10 Easily Avoidable Deaths In Sci-Fi Movies
3. Absolutely No Need To Jump In - Grandma Ruth (Dante's Peak)
As film veterans will tell you, one of the most run-of-the-mill tricks writers pull to redeem villainous or unlikeable characters is giving them a heroic death. Sure, there's a reason why this manoeuvre is so popular; just ask Darth Vader.
Of course, many take it too far, with writers or studios so desperate to go down this route that they completely ignore any opposing context. What this blindness results in is characters making the most illogical decisions purely for story-based reasons. Take Grandma Ruth in Dante's Peak. She was a thorn in our protagonists' side until she "valiantly" gave her life for them to make it through the acidic lake, dying of the injuries incurred in the process.
Maybe her decision to jump into the lake to help push the boat into shore looked ok on paper. But again, context is critical. They were only a couple of metres away from their destination, rendering her sacrifice utterly pointless. Any remotely observant person would've certainly sat tight, as doing anything else would be bonkers.
A mindless heroic act both Will Smith's Robert Neville and Susan McCallister would be proud of, this takes the crown for the "Most Idiotic Heroic Death In Modern Cinema". Congrats.