Nuke the fridge is a phrase with a meaning similar to jump the shark. It is used to refer to the moment in a film series(usually a half-serious genre) that is so incredible that it lessens the excitement of subsequent scenes that rely on more understated action or suspense. Such moments are felt to mark the beginning of a low point in the quality of the franchise, as it attempt to explore more absurd avenues.
The term comes from the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, in which, near the start of the movie, Harrison Ford's character survives a nuclear detonation by climbing into a kitchen fridge, which is then blown hundreds of feet through the sky whilst the town disintegrates. He then emerges from the fridge with no apparent injury. Later in the movie, the audience is expected to fear for his safety in a normal fistfight.
Fans of the Indiana Jones series found the absurdity of this event in the film to be the best example of the lower quality of this installment in the series, and thus coined the phrase, "nuke the fridge."
The phrase started on the IMDb message boards and can now be found across the Internet including Youtube, Wikipedia, and Facebook.
The term comes from the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, in which, near the start of the movie, Harrison Ford's character survives a nuclear detonation by climbing into a kitchen fridge, which is then blown hundreds of feet through the sky whilst the town disintegrates. He then emerges from the fridge with no apparent injury. Later in the movie, the audience is expected to fear for his safety in a normal fistfight.
Fans of the Indiana Jones series found the absurdity of this event in the film to be the best example of the lower quality of this installment in the series, and thus coined the phrase, "nuke the fridge."
The phrase started on the IMDb message boards and can now be found across the Internet including Youtube, Wikipedia, and Facebook.
"When George Lucas introduced Jar Jar Binks in Phantom Menace Star Wars really nuked the fridge."
"Predators and aliens in the same movie? Now they're really nuking the fridge."
"I hope Indiana Jones 5 doesn't nuke the fridge like part 4 did"
"Predators and aliens in the same movie? Now they're really nuking the fridge."
"I hope Indiana Jones 5 doesn't nuke the fridge like part 4 did"
by Andrwr May 27, 2008
Get the nuke the fridge mug.by whatdoesurchildDonow December 30, 2011
Get the Who left the fridge open? mug.A colloquialism used to delineate the precise moment at which a cinematic franchise has crossed over from remote plausibility to self parodying absurdity, usually indicating a low point in the series from which it is unlikely to recover. A reference to one of the opening scenes of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, in which the titular hero manages to avoid death by nuclear explosion by hiding inside a kitchen refrigerator. The film is widely recognised by fans as a major departure from the rest of the series both in terms of content and quality.
Guy 1: "Wow. Did you see the new Indy movie? What the hell was that? It was like I was having some kind of flu induced absurdist nightmare."
Guy 2: "Yep... did or did not that series permanently Nuke the Fridge?"
Guy 1: "Oh, totally Nuked the Fridge! But I guess Spielberg is happy as long as he has the money of the people who trusted him."
Guy 2: "Guess so..."
Guy 2: "Yep... did or did not that series permanently Nuke the Fridge?"
Guy 1: "Oh, totally Nuked the Fridge! But I guess Spielberg is happy as long as he has the money of the people who trusted him."
Guy 2: "Guess so..."
by Nuking the Fridge May 26, 2008
Get the nuke the fridge mug.by andrew fucking hoxsie August 4, 2006
Get the chicken in the fridge mug.to tip a fridge means to have hott dirty sex. this phrase can be modified by saying tip the tree (sex in the woods) tip the truck (sex in a car or truck) or tip the freezer (sex in a cold place)
by fridge tipper April 22, 2004
Get the tip the fridge mug.A phrase that some dork really wanted to get over, using multiple fake accounts to post almost identical definitions.
"Why is there so many similar definitions of "nuke the fridge" posted on the exact same date?"
"Some bozo tried to get it popular lol."
"Some bozo tried to get it popular lol."
by AzraelK August 22, 2021
Get the nuke the fridge mug.by Jeus the basketball master July 17, 2021
Get the Nuke the Fridge mug.