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[[quoteright:330:[[LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tmohsscreen1.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:330:Does it feel like water, or what?]]

->''"It's some kind of force field..."''
-->--Everyone that has ever walked into some kind of force field.

Because of the RuleOfPerception, whenever a character walks into an invisible force field, expect a brief flash of the field and a light-sabery crackle. The trope name is the StockPhrase that often results, in an odd aversion of NotUsingTheZWord.

Using Some Kind Of Force Field allows you to save your CGI budget for more attractive spacecraft. See also DeflectorShields and ForceFieldDoor. The primary difference is that those tropes refer to the barriers, whereas this trope refers to the scene where someone is required to walk up and experimentally poke it a few times while reciting the required phrase (as above).

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!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* ''TowerOfGod'': Lero-ro's shinsoo barrier, which the characters have to cross. It is touched and discussed quite a bit.
* Typically, the [=AT=] Fields in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' are invisible to the naked eye, until an enemy attack smashes into them and results in a bright orange, octagonal ripple wave.

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[[folder:Comics]]

* Parodied in ''{{Fables}}'' when Kevin Thorn sets up a force-field around himself. Bigby runs into and and exclaims, "It's like some kind of... I don't know what it is!"

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[[folder:Film]]

* Averted in ''TimeBandits'', where the invisible barrier surrounding the Fortress of Ultimate Darkness is hard, and shatters like glass to reveal what's really behind it. "So this is what an invisible barrier looks like!"
* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'' where the "force field" is Saran Wrap covering picnic goodies.
* Played with in ''SuburbanCommando'', where the alien Shep Ramsey thinks that a mime, who is doing "the wall", is actually trapped in a force field. He tries to rescue the mime by punching through the field and ends up punching out the mime.
* Used to dramatic effect in ''ForbiddenPlanet'', where an invisible monster attempts to break through the force field the crew have set up: they can see the flash caused by something trying to break through, but that's all they can see.
* In the Film/DungeonsAndDragons movie, the main party (which includes a mage) encounters a Wall of Force spell. The mage, who should know about these things already, proclaims "It's some kind of wall of force!" Maybe he knew about several different walls of force, and did not immediately know which one this was.
* Combined with NotUsingTheZedWord in ''Film/IndependenceDay''. As soon as the first wave of missiles splashes uselessly against the alien ships' force fields, Will Smith's character yells out "they must have some kind of protective shield over the hull!" However, [[GenreSavvy everyone immediately knows what that means and casually calls them shields afterward]].
* In ''{{Zardoz}}'', Connery simply presses up against the "invisible wall", i.e. a glass panel between him and the camera. No sparks, but the way it smushes his face and palms reveals the barrier's presence.
* The mushroom ring around the house in ''Film/TheSpiderwickChronicles''. Whenever anything other than a human tries to pass through it, they comically bounce off the magical barrier.
* The titular character from DonnieDarko encounters one in his bathroom. Except it's a hallucination. [[MindScrew Well, maybe]]. He does the logical thing: Stab it repeatedly with a butcher knife while sporting a slightly deranged KubrickStare.

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[[folder:Literature]]

* In ''Under the Dome'', an enormous force field surrounding the town of Chester's Mill is discovered when several cars [[spoiler: and a small airplane]] crash into it.
* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Millennium'' trilogy, several characters trapped in a bad future are surprised that the new-model confinement fields don't "emit Pauli exclusion sparks", LampshadeHanging the frequency of this trope in ''Franchise/StarTrek''.

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[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* ''Franchise/StarTrek'': In every ''Star Trek'' series. Consistently accompaniend by a sparkly effect and a static crackling sound.
** In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "Spectre of the Gun", when Kirk et al. were trapped inside the O.K. Corral.
** Averted in ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'': The Dominion force field is lethal, so nobody touched it to make the obligatory shiny spot. It's a strange effect when they don't do it: without that little flash to aid WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief, it ''feels'' like they're just sitting on a platform that they could just step off of. [[spoiler:Which, perhaps, they could have: they had only the word of a Dominion spy about its lethality, or that there was even a force field there at all...]]
* ''ThirdRockFromTheSun'''s invisible box averts the visual aspect of the trope, but plays the characters' reactions straight. "My God! He's turned me into a mime!"
* Occasionally in ''Series/DoctorWho''; in the new series episode "Smith and Jones" the Doctor gets this effect when he throws a rock at the force-field.
** The same thing happens in "The Hungry Earth".
** The trope is subverted in "The Five Doctors" when the 2nd Doctor and the Brigadier find the former companions, Jaimie and Zoe, unaccountably in the Death Zone with them and frantically telling them to turn back. They claim that they are trapped by a forcefield and any disruption of it would kill them, so the heroes don't dare try to reach out to them to see the field. However, the Doctor, after trying to find a way to free them, realizes a basic fact, that those kids' memories of their time with him were erased, and simply steps forward where the field is supposedly in place. It turns out there was nothing and those companions vanish as the holographic decoys they really are.
* Inversion: A saloon in ''{{Firefly}}'' has a holographic window (which Mal is thrown through), apparently a cheaper option than [[DestinationDefenestration replacing the glass]] after every BarBrawl...

