Tropescilloscope: Artistic License – Physics

The creator of a work of fiction plays with the basic laws of physics in order to make the story work better. (read more at tvtropes.org)

More Tropes Rule of Cool Even Evil Has Loved Ones Storming the Castle Hell Is That Noise Evil Cannot Comprehend Good Parental Abandonment Destination Defenestration Groin Attack Disney Villain Death Obfuscating Stupidity Pre-Mortem One-Liner The Faceless Artistic License – Biology Reality Has No Subtitles B-Movie Cool Old Lady Worthy Opponent Rousing Speech Only Known by Their Nickname Rated M for Manly Apocalypse How Captain Obvious Conspicuous CG Funny Background Event Straight Gay Off with His Head! The Atoner Artistic License – History Actually Pretty Funny Damsel in Distress Department of Redundancy Department Distracted by the Sexy Naked People Are Funny Camp Gay Accidental Misnaming Sexy Discretion Shot Animal Motifs Slasher Smile Television Movie Index Would Hit a Girl Action Prologue Dark Action Girl Jitter Cam Red Eyes, Take Warning All Men Are Perverts Novelization Improbable Weapon User Wham Line Left the Background Music On Roger Ebert: Great Movies List Red Oni, Blue Oni Black and Gray Morality My God, What Have I Done? For Want of a Nail How We Got Here Only a Flesh Wound The Smurfette Principle Those Two Bad Guys Central Theme Dutch Angle Peek-a-Boo Corpse Arch-Enemy Ms. Fanservice Daylight Horror British Films Fire-Forged Friends Gender Flip Actor Allusion There Is No Kill Like Overkill Psychopathic Manchild Police Brutality Neck Lift Alas, Poor Villain Big Applesauce Anguished Declaration of Love Translation Convention Not Even Bothering with the Accent Asshole Victim Slasher Movie Really Gets Around Stealth Hi/Bye Dumb Blonde Here We Go Again! Chekhov's Gunman Ripped from the Headlines Lighter and Softer Visual Pun An Axe to Grind Riddle for the Ages Horror Films Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking Training Montage Shirtless Scene Missing Mom Batman Gambit Pet the Dog Flashback A God Am I Needs Wiki Magic Love Word of God Public Domain Feature Films All Girls Want Bad Boys Double Entendre Nice Hat Call-Back Those Wacky Nazis Disney Death Only Sane Man Gorn The Quiet One German Films Anachronism Stew Works Set in World War II Spell My Name with an "S" Biopic Shoot the Shaggy Dog Corrupt Corporate Executive Morality Pet Disappeared Dad Pay Evil unto Evil Death by Adaptation Humiliation Conga Unusually Uninteresting Sight Boom, Headshot! All Just a Dream Jerkass Dying Moment of Awesome Knife Nut Small Name, Big Ego Cool Car Downer Ending Bad "Bad Acting" Mexican Standoff Mugging the Monster Reality Is Unrealistic No-Holds-Barred Beatdown Obstructive Bureaucrat Continuity Nod The Stoic The Dreaded Pretty Little Headshots Crucified Hero Shot Line-of-Sight Name The Un-Reveal Unwitting Instigator of Doom Taking You with Me Stealth Pun Brutal Honesty The '90s All There in the Script Rule of Funny Alpha Bitch Unresolved Sexual Tension Fate Worse than Death Very Loosely Based on a True Story Defrosting Ice Queen Revenge More Dakka Armor-Piercing Question Intrepid Reporter Hope Spot Country Matters He Knows Too Much Catapult Nightmare Dual Wielding My Beloved Smother Tap on the Head Motor Mouth Eureka Moment And Starring Retirony Frame-Up Genre Throwback Men Are the Expendable Gender Bolivian Army Ending Chewing the Scenery Punny Name Awesome, but Impractical Butt-Monkey Meaningful Echo Bring My Brown Pants Product Placement Broken Aesop Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold Light Is Not Good Heterosexual Life-Partners Truth in Television