(When I say starring, I mean there’s a little cameo down below… you’ll see)
One of my favorite moments in movies is from a scene late in Terminator 2.
Terminator Arnold 2000 and plucky kid Eddard Furlough are in a beat-up old truck, trying to either chase someone or get away from someone. I don’t remember, and that part isn’t important.
What’s important is that it’s a big-scale, epic action moment in the third act of a massive action thriller. And when the kid says “step on it,”
And you’d think in a giant action moment like this, something LOUD and HUGE should happen…
And…
Arnold says with absolutely zero emotion, “This is the vehicle’s top speed.”
It’s hilarious, but I’m not sure they intended it to be. It’s Arnold’s deadpan delivery of a dry line that’s so ridiculous in a big action moment. Por ejemplo, if I were writing this thrilling chase scene, it would look more like this:
Micah leaned forward, grasping onto the dashboard like a second steering wheel. “Step on it!”
Three feet to his left, Layne gritted his teeth against the inertia. The rickety truck rocked back and forth with the slightest touch of the wheel. Rain poured in sheets, slashing the darkness in front of the windshield. “My foot’s already on the floor, man. I don’t know know how much faster I can push it!”
And, scene. When written sincerely (albeit quickly and a bit sloppily), it plays out quite a bit different than a flat mouth saying, “ThIsIsTheVehichlesTopSpeed.”
Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say. Have a nice day!
Heh. Hope you’re having a great week!