CBM Moments where you just can't suspend disbelief

[CyclopsWasRight]

In CBMs there are wacky sometimes impossible things, men who can fly, shoot lasers out of their eyes, weild a magical hammer, teleport and so on.

We accept these things, often because we're given a reason to do so but even without we buy into the concept.

Sometimes though there are moments where we instantly think there's no way that could or would happen.

These aren't continuity errors, failing to accept a powerset or anything like that, just things when you can't suspend disbelief.

For instance if Wolverine or Superman fell from the sky and smashed into the ground we'd accept them getting up as Wolverine has a healing factor and Superman is invulnerable, but if Iron Man did so there'd be a little voice in our heads saying that his bones would be shattered into rubble from smacking into his iron armour.

We ignore these because they're not really that important, just little niggles and they generally don't impact our enjoyment of the movies, but i thought just for fun why not point out some of these things.

___

I'll start with four i noticed:

The Avengers

I accept a man can turn into a green monster, a god can summon lighting with a magical hammer and that an Aircraft carrier could fly and turn invisible with some kindof of tech, but there's no reason for it to do so other than because it's like that in the comics.

Think about it. If it was attacked by one explosive arrow it would sink and plenty aboard would perish, some would survive in lifeboats. However if it was attacked in the sky over one of the most populated cities in the world it would fall and not only kill all aboard but hundreds of thousand below in the city. No way would it be permitted to fly over cities incase that happened, and if so and it had to fly over the ocean then there'd be no point in it flying as it could sail the same ocean.

Spider-Man 3

I can accept a man who can have Spider powers through science wackery, that a man can turn to sand if mutated somehow, far fetched but you go along with it anyway.

But a mutating sand experiment within running distance of a prison and open in the outdoors for no reason and with no fences around the particle accelerator? Thats too damn risky and senseless.

The Dark Knight:

We know Batmans armour protects him somewhat from knives and bullets and that his cape can allow him to glide, but it desn't potect him against sudden impact to a taxi roof, yet both he and Rachel smash into the taxi roof after falling from a skyscraper and aren't hurt in the slightest.

Iron Man 3

The Extremis gives people a grab-bag of firery superpowers, we go along with it, but A.I.M must have a helluva tailoring department since they can make 100% fireproof clothing.

Hell forget Extremis, they'd make a ton of money selling that.

__

So what are some moments in CBMs that had that voice of reason deconstruct the reality and suspend your disbelief?

Remember it's just fo fun.

 

[metaphysician]

Man of Steel: the "everything is rebuilt and all fine and dandy" ending scene.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Man of Steel: the "everything is rebuilt and all fine and dandy" ending scene.

This.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Well you know what they say "Rome was built in a day". Wait that doesn't sound right

 

[Batmannerism]

Okay, I have a list. Some are well publicized and debated, but still bug the **** out of me.


IRON MAN 3
- Tony Stark invites a seemingly unstoppable terrorist to attack him at home, and gives out his address on TV.....and then is caught off guard when the terrorist attacks.

- The Iron man suit has stood up to Thor's Hammer, yet gets taken apart by Extremis soldiers, and trucks.

The most advanced version of the Iron man suit doesn't work properly.....


THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Forget the whole, how the F did Bats heal a serious back injury in 3 months, travel across the world with no money or resources, sneak into Gotham which had been turned into an occupied territory, and then fly out the nuke and get clear of the blast with 5 seconds to go ( I don't buy the whole "he changed Bats" theory and I've watched that sequence many, many times)? All of that I can live with but....

...... what's beyond belief is that he is able to move freely with a penetrating chest wound, that was so incapacitating, he couldn't stop Talia
pressing the bomb button, or stop Bane from tying him up, but is still able to fly the Bat, and hook up the cable to the bomb, without even a token
clutch at his side in pain.


MAN OF STEEL

- I loved Man of Steel, and even though this bit broke my disbelief barrier, I didn't care. Anyway, Jor El, a scientist, with a few seconds of surprise outfights and wipes out 6 of Zod's soldiers, and then kicks the **** out of Zod himself.
It was awesome, but Jor El's just a bit too good.


