Dumb Things We Just Ignored About These ’90s Movies

Oh, reminiscing about the ‘90s! It was a time of Spice Girls and trendy slap bracelets. However, despite the warm feelings this decade evokes, some of the films you watched might not stand up to today’s standards as well as you may recall. In fact, certain ’90s movies had scenes that were rather questionable or even downright silly.

Several instances in these 90’s films are labeled as “dumb” due to plot inconsistencies, outdated special effects, or simply because the storyline seems implausible. Despite these shortcomings, many viewers chose to overlook them, and these movies proved to be box office successes, with some even winning Oscars. Interestingly, two films starring Bruce Willis found their way onto this list, a somewhat questionable distinction, but no more so than the things we willingly disregarded in these 90’s flicks.

The door dilemma from Titanic

James Cameron’s blockbuster hit “Titanic” broke numerous records, yet some scenes, such as the infamous door scene where Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) perishes in the cold water to keep Rose (Kate Winslet) alive on a makeshift raft, have left many viewers questioning their logic. Numerous fans have labeled this situation as illogical, as it seems there is enough space on the door for both characters to survive together. This has ignited an ongoing debate: could they both possibly have lived?

Several credible sources like “Mythbusters” and James Cameron himself have attempted to determine if Jack’s survival on the door in the movie Titanic was feasible. While it’s often assumed that simply climbing onto the door would ensure Jack’s safety, most investigations suggest otherwise. Placing both their weights on the door could have caused it to sink low enough for them to be submerged in freezing water, which wouldn’t allow them to survive long enough to be rescued. However, if they made the right moves (and had the quick thinking to position Rose’s life vest beneath the door to help keep it above water), there was at least a possibility that both of them might have lived.

Even though it theoretically could have happened, it’s questionable if two drained and traumatized characters could have managed such a feat. Regardless, this discussion is irrelevant as per James Cameron’s statement. The director stated to “Mythbusters” that according to the script, Jack had to die. He might have made an error in the script, suggesting the raft should have been slightly smaller, but the character is still going to meet his fate.

Hacking an alien spaceship with a Mac in Independence Day

1996’s hit film “Independence Day” offers enjoyable entertainment if you don’t scrutinize the plot too deeply. The movie’s climax relies on the heroes annihilating the extraterrestrial fleet by infecting them with a computer virus developed by David (Jeff Goldblum) on a Mac PowerBook. It’s rather implausible to consider that an alien vessel would be compatible with a Mac computer, let alone how one individual could grasp complex alien technology swiftly enough to breach their defenses using a virus.

The movie creators at least attempted to clarify this plot inconsistency by crafting a scene where they showed how David could potentially grasp an alien programming language. In this sequence, David uncovers that the aliens’ code follows the same patterns as the countdown signal he decodes at the beginning of the film, providing a potential foundation for his understanding.

As a gamer, I’d say, “In the movie, there was this scene that didn’t make it to the final cut, but if it had, it would’ve left me scratching my head. You see, they showed an old ’90s Mac PowerBook taking down an entire alien fleet, yet their tech was centuries ahead of ours. I mean, come on! That’s like using a Game Boy to defeat a Godzilla-sized monster. Some computer wizards might say it’s technically possible, given enough time for our scientists to study the alien ship and if the aliens were overconfident.

Anakin blowing up the droid control ship in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace

In the film “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” several scenes are often criticized by fans as being less than intelligent, such as the podrace sequence, the midi-chlorian scene, and most scenes involving Jar-Jar. Many of these aspects have already been extensively debated. However, there’s one aspect from “The Phantom Menace” that might not receive as much attention but significantly impacts the movie’s ending: [insert specific plot point here].

In the climactic battle, young Anakin (Jake Lloyd), through a remarkable sequence of fortunate events, manages to destroy the droid command ship. By chance, he stumbles upon a spaceship with a child-sized cockpit, and after pressing buttons seemingly at random, he successfully fends off the attacking droids. Incredibly, the autopilot guides him to the precise location necessary for saving the day. Remarkably, when Anakin fires the shot that obliterates the reactor of the droid command ship, his aim was not directed towards it.

Audience members grew frustrated with this particular series of events due to Anakin’s victory appearing unmerited. In contrast, at one instance, Anakin cries out “This is intense!”, yet the situation fails to live up to its billing. It seems everything falls into place effortlessly for Anakin in this scene, and he barely needs to exert any effort at all. This contradicts the struggle and high stakes typically associated with a battle. The tension here is far less than the climactic moment in “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope” where Luke (Mark Hamill) destroyed the Death Star.

Anastasia fudging historical details

In essence, the 1997 animated film “Anastasia” presents an alternate version of history where Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov (Meg Ryan) didn’t perish but survived instead. If this was the sole deviation from the real story, we could easily accept it. However, the movie also takes some other artistic freedoms that are more challenging to accept.

