Unrealistic movie tropes and plot holes

Robert Wilson said:Or maybe just the sheer cliché of it all—whenever you hear "shoot the gas tank" in every single movie, it starts getting on my nerves. Honestly, I feel like just farting in the tank and watching the car go to hell would be more effective at this point.
And don't get me started on those horror tropes where some hideous monster chases a girl around. The villain moves at a snail's pace, which the whole movie emphasizes by showing how slow he is, yet the poor girl keeps tripping over her own feet. They just keep cutting back and forth between her and him, and then, in the grand finale, the famous bad guy catches her (probably because he hit the nitro when the camera wasn't looking, and then turned it off once he did).

Then there's that ridiculous physics where a villain gets hit with a 9mm Beretta—which is basically a standard movie trope where the lead actor shoots some side bandit and the guy gets knocked clean off the set by a single bullet. It’s unbelievable.

When I say "realistic," I mean realistic within the context of that specific film. To me, that means whether the movie actually provides an explanation for its logic, even if it is sci-fi or pure fiction.

For instance, there was one movie where the lead had a specific handgun, and in just a few seconds of screen time, he mentions he modified it to hold more ammo. Within the world of that movie, that feels realistic because they actually gave us an explanation. On the other hand, in other movies I've watched, you wouldn't believe for a second how much ammo could actually fit in a 16-round magazine.

To clarify what Jessica Rogers2 was getting at: I doubt anyone here is talking about real-life physics or things happening in the real world. Take a Superman movie, for example. Personally, I don't think it's great, but hey, I'm no critic. He flies around lifting buildings and destroying stuff, but the movie explains *why* he can do that, even if it's only for a few seconds. Because those answers are provided, the movie stays "realistic" on its own cinematic level.

Still, there are exceptions. When it comes to Superman, it always drove me crazy how he puts on that suit and suddenly nobody recognizes him, when in reality, he just took off his glasses... Give me a break. It's like an >.

Anthony Roberts2;18464374😕 That bolded part is nonsense. If it's shoot to kill said:

Nah, you're actually the one talking nonsense here. What do you mean "shoot to kill" 😂? The guy is literally listing all the variables a sniper has to account for. Let's be real—the head is a tiny target that can move at any second, so you aim for the torso. Plus, there's always the chance to finish the job while the target is down. Nowadays, we have sniper calibers that can punch straight through walls and brick, so it doesn't even matter where you hit; a shot from those rifles is lethal anywhere on the body. So, maybe stop talking trash.

Andrew Kim87 said:No, what you're saying is just plain stupid. What do you mean "shoot to kill" 😂? The guy is literally laying out all the variables a sniper has to account for—and let's be real, since a head is such a tiny, moving target, you aim for the torso; besides, there's always the chance you finish them off while they're prone. These days, we have sniper calibers designed to punch straight through walls and brickwork, so it doesn't matter where you hit—a shot from those rifles is fatal regardless of the body part. So, stop talking nonsense.

What do you mean "shoot to kill" 😂?

goldenhound32 said:Incorrect.
I am speaking from memory here. I haven't always had a massive selection of films to choose from.
As for the whole thing about leaving cars unlocked, I see that quite often. It’s actually a nice touch that modern characters usually have remote keyless entry; they just press a button and lock the car. That makes things much more efficient. 🙂

You completely misinterpreted the part about the shotgun... it's actually quite simple.
In reality, someone who has a gun in mind will likely use it immediately to repeat the shot, rather than waiting until they are staring directly into their opponent's eyes.

goldenhound32 said:Just another bit of nonsense that grates on my nerves...
People don't bother locking their cars. Why that is, I haven't the slightest clue. 🤷

Furthermore...

Person A is talking on the phone with Person B... Person B hangs up... Person A can't handle the rejection and slams the receiver down, acting as if pressing a button could somehow change the outcome... 😕
I find myself wondering where this cinematic trope even originated.

I see this whole thing about forgetting to lock the car all the time. It's great that most people have remote keyless entry these days where you just hit a button and the car's locked. Easy enough... 🙂

You completely butchered that part about the shotgun... it's actually pretty straightforward...
In reality, once he figures out how to use it, he’s gonna start pulling it out constantly... not just waiting until he's staring down his opponent...

Maria Roberts said:I actually struggled with that logic myself for a while, so I eventually rationalized it by deciding that if you aren't the lead actor, there's no guarantee you'll make it to the credits. Essentially, the director (or whoever is calling the shots) already knows exactly who survives and who is going to be the face of the story, so the entire film naturally revolves around them. Honestly, that felt like a much more solid explanation in my head 🤣 😁 which would imply that the movie isn't necessarily happening in real-time while we watch, but rather acts as a reconstruction of events.