THOR and THOR the Dark World

- Hammer tossing gods, dark elves and rainbow bridges I can live with
Kat Dennings as a scientist/intern, who doesn't do anything remotely
scientific, or even pretend to, now that's a ****ing stretch.


SPIDER MAN 3

I actually enjoyed this movie, particularly "Evil Funky Peter Parker" and when Peter and Harry kick the crap out of each other. What bugged me is that Spider Man is famous for his spider-sense, except in THIS film, when he didn't seem to have it, at all .

Oh, and that Mary Jayne could get a lead in a musical, when she can't ****ing sing !


THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Generally, I hated Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, although he was okay as Spider Man until......HE TOOK HIS ****ING MASK OFF ! Spider Man, who religiously guards his secret identity for fear of reprisals against his friends and family, takes off his mask ?????????

And of course "Peter, don't make promises you can't keep."
Peter Parker: "But those are the best kind."

First, that doesn't make any sense at all. It's a non-statement.
Second, this, after making a promise to a dying man. Who is this *****e bag ? This sure as hell isn't Peter Parker, somebody find Tobey Maguire.


SUPERMAN RETURNS

Superman, son of the greatest scientist of an advanced race, has super senses (which include telescopic and x-ray vision) lands on an island that is made in large part of that one substance that can kill him ( an island that was created by the one human who has used kryptonite against him) in the past.....and then looks surprised when he gets his ass kicked !


THE SPIRIT.

That they let Frank Miller direct a movie....I mean come on, have you seen this piece of **** ?

JONAH HEX

That somebody at WB thought that people would actually pay money to see a film about a comic book character that nobody actually reads any more.

GREEN LANTERN

That someone thought Ryan Reynolds would make a good Hal Jordan.

That the immortal guardians, wisest of the wise, imprisoned their most powerful adversary, Parallax, in a prison that a couple of random aliens could break him out of, by accident.

That while everyone in the world can tell he's still Hal Jordan, as he pretty much looks exactly the same with it on, he still bothers with that stupid looking Mask.

Wow, what a great threat, I feel much better after that rant, it was better than therapy !

Peace out super-fans.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

IRON MAN 3
- Tony Stark invites a seemingly unstoppable terrorist to attack him at home, and gives out his address on TV.....and then is caught off guard when the terrorist attacks.

- The Iron man suit has stood up to Thor's Hammer, yet gets taken apart by Extremis soldiers, and trucks.

The most advanced version of the Iron man suit doesn't work properly.....


THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Forget the whole, how the F did Bats heal a serious back injury in 3 months, travel across the world with no money or resources, sneak into Gotham which had been turned into an occupied territory, and then fly out the nuke and get clear of the blast with 5 seconds to go ( I don't buy the whole "he changed Bats" theory and I've watched that sequence many, many times)? All of that I can live with but....

...... what's beyond belief is that he is able to move freely with a penetrating chest wound, that was so incapacitating, he couldn't stop Talia
pressing the bomb button, or stop Bane from tying him up, but is still able to fly the Bat, and hook up the cable to the bomb, without even a token
clutch at his side in pain.


MAN OF STEEL

- I loved Man of Steel, and even though this bit broke my disbelief barrier, I didn't care. Anyway, Jor El, a scientist, with a few seconds of surprise outfights and wipes out 6 of Zod's soldiers, and then kicks the **** out of Zod himself.
It was awesome, but Jor El's just a bit too good.


THOR and THOR the Dark World

- Hammer tossing gods, dark elves and rainbow bridges I can live with
Kat Dennings as a scientist/intern, who doesn't do anything remotely
scientific, or even pretend to, now that's a ****ing stretch.


SPIDER MAN 3

I actually enjoyed this movie, particularly "Evil Funky Peter Parker" and when Peter and Harry kick the crap out of each other. What bugged me is that Spider Man is famous for his spider-sense, except in THIS film, when he didn't seem to have it, at all .

Oh, and that Mary Jayne could get a lead in a musical, when she can't ****ing sing !


THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Generally, I hated Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, although he was okay as Spider Man until......HE TOOK HIS ****ING MASK OFF ! Spider Man, who religiously guards his secret identity for fear of reprisals against his friends and family, takes off his mask ?????????

And of course "Peter, don't make promises you can't keep."
Peter Parker: "But those are the best kind."

First, that doesn't make any sense at all. It's a non-statement.
Second, this, after making a promise to a dying man. Who is this *****e bag ? This sure as hell isn't Peter Parker, somebody find Tobey Maguire.


SUPERMAN RETURNS

Superman, son of the greatest scientist of an advanced race, has super senses (which include telescopic and x-ray vision) lands on an island that is made in large part of that one substance that can kill him ( an island that was created by the one human who has used kryptonite against him) in the past.....and then looks surprised when he gets his ass kicked !


THE SPIRIT.

That they let Frank Miller direct a movie....I mean come on, have you seen this piece of **** ?

JONAH HEX

That somebody at WB thought that people would actually pay money to see a film about a comic book character that nobody actually reads any more.

GREEN LANTERN

That someone thought Ryan Reynolds would make a good Hal Jordan.

That the immortal guardians, wisest of the wise, imprisoned their most powerful adversary, Parallax, in a prison that a couple of random aliens could break him out of, by accident.

That while everyone in the world can tell he's still Hal Jordan, as he pretty much looks exactly the same with it on, he still bothers with that stupid looking Mask.

Those definatley apply as moments where one can find it hard to suspend disbelief, the rest though are just personal gripes and don't really fit the topic.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

- Tony Stark invites a seemingly unstoppable terrorist to attack him at home, and gives out his address on TV.....and then is caught off guard when the terrorist attacks.

It isn't rational, but it is completely in character.

- The Iron man suit has stood up to Thor's Hammer, yet gets taken apart by Extremis soldiers, and trucks.

Extremis soldiers use heat as opposed to physical force so the effects could be different. Getting hit by a truck, yeah you have a point there.

The most advanced version of the Iron man suit doesn't work properly.....

It is a prototype, not a completed product.

 

[Drizzle]

Spider-Man 3

I can accept a man who can have Spider powers through science wackery, that a man can turn to sand if mutated somehow, far fetched but you go along with it anyway.

But a mutating sand experiment within running distance of a prison and open in the outdoors for no reason and with no fences around the particle accelerator? Thats too damn risky and senseless.

Not really trying to go out of my way to defend Spider-Man 3, but as I recall, there was a fence around the accelerator. Sandman climbed over it to escape the cops. And I don't think it was nearby a prison, either. After Sandman escaped prison, he went to visit his daughter before getting transformed.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Well i'm embarrassed

I must've remembered it wrong.

 

[Batmannerism]

Those definatley apply as moments where one can find it hard to suspend disbelief, the rest though are just personal gripes and don't really fit the topic.

Fair enough. t: Some of those are personal gripes. My bad (but boy it felt good getting them out there).

Glad you accepted my Superman Returns point, I remember sitting in the cinema and wanting to get up and leave at that point (and I would have
if I hadn't been on a date -which is also what kept me from muttering "Oh, for ****'s sake !" as well). Some people have argued that this makes sense, and it does....if Superman is a complete moron. But I don't want to get into that, as I've argued it to death more than a few times already.


I honestly have to say that my suspension of disbelief was shattered when Mary Jane started singing.

Come on man, can you believe she'd get a lead role in a musical when she's less of a singer than the Spice Girls, where was Simon Cowell ?

And that line in ASM, about the best promises being the ones you don't keep, real teenagers don't say stuff as stupid as that, so for Peter Parker to say it (given that he's a genius and a nice guy, so it's waaaaaaayyyy out of character) is just ridiculous.

As far as Jonah Hex goes, I remember when I read they were making the film, and thinking, "They can't be serious, this has to be a joke." so yeah, not suspension of disbelief, more like disbelief in studio exec's stupidity.

I suppose with the Frank Miller thing, maybe it would be a shattering of suspension of disbelief, if they let him direct a superhero movie AGAIN !
Then you'd be like, "This ISN'T HAPPENING !" The spirit film was possibly one of the worst movies I've ever seen (the Toxic Avenger films were better and that's not saying much).

