History MusclesAreMeaningless / Film

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' invokes this frequently.

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', all of the Furious Five seem to have about the same amount of strength. It seems semi-plausible (Tigress is the biggest and seems to be the strongest), until you get to Mantis, who is an ''actual'' praying mantis. He has no problem throwing [[TheBigGuy Po]] around. And though he ''does'' struggle to hold up the rope bridge that all the others ''plus'' [[BigBad Tai Lung]] are fighting on, he still holds out a ''lot'' longer than he reasonably should have.

* ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'' has Optimus Prime dominating Megatron in battle, despite Prime being smaller and getting beat up by the latter in [[Film/{{Transformers}} the first film]]. Justified in that Prime was distracted by his fear of collateral damage in the first film, whereas he can cut loose with no problems in the second.

* ''Film/KickAss'' takes this almost to the point of parody with Hit-Girl, a character who can stab someone so hard that her blades penetrate through the door behind them and can take a man's leg off below the knee with a single cut, despite being a ''prepubescent 10 year-old schoolgirl.''

** Elstagirl is very small ([[HartmanHips though shapely]]) compared to her husband Mr Incredible and other supers, yet utilizing her elasticity she can easily knock dozens of burly dudes (even shoving a bunch armed guards in a closet), throw a manhole cover around, stop a train and generally be an ActionMom.

* In ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'', Astrid doesn't seem to have much muscle mass at all, and yet she can still hurl giant hammers with enough force to knock out dragons. She can also push her scrawnier {{Love Interest|s}} Hiccup around like a rag doll.

* Disney's WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}} was small and gangly in his youth but already possessed SuperStrength thanks to his godly parentage. He does grow into a properly HeroicBuild after training, but the demonstrable difference is more of ''control'' than power.
* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse''; while the [[TeensAreShort slim teenagers]] like Miles and Gwen have enough SuperStrength to break stone and send baddies flying with their blows, comparatively they aren’t as strong as all three [[AlternateUniverse versions]] of adult Peter Parker who can physically stop trains, smash villains through walls, hold buildings together, and pull/punch cars around. Spider-Strength likely gets StrongerWithAge.
** Spider-Ham and Peni Parker are superhumanly strong despite being a respectively a small cartoon pig and small [[{{Anime}} Japanese cartoon]] girl.
* Although it isn't really focused on, just noted in passing, ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'' is really strong but built like an ordinary pre-teen.
* The titular character in the Pecos Bill segment of WesternAnimation/MelodyTime possesses superhuman strength despite his scrawny build and lack of muscles.
* ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'': Despite being a tiny, skinny-armed little guy, he's able to hold Calhoun (who's twice his height and covered in armor) with one arm and hang onto a piece of Laffy Taffy — supporting the weight of both of them — with the other. She's noticeably both surprised and impressed.

* ''Film/MillersCrossing'': The [[MightyGlacier Bruiser]] of a Mook duo rolls up his sleeves to administer a warning beatdown on [[DeadpanSnarker Tom]], giving him a sporting chance to remove his own coat. Tom uses that chance to [[CombatPragmatist swing a chair into the bruiser's face]]. The bruiser whimpers and waddles from the room, pathetically nursing a bloody nose. A second later, the [[PintsizedPowerhouse tiny old man]] slams open the door, speed-marches toward Tom, and his fist hardly fills the screen before [[TalkToTheFist blackout]].
* Justified in ''Film/TheMatrix'' by [[CyberSpace the obvious]]:
-->'''Morpheus:''' Do you believe that my being stronger or faster has anything to do with my muscles in this place?
-->'''Neo:''' ''(shakes his head)''
-->'''Morpheus:''' You think that's air you're breathing now?
-->'''Neo:'''...!
* ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'' has Optimus Prime dominating Megatron in battle, despite Prime being smaller and getting beat up by the latter in [[Film/{{Transformers}} the first film]]. Justified in that Prime was distracted by his fear of collateral damage in the first film, whereas he can cut loose with no problems in the second.

* Justified for force users in ''Franchise/StarWars'' in that [[MindOverMatter the force]] is much more powerful than mere physical strength and can even enhance it, which means that both Jedi and Sith don't need to be extremely fit in order to defeat an opponent twice their size or lift heavy objects that would crush a normal person.

