History Main / DramaticAlienVTOL

* The alien ship from ''[[WesternAnimation/PixarShorts Lifted]]'' departs in a slow, dramatic climb straight up from its position over the farmhouse, [[spoiler:then gets [[MoodWhiplash slammed into the ground]] by the [[DrivingTest student pilot]]]].
* This is the way the massive Nautilus-class warship of Cassiopeia debuts in ''WesternAnimation/{{Il Etait Une Fois}}... Space'', landing and later taking-off from the planet Omega.

Very much related to PowerFloats. Often results in OminousFloatingSpaceship.

[[folder:Film]]

-->-- '''''Film/{{Paul}}'''''

* This is how they actually ''kill off'' [[TheScrappy Poochie]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheItchyAndScratchyShow''.

'''Poochie ''(with [[TheSimpsons Homer's]] voice)'':''' Yes, I certainly do!\\

* Happens in Creator/LouisDeFunes' film [[Film/LeGendarmeDeSaintTropez The Gendarme and the Extra-Terrestrials]] where the alien spaceship is disguised as the full moon in the night sky but then comes descending down onto earth underscored by a [[https://youtu.be/Az8lL-qeLKk?t=17s dramatic soundtrack]].

* ''[[Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial E.T.]]'''s finally going home. The music swells, the bright lights of his egg-shaped spacecraft bathe him in an orange aura and after the ramp pulls in, it lifts off.

* ''Series/{{Dynasty}}'' spin-off ''The Colbys'' (of all things) attempted one of these, but it was total {{narm}}.

[[AC:For the proper reading experience, play the music from [[https://youtu.be/Az8lL-qeLKk?t=17s this video]] while reading on.]]

* In the episode 'Wormhole X-Treme' in ''Series/StargateSG1'', the episode ends on this, with it forming the ending shot of the ShowWithinTheShow as well and with two techies lampshading the fact that it would be the money shot and the most lavish technical effect, likely to get a SFX Emmy. The ascending spacecraft itself, is genuinely impressive (which is part of why the lampshading works so well) with a shape more like a castle than anything aerodynamic, and the exhaust blowing a wind across the sands of the set.
** Also used in the episode "Thor's Chariot." SG-1 has just been captured by Jaffa on an Asgard protected planet and are being escorted to certain doom when a perfectly clear day suddenly becomes dark and stormy and, as everyone watches in awe (and fear, in the case of the Jaffa), an Asgard mothership appears and begins scooping the Jaffa up in seconds. Thus Thor not only shows off his [[CoolShip incredibly powerful ship]], [[BigDamnHeroes but saves the day as well]].

* ''{{Dynasty}}'' spin-off ''The Colbys'' (of all things) attempted one of these, but it was total {{narm}}.

* This is how they actually ''kill off'' [[TheScrappy Poochie]] in ''TheItchyAndScratchyShow''.

* ''[[Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial E.T.]]'''s finally going home. The music swells, the bright lights of his egg shaped spacecraft bath him in an orange aura and after the ramp pulls in, it lifts off.

* Spielberg did a lot to help make this trope. The climax of ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'' has the ship come in first, just as the bright lights at first with the shadow of the FlyingSaucer shape eventually becoming clearer as the three notes we've heard through the movie comes through the score. It lands and then the ramp opens and again a crack of light and then the shadows of the aliens themselves, stamping the image of TheGreys, in their first appearance on film, in our heads.

A highlight of many movies, a point where the score, pacing and cinematography will often gang up and try to underscore the drama of the moment, is the Dramatic Alien [=VTOL=] where we see an alien spaceship, like a chariot of the gods ascending or descending from heaven, make a Vertical Take-Off or Landing. It will fill the screen as the music swells and slowly take time to hover so that the camera can take {{Reaction Shot}}s of amazed onlookers. Sometimes there is some kind of added enviromental effect like water shaking, the wind blowing or [[DoNotAdjustYourSet radio signal static]]. You might not be able to make out the shape properly due to all the bright lights.

The sense of awe is often added to by the craft being of a very unplane like design. It will be [[BigDumbObject unfeasibly massive]] or perhaps a SpheroidDropship. It will also possibly be the most expensive visual effects shot in the movie.

* Spielberg apparently loves this trope, it appears again in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull''. His buddy George Lucas borrows it for the scenes of the Star Destroyers lifting off in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones''. And ''his'' buddy [[AmericanGraffiti Ron Howard]] used it in ''{{Cocoon}}''.

-->-- ''''Film/{{Paul}}''''

-->-- '''Film/{{Paul}}'''

-> ''This spaceship takes off really slowly. It's a little awkward.''
-->-- '''Paul''', ''Film/{{Paul}}''

(''For the proper reading experience, run the music from [[https://youtu.be/Az8lL-qeLKk?t=17s this video]] while reading this page.'')

* Happens in Creator/LouisDeFunes' film [[Film/LeGendarmeDeSaintTropez The Gendarme and the Extra-Terrestrials]] where the alien spaceship disguesses as the full moon but then comes descending down onto earth on a [[https://youtu.be/Az8lL-qeLKk?t=13s dramatic soundtrack]].