Anyway, great thread !

 

[Victarion]

Venom tracking down Sandman seemed very impromptu.

@Batmannerisms: Bruce's back wasn't broken. He had a dislocated vertebra and five months to heal. I'd say Bruce used his training to steal and sneak his way back into Gotham (stealing money and sneaking onto ships/planes or whatever). He did the same in Begins while learning about criminals. Recall that Wayne Manor was outside of the area occupied by Bane's men. Bruce subdued the mercenaries overseeing Gordon and co's "death by exile" with specialized batarangs (coated with something that knocked them unconscious). It stands to reason that he used some of those to get into the city. There's also the sewers, and whatever tunnels his ancestors used while working the Underground Railroad.

Was it a chest wound or a transverse abdominal wound? Any move Bruce would've made, then, would've gotten him killed. Talia was free to move, and even if Bruce lunged for her he would leave himself open to Bane.

 

[the last son]

Man of Steel: the "everything is rebuilt and all fine and dandy" ending scene.

Agreed. It kind of takes you out of it. Basketball games? Really?

 

[Batmannerism]

Venom tracking down Sandman seemed very impromptu.

@Batmannerisms: Bruce's back wasn't broken. He had a dislocated vertebra and five months to heal. I'd say Bruce used his training to steal and sneak his way back into Gotham (stealing money and sneaking onto ships/planes or whatever). He did the same in Begins while learning about criminals. Recall that Wayne Manor was outside of the area occupied by Bane's men. Bruce subdued the mercenaries overseeing Gordon and co's "death by exile" with specialized batarangs (coated with something that knocked them unconscious). It stands to reason that he used some of those to get into the city. There's also the sewers, and whatever tunnels his ancestors used while working the Underground Railroad.

Was it a chest wound or a transverse abdominal wound? Any move Bruce would've made, then, would've gotten him killed. Talia was free to move, and even if Bruce lunged for her he would leave himself open to Bane.

First, all the stuff in your first paragraph I said I could live with. It's far-fetched but hey, he's Batman !

(btw he doesn't have five months to heal, he has five months from the removal of the reactor from the core, minus whatever time he needed to climb out of the hole and get back to Gotham, and unless he stowed away on an airplane that's not going to happen overnight. Also, dislocated vertebrae ? It's miraculous that punching it back into place didn't damage the spinal cord or the surrounding tissues. Batman's 38 in this movie, so he's not going to heal all that quickly, and that's forgetting all the other injuries he's got - you try walking on knees that have no cartilage. Anyway, he'd need a couple of months just to get regular movement back, much less the strength and endurance to make a climb that's nearly superhuman.

But again, he's Batman.

In terms of the wound, and him not moving because it would have gotten him killed ? Not sure I buy that, seeing as if Talia pushed the button (Bats doesn't know for sure the signal jammer is in place at this point) everyone in Gotham dies -something he climbed out of that hole to prevent.
What was he doing, biding his time, hoping to lull them into a false sense of security, with 11 minutes left on the clock ?
I don't think he was all that worried about making sudden moves and attracting an attack from Bane (who was going to kill him anyway).....because of the knife sticking out of his chest which probably occupied most of his attention along with the fear of complete failure in his attempt to save Gotham. The explanation that makes the most sense is that he simply can't move because of the foreign object that's sticking into him (Talia has slipped the knife between his armour plates and then twisted it).

My problem is that the wound is pretty debilitating at first, but then virtually non-existent, it doesn't even slow him down, it's almost as if in all the excitement Nolan forgot about it. Even a few grimaces and a clutch at the wounded area might have made it more convincing. If they had just acknowledged that he still had the injury, it would have been okay, but to ignore it altogether was just uncharacteristically sloppy for Nolan.

The real issue though, is that none of these things, no matter how far-fetched even remotely compare to the idea of Mary Jane starring in a musical, when she can't sing !

 

[Senator Pleasury]

First, all the stuff in your first paragraph I said I could live with. It's far-fetched but hey, he's Batman !

