Top Things in Movies that Annoy You?

[Captain Adverse]

I enjoy watching movies, mostly Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy (which includes movies made from the various comic book universes), but not exclusively.

I keep seeing "tropes" repeating in movies that don't make sense and just annoy the heck out of me. My top five?

1. Throwing people. Why do monsters, and people engaged in fights, keep throwing people when they have them in their power? Like the monster, hero/enemy, or alien has the upper hand where all they have to do is crush, bite, or otherwise kill...and yet they throw the person! This person invariably gets up, and either runs away or finds something to fight with.

2. Long looks while Driving. Why do movies show people driving while having looong eye-to-eye conversations with someone in the passenger seat! What's going on with traffic; ever hear of rear-ending someone because you weren't paying attention?

3. Miracle computer hacking. Seriously, who can sit at any computer and in a few hits of the keys crack and hack one? And is there really a "universal worm" that can crack any system regardless of who may have programed it?

4. Miraculous healing. Someone has just gotten beaten to within an inch of their lives, we're talkin major head trauma and broken bones in any normal situation...and yet they suddenly "recover" and turn into superman kicking butt and winning the fight.

5. Mary Sue's. This is a biggie, a character who with no knowledge, skills, experience, or training is just "naturally" perfect at everything. Like someone who picks up a sword (or lightsaber) for the very first time and "instinctively knows" how to use it as expertly as a highly trained and experienced opponent.


Those are my top 5.

What, if any, are yours?

 

[calamity]

I enjoy watching movies, mostly Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy (which includes movies made from the various comic book universes), but not exclusively.

I keep seeing "tropes" repeating in movies that don't make sense and just annoy the heck out of me. My top five?

1. Throwing people. Why do monsters, and people engaged in fights, keep throwing people when they have them in their power? Like the monster, hero/enemy, or alien has the upper hand where all they have to do is crush, bite, or otherwise kill...and yet they throw the person! This person invariably gets up, and either runs away or finds something to fight with.

2. Long looks while Driving. Why do movies show people driving while having looong eye-to-eye conversations with someone in the passenger seat! What's going on with traffic; ever hear of rear-ending someone because you weren't paying attention?

3. Miracle computer hacking. Seriously, who can sit at any computer and in a few hits of the keys crack and hack one? And is there really a "universal worm" that can crack any system regardless of who may have programed it?

4. Miraculous healing. Someone has just gotten beaten to within an inch of their lives, we're talkin major head trauma and broken bones in any normal situation...and yet they suddenly "recover" and turn into superman kicking butt and winning the fight.

5. Mary Sue's. This is a biggie, a character who with no knowledge, skills, experience, or training is just "naturally" perfect at everything. Like someone who picks up a sword (or lightsaber) for the very first time and "instinctively knows" how to use it as expertly as a highly trained and experienced opponent.


Those are my top 5.

What, if any, are your?

Plot holes

I absolutely hate it when some mystery or thriller I am following suddenly jumps to an unreasonable conclusion. Frustrating.

 

[Unitedwestand13]

I enjoy watching movies, mostly Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy (which includes movies made from the various comic book universes), but not exclusively.

I keep seeing "tropes" repeating in movies that don't make sense and just annoy the heck out of me. My top five?

1. Throwing people. Why do monsters, and people engaged in fights, keep throwing people when they have them in their power? Like the monster, hero/enemy, or alien has the upper hand where all they have to do is crush, bite, or otherwise kill...and yet they throw the person! This person invariably gets up, and either runs away or finds something to fight with.

2. Long looks while Driving. Why do movies show people driving while having looong eye-to-eye conversations with someone in the passenger seat! What's going on with traffic; ever hear of rear-ending someone because you weren't paying attention?

3. Miracle computer hacking. Seriously, who can sit at any computer and in a few hits of the keys crack and hack one? And is there really a "universal worm" that can crack any system regardless of who may have programed it?

4. Miraculous healing. Someone has just gotten beaten to within an inch of their lives, we're talkin major head trauma and broken bones in any normal situation...and yet they suddenly "recover" and turn into superman kicking butt and winning the fight.

5. Mary Sue's. This is a biggie, a character who with no knowledge, skills, experience, or training is just "naturally" perfect at everything. Like someone who picks up a sword (or lightsaber) for the very first time and "instinctively knows" how to use it as expertly as a highly trained and experienced opponent.


Those are my top 5.

What, if any, are your?

I can think of a couple reasons why your number 1 trope exists.

