Everybody loves movies of some sort. Whether it’s action, romance, comedy, sci-fi… you name it. There’s something for everybody out there when it comes to the big screen.
You have to remember though, it’s just fiction. These representations on the screen aren’t always going to be as realistic as they seem. Many of our favourite films like to completely disregard the laws of physics, and that’s just one example. Here’s a list of myths that we’ve all seen on the big screen, but they’re very far from the truth.
Defibrillators
When our hero or heroin’s heart stops, there’s only one thing to do. Grab the defibrillator, quick! That’s what they’re for, right?!
You couldn’t be more wrong. When somebody’s heart has stopped, it’s game over. Defibrillators are actually represented poorly on screen, since they’re for restoring your heart’s functionality. Not bringing back the dead!
Chloroform
The use of chloroform to take somebody by surprise and instantly knock them out is a common tactic we see on the screen. It appears to have a convenient lasting effect too.
Wrong. If you have a cloth full of chloroform then you’re going to need to hold it up to someone’s face for at least 5 minutes. In that time they’re going to get away from you anyway.
Tracing Phone Calls
Finding somebody’s location is easy, right? Just give them a call, and you can instantly trace and pin point their exact spot. Just like that.
Although, it doesn’t really work like that. Tracing a call can take a long time, maybe up to an hour. If the person you want to trace is on the move, you’re not going to be on the scene within minutes to grab them before they set off.
Image: 20th Century Fox
Drowning
It’s not too bad if you’re drowning, right? Well, obviously it is. What I mean is that while you’re there screaming and holding your hands up somebody is surely going to notice you.
Or will they? If you’re drowning, you’re going to be underwater. How do you think anybody will be able to see you so easily?
Lasers
Star Wars and Star Trek both have fantastic visuals when it comes to energy weapon warfare. Flashy colours flying everywhere and making sparks fly. How awesome would that be?
Not very. These fancy colours are only done for the screen. In reality, they’d be a lot faster than bullets and you wouldn’t be able to see single travelling energy shots.
Sound in Space
Another law of physics that Sci-Fi chooses to ignore – the classic ship sounds in space. Everybody knows that space is a vacuum, meaning there is no way for sound to travel.
In reality, these star fighters would be in complete silence from the outside. That would look kind of dumb for an action scene though, let’s be honest.
Dinosaurs
We like to think we’re experts on Dinosaurs. The truth is, we’re not. The animals have been extinct for well over 65 million years now, the only traces they’ve left us are embedded in rock.
Jurassic Park looks great, I love all the movies. Even that shoddy third instalment they gave us, purely for the Spinosaurus. However, Dr Henry Wu even references it in the most recent Jurassic World. Their “dinosaurs” look nothing like their real life counterparts from what we know.
Oh, and one other thing. Never take that whole “don’t move” advice if you bump into a Tyrannosaurus. You’d be as good as dead.
Gif: Universal
Asteroid Belts
There’s nothing worse than navigating the Millennium Falcon through a packed asteroid belt. Especially a ship that size! You’re sure to get a scratch on the paintwork… or 10.
The thing is though, asteroid belts tend to have miles of space between them. You wouldn’t have to worry about that paintwork one bit, unless you really are a terrible pilot.
Explosions
That big boom that went off right next to our hero? Pfft. Doubt he even felt it. The amount of action movies that show people taking the impact of an explosion like it’s nothing is obscene.
There’s a damn good chance you wouldn’t be getting up if you were next to an explosion. You don’t even have to be too close for it to do damage. The heat, damage, shrapnel and force is enough to take you down.
Guns
Everything about guns on screen tends to be completely wrong. Anybody can pick one up and effortlessly take down waves of bad guys, according to blockbusters.
Without training to use a gun, you’ll probably not hit a thing. If you’re not prepared, recoil would cause a pistol to just fly back into your face. So no, holding one in each hand with flawless accuracy isn’t very realistic.
Gif: 20th Century Fox
Breaking Padlocks
Who the hell thought of this one? So many padlocks have succumbed to the bashing of the back of a gun. I take it they were made of wood or something though?
Bashing an iron padlock, or even firing a small bullet at it, is NOT going to do anything. What kind of padlock design allows it to fall apart so easily? You’d have an easier time just finding the key.
Silencers
To be one with stealth, you need to equip a “silencer” to your firearms. Although, “silencer” isn’t a very good name for something that only suppresses the noise. Not cancel it completely.
When suppressed, the volume of a gun shot is vastly reduced, but it’s not impossible to hear. If somebody is relatively close by, they’re still going to hear it and look for you.
Grenade Pins
There’s nothing cooler than ripping a pin from a grenade in full Rambo style, then launching it to clear out some trenches ahead of you. Or something like that.
Except if you tried to rip that pin from the grenade with your teeth, you can be certain you’ll be wearing dentures for the rest of your life. They need one hell of a tug to release to avoid accidents.
So there you have it. Don’t always believe what you see on the screen. It’s fiction for a reason.
Did I leave any common movie myths out? Are they any specific ones that you feel are worthy of a mention? Let us know in the comments below.