Troperiffic Tuesday!: Stuff Blowing Up

Chick 1 says:

In continuing to explore my friend’s own personal genre of Men of Honor Blowing Stuff Up, this week we look at … Stuff Blowing Up.  Explosions are such a staple of movies that they are basically a subgenre of tropes.  And the reason for their rampant use isn’t nearly so deep or complicated; explosions are cool and people, especially men, like them.  They’re an awesome way to anchor an action set piece and they look great visually.  Should you put explosions in your movie?  Unless you’re working on a Jane Austen adaptation the answer is yes!  And even then you should at least consider it.  (I think I just invented my own genre.)

One of the most common types of explosions is the Unflinching Walk.  You already know what I’m talking about, don’t you?  That’s because it’s the most badass.  There’s a huge explosion and the Hero or the Big Bad casually saunters off while fireballs blossom behind him, completely ignoring the shrapnel, heat, and air percussions, cause he’s just that tough.  Examples include Iron Man, The Punisher, The Transporter, several James Bond movies, and Desperado. Burn Notice loves this trope and it’s been parodied on Futurama and The Simpsons.  A related trope is Out of the Inferno, where a character emerges from the fireball relatively unharmed because Convection Schmonvection.  This happens in The Terminator and The Right Stuff.

On the flipside of the Unflinching Walk is Outrun The Fireball.  This trope is usually in Slow Motion and may be accompanied by a Big No.  This is a great way to give the audience a momentary scare thinking the Hero or his Entourage may have been killed.  You can see Outrun The Fireball in Independence Day, Return of the Jedi, Chain Reaction, Die Hard, Watchmen, and even Shrek.  There are some fun inversions of this trope in Hot Fuzz and the Doctor Who episode The Sontaran Strategy.  In both of these, the Hero et al run and dive from a potential explosion only to be disappointed.  The Doctor even comments, “Is that it?”

There are so many other explosion tropes out there like the Gas Leak Coverup or Every Car Is A Pinto.  I highly recommend the checking out the Stuff Blowing Up page on TVTropes.org.  You could waste a lot of valuable time over there.

You can also waste some time checking out this Top 10 Greatest Explosions video.  From the list in the video I’d have to say The Matrix is my favorite.  I also have to point out that the late, great Heath Ledger totally saved the scene from The Dark Knight.  When you are shooting a live explosion in a building you pretty much have just one chance to get your shot.  There was a detonation malfunction and the explosions stopped.  Ledger stayed in character, turned around, fiddled with the remote.  His startled reaction is real but he just kept going as the Joker and saved the production the expense and effort of finding another building to blow up.

Posted on by Chick 1 in Tropes 11,022 Comments

11,022 Responses to Troperiffic Tuesday!: Stuff Blowing Up

  1. Upvc windows luton

    Enough Already! 15 Things About Double Glazing In Luton We’re
    Sick Of Hearing Upvc windows luton

  2. 849827

    How To Know If You’re In The Right Place To Go After Amazon Childrens Bunk Beds 849827

  3. male masterbation Toy

    The 10 Most Terrifying Things About Male Masterbation Toy male masterbation Toy

  4. dangerous drugs law firms

    Dangerous Drugs Law Firms Tips To Relax Your Daily Life Dangerous Drugs Law
    Firms Trick That Everyone Should Know dangerous drugs law firms

  5. orange county truck accident Lawyers

    The Leading Reasons Why People Perform Well On The Truck Accident Injury Lawyer Industry orange county truck accident Lawyers

  6. Front upvc doors

    5 Lessons You Can Learn From Upvc Door Front upvc doors

  7. Helaine

    What A Weekly Birth Defect Lawyer Project Can Change Your Life birth
    defect lawsuits (Helaine)

  8. window repair near me

    You’ll Be Unable To Guess Window Repair Near Me’s Tricks
    window repair near me

  9. Trina

    Where Is American Fridge Freezers Uk Be 1 Year From Now?
    largest american fridge freezer (Trina)

  10. accident law firm

    Are You In Search Of Inspiration? Try Looking Up Accident Litigation accident law firm

  11. pigorange42.Bravejournal.Net

    Three Greatest Moments In Mesothelioma Asbestos
    Claims History Mesothelioma attorney in philadelphia (pigorange42.Bravejournal.Net)

  12. Unit

    5 Replacement Double Glazed Glass Only Near Me Projects
    For Any Budget Unit

  13. Injury Attorney

    10 Wrong Answers To Common Injury Litigation Questions:
    Do You Know The Right Answers? Injury Attorney

  14. bean to cup coffee Machine sale

    10 Things That Your Family Taught You About Bean To Cup Coffee Machine Sale bean to cup coffee Machine sale

  15. Cobwebstart91.Werite.Net

    15 Best Pinterest Boards Of All Time About Best CSGO Opening Site Counter-Strike Cases
    (Cobwebstart91.Werite.Net)

  16. mental health assessment Online

    What Is The Best Place To Research Get A Mental Health Assessment Online
    mental health assessment Online

  17. Ferrari key Replacement Insurance

    The Secret Secrets Of Ferrari Replacement Key Cost
    Uk Ferrari key Replacement Insurance

  18. Adult Adhd Diagnosis Scotland

    Test: How Much Do You Know About Diagnosing ADHD In Adults?