*** This also may be justified in the sense that Wanda (Scarlet Witch), [[SquishyWizard while possessing great power, has pretty much no]] ''[[SquishyWizard physical]]'' [[SquishyWizard strength to throw Bruce off her anyway]].

*** Rocket can wield weapons bigger than he is, despite being [[PintSizedPowerHouse a small Racoon]]. Like Gamora, this is justified due to Bio Augmentation.

** Peter Parker aka Spider-Man fits this trope better than the rest of the Avengers, thanks to being the youngest hero and making him a PintSizedPowerhouse. Like his comic counterpart, Creator/TomHolland who plays Spidey is quite wiry; pretty [[ClarkKentOutfit trim under his clothes]] (as seen in ''[[Film/SpidermanHomecoming Homecoming]]'') but still nowhere near as massive as the rest of his male peers. But this is to Peter's advantage as Bucky quickly found out in ''Civil War'' when he tried to punch Spidey with his [[ArtificialLimbs cybernetic arm]] and Spidey [[PunchCatch effortlessly caught his fist]], something not even Cap could do. Spidey, when not holding ferries together, also has enough super strength to knock around Cull Obsidian and Thanos around [[EvilIsBigger despite being a quarter their size]].
*** Lampshaded OutOfUniverse as several members of the cast in interviews lightheartedly tease Tom for being so small, '''but''' conversely they also marvel over how athletic he is.

* In ''Film/TheGuardian2006'', a movie about the US Coast Guard's rescue swimmers, one of the candidates is extremely well built and is washed out on the first day due to cramping up during a swim. Creator/KevinCostner's character dismisses him with a comment that muscle doesn't float. Truth In Television, as being a rescue swimmer is more about stamina than strength, and heavily muscled people tend to gas out quicker. Even NAVY Seals tend to have lean builds with a bit of flab.

* In ''Film/BladeRunner2049'' Luv being a Nexus-9 Replicant is far stronger than any normal human woman, in her second scene she shoves open a heavy vault door and even succeeds in overpowering the protagonist K who's a Replicant like her.
* ''Film/{{Deadpool|2016}}'' gives us an interesting case. While Angel Dust is a powerfully built woman (played by Creator/GinaCarano), she's still significantly smaller than Colossus and lacks his organic steel skin. Despite this, she matches him in both strength and durability.
* Played for laughs in ''Film/TheGamers'', a film based on a {{Tabletop Game|s}} where the player characters are at the mercy of the RandomNumberGod. Faced with a locked gate, the muscular BarbarianHero lands a CriticalFailure and throws his back out, so the reedy elf forces it open without effort.
* Barring ''Film/GodzillaMothraKingGhidorahGiantMonstersAllOutAttack'', none of the various Film/{{Godzilla|2000}}s [[Film/GodzillaVsMegaguirus of]] [[Film/GodzillaAgainstMechagodzilla the]] [[Film/GodzillaTokyoSOS Millennium]] [[Film/GodzillaFinalWars series]] have been as ripped as the Heisei and Film/{{Monsterverse}} Franchise/{{Godzilla}}s -- and are still no less powerful. In fact, the Godzilla of ''Final Wars'' is both the slimmest ''and'', before [[Anime/GodzillaPlanetOfTheMonsters the]] [[Anime/GodzillaCityOnTheEdgeOfBattle anime]] [[Anime/GodzillaThePlanetEater trilogy]], arguably most powerful Godzilla.

** Played very straight with Natasha Romanoff, aka ''Black Widow''. Though she's got a lithe figure, she can still take down Happy in [[MurderousThighs one move]] and defeat an army of henchman in ''Iron Man 2''. Natasha goes on to knock Hawkeye out cold and kills multiple Chitauri in ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' and most impressively holds her own against [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Bucky]] [[SuperSoldier Barnes]] in ''[[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier Winter Soldier]]'' and ''[[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Civil War]]'' despite his explicit SuperStrength. Natasha also duels Promixa Midnight and grievously wounds Corvus Glaive, two very deadly children of Thanos, which means Black Widow may well be the stronger than a Super-soldier.

** [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Bruce Banner]] when he isn't his near-unstoppable massive green alter-ego is a simple scientist who's shorter than Cap, Thor, and most of the cast (Creator/MarkRuffalo ain't a big dude). Though in ''[[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron Ultron]]'', Banner can still put ComicBook/ScarletWitch in a headlock which she can't escape, and if she even attempted to...