(btw he doesn't have five months to heal, he has five months from the removal of the reactor from the core, minus whatever time he needed to climb out of the hole and get back to Gotham, and unless he stowed away on an airplane that's not going to happen overnight. Also, dislocated vertebrae ? It's miraculous that punching it back into place didn't damage the spinal cord or the surrounding tissues. Batman's 38 in this movie, so he's not going to heal all that quickly, and that's forgetting all the other injuries he's got - you try walking on knees that have no cartilage. Anyway, he'd need a couple of months just to get regular movement back, much less the strength and endurance to make a climb that's nearly superhuman.

But again, he's Batman.

In terms of the wound, and him not moving because it would have gotten him killed ? Not sure I buy that, seeing as if Talia pushed the button (Bats doesn't know for sure the signal jammer is in place at this point) everyone in Gotham dies -something he climbed out of that hole to prevent.
What was he doing, biding his time, hoping to lull them into a false sense of security, with 11 minutes left on the clock ?
I don't think he was all that worried about making sudden moves and attracting an attack from Bane (who was going to kill him anyway).....because of the knife sticking out of his chest which probably occupied most of his attention along with the fear of complete failure in his attempt to save Gotham. The explanation that makes the most sense is that he simply can't move because of the foreign object that's sticking into him (Talia has slipped the knife between his armour plates and then twisted it).

My problem is that the wound is pretty debilitating at first, but then virtually non-existent, it doesn't even slow him down, it's almost as if in all the excitement Nolan forgot about it. Even a few grimaces and a clutch at the wounded area might have made it more convincing. If they had just acknowledged that he still had the injury, it would have been okay, but to ignore it altogether was just uncharacteristically sloppy for Nolan.

The real issue though, is that none of these things, no matter how far-fetched even remotely compare to the idea of Mary Jane starring in a musical, when she can't sing !

While I agree that the wound could have slowed him down (at the very least), it's stated in the movie that Bruce has reached a new level when he could, of all men, escape that prison and made that jump nobody else can. Because of fear (and even when it would have been something else). So it's not out of the movie's logic that Bruce kept doing things nobody else could have.

 

[Victarion]

First, all the stuff in your first paragraph I said I could live with. It's far-fetched but hey, he's Batman !

(btw he doesn't have five months to heal, he has five months from the removal of the reactor from the core, minus whatever time he needed to climb out of the hole and get back to Gotham, and unless he stowed away on an airplane that's not going to happen overnight. Also, dislocated vertebrae ? It's miraculous that punching it back into place didn't damage the spinal cord or the surrounding tissues. Batman's 38 in this movie, so he's not going to heal all that quickly, and that's forgetting all the other injuries he's got - you try walking on knees that have no cartilage. Anyway, he'd need a couple of months just to get regular movement back, much less the strength and endurance to make a climb that's nearly superhuman.

The real issue though, is that none of these things, no matter how far-fetched even remotely compare to the idea of Mary Jane starring in a musical, when she can't sing !

Don't forget about the brief scene where Bruce strapped on that fancy leg brace.

No one said the casting director was a good casting director.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Venom tracking down Sandman seemed very impromptu.

Yeah, He just met him, was so out of the blue

 

[def28]

The Gambit vs Wolverine fight in origins and the Weapon XI BS. Plus most the scenes in that movie, where they just seemed to give out random powers, abilities, and situations. No rules, and they break what they do try to set up yet try to keep you convinced this is all very serious. How the hell do you shove katanas into a persons arms without worrying about elbows ? And controlling him via a commodor 64 computer with simple key words didn't really help sell the idea.

That entire script is disbelief. Lets not give the adamantium bullet to the mutant with Gun marksmenship powers already hunting Wolverine haha.

All these flicks have a ton of disbelief issues when it comes down to it .But if its not at least for an entertaining choice or it ends up being a backhand to why I like these characters/stories then I have issues.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Agreed with the katanas in Weapon XIs arms and elbow bending.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

The Avengers

I accept a man can turn into a green monster, a god can summon lighting with a magical hammer and that an Aircraft carrier could fly and turn invisible with some kindof of tech, but there's no reason for it to do so other than because it's like that in the comics.

