Plot Induced Military Stupidity - best examples.

[Captain Smith]

I was rewatching the Avenger movie on cable and was thinking how the military always acts stupidly. So what movies could have been resolved better if standard military acted competently and we didn't need some hero or last minute plot device.

Here are my favorites.

1. In Transformers 2, the Arleigh Burke destroyer fired one round at the pyramid. It should have fire a barrage and that would have ended the threat there. Also, air support - some crappy Jordanians. There were 100s of Israeli jets and nukes minutes away - a US call to them (as if the Israelis weren't watching the whole thing) would have ended the threat.

2. The Avengers - if it is so easy to shoot a nuke up into the Chitauri's hole, why not just have the military do it? The F-35 with the missile could have done it. Fury could have told the pilots to do it. Also, a few squadrons of jets or Apaches would have smoked the Chitauri. If Black Widow could take them with a couple of Glocks (which she shot like a clown), regular military would have no problem.

3. Godzilla - taking a bomb on the train - like there aren't tactical nukes and strategic bomber nukes all over the USA.

Some mildly competent military attempts - Independence Day, Man of Steel - they might be outmatched but they tried.

[Guy1]

The Battle of Yonkers.

[abmccray]

The Battle of Yonkers.

This is the best answer. If they were actually written to act (and work) like the REAL military...

[MorphyVSFischer]

The Battle of Yonkers.

Really any zombie story has this in spades.

[Postmania]

The Battle of Yonkers.

This so much.

It's pathetic that apparently the Revolutionary War Army would have done better than the army in this book.

[Stigmazilla]

They used the train because the MUTO's EMP waves were taking out anything in the air, and they wouldn't effect the train for some reason. Also they weren't coming from too far away, and maybe the US doesn't have nukes in San Francisco? Especially since the nukes had to retrofitted to be analog.

This is probably more bad movie science then bad movie military.


I would like to nominate having the whole carrier group basically sitting on top of Godzilla as they escorted him from Japan.

[Captain Haddock]

In the Avengers case at least I don't know if Fury actually had the authority to launch a full on Nuclear strike, it was the Council who gave the order and picked the target. I'm pretty sure if he could have nuked the portal he would have done, it was the Council people who lacked the faith in the team/SHIELD to stop the invasion and decided to just nuke New York.

In Godzilla as Stigmazilla says, basically planes just would not work around Mutos because Movie Science, so gets a pass really from me.

Transformers 2, I got nothing because I only saw a bit of that film once, while drunk, so cannot remember it at all.

The Yonkers one mentioned already is the best example of all. Either the writer didn't do any research at all, or did the research then just chucked it out because there is NO WAY the US Military would do it how they did in the book or screw it up so badly in real life. Whatever you think of their leadership there would need to be universal incompetence for it to ever get to that stage.

[butterfingers158]

Olympus has Fallen was pretty bad, though I guess technically most of the fail was the Secret Service

[Captain Smith]

Given the current Secret Service fiascos - that movie seems quite reasonable. However, both White House attack movies were stupid - I forgot about them.

[The Chou Lives]

What is the Battle of YOnkers/

Armyvszombiesand they lost?

Because yeah inzombie apocalpyse,s military is always stupid for it to happen inthe first place.

[Guy1]

What is the Battle of YOnkers/

Armyvszombiesand they lost?

Because yeah inzombie apocalpyse,s military is always stupid for it to happen inthe first place.

Pretty much, yeah. Here's the info on the battle.

[Iron_Twister]

Battle of Endor, it really has to be said.

Barring any excuse a novel or two can cover and going straight to the films alone, the Empire had that battle won...And then suddenly things snowballed to Hell as the tide suddenly takes a 180. It really makes you wonder how an entire fleet that completely outclasses the rebel forces can screw this up royally. Yes, you had them boxed in with an entire war fleet on one side, a freaking battlestation that can one shot capital ships with ease....You would find yourself yelling "shoot them to bits already!!" as things slowly go downhill from there.

[Duskman]

What is the Battle of YOnkers/

Armyvszombiesand they lost?

Because yeah inzombie apocalpyse,s military is always stupid for it to happen inthe first place.

Yeah, much as they tried to explain it away, it still a little too stupid.

[krang]

My first thought was zombie movies as well.

Worst offender for me is 28 Weeks Later:

-Deciding to repopulate GB a few months after a poorly understood virus wiped out virtually the entire country.

-Letting a random janitor have unrestricted unsupervised access to all areas of the facility.

-After a zombie sighting, evacuate all people from their nice secure homes into a gymnasium, turn off all the lights, and leave the back door unlocked.

-Have and use a plan to wipe out all civilians: if such a plan has to be in place clearly it's too early to repopulate.

etc. Horribly disappointing sequel. I was laughing incredulously throughout.

[The Chou Lives]

Yeha. Yonkers and 28 Weeks Latter are just horrible examples.