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[Freeza Under The Shower]

I know gaf disagrees (but then that's the internet), but I was genuinely surprised by the level of character competence in The Man from Earth. Most of the time any discussion on 'could be's' and 'might be's' is cut short by someone who clearly doesn't know how to properly masturbate and believes that manliness can only be expressed by continuous action, no matter how stupid or lethal to -in some cases quite literally- the entire human race.
aka passive-aggressive intervention of something interesting going on, like character making good decisions and seeing where that takes them instead of passing the idiot ball around just to make your "story" work. Which is basically almost every current blockbuster, sadly.

Collateral is indeed one of the happy exceptions.

 

[Mario]

Just watched Prometheus for the first time and the movie is not that bad, but holy crap the people are stupid as hell. Why would any scientist take off their helmet in an unknown environment? They have 15 people on board, but nobody is in the control room the whole time while two people are stranded outside the ship. And it goes on and on and on.

Ok, Prometheus may be especially stupid, but it’s a movie thing. People act like total idiots. So called elite soldiers don’t take cover during a firefight. Or more general, the let’s split up idea or the total lack of having a plan before doing something. It seems like all people have lost their common sense in movies or TV. I know, it is interesting for the script, but is it impossible to make a good movie with intelligent people?

So please, find me a movie in which everybody behaves like a normal human being would. (Don't go down the easy road like a drama, try something hard like Sci Fi.

And also: Every screenwriter/director using this "trip and limp away thing" during a chase scene should get tarred and feathered. It's not generating suspense anymore.

Don't think I have an example, but Prometheus is bad not only because characters make poor decisions, but they also make decisions that conflict with their nature

Spoiler

e.g. in a moment that should be the pinnacle of his career biologist runs off when discovering the corpse of an alien (and the first ex Earth biological being), while later in the film happily going up to the obviously aggressive acting "snake" with complete disregard for his safety.

I can get past the occasional character making stupid decisions, especially when they are under pressure, but when it conflicts with the core of the character as presented that makes it inexcusable.

 

[Thug Waffle]

word

the briefcase stealing homies weren't too bright though

 

[Wynnebeck]

Could we pick Inception as a film with smart people? Everyone in the movie comes off as smart or if they don't, it's because they are being manipulated in some form.

 

[HK-47]

I feel there is a problem inherit in many people's assessment of characters actions because they get to be removed and privy to tons of information the characters don't have. Add in holding characters to unrealistic standards of rationality and planning.

Of course pretty much everyone in Prometheus I can't defend on these grounds. Some of the dumbest "intelligent" characters ever

 

[Soybean]

Yeah. And besides, it's kinda obvious to you watching a movie when something stupid is happening, less so to a character put in that situation.

This is fiction, though. Just as I expect action heroes to escape dire situations or successfully execute near-impossible missions, I expect characters to act with even the slightest tinge of rationality. That's rarely true in Hollywood movies and television.

 

[Frog-fu]

Most movies written by non-Americans. It makes sense though because as an American we hardly come across intelligent beings in our day to day lives.

Joking or not, this post is dumb.

 

[akachan ningen]

2001 Space Odyssey

Yeah real smart to give a computer absolute power.

 

[sn00zer]

Primer is sci-fi with an all intelligent cast.

No...not at all...they spend most of the movie making stupid decisions

EDIT: Primer is such a confusing junk of a movie...... they put the most important scenes off camera then blame the audience if they dont understand whats going on

 

[wanderingprostheyltite]

Gattaca comes to mind, though I suppose Ethan and Uma get a bit foolish towards the end with the romance, but hey that's hormones for ya. Can't trust the brain at that point

 

[DrSlek]

Heat directed by Michael Mann

Done in one

 

[Can Crusher]

You mean horror movies right? It's really hard to find an horror movie where the characters aren't constantly making bad decisions.

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

word

the briefcase stealing homies weren't too bright though

They looked at this guy in a suit and thought "yeah, this guy isn't a threat" with no way of knowing he's a badass assassin.

 

[Big_Al]

Vincent is pretty dumb for not immediately not killing Max, when Max starts showing signs of Defiance.

The whole point of Collateral is about Vincent being this perfect hitman who gradually breaks down and makes mistakes over the course of one evening. Brilliant film.

