Best sci-fi movie stupidity of all time

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Cosmic Sin picture

Stupidity: The "body armor" General Ford and others wear is very bulky and appears to be quite heavy with all the attachments (e.g, flashlights on shoulders). With the protective suit protruding perhaps 8", it would most likely restrict/slow movement, contrary to what soldiers need. Moreover, the body may be protected, but there's no protection for the face/head, leaving them exposed/vulnerable. Today's products tend to be lighter, thinner, and stronger, so would be expected in the future.

KeyZOid

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Nemesis 2: Nebula picture

Stupidity: Given that it appears to be sweltering hot in that part of Africa and with the running around there's no point for Alex to put on pants and a cloak.

Rob245

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2001: A Space Odyssey picture

Stupidity: In the shuttle, when the fountain pen is floating in zero gravity, the flight attendant grabs the pen and puts it in the pocket of the sleeping passenger. She doesn't put the cap on. She puts it in his pocket nib down. Even though there is no gravity, the capillary action of the nib touching the shirt will pull the ink into his clothing and stain his shirt and jacket. (00:19:40)

luchador

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Suggested correction: Who said it's a fountain pen? 2001 is set in an imaginary future with imaginary technology, one of which might be leak-proof pens.

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Encounter picture

Stupidity: At the very beginning of the movie, law enforcement is depicted executing a no-knock warrant. They approach a house surreptitiously and use a ram to open the door with no warning. When they arrived at the scene, all the cars and trucks in the raid were using flashing lights and wailing sirens. So much for the element of surprise.

toroscan

More Encounter stupidity
Iron Man 2 picture

Stupidity: Why in the world would Tony of all people leave his old suits in storage WITH the miniature arc reactor still inside the suit? This would have served no purpose to Tony since he already has his own arc reactor in his body.

jbrbbt

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Suggested correction: This is a question which is easily answered; Tony had the idea of putting someone else in the suit (like Rhodey) himself. Plus, it's logical to think he has built multiple miniature arc reactors, after the events of the previous movie. Plus, he can probably just as easily switch from arc reactor to arc reactor in his chest when changing suits, so he has a fully powered arc reactor ready in each suit.

lionhead

More Iron Man 2 stupidity
The Wolverine picture

Stupidity: Wolverine gets slowed down by all the arrows with ropes attached...but at no point does he just slash the ropes and keep running at full speed.

Jon Sandys

More The Wolverine stupidity
Captain Marvel picture

Stupidity: For being a ruthless race of conquerors, every Kree in this movie is awfully cautious when pulling the trigger. From the kree soldiers who don't shoot the prisoners who were already set to be "ejected into space" (instead of being shot on the spot) nor the space monster attacking them with tentacles, to Yon-Rogg and Minn-erva who do not shoot Carol when she is about to destroy the engine (Minn-erva especially should have no problems doing that and it's the whole purpose of a sniper). The best bit about the shooting idiocy happens when "Just a girl" starts playing, and Minn-erva with 2 soldiers armed with rifles from an elevated position do not shoot their precision rifles but rather jump down on the same level as Carol for absolutely no reason. Which soldier with a rifle would get closer to the enemy?

Sammo

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Piranha 3D picture

Stupidity: Jake throws Derek overboard to distract the piranha, then swims under the boat and doesn't get attacked, so why couldn't he just go downstairs the normal way and have Kelly swim over to him? They could have escaped a lot more easily.

brianjr0412

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G.I. Joe: Retaliation picture

Stupidity: Roadblock aborted the launch, but all the satellites explode. That is one hell of a weird abort sequence...and interestingly enough no authentication of any kind is required to abort. (01:30:00)

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Alligator II: The Mutation picture

Stupidity: The bad guys attack the chief of police that is driving a patrol car; their plan works because the man doesn't use the radio to call HQ, and there's no reason why he wouldn't do that.

Sammo

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Moonraker picture

Stupidity: After Corinne Dufour realises that Drax intends to have his dogs kill her, she inexplicably attempts to flee on foot, running right past the golf cart she arrived in. The golf cart would have given her more speed, range and protection, and would have been a much better choice for fleeing.

