Dull Surprise: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

[[File:transformers dull surprise 7728.jpg|link=Transformers|frame|[[Sarcasm Mode|A single vacant expression can convey such a wide range of emotions.]]]]

 

{{quote|"This face intentionally left blank."|'''[[Riff Trax]]''' on [[Keanu Reeves]] in ''[[The Matrix]]''}}

 

On occasion, this is done intentionally, to indicate the event is not merely surprising, but genuinely incomprehensible, to the point that characters have no faintest idea how to react. This usage typically precedes or is preceded by a [[Flat What]].

{{examples}}

== Anime & Manga ==

* Kira in ''[[Gundam Seed Destiny]]'' sports this when {{spoiler|Meer Campbell}} dies and everyone is crying and he just looks like he just smoked a bunch of pot. Considering that Kira's cry is notorious for [[Narm|sounding like a dying horse]], the viewers got off lucky.

* [[Nicolas Cage]] alternates between Dull Surprise and being a [[Large Ham]]. Usually switching at the wrong times.

* Alicia Silverstone in ''[[Batman and Robin (film)|Batman and Robin]]''.

* Téa Leoni's performance in ''[[Deep Impact]]'' just screams this. Or rather, vaguely suggests it.

* Brandon Routh and Kate Bosworth from ''[[Superman (film)|Superman Returns]]''.

* As an example of [[Tropes Are Not Bad]], Javier Bardem exhibits little to no emotion as the [[Complete Monster|ruthless]] Anton Chigurh in ''[[No Country for Old Men]]''. Naturally, he's a lot more intimidating, and won an Oscar for his performance.

* Gwyneth Paltrow in ''[[Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow]]'', everyone else in the movie [[Ham and Cheese|had fun with their role]] but not her.

* [[Elizabeth Moss]] in ''[[Get Him to The Greek]]''. [[Justified Trope]]: she's clearly using it to portray her character - an intern - as so overworked and drowsy that she ''cannot'' express emotions normally.

* Paul Walker has always used this as his backup mode of acting, but nowhere was this more evident than in the 5th ''[[The Fast and the Furious]]''. He reacts to the fact that {{spoiler|his girlfriend is pregnant}} with an expression of "meh, that's good too." A pity, because the acting of the cast all around has improved somewhat (especially [[Vin Diesel]], who is now able to show emotions!)