 

[WorldStar]

word

the briefcase stealing homies weren't too bright though

easily in my top 5 fav scenes ever

 

[Thug Waffle]

The whole point of Collateral is about Vincent being this perfect hitman who gradually breaks down and makes mistakes over the course of one evening. Brilliant film.

plus Defiance wasn't even out at that time so idk how Max would show signs of it

easily in my top 5 fav scenes ever

same here. the club scene is raw too. oftentimes when someone i know has something of mine in their hands i'll ask them, "Yo, homie. That my briefcase?"

 

[Nudull]

John Carpenter's The Thing

 

[Lucky Forward]

Heat directed by Michael Mann

The Insider. Everyone acts intelligently confined to the situations they're in.

Michael Mann actually wins this thread. His characters feel like they exist outside of scripts.

Collateral is amazing for how quickly Max adapts to Vincent's ruthless cunning.

Add Manhunter to the list. Everyone on the law enforcement side was extremely competent and professional. Even Dr. Chilton was cool and professional in his small role, where as Silence of the Lambs made him more of a preening ass (in a way that really worked for that movie.)

 

[Big_Al]

plus Defiance wasn't even out at that time so idk how Max would show signs of it

Easy laugh but you got me

 

[Lord Error]

HAL is stupid for over reacting to his mistake

That's if you go by Clarke's apologetic retcon explanation. I think generally accepted reading of Hal's behaviour is that the computer believed he's the apex of evolution, thus deserving of being the only one to face the aliens. He pretty much did everything in a logical way to make that happen.

Yeah real smart to give a computer absolute power.

It's what we do in real life for a lot of systems, that become useless if computer control fails. It generally works well, so why not apply it to a spaceship too. Besides, there was a way to switch it off, so it's not like he had total absolute power.

 

[Platy]

Cabin in the Woods?

Cabin in the woods at least explain why they are being stupid =P

Spoiler

except for the idiot who created a "release everyone button" on a super acessible place... but we would not have one of the most awesome scenes in recent movies if was not for that guy

 

[akachan ningen]

That's if you go by Clarke's apologetic retcon explanation. I think generally accepted reading of Hal's behaviour is that the computer believed he's the apex of evolution, thus deserving of being the only one to face the aliens. He pretty much did everything in a logical way to make that happen.


It's what we do in real life for a lot of systems, that become useless if computer control fails. It generally works well, so why not apply it to a spaceship too. Besides, there was a way to switch it off, so it's not like he had total absolute power.

The way to switch it off was ridiculous. They just got lucky that they were able to do it.

They just didn't think it through. They expected everything to work perfectly. They put too much faith in their programming.

 

[unholyrevenger72]

I hear this alot - how so?

She seemed, as a character, not unlike a few women I know. And if they saw equally an alien burst out of their mates chance, suspect would act identically.

What dumb things specifically?

She was perfectly fine up until she froze up facing the Xeno. If she had been written as intelligent she would have moved out of the way and died in a more intelligent manner but that would have made her too much like Ripley so they reduced her to a blubbering, horrified mess waiting to be raped to death by the Xeno's barbed penis/tail.

 

[Peltz]

Yeah real smart to give a computer absolute power.

Yea, but that was THE movie which came up with the "AI is dangerous" trope. I bet audiences didn't see that coming back when it first came out. It was a totally new thing for that generation.

 

[Zeyphersan]

Tons of them. However, just because someone makes a decision you wouldn't doesn't make them a dumb person

(Not defending Prometheus, speaking in general)

 

[RickGhastly]

Don't think I have an example, but Prometheus is bad not only because characters make poor decisions, but they also make decisions that conflict with their nature

Spoiler

e.g. in a moment that should be the pinnacle of his career biologist runs off when discovering the corpse of an alien (and the first ex Earth biological being), while later in the film happily going up to the obviously aggressive acting "snake" with complete disregard for his safety.

I can get past the occasional character making stupid decisions, especially when they are under pressure, but when it conflicts with the core of the character as presented that makes it inexcusable.

I've seen Lindelof rationalize their actions as some sort of "intellectual hubris", where they're all so enamored with their status as scientists that they're all quite dumb when it actually counts. However, I suspect that's a fan theory he ran across and the whole intellectual hubris thing describes his writing process (I can't think of another screenwriter who's had to snarkily explain why he's right and everyone else is wrong more than Lindelof. His track record is worse than Tommy Wiseau's at this point).

 

[Timeless]

Primer is sci-fi with an all intelligent cast.

Agreed.

