# Things in movies for which you just can't suspend disbelief (poss unboxed spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 5, 2007, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576 "2007-07-05T09:39:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/41 "2007-07-05T17:54:53Z")
People walking into a bar and ordering “a beer.” Of all the unrealistic shit in movies, nothing pisses me off more than that one. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/42 "2007-07-05T18:06:21Z")
OK, this doesn’t flout the laws of physics or anything, but it screams “MOVIE” so badly that it always shakes me out of my disbelief: **The time-elapse montage**. It happens in EVERY Rocky or Karate Kid movie, and about 95% of other action movies, as well as most romantic films. You know, the two-minute montage of the main characters learning karate, or refurbishing the new headquarters, or gradually falling in love while washing cars and drinking milkshakes - usually set to theme music. Typically four to six months passes during this two minutes of screen time. It just feels fake, lazy and forced to me, and it jars me every time. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/43 "2007-07-05T18:14:29Z")
The Pixar movie _Cars._ They’re anthropomorphic **cars**! The anthropomorphic bugs in _A Bug’s Life_ didn’t bother me. Anthropomorphic toys in _Toy Story_ and _Toy Story 2?_ Fine. Anthropomorphic fish in _Finding Nemo?_ Still no problem. But anthropomorphic cars? With seats and windshield wipers? In a world with no drivers? You lost me, folks. Besides which, 2006, the same year _An Inconvenient Truth_ came out, was exactly the wrong time to come out with a movie glorifying America’s car culture. ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/44 "2007-07-05T18:14:42Z")
[QUOTE=Finagle] (snip) In the latest season of 24, Morris gets kidnapped and is forced to program an arming sequence to a bomb. He’s the only guy who can do this, so apparently it’s not a matter of just punching in some numbers, but some serious technical wankery. Meanwhile, the terrorist bad guy is motivating him with a power drill. OK, I’ve never been in that precise situation, but I’m pretty sure that if my boss came into my office and started prodding me with a power drill and beating me with sticks, then my code \* might just have a few bugs in it. \* 'Cause having an augur bit whirling away in your viscera really isn’t going to help you focus. [/QUOTE] On that note, the whole notion in 24 that: 1. The quickest way to get info from anyone is to torture them 2. That information will be reliable seems a bit suspect to me. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/45 "2007-07-05T18:15:29Z")
**Batman Begins** is a fine move, except for the small point that the master plan of the Scarecrow involves vaporizing all the water , yet somehow manages not to vaporize the water in the people, just the water in the pipes. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/46 "2007-07-05T18:16:23Z")
[QUOTE=DiggitCamara] On that note, the whole notion in 24 that: 1. The quickest way to get info from anyone is to torture them 2. That information will be reliable seems a bit suspect to me. [/QUOTE] Why do you hate America? ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/47 "2007-07-05T18:21:17Z")
I am notorious for being willing to suspend disbelief on just about anything, only to get hung up on a very small detail that no one else notices or cares about. In _My Big, Fat Greek Wedding_, it drives me crazy how they make a big comic production about how the non-Greek fiance is a vegetarian, and the Greek relatives are completely flummoxed about what this means and what he can/will eat. This could all be resolved in about 10 seconds if the bride said “he’ll eat anything we eat when we fast for Lent” - the Greek Orthodox fast is strictly meatless, and Greeks still entertain with elaborate meals during Lent so they’d have plenty of options. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/48 "2007-07-05T18:23:12Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] Cars that make impressive leaps over obstacles, or even just starting off high structures and landing far down below, without their suspension systems collapsing… [/QUOTE] General Lee 01, the car seen in the intro and extro to the show, survived. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/49 "2007-07-05T18:32:16Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] Hot Blonde starts blowing him [/QUOTE] That should really help him focus on the task at hand. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/50 "2007-07-05T18:41:20Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath] General Lee 01, the car seen in the intro and extro to the show, survived. [/QUOTE] I assume by “the show”, you are speaking of the Dukes of Hazard. (I mentioned no show.) TV series, or movie? Wiki on the TV show: [The Dukes of Hazzard - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dukes_of_hazard) > [@Wikipedia](#): > > The General Lee was a souped-up 1969 Dodge Charger. It was orange with a Confederate battle flag painted on the roof, and the words “GENERAL LEE” over each door and the number “01” on each door. In the first episode (“One-Armed Bandits”), a confederate flag along with a checkered racing flag in a criss-cross pattern could be seen behind the rear window. The name refers to the American Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Since it was built as a race car, the windows were always open, a rollbar was installed, and officially the doors were welded shut, although of course in reality they were not. Through the history of the show, an estimated 309 General Lees were used. Twenty three are still known to exist