History ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight / LiveActionFilms

* ''StarTrekIntoDarkness'' starts with Kirk and crew violating the Prime Directive to save an alien tribe from a volcano (possibly, it's a little clear if ''that'' was the big violation, or if letting the natives see the Enterprise during a rescue of Spock. Either way, writing a misleading report to cover it up afterwards wasn't Kirks best decision). Subverted in that Kirk ends up [[TurnInYourBadge losing his command]] as a result. This is later inverted when Admiral Marcus gives Kirk the Enterprise back and orders him to fire a payload of advanced photon torpedoes from a distance at John Harrison, who was in hiding in Klingon Space([[spoiler: as part of Marcus' ploy to instigate a war between the Federation and the Klingons]]). After much soul-searching, Kirk decides "Screw the Admiral's questionable orders, I'm doing what's right" and informs his crew that they are going to arrest Harrison and bring him to Earth to stand trial.

* ''BatmanForever'': In the wake of Stickley's "apparent" suicide,[[labelnote:*]]where he was actually murdered by The Riddler[[/labelnote]] Bruce Wayne granted full death benefits to his family, even though suicide disqualified him from those benefits. [[GenreSavvy He likely knew something was fishy]].

-->'''[[SamuelLJackson Nick Fury:]]''' I recognize that the council has made a decision. But given that it's a [[PrecisionFStrike stupid-ass]] decision, I have elected to ignore it.

* ''DirtyHarry'' lives this trope. So do some other ClintEastwood characters.

'''Spock:''' If I were human, I believe my response would be "go to hell".\\

'''[[TheSpock Data]]:''' Captain, I believe I speak for everyone here, sir, when I say... [[SophisticatedAsHell "to]] ''[[SophisticatedAsHell hell]]'' [[SophisticatedAsHell with our orders"]].

* ''BatmanForever'': In the wake of Stickley's "apparent" suicide,[[hottip:*:where he was actually murdered by The Riddler]] Bruce Wayne granted full death benefits to his family, even though suicide disqualified him from those benefits. [[GenreSavvy He likely knew something was fishy]].

** The Becket brothers decide to save a fishing trawler rather than guard a cost line from a Kaiju attack, defying orders.

* [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] in ''Film/{{SWAT}}'', where we're shown what happens when a stunt like this doesn't go as planned. In the opening scene of the movie, we see a bank robbery that quickly turns into a tense hostage situation, and we're introduced to respected SWAT officer Brian Gamble, who disobeys a "hold" order to save one of the hostages from certain death while his superiors insist on negotiating with the robbers. It's the kind of stunt that practically all action movies depict heroically -- except Gamble screws up and accidentally shoots the hostage, causing a PR nightmare for the police department, destroying Gamble's relationship with his partner, and leading to his expulsion from the force, whereupon he goes rogue and becomes a bitter career criminal. Turns out [[DecoyProtagonist Gamble's actually the villain of the movie]]. Oops.
* ''BadBoys 2'': Marcus's sister is kidnapped by the drug lord and taken to Cuba. Mike and Marcus intend to go rescue her themselves, but are then aided by a loose-knit group of law enforcement agents who decide to risk violating international law.

* The [[LaResistance White Rose]] activists in the fact-based ''[[Film/SophieSchollTheFinalDays Sophie Scholl - The Final Days]]'', which details the arrest and interrogation of a group of German anti-fascists in 1943. The titular Sophie basically quotes this trope, albeit more eloquently, when her interrogator admonishes her for breaking the law.

* ''Film/AlienNation'': George Francisco is a by-the-book Newcomer police detective...until he finds out some of his race are manufacturing a narcotic called ''jabroka''. Then his philosophy becomes "Fuck procedure."

* ''Film/AlienNation: George Francisco is a by-the-book Newcomer police detective...until he finds out some of his race are manufacturing a narcotic called ''jabroka''. Then his philosophy becomes "Fuck procedure."

* ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock''. Kirk and friends steal the ''Enterprise'' and defy Starfleet orders to not return to the Genesis planet in order to rescue Spock.

* ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'': Captain Jean-Luc Picard disobeys the orders of Starfleet Command and goes to the front lines to engage the Borg.

* In ''Film/StarTrekInsurrection'', the entire plot revolved around this trope so much that their rebelling against the rules is actually part of the title.
** The thing which sets the plot off is Data, who was assigned on what he thought was a survey mission, and attacked to keep the truth hidden when he discovered what was really going on. This damage kicked him into a kind of basic mode of functioning, probably designed to keep him from being used as a weapon, wherein his program directed him to do the right thing, regardless of whatever else was going on. Essentially, he was ''programmed'' with a ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight default mode.
* ''StarTrekIntoDarkness'' starts with Kirk and crew violating the Prime Directive to save an alien tribe from a volcano (possibly, it's a little clear if ''that'' was the big violation, or if letting the natives see the Enterprise during a rescue of Spock. Either way, writing a misleading report to cover it up afterwards wasn't Kirks best decision). Subverted in that Kirk ends up [[TurnInYourBadge losing his command]] as a result.
** Later inverted when Admiral Marcus gives Kirk the Enterprise back and orders him to fire a payload of advanced photon torpedoes from a distance at John Harrison, who was in hiding in Klingon Space([[spoiler: as part of Marcus' ploy to instigate a war between the Federation and the Klingons]]). After much soul-searching, Kirk decides "Screw the Admiral's questionable orders, I'm doing what's right" and informs his crew that they are going to arrest Harrison and bring him to Earth to stand trial.