** ComicBook/{{Gamora}}, from ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' has the lithe, toned figure of the professionally trained dancer that Creator/ZoeSaldana is. She effortlessly overpowers Peter Quill, who's taller and bulkier than she is. Even more impressively in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'', she stops Drax (played by [[ProfessionalWrestling WWE]]'s [[Wrestling/{{Batista}} Dave Bautista]]) from flying out of the airlock by holding onto his safety rope. She later picks up and fires a gun that's the size of a small car and has to weigh at least a metric ton. This is justified since Gamora has BioAugmentation and cybernetic upgrades. Nebula is just as thin as Gamora, but just as strong and more savage, though she's an outright {{Cyborg}}.

** Hope van Dyne, aka ''Wasp 2'', isn't developed like Scott, aka [[Film/AntMan1 Antman]] (played by a bulked-up Creator/PaulRudd). But with one punch to the nose, she floors him quicker than the ScaryBlackMan who punched down Scott in jail.

** Played very straight with Natasha Romanoff, aka ''Black Widow''. Though she's got a lithe figure, she can still take down Happy in [[MurderousThighs one move]] and defeat an army of henchman in ''Iron Man 2''. Natasha goes on to knock Hawkeye out cold and kills multiple Chitauri in ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' and most impressively holds her own against [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Bucky]] [[SuperSoldier Barnes]] in ''[[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier Winter Soldier]]'' and ''[[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Civil War]]'' despite his explicit SuperStrength. Natasha also duels Promixa Midnight and grievously wounds Corvus Glaive, two very deadly children of Thanos, which means Black Widow may well be the strongest non-superpowered human woman in the [=MCU=]

* In ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' while the [[Film/TheTerminator T-800]] [[MusclesAreMeaningful averts]] this being [[Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger Arnie]], all the Terminators after him the [[Film/Terminator2 T-1000]], [[Film/Terminator3 T-X]], [[Film/TerminatorSalvation Marcus]], [[Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles Cameron]], [[Film/TerminatorGenisys T-3000]] and the [[Film/TerminatorDarkFate Rev-9]] aren't as nearly as muscly but are all twice as strong as the T-800. Also played straight with [[SuperSoldier Grace]] from ''Dark Fate'' who while tall isn't noticeably muscular but thanks to some [[{{Cyborg}} cyberntic upgrades]] has incredible strength.

* In ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'', Astrid doesn't seem to have much muscle mass at all, and yet she can still hurl giant hammers with enough force to knock out dragons. She can also push her then scrawnier {{Love Interest|s}} Hiccup around like a rag doll.

* In ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'', Astrid doesn't seem to have much muscle mass at all, and yet she can still hurl giant hammers with enough force to knock out dragons. She can also push her scrawny {{Love Interest|s}} Hiccup around like a rag doll. Subverted in the sequel where Hiccup has bulked up and is bigger than her.

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', all of the [[FiveManBand Furious Five]] seem to have about the same amount of strength. It seems semi-plausible (Tigress is the biggest and seems to be the strongest), until you get to Mantis, who is an ''actual'' praying mantis. He has no problem throwing [[TheBigGuy Po]] around. And though he ''does'' struggle to hold up the rope bridge that all the others ''plus'' [[BigBad Tai Lung]] are fighting on, he still holds out a ''lot'' longer than he reasonably should have.

** Wonder Woman is the best example of this. Some of the FanDumb were initially against Creator/GalGadot's casting as Diana in ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice''. On the one hand, she was ''Miss Israel'' in 2004, which fits Diana's canonical designation as the WorldsMostBeautifulWoman. On the other hand, while she's certainly not willowy, neither is she the very defined AmazonianBeauty which is often depicted in present-day comics. The complaining died down when Gal turned out to be very good at playing this trope in both ''Batman v Superman'' and her [[Film/WonderWoman2017 solo movie]], looking and acting like a warrior goddess despite being smaller than, for example, Creator/BenAffleck as [[BadassNormal the genetically gifted and incredibly well trained, but still human and mortal, Batman]]. Possibly her service in the [[UsefulNotes/IsraelisWithInfraredMissiles Israel Defense Forces]] had something to do with this. Of course, it is clear Gal Gadot did bulk up to play Diana.