# Dumbest scene from Aliens **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [July 8, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986 "2021-07-08T14:37:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/41 "2021-07-09T02:36:23Z")
Agree with this. We could take it one step further and guess that Burke pulled strings to get Lt. Gorman put in charge as someone he could control. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/42 "2021-07-09T18:55:56Z")
I also find that scene cringey now. They could have established the existence of the loader and her ability to use it differently. Despite this and other minor complaints, it’s still one of my favorite movies ever. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/43 "2021-07-09T19:03:29Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Were they immune to regular bullets? Dozens of aliens are shot up with regular bullets in the film. > [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Somehow, despite being 10 feet tall, they always manage to sneak up on their victim. I mean, tigers are enormous animals, at least as massive as an Alien, and they sneak up on their prey, too. It’s not much of a stretch. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/44 "2021-07-09T19:11:45Z")
For my $12m, the dumbest scenes are the ones where Paul Reiser doesn’t die. Great movie, but I really hate him. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/45 "2021-07-09T20:55:28Z")
Don’t get mad about him. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/46 "2021-07-09T20:57:56Z")
You’re on my list. :mad: ---
**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:** [July 9, 2021, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/47 "2021-07-09T23:43:33Z")
Paul Reiser has a story about seeing the premiere of Aliens with his mom. When the scene where he dies finally comes up, he hears his mom whisper _“Yes!”_ under her breath. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/48 "2021-07-09T23:49:21Z")
Lighten up, Francis. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/49 "2021-07-10T02:29:50Z")
“Regular bullets” are a bit of an understatement, they’re firing 10mm High explosive rounds from their rifles and machine guns which is illustrated by some of the aliens literally exploding when under heavy fire. Also explains why when the ammo is accidentally set on fire in the pouches they explode. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/50 "2021-07-10T03:18:17Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Also it presumably ate through the transaxle of the APC after Ripley runs an alien over and the machine starts “grinding metal”. It doesn’t start grinding metal until she drives over that dune and it come down hard with a thunk. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/51 "2021-07-10T03:22:04Z")
The dumbest scene is the fact she went back for that fucking whiny kid at all. It was bad enough when she went back for the cat in the first movie. And yes, I’m heavily implying the cat was a better choice than a cartoonishly annoying incomplete person. The best scene of ALien 3 is the very beginning showing her dead. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/52 "2021-07-10T03:24:47Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > It doesn’t start grinding metal until she drives over that dune and it come down hard with a thunk. When she’s exiting the colony Ripley runs right over an alien and we see its blood gushing out. It just took a little bit for the acid to eat through the APC. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/53 "2021-07-10T03:38:59Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > When she’s exiting the colony Ripley runs right over an alien and we see its blood gushing out. It just took a little bit for the acid to eat through the APC. That was my read as well. The script seems to back this up, describing the APC running over the alien and then saying “A sound like bolts dropped in a meat grinder is coming from the APC’s rear end” without any description of it hitting a bump or otherwise damaging itself after that. Then the APC is described as an “smoking, acid-scarred mess”. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/54 "2021-07-10T06:13:17Z")
I would say the dumbest sceen in the director’s cut is the opening sceens with newt, her parents etc find the aliens at the beginning, which basically gives the whole movie away. Yeah sure it’s not exactly a mystery but why the hell do they show you all that? The rest of the directors cut additions worked well. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/55 "2021-07-10T07:22:32Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > When Ripley is initially introduced to the Marines, they see her as just dead weight and a liability on what they assume is a routine mission. And as someone who don’t like the cornbread either. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/56 "2021-07-10T10:24:56Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > When Ripley is initially introduced to the Marines, they see her as just dead weight and a liability on what they assume is a routine mission. The Marines largely figure she’s nuts, the grunts are wondering what she’s doing there, etc. She asks if she can help do anything and Apone dismissively asks “I don’t know, CAN you do anything?” and Ripley takes him up on the challenge. He’s not amazed that she can work a loader in a technical sense but he does respect hustle, teamwork and pulling your weight and Ripley is demonstrating traits he admires. I think it’s supposed to be a little more than that. I think we’re supposed to take away from the scene that they’re surprised and impressed that Ripley can operate the loader with that level of mastery. Ripley doesn’t merely operate the loader, she makes it dance. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/57 "2021-07-10T12:01:40Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > The dumbest scene is the fact she went back for that fucking whiny kid at all. It was bad enough when she went back for the cat in the first movie. Every sailor knows that if anything happens to a ship’s cat then nine years of bad luck is the best you can hope for, assuming you manage to survive. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/58 "2021-07-10T15:56:54Z")
I just had this…vision. I see Alien as told from the persepective of Jonesy. How he single handedly saved the ship and his people from the slime thing. How he was the hero of the film. And then he takes a nap. Another good day, the end. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/59 "2021-07-10T16:30:45Z")
> **[Amazon.com: Jonesy: Nine Lives on the Nostromo: 9781785659263: Lucey, Rory:...](https://www.amazon.com/Jonesy-Lives-Nostromo-Rory-Lucey/dp/178565926X)** > > Amazon.com: Jonesy: Nine Lives on the Nostromo: 9781785659263: Lucey, Rory: Books [![](https://www.page45.com/store/Jonesy-Snooze-2.jpg) ](https://www.page45.com/store/Jonesy-Snooze-2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986/60 "2021-07-10T21:30:42Z")
There is obviously a lot of competition (for a movie that is actually really good, there are a LOT of dumb scenes) but none of the ones mentioned tops the motion detector scene. They are in a _BUILDING_ with _FLOORS_, not you would have thought a completely alien concept outside of their experience. and yet fail to consider the fact that there is this thing called a third dimension, and the bad guys on the scope might be on the floor up or down (something they also failed to consider when they barricaded their HQ.) Did they not teach them that when they did the training for the motion sensor? “Remember lads this will only show you where they in _two_ dimensions, don’t forget to look up or down” I’ve expounded in another thread my belief that the reason for the colonial marines incompetence is they don’t actually have anyone to fight, they are basically just glorified mall cops, turning up calm things down when some drunk colonists get leary. All their hi-tech weapons are the result of a military-industrial complex running on auto pilot (Weyland Corporation aren’t going to make the profits their shareholders demand if no-one is buying nukes and smart-guns, who cares if they haven’t actually fought a war in a 100 years!) It also explains why they are so interested in the Xenomorpth (something that something that clearly has no use on a modern battlefield) as a weapon, neither do any of the other weapons of mass destruction they get paid for! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-scene-from-aliens/945986.md?page=4)