1. It keeps a fight going) it may not make logical sense to Throw someone but throwing someone to extend the fight scene in service of the plot does make sense from a directing stand point.

2. Fighting is not always a purely logical action, you may throw someone based on the principle of “think fast”. Also throwing someone can injure or harm that person in the right circumstances.

 

[Crovax]

I enjoy watching movies, mostly Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy (which includes movies made from the various comic book universes), but not exclusively.

I keep seeing "tropes" repeating in movies that don't make sense and just annoy the heck out of me. My top five?

1. Throwing people. Why do monsters, and people engaged in fights, keep throwing people when they have them in their power? Like the monster, hero/enemy, or alien has the upper hand where all they have to do is crush, bite, or otherwise kill...and yet they throw the person! This person invariably gets up, and either runs away or finds something to fight with.

2. Long looks while Driving. Why do movies show people driving while having looong eye-to-eye conversations with someone in the passenger seat! What's going on with traffic; ever hear of rear-ending someone because you weren't paying attention?

3. Miracle computer hacking. Seriously, who can sit at any computer and in a few hits of the keys crack and hack one? And is there really a "universal worm" that can crack any system regardless of who may have programed it?

4. Miraculous healing. Someone has just gotten beaten to within an inch of their lives, we're talkin major head trauma and broken bones in any normal situation...and yet they suddenly "recover" and turn into superman kicking butt and winning the fight.

5. Mary Sue's. This is a biggie, a character who with no knowledge, skills, experience, or training is just "naturally" perfect at everything. Like someone who picks up a sword (or lightsaber) for the very first time and "instinctively knows" how to use it as expertly as a highly trained and experienced opponent.


Those are my top 5.

What, if any, are yours?

DCS - Dumb **** syndrome. Can apply to either sex but it’s when the group is only in trouble because a character did something the were specifically told not to do.

Infinite ammo. A staple of action movies but is just a substitute for poor writing.

Overly specific logic/immaculate profiling. It works in a Sherlock Holmes book but not much else.

The villain letting the good guy live. This one is just so annoying. If you require this to move your narrative along just write something else instead.

 

[Captain Adverse]

I can think of a couple reasons why your number 1 trope exists.

1. It keeps a fight going) it may not make logical sense to Throw someone but throwing someone to extend the fight scene in service of the plot does make sense from a directing stand point.

2. Fighting is not always a purely logical action, you may throw someone based on the principle of “think fast”. Also throwing someone can injure or harm that person in the right circumstances.

You're missing the point. Everyone understands why they do it in the movies, like why explosions don't kill or even seriously wound most protagonists.

The point is that they are annoying, because in reality it does not work that way, and it makes you go hmmmm, rather than remaining in the fantasy of the moment.

For example, there are lots of ways, realistic ways, to extend a fight without "throwing" someone. Meanwhile, what if any, movie tropes annoy YOU? That's the point of this thread.

 

[Unitedwestand13]

DCS - Dumb **** syndrome. Can apply to either sex but it’s when the group is only in trouble because a character did something the were specifically told not to do.

Infinite ammo. A staple of action movies but is just a substitute for poor writing.

Overly specific logic/immaculate profiling. It works in a Sherlock Holmes book but not much else.

But without the cliche of infinite ammo, how could Arnold Schwarzenegger have pulled off what he did in Commando?

Oh wait, his enemies went to the storm trooper academy of aiming.

 

[Acadia]

Continuity issues. I'm always looking for them with food, hair and costume.

 

[Kobie]

Deus Ex Machina endings, where the protagonist should be completely effed but the day is saved by some magical plot contrivance.

 

[Kobie]

The villain taking two minutes to explain his Diabolical Plan to the defeated protagonist, giving him or her juuuuust enough time to escape and foil said plan.

Basically, every James Bond film.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Continuity issues. I'm always looking for them with food, hair and costume.

Especially with vehicles where the "stunt double" is a different make/model - sometimes not even the same paint job. I often see weather differences (sometimes hard to avoid) but when the time of day changes (shadows on left vs. right) that is just plain lazy.

A rather extreme example was the motorcycle(s) used in the Then Came Bronson pilot movie for the TV series.

http://www.thencamebronson.com/cycles.htm

 

[Nap]

I enjoy watching movies, mostly Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy (which includes movies made from the various comic book universes), but not exclusively.

I keep seeing "tropes" repeating in movies that don't make sense and just annoy the heck out of me. My top five?

