. Spinning victim's cars then crash into others. Can you imagine the suits against the local departments that would follow? And all too often when the pursued or the pursuer finally flips his vehicle several times and/or catapults off of a cliff the driver and passenger will crawl out, dust off clothes and prepare to continue the action on foot. Please! In actuality most law enforcement agencies have a policy that when an auto chase becomes too hazardous the officers involved must back off for safety reasons. That is not true of all such agencies though. I and my wife were near victims while walking on the sidewalks of Dayton, Ky. That morn when a vehicle was being pursued by a police car both both vehicles careened around a corner at high speed and slid right up against our curbside. They disappeared in the distance without looking back or losing speed. But, hey, that was in Kentucky.
Let us not forget the cliché endings of some suspense movies. The bad guy finally catches the good guy/girl and a furious fight ensues. The evil one is eventually killed by falling over a railing, being fatally shot or stabbed and the hero comforts his loved one in his arms. But, wait, the body is now missing! And, watch out!, he is behind you. Oh, darn, I should have checked on that body or at least have picked up his fallen weapon. Now I don't actually hate these scenarios; I can always fast forward through them. But they are peeves and I am - - - - -
Just sayin'
CSI Miami has every cliche thing there has ever been to offer.
ReplyDeleteSomething that is a bit annoying, (but I'm still grateful for it) is how they explain everything to each other. I like the explanation, but I sometimes wonder.. aren't they supposed to know these things already? I mean, it is their job.
The killer explaining everything and thus letting you beat him because of the time it took is another one.
And I love how there will be one good guy against 5 bad, and the bad guys take their turn. They wait for the one currently fighting to go down, then they step in for their turn to go down. LOL
Right on. I forgot about those other routine scenes. How about the lone lady walking to her car alone in the dark parking garage or slowly approaching the doorway in the dark when the doorknob is slowly turning to see who's there. Scream! Oh, it's John. You scared me.
ReplyDelete