In reality, contrary to what the movie suggests, Anastasia and her family didn’t escape from their palace through a hidden passage before it was stormed by peasants. Instead, they were imprisoned for over a year following the 1917 Revolution, eventually being executed by firing squad in a basement. The possibility of her survival lies in the fact that she might have survived the initial gunfire and one soldier may have decided to spare her life. However, DNA evidence has proven that Anastasia did perish with her family.

The movie doesn’t just get one thing wrong, it also jumbles up historical events and presents them as overly simplified. For instance, Rasputin (played by Christopher Lloyd) was indeed a friend of the Romanov family, but he wasn’t an evil sorcerer or a zombie. The portrayal in “Anastasia” where Rasputin is blamed for causing the Russian revolution through a curse – rather than acknowledging the czar’s lack of understanding about his people’s desires – seems somewhat oblivious to historical accuracy.

The terrible CGI fight in Blade

For those seeking a glimpse of movie villains once marred by poor CGI, the 1998 film “Blade” should be your destination. Over time, the CGI has become painfully outdated, and the climactic battle is so absurd it’s almost laughable. In this sequence, Blade (played by Wesley Snipes) hacks off Deacon Frost’s (Stephen Dorff) right hand, then splits him in two. However, what could have been a grizzly spectacle turns into a cartoonish display. The detached upper body floats without gravity in the air, while his legs remain stationary, anticipating the CGI stream of blood to reunite the two halves. As Frost’s severed hand regenerates, his entire arm is enveloped by a cloud of plastic-like red liquid that resembles a cheap screen saver.

In simpler terms, the remaining part of the scene lacks authenticity. For instance, the sword fighting between Blade and Frost appears overly rehearsed, as if it were choreographed by children imagining a fierce duel. A Reddit user named Procyon02 pointed this out, stating that it resembles how they might imagine an intense sword fight. Furthermore, when Blade hurls syringes at Frost, it seems more fitting for a scene from the 1966 “Batman” TV series. The movie doesn’t depict Blade simultaneously launching multiple syringes; instead, it edits to Frost with a cluster of quivering syringes embedded in his stomach, which left fans in stitches. To make matters worse, the main villain meets an unconvincing end, inflating like a grotesque balloon before bursting in a questionable CGI explosion.

The final battle in Hook

High expectations surrounded Steven Spielberg’s journey to Neverland, yet the film that materialized turned out to be a costly pirate disaster worth $70 million, often referred to as such. Interestingly, even the director himself didn’t express much pride in the movie “Hook.

As an adult gamer looking back, it’s tough not to roll my eyes at the scene in that movie where the Lost Boys square off against the pirates. I mean, these kids are supposedly taking on a ship packed with buccaneers using just marbles and some sort of cartoony egg-launching gadget? That’s like sending a group of newbie players into a raid boss fight armed only with potions and healing spells! It just doesn’t make sense, and it feels like the climactic final battle should have been way more intense than what we got.

Although the scenario may thrill young kids yearning to throw eggs at adults in a game of make-believe, it seems unlikely this was the climactic event that most enthusiasts envisioned for Hook’s grand confrontation with Peter Pan. In the eyes of both critics and spectators alike, the extended final battle felt overly prolonged, suggesting a struggle among the filmmakers to decide how they wanted to conclude their story.

Pocahontas hand-waving the language barrier

Disneys “Pocahontas” is known for being one of the most humorously inaccurate historical films, marking Walt Disney Animation Studios’ first attempt to create a film based on real historical events. It’s puzzling to consider who believed that the tale of Pocahontas (portrayed by Irene Bedard) – a young Powhatan girl who was allegedly kidnapped and raped – would make an appropriate setting for a romantic musical. However, there is a specific scene from the movie that stands out as particularly awkward.

When John Smith (Mel Gibson) pursues Pocahontas, he assures her that his intentions are peaceful, despite his mission to conquer her land and destroy her environment. It’s only when the wind miraculously translates his words that she decides to halt her escape. It seems that understanding someone’s heart can grant instant fluency in any language.

In this movie, there are many instances of straightforward scenes, but this particular one stands out as the most unimaginative. It serves as a poorly thought-out narrative trick, and the filmmakers had the opportunity to devise a more original solution. For instance, why didn’t Disney incorporate a sequence depicting Pocahontas and Smith learning each other’s languages? They could have even used the same melody during this segment. However, the creators came up with an explanation that is just as implausible as the plot inconsistency it seeks to resolve.

The planes in Die Hard 2 being unable to land

As a gamer, I found it puzzling in “Die Hard 2” when terrorists took over an air traffic control tower, causing multiple planes to be stuck mid-air and unable to land. It seemed illogical; if these planes have enough fuel to circle above the airport for hours, then they should easily be able to fly to another nearby airport and safely land there.