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[[folder: Video Games ]]

* The Protoss from ''{{Starcraft}}'' come with a force field that can be recharged with Shield Batteries. When this shield gets hit, you can see the flashing forcefield surrounding the unit.
* Franchise/{{Halo}}. The shields of Spartans, Elites, some Flood members and (in the third installment) Brutes light up when shot at, give off sparks once deactivated, and then have glowing rings encircle them when recharging. The shields are otherwise completely invisible.
* When the protagonists of ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' run into invisible walls, a BeehiveBarrier can be seen.
* ''BarrowHill'' has a variant that ripples when touched, even more like water than the one the picture above.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' had one set up at the back of Hyrule Castle. A swipe of the [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement Master Sword]] would break it like glass.
* The ''Reflect'' spell in the ''FinalFantasy'' series, which bounces back magic cast upon the character, lights up briefly in the shape of a convex barrier whenever a spell hits it. Similarly, the ''Protect'' and ''Shell'' spells (which only diminish physical and magical damage, respectively) were given this attribute from the 32-bit games onwards.
** The DeflectorShields protecting Lunatic Pandora in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' ripple and flash whenever it's hit by the [[CoolShip Ragnarok's]] [[MoreDakka artillery]]. [[RammingAlwaysWorks When the Ragnarok itself penetrates them]], they flash violently at the breach point.
* When shielded spaceships in ''VideoGame/{{Allegiance}}'' get shot, a simple lightning-bolt effect can be seen on their surface, along with a crackling noise. This serves a gameplay function, as when the effect disappears, you instantly know you've got the enemy shields down without having to look at your instruments.
* Walking into a magic barrier in {{Risen}} leads to your character saying "[[CaptainObvious It appears to be some sort of 'magic barrier']]."

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[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'' season one episode four, the [[HenchmenRace teeth minions]] try to run into the Long's apartment but are blocked by a [[DeflectorShield]] [[OldMaster Jake's grandpa]] had set up earlier. The [[MonsteroftheWeek bad guy of the episode]] (a dentist) then proceeds to say, "What? It--It's some kind of shield!"
* Averted in ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown''. When all but one of the heroes are stuck dealing with the villain du jour, a [[EnemyMime magical mime]], he traps them in an invisible box (marginally similar to the ''Third Rock from the Sun'' example above). There's no indication of its existence, and indeed, they don't realize there's a wall until they run into into it. From then, the only evidence that there is a box is people smacking into it and the outline of the kicked-up dust. Of course, the thing [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve was shaped like however you think it is]].
** The StockPhrase half of this trope ends up being spoofed. Clay finds the others in the box and can't hear them (it's soundproof at the time), so assumes they're playing charades for some reason. Raimundo catches on to Clay's thinking and, well, just watch:
-->'''Clay:''' ''(Rai points to himself)'' You. ''(points to his rear)'' Butt. ''(kicks)'' Kick. ''(points to Clay)'' Me. Raimundo's gonna kick my - HEY!
-->'''Dojo:''' Oooh, Five yards for unnecessary roughness.
-->'''Clay:''' Mister, you done made me mad. I'm gonna- OOF! ''(Clay marches toward Raimundo and right into the field)''
-->'''Raimundo:''' ''(imitating Clay's accent as Clay does the routine from the other side of the barrier)'' "Iiit's... some... sort... of... in... vii... sii... bullll... bahhhhhhhx." Ai, took him long enough.
* Lampshade-hung by Patrick in the ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' [[TheMovie movie]]. The "force field" being a glass fish bowl, but still huge compared to Spongebob and Patrick.
--> '''Patrick:''' It appears to be a wall of psychic energy.
--> '''Spongebob:''' No, Patrick. It's a giant glass bowl.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheReturnOfTheKing'' (RankinBass version) has one of these generated by the Watchers and exaggerated from the book. ([-"Bless my soul! It's '''some kind of''' invisible barrier!"-]) By using the [[ItMayHelpYouOnYourQuest phial of Galadriel]], the field rolls back like doors in response to [[EverythingsBetterWithSparkles sparkly magic]]. Note that in the book, the Watchers merely sapped the will of anyone trying to pass through; the barrier was more psychic than physical.
* [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Mr. Burns]] believed he had encountered "some kind of force field" when reaching for food at a cafeteria. It was a plastic sneeze guard.
* When ''ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' attack a killer whale balloon thinking it's a real whale and bounce off, Kowalski remarks that "the creature appears to be protected by some kind of blubbery force field. Also, [[WasntThatFun Whee-hee-hee-hee!]]"
* Lampshade hung by Skeletor in an episode of the 2002 ''HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse'' series, after Tri-Klops has just crashed a vehicle into one.
-->'''Tri-Klops:''' Ugh... force field.\\
'''Skeletor:''' How intuitive.
* Happens ''[[OnceAnEpisode ridiculously]]'' [[RunningGag often]] in ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'', usually with added electric shocks. Danny is understandably not very fond of this one.
-->'''Danny''': We've gotta find out what's going on in that hospital!
-->'''Tucker''': Have fun, dude.
-->'''Danny''': Tucker, I said "we".
-->'''Tucker''': You ''also'' said "hospital".
-->'''Danny''': Pfft. I turn invisible, I go ghost, I'll be in and out in no time! Watch!
-->''(cut to Danny flying towards hospital, gets zapped by ghost shield)''
-->'''Danny''': GYAAAH!! ''(gets blasted into ground)''
-->'''Tucker''': Maybe we could come back during visiting hours. …Or, you know, not at all.
* In an episode of "WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic," the [[SchoolNewspaperNewsHound Cutie Mark Crusaders]] experience this when Twilight Sparkle doesn't want them getting into the library.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* Mist nets, made of threads too fine to reflect sound, are this trope for the echolocating bats they are designed to snare.
* Assuming you haven't concussed yourself, a fun quip to follow walking into a glass door.

[[/folder]]

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