While waiting for Hellboy II to screen, I was treated to a barrage of new trailers (Hey, that there animated Star Wars movie looks pretty sweet!), when I noticed a movie sequence that has seen better days. During a trailer for the new The Mummy movie, they offered up yet another gigantic battle scene with thousands of people running around on a field. But that’s not what I want to retire…yet.

During that all-too-familiar battlefield scenario, the trailer also gave us a glimpse of a staple in the Field Of War Scene: A Sky of Arrows. This is when one army decides to fire a billion arrows at once, “blotting out the sun” as it was put in 300. Yes, it’s menacing to see a whole bunch of black darts flying through the air. We know. We’ve already seen it in Braveheart and Lord of the Rings and Gladiator and 300. I think I’ll throw in The Patriot too, because “A British Firing Line Volleying At Once” is pretty much the same thing. This has to be the most overused battlefield tactic in movies, and it never seems to be as effective as you would think. Most any dummy with a shield can deflect these things, and the side firing off the sky of arrows usually ends up losing the battle (Gladiator being the only exception I can think of).

A Sky Of Arrows, consider yourself retired!

I know “A Sky Of Arrows” is used in other movies. Can you think of any?

While waiting for Hellboy II to screen, I was treated to a barrage of new trailers (Hey, that there animated Star Wars movie looks pretty sweet!), when I noticed a movie sequence that has seen better days. During a trailer for the new The Mummy movie, they offered up yet another gigantic battle scene with thousands of people running around on a field. But that’s not what I want to retire…yet.

During that all-too-familiar battlefield scenario, the trailer also gave us a glimpse of a staple in the Field Of War Scene: A Sky of Arrows. This is when one army decides to fire a billion arrows at once, “blotting out the sun” as it was put in 300. Yes, it’s menacing to see a whole bunch of black darts flying through the air. We know. We’ve already seen it in Braveheart and Lord of the Rings and Gladiator and 300. I think I’ll throw in The Patriot too, because “A British Firing Line Volleying At Once” is pretty much the same thing. This has to be the most overused battlefield tactic in movies, and it never seems to be as effective as you would think. Most any dummy with a shield can deflect these things, and the side firing off the sky of arrows usually ends up losing the battle (Gladiator being the only exception I can think of).

A Sky Of Arrows, consider yourself retired!

I know “A Sky Of Arrows” is used in other movies. Can you think of any?