Three Point Landing

June 18, 2018 8:08 AM

A supercut of superheroes (and Justin Timberlake) dropping in to cause mayhem

By mefi's own dunc [previously and previouslier]

posted by quaking fajita (37 comments total)

"Superhero landing! She's gonna do a superhero landing. Wait for it." [claps] "Whoo! Superhero landing! You know, that's really hard on your knees."
posted by zarq at 8:12 AM on June 18, 2018 [11 favorites]

superhero landing!
posted by the man of twists and turns at 8:12 AM on June 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

Fun! It bothered me a LOT that there was no rhyme/reason/sync/pattern to the "left handed landing" versus the "right handed landing". Unless I'm dense and missed it.
posted by ersatzkat at 8:24 AM on June 18, 2018

I want to see Colossus try that, just to see him get imbedded in the ground.
posted by happyroach at 8:28 AM on June 18, 2018

Or Juggernaut.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:30 AM on June 18, 2018

Fun! I'm ashamed to say that I knew exactly which clip of Justin Timberlake that would be.
posted by Kris10_b at 8:35 AM on June 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

Script writing software should come with AI analyzing scripts against TVTropes.org:

It looks like you are writing a movie trope. Would you like help, you hack?

o Get help with writing the trope

o Just write, probably poorly, the trope without help
posted by Foci for Analysis at 8:39 AM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

Well, in their defense humans are not supposed to fly and it's difficult to come up with a landing method that doesn't look awkward as hell. You need to communicate the relationship with gravity but still maintain the the flyer is a cool dude/lady.
posted by selfnoise at 8:45 AM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

This is great because it's the sort of thing I never would have realized was hackneyed but now every time I see it in any media for the rest of my life I'll be a little bit angry.
posted by saladin at 8:46 AM on June 18, 2018 [5 favorites]

Yeah, the three-point landing is, like, the one consolation prize that superheroes give to basic physics.
posted by darkstar at 8:48 AM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

That was mesmerizing.
posted by greermahoney at 9:03 AM on June 18, 2018

Earliest one I could date was at 0:47 seconds when Asuka's red Unit 02 lands on the battleship in Neon Genesis Evangelion. That would be 1996 or so but there are probably earlier examples - there's a Sailor Moon clip in there ffs.
posted by humuhumu at 9:15 AM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

The last one was Hattori-kun, which would be from the 1980s. Apparently anime is the reason I've always thought of it as 'ninja pose'. Landing like a ninja?
posted by betweenthebars at 9:24 AM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

Brad Bird banned three-point landings from Incredibles 2.
posted by octothorpe at 9:51 AM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

Brad Bird banned three-point landings from Incredibles 2.

And yet half the promo images of Helen Parr are of her in the 3-point-landing crouch. I guess it's like pictures of Superman busting out of chains; you're not supposed to ask how Superman got chained up in the first place.
posted by straight at 10:17 AM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

There was a time when superheroes could land by swooping in low, braking hard on the rise up, and landing quietly upright on their own two feet without any physical shock.

It's like the current crop has lost their flying skills and it's called badass because they had to adopt a pose that prevents crushing their spines and femurs.
posted by ardgedee at 10:35 AM on June 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

Meanwhile, over in the Legion of Substitute Heroes, Stone Boy manages a one-point landing.
posted by happyroach at 10:43 AM on June 18, 2018 [4 favorites]

And yet half the promo images of Helen Parr are of her in the 3-point-landing crouch.

Because her butt looks great in her super suit.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:47 AM on June 18, 2018

superhero landing!

Everyone's fave fourth-wall breaker has a similar scene in Deadpool 2
posted by GuyZero at 10:49 AM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

happyroach, I knew what that was going to be before I clicked on it. Ambush Bug 4eva!
posted by hanov3r at 11:04 AM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Earliest one I could date was at 0:47 seconds when Asuka's red Unit 02 lands on the battleship in Neon Genesis Evangelion. That would be 1996 or so but there are probably earlier examples

They had the GitS one which is before NGE
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 11:38 AM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Yeah, kind of surprised Deadpool wasn't inserted either in the beginning or the very end.

Totally impractical. They all do it.
posted by Chuffy at 12:07 PM on June 18, 2018

Everyone's fave fourth-wall breaker has a similar scene in Deadpool 2
...Pinkie Pie?
posted by xedrik at 12:13 PM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Everyone's fave fourth-wall breaker has a similar scene in Deadpool 2

...Pinkie Pie?

See, I was trying to remember where Ambush Bug showed up in DP2. *shrug*
posted by hanov3r at 12:46 PM on June 18, 2018

I've always thought the Trinity superhero landing was a Best of Show, because not only is there a stylish flip halfway down, she's about the only one who keeps her head up and on target.

Plus as ardgedee says, it's not being done to avoid bodily damage, she's doing because she can and she makes it look good.
posted by madajb at 1:58 PM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

From what I remember of Incredibles 2 that I just saw, there's a lack of actual landings that the characters do. Many instances of parachuting-speed landing with a run or hard drop, and just straight up falling into the ground. The 3-point crouch that Helen does, which I can't place at the moment, was probably from sneaking around, or actual crouching.
posted by numaner at 2:10 PM on June 18, 2018

Thank you, dunk. Been wanting this for a long while.
posted by shoesfullofdust at 5:43 PM on June 18, 2018

Having watched the whole video, I have determined that three-point landings are awesome and if you are tired of them maybe you're just tired of awesome superheroes looking so awesome and should consider watching some movies in a less awesome genre.
posted by straight at 5:54 PM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Once I got past the conspicuous dearth of concussion and TBI following superhero battles, I’d pretty much cauterized that part of my mind that objects to other violations of basic physics, as well.

(Trinity’s three-point landing is happily accepted, though, because in addition to her doing it with extraordinary flair, the whole premise is that the Matrix is a constructed reality, in which the laws of physics can be bent or even circumvented.)
posted by darkstar at 6:18 PM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

For some reason, I had never realized how much the slow head raise after the landing is part of the trope. (Trinity excepted.)
posted by tdismukes at 7:39 PM on June 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

The 3 points where one leg is stretched out looks very....Maybe injurious?

Watched it for Black Widow, was not disappointed.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:15 PM on June 18, 2018

There was a time when superheroes could land by swooping in low, braking hard on the rise up, and landing quietly upright on their own two feet without any physical shock.

All I know is that in DCUniverse Online, which has some of the best superhero flying in video games, you can do what you just described, or you can just drop from any height and slam to the ground in a 3-point-landing. Depending on how high up you were flying, the drop method will get you to the ground 2-3 times faster and feeling 10-20 times cooler.
posted by straight at 10:49 PM on June 18, 2018

Yeah, kind of surprised Deadpool wasn't inserted either in the beginning or the very end.

It looks like the video dates at 2015, I think Deadpool came out the year after.

For some reason, I had never realized how much the slow head raise after the landing is part of the trope. (Trinity excepted.)

Same here!
posted by womb of things to be and tomb of things that were at 11:46 PM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

After watching it for the 7th time, I have to point out that a couple were 4-point landings.
posted by greermahoney at 1:10 AM on June 19, 2018

BUT I LOVED IT THAT WASNT A DEAD GOAT I SWEAR!!!!
posted by greermahoney at 1:11 AM on June 19, 2018

I really liked the music. Not what I expected and very effective.
posted by evilmomlady at 4:03 AM on June 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

I hope they took their wire teams out for beers afterwards.
posted by RhysPenbras at 10:28 AM on June 21, 2018