It is imperative that the threat of failure loom over a cinematic protagonist's head; without it there's no drama. Do you remember how riveting the subway fight was between Agent Smith and Neo at the end of the first Matrix film? How about Luke Skywalker's face off with with his estranged father at the end of The Empire Strikes Back? Of course you do. Cinema is littered with examples of battles like these, where the protagonist (or protagonists) is not just evenly matched with the antagonist, but seriously outgunned. Sometimes though cinematic match-up can be so skewed to the villain's favor that the only way a hero ends up winning is through luck, an amazing coincidence, or a deus ex machina moment. This outcome can sometimes be to the detriment of a film, but other times it can make a particular character, scene or film more memorable. Take Indiana Jones for example. That famous movie archeologist seems to live for getting his head kicked in. Often times he only comes out on top due to a circumstantial fluke, but that's just part of his charm. In this article we will look at similar situations - both bad and good - where a "fluke" is responsible for the heroes eventually triumphing. Here are ten examples of heroes who couldn't quite carry themselves through on their own steam.