Plot devices that ruin any movie

[twistedmic]

My biggest pet peeve is needlessly tacked on sequels. The second and third Pirates of the Caribbean movies, any animated Disney sequel,The Whole Ten Yards are all examples.

 

[Hafnium]

Illogical behaviour almost always seen in horror-type movies, especially leaving the perfectly good weapon, that you just used to temporarily disable the murderer, right next to him, without finishing him or even checking if he died.

The script-writer is basically admitting that he/she is a moron when doing that.

 

[The Brewin]

ALL ROMANTIC COMEDIES

PLOT: Boy meets girl...they have a riot together, things are going great and are perfect for one another....then some misunderstanding takes place, normally thanks to some douche, and the couple breaks up until the man does some overly blown gesture to win them back....and does....EVERY SINGLE TIME..

 

[TjoxYorro]

Avatar : spoiler

Spoiler

I didn't like the part in Avatar where all those animals at once started helping. It makes no sense! ''Ewa (?) has heard you!''

No, i rather have a good fight.

 

[Danzaivar]

As soon as the words 'destiny' get mentioned. Not a big fan of stuff where it will happen rather than it should happen.

 

[no oneder]

I don't think it's a plot device, but I've always hated big numbers in sequel titles. Like Saw V and Rocky V, that sort of thing. Sequels could do better wit some sort of subtitle, like Reloaded, or Revolutions, or Balboa, stuff like that.Makes it easier to follow.

 

[lokun489]

establishing something about ten minutes in and in thirty minutes becomes the plot and resolution.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

"And it was all a dream!"

[HEADING=1]THIS[/HEADING]

OT: I would also say "the characters best friend/wife/girlfriend/brother being the bad guy" gets really annoying.

 

[Thedayrecker]

Well, the number one must be
"And it was all a dream!"

I don't see that one much in movies...

OT: Deus Ex Machina, although I occasionally find it hilarious...

 

[imnot]

this is'nt really a plot devise but...
talking dogs,in fact dogs altogether, can we just finish making films with dogs as the main character in them!
let's see
Beverly hills chiwawa (cant spell it)
Bolt
Good boy
Shaggy dog story
Dog story (blatent toy story rip off, the title picture's even the same.)
Dog story:little hero's 2
Hotel for dog's
Cat's and dog's, (actually thats a good movie)
why cant i think of anymore!, theres hundred's.
rant over.

 

[Terminate421]

When the white nerdy socially awkward guy with glasses saves the city before the government nukes it.

 

[Terminate421]

Avatar : spoiler

Spoiler

I didn't like the part in Avatar where all those animals at once started helping. It makes no sense! ''Ewa (?) has heard you!''

No, i rather have a good fight.

I still wish the humans won that fight, would have been more interesting of a story.

 

[B2kCyclops]

They shoot the bad guy and he goes down, only it turns out...

HE WAS WEARING BODY ARMOR!

I don't actually mind this IF - AND I STRESS IF - they check the body first. You know, to make sure he's dead. And maybe he tricks them or something. Then it's OK.

But they almost never do.

Mostly this one.
Especially those guys who are hit by .300 winchester or similar caliber, and only get some bruises, thanks to a vest.

And why would anyone(especially TRAINED snipers/soldiers) who has a clear line of sight, no distractions, enough time to aim perfectly and is ridiciously close to his target, not aim for the head, wich is very lethal, instead aim for the chest.
Absolutely ridiculous.
Like a sniper with a target closer than 500m or someone with a scoped assault rifle closer than 100m, do the math...
But that's rather a problem of hollywood-movies in general.

Skillfully executed plot devices aren't visible as such. And they are a neccessary mechanic in the art of story-telling.
Only the bad ones really stick out and manage to fuck off the whole movie.
But sadly the number has increased rapidly over the last ten years... :-(

 

[therookie95]

"It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine"
I'm looking at 2012 and knowing especially,
It just isn't interesting anymore

 

[StBishop]

My biggest gripe has to be Green Rocks (ie some magical substance that does stuff to advance the plot). I understand that it has to be used sometimes but at least try to explain why it does what it does.

Unless it's the force, then don't try to explain it at all.

Fuck midichlorians.

The force isn't "Green Rocks" though, it was space magic. We were fine with space magic.

 

[Duskwaith]

That whatever beam-combining piece of shit plot device they used in Iron Man 2. So, so stupid.

Agreed. Bending light through a prism? what the hell

 

[Wedlock49]

Time Travel.

Spoiler: I am going to put a spoilers thing here, so unless you've seen Donnie Darko, DO NOT LOOK.

You looked -.-
Look. I'm sorry. I loved Donnie Darko. It was a brilliant film. But the ending was just confusing. Yes, I did eventually understand it, but even a few weeks later, I am trying to figure out if there would be another parallel timeline, because none of the events would have happened. On that note, why didn't Frank just make him not let that character killed? It would have solved everything. I think.
I don't think I gave anything away there. Just go watch the film, and don't look it up on Wikipedia. Just trust me on this one

But still, after all of that, I loved that film. But I swear, if the next Indiana Jones film has some sort of time travel....
*sigh*
You are the bane of my existence, new George Lucas.

I found Donnie Darko to be boring and stupid, I'd guessed the plot twist before it happened and I was guessing most of what happened throughout. The movie doesn't deserve the praise it gets.

 

[Kiju]

Watch the live-action Pocahontas movie, and you'll see everything that a movie can do wrong in my book.

 

[Limie]

I hate it when a main character becomes incapacitated by an injury only to be fine minutes later. Along the lines of braking your leg and being totally unable to walk, only to start running away in the next scene with no explaination of how he's magically "healed".