History Main / IfICanOnlyMove

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', Tai Lung was kept immobilized in a top security prison for years. Once he could take the very first step, he got out easily.

* In ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', all Wash has to do in his fight with [[spoiler: the Meta at the end of season 6]] is distract him long enough to activate the EMP.

* One of the most famous ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' comic book images is Spidey pinned beneath tons of rubble. The rare isotope that his dying Aunt May needs is mere feet away, and the room is being filled with water. He keeps trying to lift the rubble enough to escape, but it's VERY heavy. Cue the final Herculean effort!
* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, Dr. Don Blake has been tied up at least once and has to struggle to reach his walking stick to strike it and transform into {{ComicBook/Thor}}.
* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': "If I can just reach my utility belt..."
* The ending of ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'': [[spoiler:Thorn is pinned only inches from the Crown of Thorns, and all she has to do is touch it and the world will be saved. Fone Bone holds her hand and touches the Crown, producing the same effect as if Thorn had touched it. Probably.]]

* Like many of his famous comic book scenes, the above example in Comic Books is given a ShoutOut in ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', only Spidey is trapped under a ceiling fixture and it's Gwen Stacey who's in trouble.

With the maximum of suspenseful music and editing, the hero, often saying "If I can only move.." gives it everything he's got and just barely makes it. With that, help is summoned or the transformation, set to a ThemeSongPowerUp, has begun and he's back in action.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

** Like many of his famous comic book scenes, this is given a ShoutOut in ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', only Spidey is trapped under a ceiling fixture and it's Gwen Stacey who's in trouble.

* '[[Franchise/{{Batman}} "If I can just reach my utility belt..."]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''Film/KillBill'': "Wiggle your big toe."
** Maybe not 100% true to this trope but the Bride does this after coming out of a coma and trying to solve the problem of atrophy. Her arms however had been getting plenty of exercise, apparently.
* ''Film/WhatLiesBeneath'', the scene with Michelle Pfeiffer slowly drowning in the bath tub, trying to pull the plug out with her toe.
* ''Film/{{Predator 2}}''. Lieutenant Harrigan is on a ledge on the side of a building with the Predator hanging onto him. The Predator has activated his SelfDestructMechanism, which will destroy a large area and kill thousands of people. The Predator's cutting disk is embedded in the wall ''just'' out of Harrigan's reach.
* ''Franchise/StarWars Episode V: Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' has a variation: Luke Skywalker is trapped in the wampa's cave, dangling by one foot, and about to be turned into a meal by the monster. His lightsaber is just out of reach, but he's able to call upon the ability of The Force to call it to his hand and cut his way to relative safety at the last moment.

[[folder: Professional Wrestling ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

-->'''Cop:''' If I could just...reach...[[ComicBook my utility belt!]]\\
-->'''Robber:''' Quiet, you!

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Popeye}}'' always seemed to get stuck with his spinach just out of reach.

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', Tai Lung was kept immobilized in a top security prison for years. Once he could take the very first step, he got out easily.

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* In ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', all Wash has to do in his fight with [[spoiler: the Meta at the end of season 6]] is distract him long enough to activate the EMP.

[[/folder]]

[[AC: Anime and Manga]]

[[AC: Comic Books]]

[[AC: Film]]

[[AC: Professional Wrestling]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC: Western Animation]]

[[AC: Web Original]]

* In ''Manga/OnePiece,'' near the end of the Enies Lobby arc, Luffy is exhausted and trapped in the ruins of a tower with several battleships poised to blow him away. Problem is, his fight with [[BigBad Rob Lucci]] took all his usual {{Determinator}} tendencies to bring down, leaving him so weak he really ''can't'' move at all, even with a few scenes of numerous allies cheering him on. Fortunately, [[PlotTailoredToTheParty Robin's ability allows her to move him herself from a distance.]]

* At the end of the Creator/{{Infocom}} game ''[[VideoGame/{{Enchanter}} Spellbreaker]]'', the BigBad paralyzes you and then starts a JustBetweenYouAndMe speech that goes on just long enough to let you make one move at the last second to stop him. Unfortunately, by that point [[DownerEnding your options are limited]].

* At the end of the Creator/{{Infocom}} game ''VideoGame/{{Spellbreaker}}'', the BigBad paralyzes you and then starts a JustBetweenYouAndMe speech that goes on just long enough to let you make one move at the last second to stop him. Unfortunately, by that point [[DownerEnding your options are limited]].

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': At one point Tifa is attached to a chair and has to wriggle (FanService suspected) enough to reach the key on the floor with her feet and use it to free herself before the room fills with gas.

With the maximum of suspenseful music and editing, the hero, often saying "If I can only move.." gives it everything he's got and just barely makes it. With that, help is summoned or the transformation has begun and he's back in action.

* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, Dr. Don Blake has been tied up at least once and has to struggle to reach his walking stick to strike it and transform into {{Thor}}.

* ''Franchise/StarWars Episode V: TheEmpireStrikesBack'' has a variation: Luke Skywalker is trapped in the wampa's cave, dangling by one foot, and about to be turned into a meal by the monster. His lightsaber is just out of reach, but he's able to call upon the ability of The Force to call it to his hand and cut his way to relative safety at the last moment.

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty 4'' ''ModernWarfare'' has some minor instances of this, notably at the end [[spoiler: where you must look to Captain Price, who throws you his gun to shoot Zakhaev and his guards]]. But this plays an even bigger role in ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty ModernWarfare 2'', particularly [[spoiler: in space, where you must move slightly as the astronaut in order to progress the scene]] or even more pivotally [[spoiler: where you must pull a knife out of your chest to throw at the enemy to save Captain Price.]]