History Main / PercussiveShutdown

[[caption-width-right:300:BatterUp! Also available in golf club, crowbar, sledge hammer, and sawed-off shotgun varieties.]]

[[caption-width-right:300:Also available in golf club, crowbar, sledge hammer, and sawed-off shotgun varieties.]]

%%[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
%% Do not split sections until there are enough examples to justify a split. Splitting is meant to prevent page clutter. Splitting with too few examples causes clutter.
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[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]
* {{Subverted}} in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''. When Tony first encounters the portal generator, the first thing he tries is blasting it with his repulsors. This does absolutely no damage to the device; it does however create a shockwave which knocks Selvig back to his senses, giving Selvig an opportunity to explain how the generator can be de-activated.
* In ''Film/SingStreet'', the evil school's principal wants to finish a dance at the gym by turning the lights back on. The school bully prevents this by smashing the light switch, making it impossible to do so. Everyone cheers and the dance continues.

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** The conclusion to the [[Recap/FairyTailOracionSeisArc Nirvana Arc]] involved multiple simultaneous instances of destroying the lacrimas powering Nirvanas legs.

** Hades' defeat during the [[Recap/FairyTailTenrouIslandArc Tenrou Island Arc]] ultimately comes about from Happy and Carla breaking his [[SoulJar power source]].

[[/folder]]

* ''Manga/FairyTail'':

Compare PercussivePrevention when this tactic is applied to a character rather than an object. Contrast PercussiveMaintenance, which is using violence to [[CounterTrope get stuff working again]]. Can overlap with PercussiveTherapy if the continued failure to deactivate the stubbornly functioning device becomes [[WhyWontYouDie a source of frustration]] for the character. Compare ShootTheTelevision, CutTheJuice. If even this doesn't work, see ItWontTurnOff, and accept that you are in deep trouble.

[[caption-width-right:300:Also available in golf club, sledge hammer, and sawed-off shotgun varieties.]]

Contrast PercussiveMaintenance, which is using violence to [[CounterTrope get stuff working again]]. Can overlap with PercussiveTherapy if the continued failure to deactivate the stubbornly functioning device becomes [[WhyWontYouDie a source of frustration]] for the character. Compare ShootTheTelevision, CutTheJuice. If even this doesn't work, see ItWontTurnOff, and accept that you are in deep trouble.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/baseballbat_percussiveshutdown.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Also available in golf club, sledge hammer, and sawed-off shotgun varieties.]]

Contrast PercussiveMaintenance, which is using violence to [[CounterTrope get stuff working again]]. Can overlap with PercussiveTherapy if the continued failure to deactivate the stubbornly functioning device becomes [[WhyWontYouDie a source of frustration]] for the character. Compare CutTheJuice. If even this doesn't work, see ItWontTurnOff, and accept that you are in deep trouble.

* {{Subverted}} in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''. When Tony first encounters the portal generator, the first thing he tries is blasting it with his repulsors. This does absolutely no damage to the device; it does however create a shockwave which knocks Selvig back to his senses. Later on, he is then able to inform Natasha that despite being brainwashed, he was able to build an off-switch into the generator with Loki's sceptre as the key.

Contrast PercussiveMaintenance, which is using violence to [[CounterTrope get stuff working again]]. Can overlap with PercussiveTherapy if the continued to failure to deactivate the stubbornly functioning device becomes [[WhyWontYouDie a source of frustration]] for the character. Compare CutTheJuice. If even this doesn't work, see ItWontTurnOff, and accept that you are in deep trouble.

* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'': The emotions Anger, Disgust and Fear have realised that giving Riley the idea to run away was a mistake, and are trying desperately to correct the mistake by removing the idea bulb. But it proves to be unmovable. So they try smashing it. [[SubvertedTrope But is also proves unbreakable]].

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

Contrast PercussiveMaintenance, which is using violence to [[CounterTrope get stuff working again]]. Can overlap with PercussiveTherapy if the continued to failure to deactivate the stubbornly functioning device becomes [[WhyWontYouDie a source of frustration]] for the character. Compare CutTheJuice.

->'''Trent:''' Some plan; just *shoot* everything.\\

[[folder:Film]]

* {{Subverted}} in ''Film/TheAvengers''. When Tony first encounters the portal generator, the first thing he tries is blasting it with his repulsors. This does absolutely no damage to the device; it does however create a shockwave which knocks Selvig back to his senses. Later on, he is then able to inform Natasha that despite being brainwashed, he was able to build an off-switch into the generator with Loki's sceptre as the key.
* In ''Film/SingStreet'', the evil school's principal wants to finish a dance at the gym by turning the lights back on. The school bully prevents this by smashing the light switch, making it impossible to do so. Everyone cheers and the dance continues.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/TheBionicWoman'' episode "Doomsday is Tomorrow". With the doomsday device's countdown running out, Jaime tries to stop the explosion by destroying the circuits of the [[AIIsACrapshoot ALEX 7000 computer]] that's controlling the countdown.
* ''Series/{{Castle}}'': During a particularly tense two-parter episode, Castle and Beckett have been chasing a group of domestic terrorists attempting to set off a dirty bomb in town. Eventually, they do find the bomb, but with only seconds left on the timer.... with no time to pick a wire to cut, Castle just yanks all of them at once... this works.
* ''Series/MrBean'' once opted to turn off a light by shooting it, in order to forego the effort of getting out of bed to do so manually.
* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'': On both occasions where resurrection gauntlets are used to bring characters back to life, they end up going out of control and sucking the life out of hosts with no way of being turned off. So Jack just shoots them.

[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut''
** The emotions Anger, Disgust and Fear have realised that giving Riley the idea to run away was a mistake, and are trying desperately to correct the mistake by removing the idea bulb. But it proves to be unmovable. So they try smashing it. [[SubvertedTrope But is also proves unbreakable]].
** Shortly afterward, Joy and Sadness make it back to headquarters, but are stuck outside the window with no way to get in. The first attempt to get them inside involves throwing heavy objects against the window [[SubvertedTrope to no avail]]. Disgust has the brilliant idea of getting Anger riled up, turning him into a living flamethrower and [[DoubleSubverted melting a hole in the window]] for Joy and Sadness to climb through.

->[-'''Trent:''' Some plan; just *shoot* everything.-]\\
[-'''Ozu:''' Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best.-]
-->--''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}''

-->[-'''Trent:''' ''"Some plan; just *shoot* everything."'''-]
-->[-'''Ozu:''' ''"Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best."'''-]
--->--''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}''

* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'': One both occasions where resurrection gauntlets are used to bring characters back to life, they end up going out of control and sucking the life out of hosts with no way of being turned off. So Jack just shoots them.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'': After Sendak takes the castle and captures Lance and Shiro, Allura and Keith are stuck outside after the particle barrier is activated, leaving Pidge the only Paladin still at large on the inside. Allura directs Pidge to the castle's star drive chamber, in order to shut it down and prevent Sendak from getting away with the castle, and also the Lions. Unfortunately, the drive activates before Allura can go through the proper shutdown sequence, disrupting communications. With no other options, Pidge just says "whatever" and smashes the controls with her bayard, preventing the launch.