* ''Film/CrimsonTide'' is all about this. Lt. Commander Hunter (played by DenzelWashington) actually commits mutiny and seizes control of the ''USS Alabama'' in the name of preventing nuclear war.
** Though Hunter insists throughout that it was ''not'' a mutiny, he did everything "by the book". It was the Captain who disobeyed proper procedure, by not holding the launch countdown pending retrieval of the message, and attempting to relieve Hunter for fulfilling his role, the very reason why there's two sets of keys. As far as Hunter sees it, his actions were all Lawful as well as Good.

* ''Film/StarshipTroopers'' has a scene where [[DrillSergeantNasty Sergeant Zim]] is arguing with his superior officer to let him join the war. Being a boot camp instructor, he won't get anywhere near the front lines unless he "busts himself back to a Private". Rico bursts in, asking Zim to cancel his resignation so that he too can join the war effort. Zim shows him the resignation documents, and after a silent nod from his superior officer, rips them up and thus gives ''both'' of them what they want.
** And the end of movie shows that Zim did end up busting himself down to private, though that's probably a subversion, since he was actually following the rules in that case. [[spoiler: And it turns out to be the best decision as it was Zim who captured the Brain Bug.]]

* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', Steve Rogers' first real action in World War II is when he rescues 400 soldiers from HYDRA against Colonel Philips' orders. Subverted to a degree when, after returning the men to their base successfully, Steve voluntarily surrendered himself for disciplinary action, only to have [[AFatherToHisMen Phillips]] say, "I don't think that will be necessary."
** Also, Agent Peggy Carter decides to help Steve to get into the HYDRA base, at the risk of her career. Likewise with Howard Stark, who flew the plane into enemy lines.

* At the end of ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', [[spoiler:after the Miranda recording has been broadcast, The Operative orders his troops to stand down, on the logic that the damage has already been done and further bloodshed is pointless. He even helps patch up the crew and repair the ''Serenity'' afterwards.]]
** Don't forget Jayne's "If you can't do something smart, do something right."
*** [[BadassPreacher Shepherd Book]] said it, [[AntiHero Jayne]] was just quoting it. Which makes rather more sense.

* In ''TheMatrixReloaded'', [[spoiler:Neo realises Trinity will be killed by an Agent, and insists she stays out of the matrix; however, despite his pleading, Trinity states "[She refuses] to sit and watch [Neo] die", and does so anyway.]]

* ''CrimsonTide'' is all about this. Lt. Commander Hunter (played by DenzelWashington) actually commits mutiny and seizes control of the ''USS Alabama'' in the name of preventing nuclear war.

* In '"TearsOfTheSun'', the [=SEAL=] Team engages the Nigerian rebels after watching the rebels massacre a village, not to mention trying to extract as many indigenous refugees from the conflict zone as possible, against direct orders from their command center.

-->'''[[SamuelLJackson Nick Fury:]]''' I recognize that the council has made a decision. But given that it's a [[PrecisionFStrike stupid-ass]] decision, I have chosen to ignore it.

* ''Film/Upldr'' has the main character going rogue to break all of the ethical rules to finish his project. In his mind, he thought he was doing the right thing.

* ''film/Upldr'' has the main character going rogue to break all of the ethical rules to finish his project. In his mind, he thought he was doing the right thing.

* ''{{film/Upldr}}'' has the main character going rogue to break all of the ethical rules to finish his project. In his mind, he thought he was doing the right thing.

** Kirk's eventual "punishment" for this is to be demoted in rank to Captain - which is actually what he had wanted all along, and is Starfleet's way of rewarding him for what turned out to be heroic actions. As it turned out, they were glad to admit he was right.

** And the end of movie shows that Zim did end up busting himself down to private, though that's probably a subversion, since he was actually following the rules in that case.

* ''StarTrekIntoDarkness'' starts with Kirk and crew violating the Prime Directive to save an alien tribe from a volcano. Subverted in that Kirk ends up [[TurnInYourBadge losing his command]] as a result.

* ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry''
-->'''Uhura:''' We are ordered back to spacedock... to be decommissioned.\\
'''Spock:''' If I were human, I believe my response would be "go to hell".\\
'''Bridge:''' ...\\
'''Spock:''' If I were human.