According to actual air traffic controllers who have watched the movie, that’s precisely what the pilots would likely have been trained to do – reroute their flights to another airport if such an emergency occurred. Air traffic controller Dan Mooney told Mel magazine that without explicit instructions, other flights would most probably have adjusted their courses automatically. Pilots always prepare alternative routes as precautions for emergencies like this one.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but notice an intriguing plot point in the Die Hard series that leaves me scratching my head. The movie seems to dodge a potential plot hole by implying that all neighboring airports are closed due to the snowstorm, which implies a large number of airports being affected. This raises further questions because such a coordinated terrorist attack would require extensive planning, and yet it relies on an unprecedented weather event occurring precisely on the day of the attack. It’s hard to believe that the culprits could have predicted this with certainty unless they were waiting on standby for their own “snow day.” This is just one of many seemingly illogical elements in the Die Hard franchise that I find intriguing, as a fan.

Armageddon training oil drillers to be astronauts

1998 hit movie “Armageddon” appears to disregard many physical principles. Numerous scientists have highlighted its inconsistencies, such as a flimsy explanation for the asteroid’s gravity resembling Earth’s and an implausible scheme to shatter the dangerous cosmic projectile into numerous smaller (yet equally lethal) fragments. In fact, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson expressed on StarTalk Plus that “Armageddon” defies more laws of physics per minute than any other film produced. Besides these scientific inaccuracies, the movie portrays oil drillers favorably and depicts NASA scientists as fools, potentially conveying an unsettling anti-intellectual message.

Essentially, the main issue lies in the unrealistic scenario presented in the movie. Instead of transforming oil drillers into astronauts, wouldn’t it make more sense for the astronauts to learn drilling from the oil drillers? It seems implausible that it would take less time to retrain oil drillers as astronauts than it would be to teach the astronauts proper drilling techniques. This inconsistency was so striking that even one of the film’s actors, Ben Affleck, questioned it with director Michael Bay during the “Armageddon” DVD commentary. According to Affleck, when he asked about this plot hole, Bay responded by asking him to simply keep quiet.

The most intellectually unsound thing I’ve heard is when Colonel Sharp (William Fitchner) states, “He has space confusion.” (To be fair to Fitchner, it wasn’t an easy line to deliver convincingly without cracking a smile.)

Brad Pitt getting hit by a car in Meet Joe Black

Joe Black – A Film with Potential, Marred by an Unfortunate Ending”

The film, Joe Black, could have been a touching and captivating experience, but the climax, unfortunately, fell flat. The movie aims to be light-hearted and humorous at times, yet it seems that particular scene didn’t quite meet those expectations.

Following a heartfelt farewell, I found myself longingly exchanging glances with Claire Forlani’s character and Brad Pitt’s, fully anticipating that he would express his profound love for her any second. Yet, in an unexpected turn of events, Pitt’s character was struck by a car (a peculiar twist indeed when one is standing smack in the middle of the road). It appears this was largely achieved through practical effects, with a life-sized dummy taking Pitt’s place. This might explain why his portrayal seemed somewhat weightless as he careened from one vehicle to another. Amusingly, this near-death scene, so close on the heels of such a tender moment, turned out inadvertently comical and made it challenging to maintain seriousness throughout the remainder of the movie.

In time, clips of that particular scene re-emerged online and swiftly spread widely. On Reddit, user /marbanasin commented, “Wow, that was funnier than I recalled.” Meanwhile, user /CullenLX87 said, “The fellow who seemed to be an idiot just standing in the street. What on earth did he imagine would transpire?” It appears that Director Martin Brest had hoped discussions about his 1998 film would continue even after two decades, but perhaps not under these circumstances.

The plastic bag scene in American Beauty

There are numerous factors contributing to why this ‘90s film appears outdated today – ranging from its questionable, inappropriate romantic aspect to its overly antiquated portrayal of the American Dream. However, a particular scene from “American Beauty,” namely the one involving Ricky (Wes Bentley) and his camcorder-filmed plastic bag, isn’t inherently problematic but rather seems foolish. The image of a shopping bag swaying in the wind can be quite impactful and eerie on its own. Nevertheless, “American Beauty” exploits this moment excessively, attempting to extract every ounce of pseudo-spiritual sentiment from the scene.

In his video, Ricky describes it as the most stunning footage he’s ever captured. He then leans in closely and admires the beauty he encountered during filming, expressing pride about spending 15 minutes to shoot this particular bag. At one instance, he exclaims, “This bag was moving in sync with me,” sparing us from seeing a potential dance between Ricky and the bag. Unfortunately, despite Thomas Newman’s somber music, the scene becomes overly sentimental and emotional.

In no time, both critics and online communities started mocking the scene, with it even being satirized on “Family Guy”. Many fans argue that if Ricky had simply remained silent, allowing the image to convey its own beauty, the scene would have been quite captivating instead.

2025-03-27 21:32