# Worst movie cop-outs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 10, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-movie-cop-outs/320926 "2005-09-10T02:11:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-movie-cop-outs/320926/101 "2005-09-15T02:39:43Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Does LOTR get a pass? Yeah, but on the sole condition that Gandalf is essetinally an angel. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-movie-cop-outs/320926/102 "2005-09-15T03:00:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by AHunter3 > Danny Brown gets my nomination for The Da Vinci Code. Lays major plot-trajectory groundwork, very high-stakes stuff fueling the fast-moving cliffhanger pace: I would think by the time you’ve read 2 lines you would stop yourself from reading anymore, since it was pretty obvious there was a spoiler coming up. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-movie-cop-outs/320926/103 "2005-09-16T18:22:17Z")
I only thought of this last night, and I hate to say it at all, but the ending of _Macbeth_ is quite a cop-out. (I think the mention of LOTR brought it to mind.) Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great play. Tons of great scenes, and it’s really tight, although that might be because of post-Shakespeare editing, which makes it wonderfully tense and claustrophobic. But Shakespeare comes up with these great prophecies for the Weird Sisters to deliver - 'moving trees and such - and concludes with “none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” Clearly, he forgot Macbeth had to die at the end, because the King of England claimed to be descended from Banquo. And Bill always knew where his bread was buttered. So he gets to the end and realizes he’s completely written himself into a corner. He can’t think of a way to change the prophecy that doesn’t make it wimpy, so he thinks to himself “If MacDuff was born by C-section, that doesn’t count as a birth! Shakspeare, you’re a genius!” But it just doesn’t make sense. I don’t care if “MacDuff was from his mother’s womb untimely rip’t.” That’s a birth. It’s a good try, really, but it’s a cop-out. Sorry, Shakespeare. ---
**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:** [September 16, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-movie-cop-outs/320926/104 "2005-09-16T18:31:21Z")
**Marley** , if you’re serious, you oughtta know that Shakespeare wouldna written himself into a corner like that, and his definition of “born” doesn’t match yours. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-movie-cop-outs/320926/105 "2005-09-16T18:38:32Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Marley** , if you’re serious, you oughtta know that Shakespeare wouldna written himself into a corner like that, and his definition of “born” doesn’t match yours. I’m kidding about his thought process, but to a modern theatregoer it does come across as a cop-out. Nothing to be done about it; I’m sure it’s a difference in historical perception as you say. ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-movie-cop-outs/320926/106 "2005-09-16T19:47:58Z")
I see _MacBeth_ as having a “twist” ending more than a “cop-out.” ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-movie-cop-outs/320926/107 "2005-09-16T20:06:26Z")
I say, LOTR gets a pass on the ‘resurrection’. BUT I think it really screws up the ‘not by the hand of man’ bit, compared to Macbeth (which does it well, IMO). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-movie-cop-outs/320926.md?page=5)