Action flicks are fueled by mile-a-minute adrenaline and the idea that the human body — at least that of larger-than-life superheroes — can sustain almost anything.
Heroes smash through panes of glass and get thrown across rooms without the need to take a breather before getting back up to rejoin the battle. But that comes from made-up scripts for the big and small screens. In real life, such situations would end a fight.
What follows are five kinds of falls that would instantly stop the combat process in real life.
- Falling Down a Stairway
You’ve seen it a hundred times: a superhero gets pushed down a flight of stairs, bounces down a dozen steps, crashes violently on the landing, and somehow gets up swinging.
But this type of fall is dangerous because each of the steps becomes a source of additional blows to the body — first head, then chest and ribs, and then the legs.
When this series of events occurs in the real world, there’s a high risk of head trauma or a concussion, a possibility of broken ribs or collarbone, and severe back injury. Someone in real life will have a hard time getting up after a blow and would probably stay motionless on the spot rather than get up and resume the conflict. Any fall of this sort might warrant contacting a workers’ compensation lawyer, exploring a possible claim, and nursing wounds on the sidelines.
- Being Thrown on a Wooden Surface (“Thru the Table”)
Wooden objects are easily damaged in the action scenes. You’d think these wood surfaces were made of thin sheets of paper. Usually, a hero is thrown on a wooden object like a table, the furniture shatters into countless pieces, and the fight continues as though nothing happened.
That’s not how things work in real life, however. Being thrown on a table in real life can cause the following:
- Spine and rib injuries
- Internal injures
- Difficulty breathing
In movies, the moment a hero lies motionless on a wooden surface floor for even a couple of seconds, it’s almost certain they’ll get back up sooner or later. If someone suffers such a fall in the land of real life, that person might never get back up.
- Landing From the Rooftops (Even Low Altitudes)
Action heroes don’t seem to have a fear of heights since they rarely hesitate to go onto roofs. They run, jump, and roughhouse on roofs, big and small. And they don’t rely on protective gear or take special precautions that mere mortals do.
But a couple of feet above the ground is more than enough for an unpleasant accident in a trip or fall situation. For example, the following things can happen:
- Bone injuries caused by the landing
- Knee and ligament injuries caused by the shock
When people watch their favorite superheroes jump off roofs without injuring themselves, they need to remember that life doesn’t always imitate art.
- “Flying” Through the Objects (Wall, Bars, Etc.)
Usually, characters in movies fly through things — walls, glass, or other things — during intense fight scenes. As a result, their bodies collide with hard objects.
The following negative outcomes can happen during such a blow in real-life situations:
- Back or neck injuries
- Concussions
- Bruises and other damages
Despite the way heroes sustain such damage and walk away unscathed, the human body isn’t built to withstand huge shocks caused by a violent bodily impact.
- Falling on the Ground after Slipping
Falling usually happens when people slip on water, debris, or something else — before losing their footing. As a result, this kind of fall can be traumatic. A fall might momentarily slow down a hero, but it’s rarely enough to affect the outcome of a tussle between the good and bad guys.
Even something that seems like a minor slip can cause head injuries, fractures, or hip and tailbone injuries.
Why These Falls End Combat in Real Life
The main difference between movies and reality lies in the speed of recovery. In films, a person can immediately return to the struggle after a serious trip or fall. Meanwhile, that’s not the case in reality. A trip or fall can put someone on the sidelines indefinitely.
Action films present many spectacular scenes and stunts. Usually, after each fall or blow, a hero immediately returns to the battlefield — ready to duke it out with the enemy. Real life, however, is different. A person in the real world can sustain serious injuries that change the trajectory of their life and possibly leave them having to accept a new normal.