# Crappiest "Why the hell did they do that?" visuals in movies. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394 "2009-06-20T14:39:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/21 "2009-06-21T05:14:57Z")
What instantly comes to mind is the CG garbage Lucas added to Star Wars, but maybe that doesn’t count since it’s not part of the original release. So, I’ll submit “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” where Sirius (as a dog) drags Ron serveral miles through a tunnel to the shrieking shack. Then Hermione is hit by the flailing limb of the Whomping Willow (which should have killed her right then), but manages to grab it, hold on, grab Harry like a rag doll, throw him down the tunnel, then lauch herself into same. The whole sequence is just too lame to be exciting. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/22 "2009-06-21T08:41:25Z")
> [@](#): > > And I’m still trying to figure out the whole “Milking the cat with the rat taped to it” thing. It’s not in the book and is just bizarre. I can understand that the cat has been genetically modified to produce an antidote in its milk. I can’t understand the rat, though. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/23 "2009-06-21T08:58:28Z")
> [@Tanbarkie](#): > > In a trilogy that otherwise handles death scenes very well, Denethor’s death in Jackson’s “The Return of the King” was a big “WTF?” moment. He is knocked onto the flames, then somehow manages to run down the entire length of Minas Tirith’s upper level _while on fire_, before tumbling over the “prow” and plummeting several hundred feet. Again, all while _on fire_. What was clearly intended to be a dramatic illustration of a proud man’s downfall instead came off as silly and overwrought. Well, see, he had to be on fire, because if he’d just jumped off the prow, the audience would have spent the rest of the film wondering when he was coming back, because falling from a great height never kills anyone in the LotR movies. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/24 "2009-06-21T09:08:25Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > _Dune_, which was too complex of a book to make into a 2 1/2 hour movie, the result being many curious creative decisions. > > The worst part about the movie, by far, is how they depict the Harkonnens. They wanted to depict them as decadent and depraved, but were unwilling to show the Baron molesting young men. What they decided to do was to have the Baron kill some young slave or servant type by pulling some kind of cork out of his chest which was apparently holding his blood in, then smearing the blood on the youth’s face as he bled out. It made no sense at all. The Baron was evil enough engaging in regular human depravity without having to make up some strange form of murder. Or…it could be that having sex with other men isn’t an evil and depraved act, whereas killing them and getting off on it _is_. ---
**Author:** ![manx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@manx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manx)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/25 "2009-06-21T11:20:16Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Or…it could be that having sex with other men isn’t an evil and depraved act, whereas killing them and getting off on it _is_. That’s right, having sex with men is neither evil nor depraved. Raping them is pretty vile though, and that’s esentially what the Baron was doing. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/26 "2009-06-21T12:31:46Z")
One of the scenes of Merry / Pippin riding Treebeard was a very bad greenscreen. I think they just ran out of time to get it better. Brian ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/27 "2009-06-21T14:18:42Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Or…it could be that having sex with other men isn’t an evil and depraved act, whereas killing them and getting off on it _is_. Thank you for your unnecessary attempt at showing the board how progressive you are. If you read the book, you’ll see that any sexual act that involves the Baron is depraved no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/28 "2009-06-21T15:15:09Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Well, see, he had to be on fire, because if he’d just jumped off the prow, the audience would have spent the rest of the film wondering when he was coming back, because falling from a great height never kills anyone in the LotR movies. Or, we could just look at it as a fairly cool scene transition. Nah. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/29 "2009-06-21T16:04:20Z")
I submit LOTR when Legolas surfs Helms Deep on a shield, and when he jumps up on the Mumak in Pelennor Fields. Both moments did nothing but detract from their respective movies. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/30 "2009-06-21T16:51:12Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > It’s a sandstorm in the movie, too. The rain doesn’t start until after Paul kills Feyd. Earlier in the film, it’s established that the Fremen have been collecting vast stores of water to use to terraform Arrakis. Before the final attack, Paul orders the water released into the atmosphere. It’s still pretty dumb: how is this going to help terraform the planet? The stuff’s just going to get soaked up by the desert, and you’re right back where you started. But it’s not just a straight up miracle. There’s at least a pseudoscientific set up to the scene. Not only that, but water is poisonous to the adult sandworms. If it rains on an unprepared Arrakis, the sandworms all die, which means no more Fremen transportation, no more Water of Life, and no more **melange** , which is pretty much the most precious substance in the universe. If you make it rain, you pretty much destroy THE bargaining chip you’ve got in the situation that Paul was in. His control of the spice, and his THREAT to destroy it, are what put him on the throne. Of course, I prefer to think of Lynch’s film as an alternate universe telling of the story, because Shai-Hulud knows that he got enough wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/31 "2009-06-21T22:04:07Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I think she punctures his suit so he’s flying like a deflating balloon. Either that or she pulled a cable that caused it to go out of control. > Re the pic of Feyd- that’s on your background, isn’t it?😃 Ya know, I’m not gay, but I’m STILL tempted to use that as a wallpaper. 😃 Lynch does great visuals, and he picked the right person to play Feyd. The camera loves him. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/32 "2009-06-22T00:04:58Z")