Parental Substitute Soft Glass Fantastic Racism Every Car Is a Pinto Once More, with Clarity! Framing Device Serial Killer Show Within a Show Tempting Fate Non-Indicative Name Berserk Button Empathic Environment Adapted Out Nice Guy Badass Boast Politically Incorrect Villain Bavarian Fire Drill Recap / RiffTrax aka: Riff Trax Movies Eye Scream Jerk Jock Danny Peary Cult Movies List Costume Porn Mistaken for Gay Male Frontal Nudity Gilligan Cut N-Word Privileges Determinator Adorkable Nothing Is Scarier Heroic BSoD Imagine Spot Shell-Shocked Veteran Scary Black Man Kill 'em All Greater-Scope Villain Be Careful What You Wish For Heroic Sacrifice Foreshadowing Real Life Writes the Plot Bunny-Ears Lawyer One-Word Title Christmas Movies Index Redemption Equals Death Four-Temperament Ensemble Screw This, I'm Outta Here! Lampshade Hanging Never Trust a Trailer Vacation Films Death Seeker Only in It for the Money What You Are in the Dark Bittersweet Ending Action Girl I'm a Humanitarian Bond Villain Stupidity The Un-Favourite aka: The Un Favorite Take That! Slashed Throat Papa Wolf The Ditz Ragtag Bunch of Misfits Defiant to the End May–December Romance Attempted Rape Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other As Long as It Sounds Foreign Hoist by His Own Petard Fantasy Films Evil vs. Evil Big Brother Instinct Blood from the Mouth Foregone Conclusion Breaking the Fourth Wall Eldritch Abomination Disproportionate Retribution Bitch in Sheep's Clothing The Chessmaster Fun with Acronyms Took a Level in Badass From Bad to Worse Spiritual Successor Brainless Beauty Poor Communication Kills Outrun the Fireball Chekhov's Gun Knight Templar Playing Gertrude Important Haircut Twist Ending Early-Bird Cameo BFG I Need a Freaking Drink Retcon Ambiguous Disorder Beware the Nice Ones Bottomless Magazines Ungrateful Bastard Casting Gag Anachronic Order I Have Your Wife Blatant Lies Extremely Short Timespan Scare Chord Film Noir Index I Just Shot Marvin in the Face Rape as Drama Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas Final Girl O.O.C. Is Serious Business Rich Bitch Chuck Cunningham Syndrome Deal with the Devil Roaring Rampage of Revenge Becoming the Mask Bloodier and Gorier Title Drop Artistic License – Military Your Head A-Splode Shipper on Deck Failed a Spot Check Japanese Films Australian Movies Red Shirt Vitriolic Best Buds What the Hell, Hero? Victoria's Secret Compartment Last-Name Basis Kick the Son of a Bitch Sci-Fi Horror Mighty Whitey Due to the Dead Screw the Money, I Have Rules! Daddy's Girl Reckless Gun Usage Plot Hole Not So Stoic Moment Killer Expository Hairstyle Change The Cameo Would Hurt a Child Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday Cruel and Unusual Death Facial Horror Large Ham Silence Is Golden Paper-Thin Disguise Villainous Breakdown Evil Is Petty Unusual Euphemism The Film of the Book Made of Explodium Cowboy Cop Ship Tease Curse Cut Short Extreme Doormat Brick Joke Celebrity Paradox Spiteful Spit Romantic False Lead Manipulative Bastard Laser-Guided Karma Kubrick Stare Half the Man He Used to Be Military and Warfare Films Thriller An Aesop Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! Eyepatch of Power Sinister Minister Slap-Slap-Kiss Retired Badass Overly Long Gag Cat Fight Dressing as the Enemy A.I. Is a Crapshoot The Bully Not What It Looks Like Award-Bait Song Parental Neglect Deadpan Snarker Major Injury Underreaction All There in the Manual Big-Bad Ensemble Race Against the Clock Badass in a Nice Suit Lock and Load Montage Cool Shades Ax-Crazy Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil