When we watch movies
and TV shows, we practice suspended disbelief. We ignore the rules of reality
for a while to enjoy our show. Without suspended disbelief, we would spend a
movie saying, "Oh come on, like that would ever happen. That is so unrealistic."
When we suspend our disbelief, we don't mind if the laws of physics are
violated or if the hero doesn't die after being shot, stabbed, or having fallen
from an impossible height.
For example, here is
a trailer for a movie I just found that depends on suspended disbelief. As you
watch, imagine our reactions to it if our minds couldn't say, for just three
minutes, that gravity doesn't have to work…correctly.
That said, calling a
movie out on its unreal aspects can be quite entertaining, when done right.
This is why I love HISHE (How It Should Have Ended). For whoever doesn't know,
HISHE is a Youtube channel that makes comedic commentary on popular movies, TV
shows, and video games. In particular, they point out the distortions of
reality and how the movie should have gone if it were happening in the real
world. For The Lord of the Rings,
Gandalf and Frodo ride to Mordor on an eagle and toss the ring in, with the
commentary, "Can you imagine if we'd walked the whole way?!" and
everyone laughs at the ridiculousness of the idea.
HISHE offers ways the Careers could have killed Katniss but didn't,
ways the Force could have been used in Star Wars but wasn't, how Captain
America could have flown to safety but didn't, and the fact that Rapunzel
should have gotten lots of twigs and dirt in her hair but somehow managed to
keep it in excellent condition the whole movie long.
So, we need suspended disbelief to enjoy our media, but it can also be fun to make fun of our willingness to employ it as much as we do. And now, for your viewing pleasure, here is the HISHE version of The Dark Knight Rises, complete with various alternate endings of a more practical nature (note also that HISHE videos often
include Superman and Batman in the "Super Cafe", to facilitate further commentary after the video).
I love HISHE, because it does point out the problems in movies and it is true you do have to suspend reality. The Lord of the Rings is my favorite, “One of us might have died.” Batman is a good one too… “because I’m Batman!!!” I do like how it makes fun of his marble voice. Also the Amazing Spider-Man one is really funny as well. It just perfectly points out the flaws and possibly cheesiness of what we watch as well.
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