1. Throwing people. Why do monsters, and people engaged in fights, keep throwing people when they have them in their power? Like the monster, hero/enemy, or alien has the upper hand where all they have to do is crush, bite, or otherwise kill...and yet they throw the person! This person invariably gets up, and either runs away or finds something to fight with.

2. Long looks while Driving. Why do movies show people driving while having looong eye-to-eye conversations with someone in the passenger seat! What's going on with traffic; ever hear of rear-ending someone because you weren't paying attention?

3. Miracle computer hacking. Seriously, who can sit at any computer and in a few hits of the keys crack and hack one? And is there really a "universal worm" that can crack any system regardless of who may have programed it?

4. Miraculous healing. Someone has just gotten beaten to within an inch of their lives, we're talkin major head trauma and broken bones in any normal situation...and yet they suddenly "recover" and turn into superman kicking butt and winning the fight.

5. Mary Sue's. This is a biggie, a character who with no knowledge, skills, experience, or training is just "naturally" perfect at everything. Like someone who picks up a sword (or lightsaber) for the very first time and "instinctively knows" how to use it as expertly as a highly trained and experienced opponent.


Those are my top 5.

What, if any, are yours?

I couldn't agree more with #5. I saw what you did with the "(or lightsaber)", those last Star Wars movies were so awful. As bad as it was seeing her fight Kylo literally seconds after picking up a lightsaber for the first time, I have to say the superman space flight by Leia was absolutely ridiculous.

I am starting to get annoyed by politics getting thrown into TV/Movies more than just about anything.

 

[Acadia]

Especially with vehicles where the "stunt double" is a different make/model - sometimes not even the same paint job. I often see weather differences (sometimes hard to avoid) but when the time of day changes (shadows on left vs. right) that is just plain lazy.

Oh that reminds me of another. The script calls for rain and it's obviously sunny as all get out.
The need to have wet streets. Why?

 

[Unitedwestand13]

I suppose this is not a movie-trope per se but I still find it annoying when it happens.

I hate it when certain movies have to bend over backwards for a particular actor or actress because of name recognition or because they are the wife or husband of the film’s director/ producer.

The classic example is director Paul w. S. Anderson, and any film staring his wife milo Jovovich. He goes out of his way to make sure that his wife is somehow given a prominent action role

 

[Mizzy22]

Shooting 20 shots with a 6 shooter

 

[Crosscheck]

Movie fight scenes are realistic as porn sex scenes are. It just doesn't happen like that in real life.

I can remember Jay Leno once talked about going to a movie and he had two teen boys seated behind him. In the movie the villain cut someone's head off and hearing one of the boys say to his buddy, " Oh that is so fake".

 

[GDViking]

Without even reading any of the comments, just answering the title question.

CAR TIRES SQUEALING ON GRAVEL!!!!

 

[GDViking]

Also the old pistol wip that that just knocks someone out for a minute or two,they rub their head for a bit and are fine.

Westerns where they knock a guy down but have to pick them up by their shirt to be able to hit them agai.

That made me lose a lot of fights In grade school, I thought that was the rules...

The Duke's of hazard when they jump the general Lee and you watch the frame bend into a taco shape and the next camera angle they speed away...

Oh man I could go on and on...

 

[GDViking]

Okay just one more...

Westerns where the Indian pony is supposed to be ridden bareback, but it is clear as hell that they just threw a horse blanket over a Western style saddle...

 

[Jredbaron96]

Infinite Ammo!

The bad guys can't aim for ****.

Deus Ex Machinas.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Without even reading any of the comments, just answering the title question.

CAR TIRES SQUEALING ON GRAVEL!!!!

1920's/30's/40's cars in stock shape that sound like they have V-8 engines...not souped up hot rod V-8's, the V-8 in your mom's old station wagon...or even worse, that DO sound like they have a built LS series.
Modern cars with V-8's that sound like a four cylinder Saab.
Cars that ALWAYS come screeching to a stop, even if they're only driving a sedate 25 mph.
Cars that use the same canned knocking after-ignition sound effect used on over a thousand films since the 1980's.
Ambulances and cop cars from the 30's, 40's, 50's and early 60's that seem to have modern late 20th century electronic sirens instead of mechanical ones.
1980's or 1990's computers capable of high speed broadband and enterprise level graphics with lightning fast performance.
Antique phones from the early 20th century that have modern dial tones and ringing signals.
Japanese bikes that sound like Harleys and vice versa.

