History Main / WeHaveTheKeys

-->"I don't know why I keep bothering to steal the keys since you always insist on kicking the door down."\\

[[AC: Anime]]

[[AC: ComicBooks]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Stacking}}'' the various challenges all have multiple possible solutions. Often one of them involves you taking control of a doll that has the keys to the locked door.

[[AC:WebComics]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

----

* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'' shortly before joining the hero's party Alena can be seen kicking down the door to a dungeon. This confuses her current companions greatly as ''she'' was the one carrying a key to that door. After mulling it over for a bit they conclude that she must just like kicking doors.

* In ''{{Terminator 2}}'', Arnie punches through a car window then hot wires the car. John Connor flips down the windshield visor to reveal the keys. Arnie actually learns from this experience -- the second time he's required to steal a car, he gets in and flips down the visor. Boom! Keys.

* A variant in ''TheMuppetChristmasCarol'': Rizzo very reluctantly climbs up a gate and jumps off, and then, realising he's left his jellybeans behind, ''slips through the bars'' to get them.

* Happens when the ''RedDwarf'' crew was locked in a dungeon by a lot of clones of Rimmer. While they don't have ''keys'' per se, Lister describes laying out a complicated system of traps to escape, while Kryten simply replies, "Or, we could use the teleporter", which they had acquired earlier from a derelict spaceship.

* In the Goblin starting zone in ''WorldOfWarcraft'', you rescue Goblins locked in cages by strapping rockets to the cages and launching them into orbit. While doing this, some of them will tell you the guards have the keys; sure enough the guards will occasionally drop a key, but this way is far more fun.

* During John Byrne's run on ''FantasticFour'' there was a notable [[Comicbook/TheAvengers Avengers]] crossover involving the return of [[Comicbook/XMen Jean Grey]]. At one point, Hercules and members of the FF accompanied Jean to her parents' home to uncover the reason for her resurrection, but their front door was locked. After Hercules smashed the door down, Jean took him to task, pointing out that her folks kept a spare key in a secret compartment inside a fake rock by the front step.

* Happens when the ''RedDwarf'' crew was locked in a dungeon by a lot of clones of Rimmer. While they don't have ''keys'' per se, Lister describes laying out a complicated system of traps to escape, while Kryten simply replies, "Or, we could use the teleporter".

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents do this when Timmy and Cosmo want to enter Cosmo's mom's house. After Timmy broke the door using Cosmo as a Battering Ram, Cosmo states that he still has the house's keys.

''Overheard during DungeonsAndDragons''

* During John Byrne's run on ''FantasticFour'' there was a notable [[Comicbook/TheAvengers Avengers]] crossover involving the return of [[XMen Jean Grey]]. At one point, Hercules and members of the FF accompanied Jean to her parents' home to uncover the reason for her resurrection, but their front door was locked. After Hercules smashed the door down, Jean took him to task, pointing out that her folks kept a spare key in a secret compartment inside a fake rock by the front step.

* A variant in ''AMuppetChristmasCarol'': Rizzo very reluctantly climbs up a gate and jumps off, and then, realising he's left his jellybeans behind, ''slips through the bars'' to get them.

* In ''{{Jumanji}}'', Peter is tasked with retrieving an ax from a woodshed. When he finds that the shed is locked, he picks up a nearby ax and starts hacking the door away for a few seconds before realizing what he's holding.

* In ''OnePiece'', Franky goes to the trouble of finding the keys to Caimie's ExplosiveLeash, only to discover Rayleigh has already removed it by detonating it and pulling it off before the explosion reaches Caimie

* In ''{{Scrubs}}'', Laverne [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=5gE0lGRlxeE punches and breaks the window of Turk's car]] to help Carla steal Steven. Carla screams and points out that she has the keys.

* In the BuffyTheVampireSlayer episode ''A New Man'', after Buffy has broken down the door to the magic shop:

* It's nodded at in KnightsOfTheOldRepublic, when you take a quiz to determine which class of Jedi your character will be sorted into. One question involves knowing that what you seek is on the other side of a closed door - the Guardian breaks the door down, the Sentinel picks the lock, and the Consular knocks.