Cain and Abel Cluster F-Bomb Fake Shemp Shut Up, Hannibal! Heel–Face Turn Broken Pedestal Big Bad You Have Outlived Your Usefulness Does Not Like Shoes Adaptational Villainy Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! Gory Discretion Shot Impaled with Extreme Prejudice Protagonist Title This Is Gonna Suck Covers Always Lie Fingore The Ghost Back from the Dead Crazy Jealous Guy Demoted to Extra The Alcoholic The Smart Guy Belligerent Sexual Tension Sequel Escalation Beard of Evil Historical-Domain Character Fatal Flaw Developing Doomed Characters Artistic License – Geography Fainting Undying Loyalty Gone Horribly Right Match Cut Martial Arts Movie French Films Karma Houdini Vomit Discretion Shot Improbable Infant Survival aka: Infant Immortality Double-Meaning Title Death by Irony Epic Fail Historical In-Joke Manchild Stock Footage Artistic License – Physics For the Evulz Redshirt Army Drill Sergeant Nasty Leaning on the Fourth Wall Psycho for Hire Shower Scene Curb-Stomp Battle Say My Name Silent Movie The Cavalry Almost Kiss You Have Got to Be Kidding Me! Anyone Can Die She's Got Legs Trailers Always Spoil My Greatest Failure Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique Mercy Kill Your Cheating Heart Music Stories Badass Bookworm In Name Only He Who Fights Monsters Psychological Thriller Mystery and Detective Films Love at First Sight Rule of Three Bury Your Gays Mama Bear Well-Intentioned Extremist Pragmatic Adaptation Adaptation Distillation 20 Minutes into the Future Implacable Man No Antagonist Amusing Injuries Never Trust a Trailer aka: Trailers Always Lie Not Using the "Z" Word Bullying a Dragon Fan Disservice Italian Films The Musical Call-Forward Death by Sex Jump Scare Bare Your Midriff Beauty Is Never Tarnished Agony of the Feet Made of Iron Smoking Is Cool Token Minority Hero Antagonist The '80s Faux Affably Evil Mr. Exposition Guns Akimbo Animated Credits Opening It Will Never Catch On Insult Backfire Dies Wide Open Hidden Depths Hair-Trigger Temper Recycled IN SPACE! Nice Job Fixing It, Villain! Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy What Happened to the Mouse? It's All About Me Time Skip Properly Paranoid Card-Carrying Villain Bloody Hilarious "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue Getting Crap Past the Radar Bland-Name Product Closed Circle Cassandra Truth Chekhov's Skill Suddenly SHOUTING! Real Life Wounded Gazelle Gambit Jerk with a Heart of Gold Green-Eyed Monster Captain Ersatz Broken Bird Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene Coming-of-Age Story Evil Laugh The Oner Pimped-Out Dress No Ending Malevolent Masked Men Together in Death Fat Bastard The Mole Bloodless Carnage Immune to Bullets Freeze-Frame Bonus "Shaggy Dog" Story Insane Troll Logic Drowning My Sorrows Composite Character Vampire Fiction The Dog Bites Back Early Installment Weirdness Older Than They Look Take a Third Option Drives Like Crazy Honor Before Reason Bi the Way Corpsing Punctuated! For! Emphasis! Villain Ball Superhero The Great Depression Monumental Damage Sir Swears-a-Lot Animal Title Index Why Don't You Just Shoot Him? Dull Surprise Does This Remind You of Anything? Make It Look Like an Accident Cat Scare Too Dumb to Live "Well Done, Son!" Guy Vomit Indiscretion Shot The Ace Film Noir Domestic Abuse Dark and Troubled Past Deliberately Monochrome MacGuffin Only One Name Dark Reprise Bound and Gagged Ghost Fiction Overprotective Dad Those Two Guys Villain Opening Scene Ambiguous Ending Villain with Good Publicity Based on a True Story Beta Couple Scenery Gorn Eiffel Tower Effect Video Credits