Sophia Grant39 said:It’s all nonsense. Completely unrealistic, but 99% of the audience doesn't even notice. For me, the dumbest part is how the good guys end up with 90 out of 100 wounds right in the shoulder. Of course, they just wrap it up with one bandage. Every single car crash results in an explosion, and if someone fires a shotgun, the hood just flies off into the air. But who cares... I guess that's why they're called movies and not documentaries.

Anthony Roberts2 said:I didn't say anything about all the technical stuff being taken into account🙂

What I'm saying is they shoot for the head because I've actually seen it happen. There were videos online showing a Canadian sniper taking out American soldiers by aiming right for the head—sometimes even the neck—simply because that was the only exposed part of the body left.

What do you mean "shoot to kill" 😂?

Is there a specific part of this that isn't making sense? Do you need a dictionary? 🤷

rustywalker42 said:I don't think you get my point. Look, I'm sure The Godfather has mistakes too, it's just a deeper movie than some Seagal action flick, so we tend to overlook them.

If I don't know it, I don't care. 🙂

Same deal with that rocket launcher in Man on Fire. A buddy on a forum told me it's impossible to fire one from a hotel room without blowing everything to hell. Now I know he was right.

That’s what I’m talking about. Don't sweat it; I don't pay attention because there's no point. You wouldn't even know half of this stuff if you hadn't started digging into it.

It's not that I'm being insistent, I just prefer it when things are done properly.
It's no coincidence that complaints usually look like this:
'There's no way they could have filmed this'

rather than this:
'Wow, this was filmed so realistically.'

Honestly, it drives me crazy when someone comments on a movie like that. To be blunt, I don't even watch films with people like that.

You already got your answer to that in an earlier post.

You wouldn't even know half of these things if you hadn't started digging into them.

Honestly, it drives me crazy when someone comments on a movie like that. In fact, I don't even watch movies with people like that.

You already got your answer to all of this in an earlier message.

Jerry Martin19 said:So you don't even bother. Makes me wonder why you said...

? 🤷

I see this whole thing about forgetting to lock the car all the time. It's great that most people have remote keyless entry these days where you just hit a button and the car's locked. Easy enough... 🙂

Finally, some good news. Now you might actually get some sleep... 😁

You completely butchered that part about the shotgun... it's actually pretty straightforward...
In reality, once he figures out how to use it, he’s gonna start pulling it out constantly... not just waiting until he's staring down his opponent...

What makes you say that? And based on what...? 😕
I'll definitely throw that right back in their face if I get the chance... ☕

that was a response to:

basically a joke 🙂

p.s. the only time these kinds of mistakes would actually bug me is in movies that try to go full realism. then every little slip-up would really stick out...

Why and how did you conclude that? 😕

goldenhound32 said:I don't overlook them. I binged all three godfather films in two days about seven years ago, so my memory isn't exactly sharp. If there are similar issues in the godfather movies, feel free to point them out.

You wouldn't even know half of these things if you hadn't started digging into them.

What am I supposed to say if I already know more? lol.

Honestly, it drives me crazy when someone comments on a movie like that. In fact, I don't even watch movies with people like that.

Fair enough. As for me, I just eat while I watch.

You already got your answer to all of this in an earlier message.

Aha, so you're just repeating yourself and calling it a day? fine.
🙂

When I say "it bothers me," I mean it's unpleasant, not that I'm pulling my hair out.

And I find myself getting dragged into all sorts of debates, too.😢
Let me repeat myself:
"It seems to me that debating whether or not something should bother us is pointless.
But whether something is realistic or not—well, that's a different story altogether. And that's exactly why this thread is open."

Why and how did you conclude that? 😕

Risk mitigation.

Like I said...
Feels like this whole debate about whether we actually need it or not is just pointless...
Whether it’s actually realistic or not... that's a whole different conversation. And honestly, that's exactly why I started this thread...

Risk mitigation...

Jerry Martin19 said:I pulled you in. On purpose... 🙂

Like I said...
Feels like this whole debate about whether we actually need it or not is just pointless...
Whether it’s actually realistic or not... that's a whole different conversation. And honestly, that's exactly why I started this thread...

It’s pretty vital because if you go that route, you could pull examples from like 99% of movies... do you realize how massive that really is?...

Risk mitigation...

But you can't say for sure that her reaction wasn't totally irrational... 🤷

But can you say with 100% certainty that her reaction is illogical? 🤷

goldenhound32 said:Every time you bring up something that nobody actually does, you're just cluttering up this thread.

But can you say with 100% certainty that her reaction is illogical? 🤷

Which reaction?

Furthermore... talking to oneself. I don't know anyone in real life who does that, yet I see it constantly in films.
I'm not even counting characters seeing people who aren't there, those with mental illnesses, sleep-talking, or "conversations" with inanimate objects (like Christine). I can accept all of that.