* Invoked in an episode of ''GeneratorRex'' with an elevator door. The NonHumanSidekick managed to press the elevator button before any breakage transpired.
* TheFairlyOddparents do this when Timmy and Cosmo want to enter Cosmo's mom's house. After Timmy broke the door using Cosmo as a Battering Ram, Cosmo states that he still has the house's keys.

* In one ''KimPossible'' episode, Ron befriends Professor Dementor's giant dachshunds and gets them to break down the door of his SupervillainLair. Dementor protests:

* In ''{{Scrubs}}'', Laverne punches and breaks the window of Turk's car to help Carla steal Steven. Carla screams and points out that she has the keys.

* In ''Bachelor Party'' the hotel manager instructs the security guys to break down the door, then tells them wait, and unlocks it with his pass key.

* In ''{{Wallander}}'', Martinsson and Wallander are trying to enter a colleague's locked apartment, and Martinsson enthusiastically offers to kick down the door. [[GilliganCut Cut to]] the apartment building's superintendent coming up the stairs with a master key.

* In ''OnePiece'', Franky goes to the trouble of finding the keys to Caimie's ExplosiveLeash, only to discover Rayleigh has already removed it by detonating it and pulling it off before the explosion reaches Caimie

* In ''[[{{Film/TheBourneSeries}} The Bourne Identity]]'': Bourne plans out a complex plot to get information from a hotel information desk. When he doesn't get the phone call from Marie, he assumes that she's bailed on the plan. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny She then appears right behind him. "I just asked them for it."]]

* In the first season of ''[[TwentyFour 24]]'', Jack Bauer and George Mason come upon a fence. Jack immediately hops over it, while George rolls his eyes and strolls through the gate.

* In ''{{Wallander}}'', Martinsson and Wallander are trying to enter a colleague's locked apartment, and Martinsson enthusiastically offers to kick down the door. [[GilliganCut Cut to]] the apartment building's superintendent coming up the stairs with a master key.

** Seven episodes later show why they don't bother with keys. When Rogue and {{Storm}} try breaking out Colossus, Rogue had the wrong key and simply ripped the door off the hinges.

* In ''[[{{Terminator}} Terminator 2]]'', Arnie punches through a car window then hot wires the car. John Connor flips down the windshield visor to reveal the keys. Arnie actually learns from this experience -- the second time he's required to steal a car, he gets in and flips down the visor. Boom! Keys.
* In ''[[TheMatrix The Matrix: Reloaded]]'', Trinity is on a motorcycle with the Keymaker and asks for a download on how to hotwire vehicles, only to have her passenger hand her a key. Both convenient and [[JustifiedTrope justified]], as the Keymaker is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin in addition to his more figurative role.
* From ''[[TheFastAndTheFurious 2 Fast 2 Furious]]'': One of the protagonists smashes a car window with his shirt covered fist. His partner stops him and simply opens the already unlocked door.

* In ''DragonQuestIV'' shortly before joining the hero's party Alena can be seen kicking down the door to a dungeon. This confuses her current companions greatly as ''she'' was the one carrying a key to that door. After mulling it over for a bit they conclude that she must just like kicking doors.

* An [[http://www.xkcd.com/530/ example]] from ''{{xkcd}}'' where they ''don't'' have the keys, but there's still an easier solution.

* In ''GunnerkriggCourt'' Annie did this twice. [[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=410 First]] shows Reynardine/Renard how to use lockpicks [[SnoopingLittleKid she had hidden in the doll]] he possesses. [[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=708 Later]] she uses out-of-body projection to open from the inside a door Jack wanted to break.

This includes examples when the hero ''fails'' with his tactic, and the companion uses the simpler way, which works.

* {{Animorphs}}: While in a mansion in battle morphs, Jake tells Marco to open the door. Marco (in gorilla morph) gets ready to smash the door in, when Jake tells him to use the handle. It turns out to be unlocked.

* In one ''KimPossible'' episode, Ron befriends Professor Dementor's giant dachshunds and gets them to break down the door of his SupervillainLair. Dementor protests: "Why did you have to break down the door? It wasn't locked! [[NoIndoorVoice I JUST HAD IT PAINTED!!]]"