Things that movies make seem common that really aren't

DNA tests where you get the results in less than a day.

The Great Hack Off, where two competing hackers are shown furiously typing away, trying to outtype each other. NCIS took this idea to the next level by having Abby and McGee trying to thwart a hacker by typing insanely fast... ON THE SAME KEYBOARD. Gibbs outdoes them both and stops the hacker by simply unplugging the computer.
 
Swords, this is something that almost all movies get wrong. Going by Hollywood swords were the primary weapon used by all cultures before guns became the norm. But this is false, historically swords were a side arm, something to be used as a last resort when the primary weapon, commonly a spear or other form of poll arm, broke. This was even true for the samurai, it wasn't until well after the Tokugawa shogunate was establish did the katana achieve the mythical status that it enjoys now. Prior to that, the samurai used all sorts of other weapons before breaking out their swords, weapons like the yari, naginata, the bow, even guns; like everybody else in the world their swords were only a weapon of last resort, much like a pistol is today for the military.
 
Action shows/ movies:
The stun gun and/or TASER knocks the target person out for hours. Both of these devices are designed to gain compliance of a person through either pain or neuromuscular incapacitation (NMI). The person is completely awake and almost never losses consciousness. Also once the device is switched off, the person recovers almost immediately.
Firearms:
Unlimited ammunition, using magazines of the bad guys and they just happen to be the same caliber, Suppressors that are silent, amazing marksmanship in stressful situations. Distance vs accuracy vs effectiveness of the round etc….
Contingency equipment:
Bug out bags and deployment kits that sit in SUVs for months but the devices are fully charges and nothing expires.
Every car in a chase has tires that squeal, even on dirt or gravel. Suspension systems that can survive jumping several feet off the ground and are still drivable.
Every military show (seems like Navy Seal shows currently) where there is at least one female on the team.
Every military show (seems like Navy Seal shows currently) where there is at least operator on the team who is sleeping with someone else’s wife.
Every military show (seems like Navy Seal shows currently) where there is one or more operator who must go see a psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist due to losing a member or shooting a bad guy and is unstable about the incident. Oh and when in the session with the psychologist, they make statements like “I don’t think you are cleared to know the details…” If they are required to see the psychologist, he or she is fully vetted and most likely a service member as well.
Shows where some insane lead is tracked down in seconds and it provides a direct path to one of the most violent terrorist in history who has managed to elude us till now.
Civilians in the state department or some other non-military agency having direct control of military operations. (CIA excluded)
Predator drones that can pick up any type of imagery intelligence and never be detected in another nation’s airspace.
Facial recognition software that is so advanced it amazing that anyone can ever commit a crime.
Imagery enhancement that can give you actionable intelligence from a CCTV.
Chases on foot or in cars where no law enforcement responds until it’s a plot necessity.
All the right people who have all the right skills when they are needed in the right place at the right time.
Oh and someone asked if shooting door locks works, yes and no. There are breaching (clay) slugs for shotguns that work very well. Just shooting a door lock with a pistol would most likely injure the shooter. Rifles, like an AR-15 will work but they have a high risk of injury as well.
 
When falling, as long as you don't hit the ground you will be ok

never mind that your still hitting whatever else you landed in or whatever caught you at the same speed you would have hit the ground with.
 
I love how this necro thread got bumped by an accidental post.

On the topic at hand, during CPR, they often do defibrillator shocks when the patient is in asystole (the telemetry AKA the EKG machine shows a straight line). This is not a shockable hear rhythm and is never done in real life.
 
Snipers have to pull their rifle out of some sort of case and assemble the thing moments before engaging the target. This is super ridiculous.

Similarly, another firearm related pet peeve is that the guns are never "ready to go" when the character gets into action. An example would be in Jurassic Park, the Australian hunter guy is out hunting the raptors that escaped. He sees a raptor in the distance. Then he has to take out his SPAS-12 shotgun and fold out the shoulder stock quietly without alerting the raptor. This is ridulous. You are hunting raptors for christsake! Fold out your stock before you leave the bunker. You see this or something similar in countless movies. I understand that it is probably there to add tension or drama to the scene. But it doesn't make any sense in real life.
 
Separate beds for couples.