For all of its other faults the pidgeon in Venice doing a double take in Moonraker might be the worst shot in any James Bond film. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/33 "2009-06-22T00:21:02Z")
There’s a scene in The Ring 2 where Naomi Watts’ car is attacked by a group of CGI elk. It’s a live-action movie for the most part, but out of the blue she’s attacked by creatures that look like something out of a video game. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/34 "2009-06-22T01:10:06Z")
SUPERMAN II has already been parodied for this on FAMILY GUY, but it’s still worth mentioning: our hero is about to be attacked, and so he – peels a translucent ‘S’ off his chest to create an exceedingly minor inconvenience before the real fight starts? Look, any writer can fail to come up with a cool and effective use of the powers that character actually has; who the heck scripts in a new power for the big guy to use in a goofy-looking way that doesn’t really accomplish anything? ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/35 "2009-06-22T01:16:06Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Now as I recall _Con Air_ is a detestable movie for many reasons but I just happened to catch the end of it again and was struck by two brain dead visuals. It is just hard to imagine that someone suggested them and everyone else involved went, “great let’s do it.” > > **one** - after the plane crashes on the LV strip and gradually breaks up down the road it crashes into a casino and the nose cone bumps a line of slot machines. The camera cuts to the front of one machine. Surely it won’t suddenly come to life, roll up 3 7s and start pouring out coins. Surely it will. > > **two** - after all this we need another chase because the first climax is pretty damn lame. So the good guys in buddy movie style begin a tandem motorcycle chase of the remaining cons on a fire truck. As the speeding truck passes two motorcycle cops one cop drops something and they take off in pursuit. The camera cuts to the road where the bikes had stood. What do we see, surely it won’t be…yes it is. Standing **upright** on the road is a donut with a bite missing. > > Not funny, clever or even interesting just crap. > > What surprise shot has surprised you by it’s inanity? Two of my favourite scenes from that movie were seeing the Corvette “flying” behind the plane and when the Vette raced and beat the plane to the airfield. The movie was written as a comedy right? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/36 "2009-06-22T01:19:57Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Look, any writer can fail to come up with a cool and effective use of the powers that character actually has; who the heck scripts in a new power for the big guy to use in a goofy-looking way that doesn’t really accomplish anything? 90% of Superman writers of the 60s and 70s. Not that it wasn’t really stupid, but…that’s not really unusual for Superman. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/37 "2009-06-22T06:54:55Z")
In the first Harry Potter movie, during Harry’s first Quidditch match, he suddenly stands up on his broomstick and goes all Surfer Dude on us. There is absolutely no reason on earth why he should be doing that! Where would he have even learned to surf anyway, his aunt and uncle kept him locked under the stairs his whole freaking life. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/38 "2009-06-22T14:23:07Z")
In “Jurassic Park: The Lost World”, Ian Malcolm’s daughter uses her gymnast skills to get away from/boot kick a dinosaur. In the theater where I saw it, someone yelled out “Bullshit!” at that scene, which was the highlight of the movie for me. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/39 "2009-06-22T14:47:21Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > Yeah, but even so, if you have the super-awesome reflexes to bend over backwards to avoid an attack… It’s an actual martial move that appears in many traditional martial arts forms. However, I have only ever seen it in context of a weapon (staff, sword, etc) and never as a hand to hand technique. The gist of it is that you can avoid a high swing from a long pole weapon and counter attack without having to shift your feet or move out of range. It’s true practical usefulness is debatable though 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394/40 "2009-06-22T15:01:18Z")
> [@](#): > > For all of its other faults the pidgeon in Venice doing a double take in Moonraker might be the worst shot in any James Bond film. I came in specifically to mention this. **Moonraker** was definitely a nadir in the Bond film franchise, and it’s filled with visual awfulness, but this scene has to be the absolute worst, because it’s 1.) completely unnecessary 2.) REALLY badly done, even though it would have been trivial to do even this better than it had been. They just badly “looped” the shot of the pigeon, with no attempt to minimize the jerkiness of the move. The damned Puina Cat Chow commercials (“Chow Chow Chaw”) were done better than this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappiest-why-the-hell-did-they-do-that-visuals-in-movies/500394.md?page=3)