Pre-Asskicking One-Liner Deconstruction Dropped a Bridge on Him Wicked Cultured Idiot Ball The Alleged Car Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping No OSHA Compliance Big Damn Heroes Hooker with a Heart of Gold Didn't Think This Through Big Bad Duumvirate Death Glare Wham Shot Action Survivor Evil-Detecting Dog Suspiciously Similar Substitute The Voiceless Maybe Ever After Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome Narrator Driven to Suicide Ironic Echo True Companions Stepford Smiler Character Development Dirty Cop Manic Pixie Dream Girl War Is Hell Hate Sink World of Ham Comically Missing the Point A Father to His Men Disguised in Drag Authority Equals Asskicking Man on Fire Wrong Genre Savvy Genre Savvy Dark Is Not Evil The Sociopath The '50s Face–Heel Turn Pretty in Mink Aluminum Christmas Trees La Résistance Re-Cut Romantic Comedy Combat Pragmatist Calling the Old Man Out Random Events Plot The Reveal Karmic Death Noodle Incident Badass Longcoat Break the Haughty Hollywood Law In the Back As Himself Deus ex Machina Homage Red Herring Heel Realization Humans Are Bastards Taking the Bullet Cloudcuckoolander Big Eater Bar Brawl Death of a Child Race Lift Amoral Attorney Creative Closing Credits Room Full of Crazy Sports Stories Badass Grandpa Ass Shove Chase Scene Meaningful Name Camera Abuse Bowdlerise Mood Whiplash Hong Kong Films Fiery Redhead Adaptational Attractiveness Historical Villain Upgrade Manly Tears folderlabel Reasonable Authority Figure The Hero Dies Mooks Accidental Murder Artistic License – Gun Safety Body Horror Mr. Fanservice And I Must Scream Put on a Bus Betty and Veronica Alliterative Name Evil Plan Sequel Hook Decoy Protagonist NO INDOOR VOICE Get Out! The Lost Lenore Sanity Slippage Good Is Not Nice Heroes Want Redheads Russian Films Rule of Symbolism Advertised Extra Sole Survivor Up to Eleven Suspiciously Specific Denial Brother–Sister Incest Depraved Bisexual Our Vampires Are Different Arranged Marriage The Hero Artistic License – Law Gainax Ending Colour-Coded for Your Convenience aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience Author Appeal Parental Incest Unspoken Plan Guarantee Author Avatar Science Fiction Films Pun aka: Incredibly Lame Pun Henpecked Husband Insistent Terminology Chiaroscuro Sealed Evil in a Can Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass I Want My Beloved to Be Happy Freudian Excuse "The Reason You Suck" Speech Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" Not Quite Dead The Casanova Running Gag Faking the Dead Meaningful Background Event Rasputinian Death Screw the Rules, I Have Money! All for Nothing Canon Foreigner Mythology Gag Our Zombies Are Different Meet Cute Rewatch Bonus Improbable Aiming Skills Friend to All Children Documentary Bald of Evil Woman Scorned Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer The Load Crapsack World Enemy Mine Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane Guile Hero Plucky Comic Relief Smug Snake Antagonist Title The Chick Action Genre Dogged Nice Guy Off-into-the-Distance Ending Stylistic Suck Exact Words Spanner in the Works Blood Knight Deliberate Values Dissonance Big Fancy House Kill It with Fire Face Death with Dignity Mundane Made Awesome Happily Married Sassy Black Woman Famous Last Words Diabolus ex Machina Evil Is Hammy Zombie Stories She Cleans Up Nicely The Stoner It's Personal Break the Cutie Self-Deprecation Foil Mind Screw Index of Film Westerns Police are Useless Car Fu Funny Foreigner Married to the Job A Date with Rosie Palms Blackmail Precision F-Strike Ambiguously Gay Fanservice