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Suggested correction: Golf carts are very slow, and are open on all sides: the dobermans would've easily dragged her off it. The biggest stupidity here is that she should've fled to a crowded area with other people instead of the woods. Then again, she was panicking, and not thinking straight.

Jukka Nurmi

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Doom: Annihilation picture

Stupidity: The marines all wear helmets as part of their protective gear when they go into the Phobos compound, but Bennett and Akua do not wear any helmets at all. They wear bullet proof vests and arm themselves with weapons, but unlike the other marines, they go in without any way of protecting their heads.

Casual Person

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 picture

Stupidity: Unless Snow has solid proof like pictures or video why should Katniss believe her main enemy's word that it was Alma Coin, not him, who killed those kids?

Rob245

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Suggested correction: This is a question and not a stupidity. Katniss didn't just accept Snow at his word. Earlier Gale had mentioned an attack strategy to inflict maximum casualties on medics that matched the attack on the Capitol. Then Gale could not deny his part in Prim's death. All the evidence pointed to Coin being responsible as Snow suggested.

Bishop73

I appreciate responses here because it means you're reading stuff and that makes my day.

Rob245

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Alien Invasion picture

Stupidity: After Lyra and her friend escape from the alien and get into the car, they don't immediately lock the doors. A little later, one says, "He's coming. Lock the doors." They also leave the car's interior roof light on, making it easy for the alien to spot them. (01:06:55 - 01:07:32)

KeyZOid

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Space Jam picture

Stupidity: This film portrays Michael Jordan and his family living in a relatively modest house in the suburbs. Jordan was one of the most famous people on the entire planet around the time the film takes place. Living in such an area would lead to a never-ending onslaught of overzealous fans, paparazzi, and even detractors.

Phaneron

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Cloverfield picture

Stupidity: When the Woolworth Building collapses and the gang runs into the convenience store to take cover from the dust, Marlena was last seen behind Hud and with Lily, Rob, and Jason. Switch to everyone running from the dust cloud, Marlena didn't make it into the store. Upon exiting the store, the gang finds Marlena stumbling from nearer to the Woolworth Building meaning she would have had to run toward the dust cloud, through the screaming crowd which was running away from the building.

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Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero picture

Stupidity: Belson wakes up Barbara and unlocks her chain only to try and give her an injection of sedative for the operation. Who would ever do that, instead of keeping her asleep and restrained?

Sammo

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Inception picture

Stupidity: Cobb convinces Fischer to enter a dream saying it's Browning's dream. A couple of scenes later he says it's Eames' dream, in front of Fischer, who doesn't know Eames was impersonating Browning. (00:51:35)

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: Firstly, the Browning that the team "catches" is not Eames, it is a projection of Fischer's subconscious. Eames was only impersonating Browning in the first level. Secondly, Cobb doesn't say they are going into Browning's dream, he says they should put him under and do to him what the kidnappers were planning to do to Fischer. That is, use Fischer as the subject of the next dream level. Fischer knows that Eames is the dreamer on the third level, he even jokingly asks why Eames couldn't dream of a beach. But he thinks that Eames is part of Mr. Charles' security team. He believes that Browning is to be the subject on the last level when in fact, Fischer is the subject on each level. Because of how effective the Mr. Charles gambit was, Fischer is unaware that the team has been fighting his subconscious all along.

BaconIsMyBFF

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World War Z picture

Stupidity: Throughout the movie, and especially up on the top of the apartment building before they get rescued at the beginning of the movie, Gerry counts 12 seconds to check if someone has been infected. Just to mention this apartment example, he gets blood on his face and spends more than 12 seconds getting up and to the edge of the roof, plenty of time to become "Zeke." He then counts 12 seconds, as if they would actually matter to his infection.

dudeguyman

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2067 picture

Stupidity: After Ethan "lands in the future", his spacesuit catches fire. He removes his glass head cover (so he can enjoy the smoke in his face?). Instead of following the well-known "drop and roll" technique for smothering/ putting out the flames, Ethan stood there and patted the flames on his wrists and legs with his gloved hands, but the flames were spreading. His next idea was to remove the spacesuit. After a short struggle getting it off, Ethan was no longer "on fire" - so now he dropped and rolled. (00:29:39)

KeyZOid

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