Seriously, as a kid I always asked myself why couples sleep in separate beds in American movies. It was during my movie school years that I learned that the separate beds were introduced in the 1930ies because of censorship. Duh.
 
Separate beds for couples.

Seriously, as a kid I always asked myself why couples sleep in separate beds in American movies. It was during my movie school years that I learned that the separate beds were introduced in the 1930ies because of censorship. Duh.

Separate beds or separate rooms? Because I can see a reason for the latter (namely one spouse snores and goes to bed earlier than the other spouse who is a light sleeper).
 
Snipers have to pull their rifle out of some sort of case and assemble the thing moments before engaging the target. This is super ridiculous.
Or when they have snipers shooting from a standing position.

Similarly, another firearm related pet peeve is that the guns are never "ready to go" when the character gets into action. An example would be in Jurassic Park, the Australian hunter guy is out hunting the raptors that escaped. He sees a raptor in the distance. Then he has to take out his SPAS-12 shotgun and fold out the shoulder stock quietly without alerting the raptor. This is ridulous. You are hunting raptors for christsake! Fold out your stock before you leave the bunker. You see this or something similar in countless movies. I understand that it is probably there to add tension or drama to the scene. But it doesn't make any sense in real life.
Or when they have to rack their pistol just before they enter the room. Who (besides Massad Ayoob and IDF) carries in condition 3?

At some point this thread will have to combine with "things you're tired of seeing" thread.
 
Separate beds or separate rooms? Because I can see a reason for the latter (namely one spouse snores and goes to bed earlier than the other spouse who is a light sleeper).

Beds. Looked it up, the Hays Code was responsible for that. And I can see the snoring angle.
 
When falling, as long as you don't hit the ground you will be ok

never mind that your still hitting whatever else you landed in or whatever caught you at the same speed you would have hit the ground with.

You'll be fine so long as the ground breaks your fall! ;)
 
One I started noticing recently is dry swallowing pills, preferably tossing a random amount of them in your mouth direct from the bottle as pills always come in bottles and never in those foil strips or individually packaged etc.

Nobody ever has a bad connection or mishears somebody on the phone, unless it's necessary for the plot to mishear or not hear part of the conversation.

Fire and explosions are becoming less harmful every year. Until a few years ago you had to jump before the flames hit you or duck behind something to avoid being blown to bits. Then it evolved that as long as the flames don't touch you the heat and blast will not affect you. These days if you hide behind a lamppost or hold up your arms to your face, you can stand inside the blast or fire and still come out without a single scorch mark.
 
One I started noticing recently is dry swallowing pills, preferably tossing a random amount of them in your mouth direct from the bottle as pills always come in bottles and never in those foil strips or individually packaged

The dry swallowing pills is definitely interesting, i can't do it. I have to chug a full glass of water.
 
One I started noticing recently is dry swallowing pills, preferably tossing a random amount of them in your mouth direct from the bottle as pills always come in bottles and never in those foil strips or individually packaged etc.

Nobody ever has a bad connection or mishears somebody on the phone, unless it's necessary for the plot to mishear or not hear part of the conversation.

Fire and explosions are becoming less harmful every year. Until a few years ago you had to jump before the flames hit you or duck behind something to avoid being blown to bits. Then it evolved that as long as the flames don't touch you the heat and blast will not affect you. These days if you hide behind a lamppost or hold up your arms to your face, you can stand inside the blast or fire and still come out without a single scorch mark.

In the new Star Wars, Poe gets tossed like 50 feet by an explosion and is A-Ok. The new rule seems to be: as long as there’s nothing behind you to trap you in the fire, then the blast will just push you away like it's cutting your place in line.

Another related one that Game ofThrones also does often is: all non fatal injuries result in max 30 seconds of groaning and limping before continuing to fight as if all is fine. The Newest Justice League movie was a big one for this. Or really any movie with Batman in it.
 
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Car tires screeching on sand

Being shot and carrying on as if its just a scratch

Needing to know about the inside of a random building, nerd pulls up a 3d wireframe schematic of said building in 2 seconds (I've timed it)

Continually changing up gear when chasing someone in a car

Being able to fly in space ��

Tripping everytime you start running from something/someone.

Attractive people

Cow bells
 
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