Advanced civilizations from the future which are capable of interstellar travel but which for some reason are still forced to wear animal pelts and use oil lamps for lighting, and which possess robots which, for all their advanced abilities, can only converse with humanoids through primitive bleeps and bloops.
Idiotic voice activated computer interfaces CAN converse with humans but which offer proof that they are mocking you, because here we are four hundred years prior and Siri and Alexa are both ten times smarter.

All of the above contribute to "breaking the mood" or piercing the "willing suspension of disbelief" and in those and many other ways act to jar the viewer (well...me in any case) out of the story.
And it's annoying as &@**#^%!

 

[GDViking]

1920's/30's/40's cars in stock shape that sound like they have V-8 engines...not souped up hot rod V-8's, the V-8 in your mom's old station wagon...or even worse, that DO sound like they have a built LS series.
Modern cars with V-8's that sound like a four cylinder Saab.
Cars that ALWAYS come screeching to a stop, even if they're only driving a sedate 25 mph.
Cars that use the same canned knocking after-ignition sound effect used on over a thousand films since the 1980's.
Ambulances and cop cars from the 30's, 40's, 50's and early 60's that seem to have modern late 20th century electronic sirens instead of mechanical ones.
1980's or 1990's computers capable of high speed broadband and enterprise level graphics with lightning fast performance.
Antique phones from the early 20th century that have modern dial tones and ringing signals.
Japanese bikes that sound like Harleys and vice versa.

Advanced civilizations from the future which are capable of interstellar travel but which for some reason are still forced to wear animal pelts and use oil lamps for lighting, and which possess robots which, for all their advanced abilities, can only converse with humanoids through primitive bleeps and bloops.
Idiotic voice activated computer interfaces CAN converse with humans but which offer proof that they are mocking you, because here we are four hundred years prior and Siri and Alexa are both ten times smarter.

All of the above contribute to "breaking the mood" or piercing the "willing suspension of disbelief" and in those and many other ways act to jar the viewer (well...me in any case) out of the story.
And it's annoying as &@**#^%!

I agree one hundred percent, however if you are cuddling on the couch with your Significant other whatever you do, do not point those things out.

Apparently they find that annoying...:roll:

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

I agree one hundred percent, however if you are cuddling on the couch with your Significant other whatever you do, do not point those things out.

Apparently they find that annoying...:roll:

HAHAHAHAHA!!! Yup, but my wife knows I am cringing.
Sometimes I groan quietly.
More often than not she's all, "Yeah yeah go ahead and say it, you know you want to...you're DYING to." :lol:

 

[Keridan]

The single most annoying thing to me is being preached at. Usually it's political and comes in the form of forcing lines or actions or situations to shame some group or tell you what you should be thinking. I'm there for the escapism, not the lecture.

I like comic and action movies and am willing to put up with a lot of crazy crap in a flick. I really don't expect things to be perfect and I'm always willing to suspend belief for a couple hours. As long as it's fun and makes sense, I'm good with it.

Mary Sues bug me too. You already covered that one in OP.

There are movie types that bug me as a whole, but that isn't what you meant, I think. Lots of folks don't like romance movies much.

Just a side note; I'm super excited about Endgame, so you know strict reality plays no part in my choices.

 

[Nickyjo]

I couldn't agree more with #5. I saw what you did with the "(or lightsaber)", those last Star Wars movies were so awful. As bad as it was seeing her fight Kylo literally seconds after picking up a lightsaber for the first time, I have to say the superman space flight by Leia was absolutely ridiculous.

I am starting to get annoyed by politics getting thrown into TV/Movies more than just about anything.

The long looks away from the road while driving drive me crazy too. Another thing about fights: i’ve been punched in the face. It hurts. You don’t take two or three haymakers and fight back. You crawl into a corner and weep softly. Also it hurts your hand when you punch someone in the face. You don’t want to do it with your other hand. There is less of that than there used to be, but still.

 

[PoS]

Plot armor- no matter what the protagonist does, you know he/she will live and win at the end. This is pretty much the most common trope ever.

Stupidity syndrome- common in horror movies. In order to advance the plot, the supporting character/s have to do something stupid to get themselves killed.

Protagonists falling in love with each other at the end. Two main characters from completely different backgrounds go through tons of violence and all that, and in the end, they kiss.

Hollywood endings- the good guy/gal always wins, the bad guy is always vanquished/killed at the end.

Someone already mentioned plotholes, which is another big one.