Just Eat the MacGuffin: Difference between revisions

Line 15:

At worst this trope can manifest itself at the last minute with no attempts at justification. It's a bit of a cheat, after all, to [[No MacGuffin, No Winner|resolve the plot with MacGuffin destruction]] when the MacGuffin could have been destroyed at just about any previous point in the story.

Another excuse is to [[Just Think of the Potential]]. Also compare [[We Win Because You Did Not]] and [[No MacGuffin, No Winner]].

For when the problem is a character rather than a MacGuffin, see [[Just Eat Gilligan]].

If there are sound reasons given within the work for why the "single simple action" can't be taken, or won't work, ''it's not this trope. Don't add it as an example.'' If the characters do try the single simple solution and it doesn't work, it's ''also not this trope. Again, don't add it as an example.'' This trope is not just eating the [[MacGuffin]] in the literal sense; this trope is asking the question why not just destroy the damn [[MacGuffin]].

Line 33:

== [[Film]] ==

* One of the complaints of the second ''[[Hellboy (film)|Hellboy]]'' movie was that they destroyed the crown pieces at the end, when they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble by doing it as soon as they found them.

* In the live-action ''[[Transformers Film Series|Transformers]]'' film, Optimus Prime says that if there's no other way to keep the Allspark out of Megatron's hands, he'll shove it into his own [[Our Souls Are Different|spark]] to destroy it. This option is a last resort because it would also kill Optimus. {{spoiler|In the end, Sam shoves it into ''Megatron's'' instead}}. But as the sequel shows, turns out that doesn't ''quite'' work.

* The ending to ''[[Titanic]]'' involves this. Not for any reason, mind you. [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic|She just destroys it for the symbolism.]] And she doesn't really "destroy" it so much as "put it in a place where absolutely no one will find it and didn't tell anyone." [[Alternate Character Interpretation|Or maybe she wanted the guy who had spent his life sifting through stuff to find something interesting in the Titanic wreck, and gave what she could.]]

* [[Double Subversion|Double Subverted]] in ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' when Indy threatens to destroy the Ark, but Belloq calls his bluff.

* In the movie ''[[For Your Eyes Only (film)|For Your Eyes Only]]'', [[James Bond (film)|James Bond]] is ordered to obtain the MacGuffin if he can and destroy it if he must. He has to do the second.

** By throwing said MacGuffin off the top of a giant cliff. Good work, Bond.

* In the first ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' movie, the Illuminati want to assemble the MacGuffin to take over the world. Lara just happens to find a part and, despite knowing what he wants with it, ''assists'' the [[Big Bad]] in finding the other. All because she wanted to use it herself, just to get closure on the fate of her father. That's right, she risked ''the entire world'' on a personal issue that was resolved in half a minute, and then destroyed the MacGuffin anyway.

* ''[[Under Siege]] 2: Dark Territory'': Steven Seagal spends half the movie keeping the specially encoded CD the villain needs to carry out his evil plot out of the evil villain's hands. He should have just broken the darn thing.

Line 51:

* The whole plot of ''[[Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone]]'' wouldn't have happened if Dumbledore had just destroyed the stone in the first place ''like he did at the end''.

** Said stone was {{spoiler|keeping Flamel alive}}, though. It was only at the end that {{spoiler|Flamel decided to die}}.

** Also, it can be argued that much of what occurred was actually set up by Dumbledore as part of Harry's [[Training ~~From~~ Hell]]. How else could you explain the stupidity of sending Hagrid on the "secret" mission to retrieve the stone, when he knew Harry would be with him.

** Also, it can be argued that much of what occurred was actually set up by Dumbledore as part of Harry's [[Training from Hell]]. How else could you explain the stupidity of sending Hagrid on the "secret" mission to retrieve the stone, when he knew Harry would be with him.

** There's even an interesting theory proposing that the Mirror of Erised was actually a trap for Voldemort. If true, justified because the [[MacGuffin]] was actually a bait. [http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=94246\]

* The ending of the [[Forgotten Realms]] trilogy of books ''Shadowdale'', ''Tantras'', and ''Waterdeep'' is the presentation of the MacGuffin—the Tablets of Fate—to the overgod Ao. Who then promptly crushes them with his bare hands. [[Shaggy Dog Story|Some readers felt cheated.]]

Line 98:

[[Category:Stupidity Tropes]]

[[Category:Just Eat The Mac Guffin]]

[[Category:~~Just Eat the MacGuffin~~]]

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]