 

[Lord Error]

They just didn't think it through. They expected everything to work perfectly. They put too much faith in their programming.

But that's generally what you have to do with space flight. Practically everything has to be in the hands of computerized control and it better be perfect. You can see how things go down when that failed in Apolo 13. Even something so basic sounding as landing becomes a humanly impossible task.

Yea, but that was THE movie which came up with the "AI is dangerous" trope. I bet audiences didn't see that coming back when it first came out. It was a totally new thing for that generation.

Yeah, that too. At the time, computers were seen as infallible systems that should be given complete control. After all, when you type something on your calculator, you never get an incorrect answer, no?

 

[WillyFive]

Aaron Sorkin gets a lot of criticism of writing characters that seem to be too smart to be realistic.

 

[StuBurns]

No...not at all...they spend most of the movie making stupid decisions

EDIT: Primer is such a confusing junk of a movie...... they put the most important scenes off camera then blame the audience if they dont understand whats going on

Completely disagree. They make human mistakes, but they're still intelligent people, dealing with the realities of this complex revelation they've arrived at. The breakdown of all the people involved is due to the weight of the secret imposed on them, it's not from a lack of reason or logic.

And the film isn't a riddle, you're not required to understand how it all worked, and I don't see how 'the film' blames the audience for anything.

 

[Chezzymann]

The worst example.is when something tall is falling and people run straight

 

[karasu]

Just watched Prometheus for the first time and the movie is not that bad, but holy crap the people are stupid as hell. Why would any scientist take off their helmet in an unknown environment? They have 15 people on board, but nobody is in the control room the whole time while two people are stranded outside the ship. And it goes on and on and on.

Ok, Prometheus may be especially stupid, but it’s a movie thing. People act like total idiots. So called elite soldiers don’t take cover during a firefight. Or more general, the let’s split up idea or the total lack of having a plan before doing something. It seems like all people have lost their common sense in movies or TV. I know, it is interesting for the script, but is it impossible to make a good movie with intelligent people?

So please, find me a movie in which everybody behaves like a normal human being would. (Don't go down the easy road like a drama, try something hard like Sci Fi.

And also: Every screenwriter/director using this "trip and limp away thing" during a chase scene should get tarred and feathered. It's not generating suspense anymore.

This is exactly why I've been so turned off by practically every movie lately. They defer to such ridiculous conventions that I just can't take anything seriously anymore. my suspension of disbelief has been broken.

 

[amar212]

John Rambo

Comandos

Rocky

Terminator

Wierd Science

Ronin

Doctor Zhivago

Eyes Wide Shut

Predator

The Matador

 

[The Cowboy]

She was perfectly fine up until she froze up facing the Xeno. If she had been written as intelligent she would have moved out of the way and died in a more intelligent manner but that would have made her too much like Ripley so they reduced her to a blubbering, horrified mess waiting to be raped to death by the Xeno's barbed penis/tail.

In that scene intelligence had nothing to do with it, it was all about fear - not smarts.

Even is she had been written as very intelligent you could have the exact same scene and it be believable (this is what i like about Alien - people act in a believable manner), because someone being intelligent doesn't mean they won't freeze up when faced with an 8ft tall Alien killing machine about to rip you to pieces.

I'm pretty smart, but i can tell you that due to a heck of a fear of bees/wasps (fell in a hive when i was younger) i freeze up if one lands on me - being smart doesn't mean you can move in the face of fear.

 

[unholyrevenger72]

The whole point of Collateral is about Vincent being this perfect hitman who gradually breaks down and makes mistakes over the course of one evening. Brilliant film.

It is a brilliant film, but intelligent people don't continuously make the same mistake, in Vincent's case letting Max live: like after the guy lands and the Cab, or when Max tries to convince Vincent not to kill the Musician or after Max takes the brief case, or after he throws it on the freeway, or after Max retrieves the hit list from the criminals.

If Vincent was intelligent the movie is completely different or only twenty minutes long.

 

[unholyrevenger72]

In that scene intelligence had nothing to do with it, it was all about fear - not smarts.

That is what makes her dumb, she lets her fear control her, when being afraid wouldn't help. In contrast Ripley swallows her fear and doesn't allow it to control her and kicks the Xeno out the airlock.

Lets put it like this if at any moment you can imagine a movie goer yelling "Run bitch, Run!!!" to the screen and the character doesn't at a do or die moment, the character did something dumb