    Adult Adhd Diagnosis Scotland

  19. mesothelioma lawyer commercial

    The 10 Most Terrifying Things About Mesothelioma
    Lawyer Commercial mesothelioma lawyer commercial

  20. Fidel

    13 Things About Which Coffee Machines Are Best You May Not Have Considered best coffee beans
    for coffee machine (Fidel)

  21. Single use coffee maker

    10 Things That Your Family Teach You About Single Use Coffee Maker Single use coffee maker

  22. www.maxtremer.Com

    Best Coffee Beans 1kg Tools To Ease Your Everyday Lifethe Only Best Coffee Beans
    1kg Trick Every Person Should Know Best coffee beans 1kg [http://www.maxtremer.Com]

  23. pvc

    10 Amazing Graphics About Door Doctor pvc

  24. private adhd assessment isle of wight

    What ADHD Private Diagnosis Experts Want You To Know private adhd assessment isle of wight

  25. Couch l shaped sofa

    You’ll Never Guess This Couch L Shaped Sofa’s Tricks Couch l shaped sofa

  26. Foldable Treadmills

    How To Save Money On Fold Flat Treadmill Foldable Treadmills

  27. male masturbation toy

    Here’s A Little Known Fact Concerning Mens Masterbation Toys male masturbation toy

  28. replace lock On upvc door

    Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Panels For Upvc Doors?
    replace lock On upvc door

  29. How Treat Anxiety And Depression

    15 Of The Best Documentaries On Treatment For Anxiety How Treat Anxiety And Depression

  30. Replacement Double Glazing Units Near Me

    5 Killer Quora Answers On Replacement Double Glazing Units Near Me Replacement Double Glazing Units Near Me

  31. Capsule coffee Machine uk

    9 Lessons Your Parents Teach You About Capsule Coffee Machine Uk Capsule coffee Machine uk

  32. online purchasing Websites in Uk

    The 10 Most Scariest Things About Online Purchasing Websites In Uk online purchasing Websites in Uk

  33. Erb's Palsy

    Erb’s Palsy Case Tools To Improve Your Everyday Lifethe Only Erb’s
    Palsy Case Trick That Should Be Used By Everyone Be Able To Erb’s Palsy

  34. Affordable Folding Treadmill

    The One Treadmills Folding Mistake That Every Beginner Makes Affordable Folding Treadmill

  35. Birth Injuries

    Searching For Inspiration? Look Up Birth Injury Lawyers
    Birth Injuries

  36. erb's Palsy Lawsuits

    Unexpected Business Strategies That Helped Erb’s Palsy
    Lawyers To Succeed erb’s Palsy Lawsuits

  37. Isiah

    20 Myths About How Long Does 18-Wheeler Lawsuit Take:
    Busted 18 wheeler accident (Isiah)

  38. Vibrating Masturbators

    Why Do So Many People Are Attracted To Male.Masturbators?
    Vibrating Masturbators

  39. Asbestos Attorney mesothelioma

    5 Killer Quora Answers To Asbestos Attorney Mesothelioma Asbestos Attorney mesothelioma

  40. windows replacement in london

    What Freud Can Teach Us About Replacement Windows South London windows replacement in london

  41. Anxiety Disorder Separation

    Guide To Anxiety Disorder Separation: The Intermediate Guide Towards Anxiety Disorder Separation Anxiety Disorder Separation

  42. Window replacement

    25 Surprising Facts About Window.Replacement Near Me Window replacement

  43. park Mobility

    This Is The Ultimate Cheat Sheet For Foldable Mobility Scooters park Mobility

  44. Online Test For Adhd

    12 Companies Leading The Way In ADHD Test Adult Online Test For Adhd

  45. cerebral palsy law firms

    Solutions To The Problems Of Cerebral Palsy Claim cerebral palsy law firms

  46. new Bmw Key

    Five Lessons You Can Learn From Bmw Key Replacement Cost new Bmw Key

  47. Domingo

    9 . What Your Parents Teach You About Birth Defect Lawyer birth defect lawyer
    (Domingo)

  48. semi truck Accident Lawsuit

    The No. Question That Everyone In Semi Truck Lawsuits Should Be Able Answer
    semi truck Accident Lawsuit

  49. car Boot scooters

    Three Common Reasons Your Boot Mobility Scooter Isn’t Working (And How To Fix It) car Boot scooters

  50. daemin.org

    The No. One Question That Everyone In Commercial Espresso
    Machine Should Be Able To Answer professional espresso machine (daemin.org)

Add a Comment