in various states of repair. The show also used 1968 Chargers since the start (which shared mostly the same sheet metal) by changing the grill and taillights to the 1969 model year style, and smoothing over the round '68 side marker lights, which were rectangular on the '69 model year. These Chargers performed many record-breaking jumps throughout the show, almost all of which resulted in a completely destroyed car. The Duke boys had added a custom horn to The General which played the tune of the song “Dixie.” The show itself purchased hundreds of Chargers for stunts, as they generally destroyed at least one or two cars per episode. (Real Chargers stopped being used for jumps at the end of the show’s sixth season, and were replaced with miniatures or recycled stock jump footage.) If the car you speak of indeed survived the TV show, it was because it was either never used for stunts, or one of the few that has been rebuilt after said stunt(s). Heh. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/51 "2007-07-05T19:11:21Z")
The end of _Total Recall_ where Arnold & the girl _almost_ burst from the low pressure ( yes, I know that doesn’t actually happen ), but are just fine a few minutes later. As opposed to nasty, complexion marring burst blood vessels and bleeding under the skin, which is the least of what they should’ve gotten from such dramatic distortions. [QUOTE=Finagle] In my mind, I’ve added a bit of dialog to that movie in which some scientist tells Jeff Goldblum something like “We’ve been studying the computers in this crashed spaceship for 30 years. The aliens may be smart, but their security is laughable. I guess they don’t have hackers in space.” [/QUOTE] That would actually have been a good explanation. What kind of conception would telepaths have of information security, after all ? [QUOTE=kingpengvin] Musicals. I can believe a man can fly.. I’m willing to let a guy outrun water and explosions. Hell I’ll even accept the words Keanu Reeves and actor in the same sentence… but have a group of supposedly random people suddenly burst in to song and dance with proffesional coreography and I’m out. [/QUOTE] Same with me. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/52 "2007-07-05T19:17:49Z")
[QUOTE=Robot Arm] So, **Morbo** , how’s the family? [/QUOTE] Belligerent and numerous. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/53 "2007-07-05T20:08:29Z")
[QUOTE=dysonsphere] Using a Mac to write a virus that can completely debilitate an advanced alien race’s supercomputers, as seen in Independence Day. [/QUOTE] You are of course missing the simplest explanation. Macs are alien computers. Therefore it is simple to write an get a virus for the bad alien computer. ::: Ducks and runs::: ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/54 "2007-07-05T20:21:22Z")
[QUOTE=dysonsphere] Using a Mac to write a virus that can completely debilitate an advanced alien race’s supercomputers, as seen in Independence Day. [/QUOTE] Not to mention that a mothership has dialup access. I’ll have to doublecheck the specs, but I’m pretty sure V.Everything didn’t have a provision for alien motherships. And then there’s Harrison Ford in Firewall. Tape a chunk of a fax machine to a monitor and scan the scrolling text into an iPod. Is there any tech movie that a geek can’t find something to :smack: ? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/55 "2007-07-05T20:21:25Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] “555” telephone numbers. Everybody **in the whole freaking world** knows that those are fake. [/QUOTE] I can suspend disbelief to an extraordinary extent (hell, I’m a Doctor Who fan) but that pulls me out of the moment every single time. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/56 "2007-07-05T20:32:22Z")
[QUOTE=kingpengvin] Musicals. I can believe a man can fly.. I’m willing to let a guy outrun water and explosions. Hell I’ll even accept the words Keanu Reeves and actor in the same sentence… but have a group of supposedly random people suddenly burst in to song and dance with proffesional coreography and I’m out. Weird but true. [/QUOTE] OK, let me be the requisite Buffy freak who points out that in “Once More, With Feeling” this actually had a rational (in the Buffyverse) reason for happening, and it was key to the whole plot. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/57 "2007-07-05T20:36:02Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] I can suspend disbelief to an extraordinary extent (hell, I’m a Doctor Who fan) but that pulls me out of the moment every single time. [/QUOTE] Especially when a female character gives a phone number to a male character. I’ll be sitting there trying to figure out if she’s being insultingly dishonest or if that’s supposed to be her number. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/58 "2007-07-05T20:42:19Z")
Worse is when they try to play it off by saying KL5-…, in a modern show. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/59 "2007-07-05T20:47:02Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Worse is when they try to play it off by saying KL5-…, in a modern show. [/QUOTE] That excuse is to lame, you’d think they’ve suffered **brain damage** [/homer] ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576/60 "2007-07-05T20:47:06Z")
[QUOTE=Steve MB] That should really help him focus on the task at hand. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] I know. I could be disarming a bomb or 15 seconds from figuring out cancer and if a hot blonde were blowing me, I’d hafta look down and at least say “Oh? What do we have here?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-movies-for-which-you-just-cant-suspend-disbelief-poss-unboxed-spoilers/410576.md?page=4)