Think about it. If it was attacked by one explosive arrow it would sink and plenty aboard would perish, some would survive in lifeboats. However if it was attacked in the sky over one of the most populated cities in the world it would fall and not only kill all aboard but hundreds of thousand below in the city. No way would it be permitted to fly over cities incase that happened, and if so and it had to fly over the ocean then there'd be no point in it flying as it could sail the same ocean.

I suspend my disbelief every time these show up in a comic

Spider-Man 3
A mutating sand experiment within running distance of a prison and open in the outdoors for no reason and with no fences around the particle accelerator? Thats too damn risky and senseless.

The Dark Knight:
We know Batmans armour protects him somewhat from knives and bullets and that his cape can allow him to glide, but it desn't potect him against sudden impact to a taxi roof, yet both he and Rachel smash into the taxi roof after falling from a skyscraper and aren't hurt in the slightest.

Yep and yep
Don't forget the dog bites piercing Batman's armor

In Spider-Man 2:
Any moment with Doc Ock vs Spider-Man, or Ock lifting heavy weight with his tentacles, or Spider-Man rescuing falling old May with his webbing

Dredd (both movies):
Gun must identify the judge carrying it DNA, but it responds to judges wearing gloves. Is Law Giver supposed to pierce the skin of the one carrying it?

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Great Dredd ones

Yep and yep
Don't forget the dog bites piercing Batman's armor

Or how about Batman sticking with the new armour which is weaker to knives and guns when facing a new enemy who favours... Knives and guns.

When he dscovered Jokers penchant for knives he should've gone back to the OG suit as that defends better than his new segmented plates armour

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I really hated it in Avengers where all the aliens drop dead because the mothership got destroyed. That defied belief for me and was a complete copout to boot.

Even the computer virus in Indepedence Day was better.

 

[Batmannerism]

While I agree that the wound could have slowed him down (at the very least), it's stated in the movie that Bruce has reached a new level when he could, of all men, escape that prison and made that jump nobody else can. Because of fear (and even when it would have been something else). So it's not out of the movie's logic that Bruce kept doing things nobody else could have.

Yeah, that makes sense, I can go for that. I haven't got a problem with him being able to operate, but I have a problem with him not even acknowledging the injury. E.g. when he hooks up the cable to the bomb he'd be using muscles around the injury site, which would hurt. Sure, I totally agree he'd still be able to hook it up, Batman is no stranger to pain, and we know he can operate with even severe injuries.

And he's desperate and you're right, he's reached a new level and could probably keep going.....right until he passed out from blood loss.
(which is what he does at the end of Dark Knight, when he's received a gunshot wound -may not have penetrated, but boy that would have hurt. Just fallen about 5 stories, Plus all the blunt force trauma and possible stab wounds from the Joker's frenzied attack, while Bats was downed by the dogs). However, at the end of DK, he's limping and moving like someone who's badly hurt - at the end of DKR it's almost like the stab wound didn't happen, which to me is just sloppy film-making.

Yeah, the Dredd thing about the DNA is out of the comics, it sounds great on paper, but really is a bit silly in practice (considering Judges wear gloves) there are probably other, more practical, ways to lock the gun so it can't be used by others than the Judge who it's assigned to. Maybe a verbal lock/unlock. Who knows ? Although that sort of thing makes it tricky to do quick draws.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Thought of one that popped straight out at me.

Kayla in X-Men Origins Wolverine is found by Logan having been murdered by Victor Creed. Logan is distraught.

So distraught that he apparently doesn't notice there are no slash wounds under her bloody shirt and doesn't smell that the blood is fake.

 

[DarthDaveBanner]

Or why Kayla couldn't use her mutant power to convince Logan to volunteer for the Weapon X program instead of the whole elaborate ruse...

 

[Squaremaster316]

XMO: Wolverine

There is a ton of stupidity in this film that is extremely difficult for me to overlook, but by far the worst is when he's examining his claws for the first time.

I haven't been so unconvinced with the existence of an object in any film's universe since I saw the "interactions" b/w 'noids' and 'doodles' in Cool World.