But a perfectly normal character, alone in the room, staring straight ahead, just uttering sentences to thin air? It feels surreal. Or does it?

Emily Thomas3 said:I do that all the time. Honestly, I know plenty of people who talk to themselves. I've been doing it since I was a little kid, and I still see my old man doing it today.🤷 My elementary school teacher used to tell us that only crazy people talk to themselves, but it's been about 15 years since then and I'm still perfectly sane.🤷

Just because you've never seen it happen doesn't mean it isn't real. This post just doesn't sit right with me.

This post simply doesn't suit you.

goldenhound32 said:Every time you bring up something that nobody actually does, you're just cluttering up this thread.

But can you say with 100% certainty that her reaction is illogical? 🤷

Which reaction?

Furthermore... talking to oneself. I don't know anyone in real life who does that, yet I see it constantly in films.
I'm not even counting characters seeing people who aren't there, those with mental illnesses, sleep-talking, or "conversations" with inanimate objects (like Christine). I can accept all of that.

But a perfectly normal character, alone in the room, staring straight ahead, just uttering sentences to thin air? It feels surreal. Or does it?

What kind of reaction...?

Robert Wilson said:Or maybe just the sheer cliché of it all—whenever you hear "shoot the gas tank" in every single movie, it starts getting on my nerves. Honestly, I feel like just farting in the tank and watching the car go to hell would be more effective at this point.
And don't get me started on those horror tropes where some hideous monster chases a girl around. The villain moves at a snail's pace, which the whole movie emphasizes by showing how slow he is, yet the poor girl keeps tripping over her own feet. They just keep cutting back and forth between her and him, and then, in the grand finale, the famous bad guy catches her (probably because he hit the nitro when the camera wasn't looking, and then turned it off once he did).

Then there's that ridiculous physics where a villain gets hit with a 9mm Beretta—which is basically a standard movie trope where the lead actor shoots some side bandit and the guy gets knocked clean off the set by a single bullet. It’s unbelievable.

When I say "realistic," I mean realistic within the context of that specific film. To me, that means whether the movie actually provides an explanation for its logic, even if it is sci-fi or pure fiction.

For instance, there was one movie where the lead had a specific handgun, and in just a few seconds of screen time, he mentions he modified it to hold more ammo. Within the world of that movie, that feels realistic because they actually gave us an explanation. On the other hand, in other movies I've watched, you wouldn't believe for a second how much ammo could actually fit in a 16-round magazine.

To clarify what Jessica Rogers2 was getting at: I doubt anyone here is talking about real-life physics or things happening in the real world. Take a Superman movie, for example. Personally, I don't think it's great, but hey, I'm no critic. He flies around lifting buildings and destroying stuff, but the movie explains *why* he can do that, even if it's only for a few seconds. Because those answers are provided, the movie stays "realistic" on its own cinematic level.

Still, there are exceptions. When it comes to Superman, it always drove me crazy how he puts on that suit and suddenly nobody recognizes him, when in reality, he just took off his glasses... Give me a break. It's like an >.

Jessica Rogers2 said:Take a closer look at what I wrote under my Superman section🙂.....and how is it that he never gets cold in that spandex outfit and briefs🤷🤷???

goldenhound32 said:So, picture this: I’m sitting here in my room, and there is absolutely nothing but silence. It’s that heavy, thick kind of quiet—the sort that feels like it has actual weight to it. And in the middle of all that stillness, I just start... speaking. I’m articulating sentences into the void. It’s a strange sensation, really. There’s no one to react, no audience to judge the cadence or the choice of words, and certainly no feedback loop to validate whether what I'm saying even makes sense. It’s just me, my thoughts, and the sound of my own voice cutting through the vacuum. It feels a bit clinical, perhaps even a little lonely, though I suppose I’ve always been somewhat comfortable with my own company. It’s a measured process—just syllables being released into an empty space, drifting away until they're swallowed by the quiet again. It’s almost meditative, if you can ignore the slight absurdity of it all.
It isn't that I lack faith in you; rather, it's simply because I find the subject matter fascinating.

This post simply doesn't suit you.

Fair enough.

Steven Palmer3 said:😂Right away, two legends come to mind: Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees.🙏

Andrew Kim87 said:Yeah, I talk to myself too. It actually made me wonder if I’m losing my mind or what. Most of the time it happens while I'm gaming, or more often when I'm just tearing the whole world apart in my head, arguing about how things should actually work. One major upside, though? You can't ever really get into an argument with yourself 😁

Robert Wilson said:It's really just thinking out loud. I do it all the time, and it’s totally normal—pretty much everyone does it at some point.