Extra Darkest Hour Evil Counterpart Black Comedy Rape Drugs Are Bad Genre Shift Interrupted Suicide Male Gaze Ominous Latin Chanting The Power of Love Air-Vent Passageway Creator Cameo Offscreen Moment of Awesome Stuff Blowing Up Easily Forgiven Auto Erotica You Killed My Father Hypocrite Villain Song Fourth Date Marriage Super Strength Adults Are Useless Gratuitous English Affectionate Parody Jerkass Has a Point Not So Different Dissonant Serenity Handicapped Badass Exactly What It Says on the Tin Eagleland Horror Comedy Earn Your Happy Ending Punch-Clock Villain Serious Business No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Sacrificial Lion Tranquil Fury Everyone Has Standards Madness Mantra Dramedy Yandere From Nobody to Nightmare Crazy-Prepared Bilingual Bonus Abhorrent Admirer Anti-Villain Oh, Crap! Woman in White Better to Die than Be Killed Badass Normal Demonic Possession "Awesome McCool" Name Took a Level in Jerkass The Vamp Aside Glance Obviously Evil Offscreen Teleportation Refuge in Audacity Adaptational Heroism Anti-Hero Names to Run Away from Really Fast Ugly Guy, Hot Wife Posthumous Character Laughing Mad The Stinger As You Know Dirty Old Man The End... Or Is It? Unreliable Narrator Loads and Loads of Characters Wretched Hive Dirty Coward No Celebrities Were Harmed The X of Y The Starscream Historical Hero Upgrade Credits Gag Fish out of Water Girl-on-Girl Is Hot Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism Irony Despair Event Horizon Canadian Movies '80s Hair Epic Movie Neck Snap Instant Death Bullet Cold-Blooded Torture Flipping the Bird Soundtrack Dissonance Affably Evil No-Sell Killed Mid-Sentence Book-Ends Shown Their Work Have a Gay Old Time Gold Digger As the Good Book Says... Bad Boss Stalker with a Crush Black Comedy Same Language Dub Whole Plot Reference Cool Guns Grey and Gray Morality One Steve Limit An Arm and a Leg Evil Sounds Deep I Did What I Had to Do Adaptation Name Change The Bad Guy Wins Dramatic Gun Cock In Medias Res The Mafia Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds Expy Never Found the Body Skewed Priorities And the Adventure Continues Never My Fault Cool Old Guy Totally Radical Pyrrhic Victory Sadistic Choice Bait-and-Switch Spared by the Adaptation Babies Ever After Adaptation Expansion Tagline Leitmotif Informed Ability Even Evil Has Standards Kids Are Cruel Loophole Abuse Hypocritical Humor Scenery Porn Improvised Weapon Throwing Your Sword Always Works Not So Above It All Reality Ensues Intergenerational Friendship Toplessness from the Back Black Dude Dies First The '60s Shout-Out Villain Protagonist Hollywood Darkness Blonde, Brunette, Redhead Dramatic Irony Determinator aka: The Determinator Contrived Coincidence No Name Given Market-Based Title Setting Update The Remake Establishing Character Moment The '70s Toilet Humour aka: Toilet Humor Fanservice Femme Fatale Big "NO!" Love Triangle Fatal Family Photo After the End Age Lift Catch-Phrase Film Series Creepy Child Star-Crossed Lovers Darker and Edgier The Lancer The Dragon Ascended Extra Dwindling Party You Have Failed Me Grievous Bottley Harm Pragmatic Villainy Adaptational Badass Abusive Parents Did Not Get the Girl The Big Guy Adult Fear The Place It Can Think Red Right Hand Logo Joke Arc Words Evil Brit Black Best Friend timeperiod Adaptation Dye-Job Leave the Camera Running Bond One-Liner A Minor Kidroduction Mad Scientist Naïve Newcomer Annoying Younger Sibling Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? Children Are Innocent Let's Get Dangerous! Five-Man Band Kick the Dog One-Man Army The Brute Hero of Another Story