# Summarize a fantastical plot as mundanely as possible
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 22, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623 "2016-07-22T20:32:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/1 "2016-07-22T20:32:09Z")
Jurassic Park: A new theme park runs into some technical difficulties.
Alien: A crew of truckers deal with a pest infestation.
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### Author:  [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/2 "2016-07-22T20:33:57Z")
LOTR: A short person walks a long way to destroy an magic ring.
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### Author:  [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/3 "2016-07-22T20:39:05Z")
_Avengers 2: Age of Ultron_: A security system does not work as expected.
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### Author:  [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/4 "2016-07-22T20:44:02Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#):
>
> LOTR: A short person walks a long way to destroy an magic ring.
How to dispose of unwanted jewelery.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/5 "2016-07-22T20:46:56Z")
King Kong: A clumsy country boy succumbs to the wiles of a sassy blonde and makes a large impact on the Big Apple.
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/6 "2016-07-22T20:47:50Z")
**Ender’s Game** : Kids playing video games
**Harry Potter** : Children in boarding school
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### Author:  [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/7 "2016-07-22T20:49:20Z")
This is more fun if people have to guess the movie, but oh well…
2001: A space mission encounters computer difficulties and has to reboot while exploring the moons of Jupiter.
Gremlins: A child fails to pay attention to the care and feeding instructions for their pet and its offspring die.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Today on How It’s Made: Candy.
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### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/8 "2016-07-22T20:49:44Z")
[Worth a look.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=618090) (I’m the one pointing out that Steve Rogers is really just a troubled young man who takes some steroids and attacks some foreigners.)
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/9 "2016-07-22T21:00:35Z")
**The Martian** : Man grows potatoes while waiting for his co-workers to return.
**The Wizard of Oz** : Girl gets caught in a tornado, has to walk a long way back home.
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### Author:  [@Dante\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante_G)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/10 "2016-07-22T21:07:43Z")
A popular teen is chased across the city with his friends by a merciless red headed authority figure.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
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### Author:  [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/11 "2016-07-22T21:12:14Z")
**Deadpool** : Man tries experimental cancer treatment.
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### Author:  [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/12 "2016-07-22T21:21:54Z")
> [@Finagle](#):
>
> This is more fun if people have to guess the movie, but oh well…
Sure, you can do it that way. Whichever is funnier.
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### Author:  [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/13 "2016-07-22T21:52:44Z")
Apollo 13: Government employees fail to complete their project on schedule due to wiring issues
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### Author:  [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/14 "2016-07-22T22:03:40Z")
> [@ivylass](#):
>
> **The Martian** :
> **The Wizard of Oz** : Girl gets caught in a tornado, has to walk a long way back home.
That’s way over the top. How about:
“girl gets caught in bad weather, has to walk a long way back home”
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### Author:  [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/15 "2016-07-22T22:14:38Z")
Guy on long flight has weird dreams.
_Inception_
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### Author:  [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/16 "2016-07-22T22:17:45Z")
A crate in Tosche Station sits unclaimed.
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### Author:  [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/17 "2016-07-22T22:20:42Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#):
>
> A crate in Tosche Station sits unclaimed.
Star Wars.
Former cheerleader goes unpunished by parents for breaking curfew.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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### Author:  [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/18 "2016-07-22T22:44:46Z")
Political rivals disagree.
A Song of Ice and Fire
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### Author:  [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/19 "2016-07-22T22:59:09Z")
World War I soldier adopts new clothing choice, and makes new friends.
_Lawrence of Arabia_
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### Author:  [@oara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oara)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2016, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summarize-a-fantastical-plot-as-mundanely-as-possible/760623/20 "2016-07-22T23:04:56Z")
There must be some good mundane summaries that fit very different works. Unfortunately my knowledge isn’t nearly encyclopedic enough to offer some.
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