History Main / NobodyHereButUsStatues

[[folder:Films — Animation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}'': When Esmeralda is escaping the cathedral with Quasimodo's help, she hides from the guards looking for her by posing next to a statue in a similar pose like the depicted saint, having her hands folded like in a prayer and and looking towards the sky. Admittedly, what sells it is probably less her convincing looks and more the fact that she doesn't move and hence the guards do not look at her more closely.

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]

** Reggie uses a similar strategy in ''Film/NightOfTheComet'' to get the drop on the mall-stockboy half-zombies, posing alongside a pair of store mannequins.

* ''Film/WildWildWest''. A group of armed {{Mooks}} hide as characters in paintings to guard a room from intruders. It almost works, until another character gives it away by looking at one of them. The hero kills that mook, and then shoots every other picture.
* Spoofed in ''Film/GodOfGamblers'': ''Returns'': when several mooks assault the mansion where Ko Chun and friends are at, Ko Chun gets busy killing mooks. The two resident PluckyComicRelief tries finding a hiding spot, the first by covering himself in clay powder and pretending to be a life-sized Atlas statue. The second, unable to find enough clay, decide to remove the hands from a nearby grandfather clock and hold it in his mouth, and then make a "tick - tick - tick" noise verbally. It '''somehow''' works, with a few passing mooks doing a DoubleTake, and then running off.

* In the movie ''Film/IRobot'', Del Spooner (Creator/WillSmith) finds himself looking for a rogue robot inside a factory that [[NeedleInAStackOfNeedles makes that exact model of robot]]. And the bot in question is very good at standing still...

%%* Mystique does it in ''Film/XMen1''. Helps that she's a VoluntaryShapeshifter.
* In the horror film ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0pilBYGK-0 Amusement,]]'' the killer hides by pretending to be a [[spoiler:life-sized clown doll in a room full of clown dolls.]]
* ''Film/{{ET|The Extraterrestrial}}'' hides from Elliot's mother by pretending to be one of Gertie's stuffed dolls.

* ''Film/TheOmegaMan''. The protagonist is apparently the last man on Earth after WW3. While exploring a department store for supplies, he sees a storefront dummy move; it turns out to be a woman trying this trope to hide from him. He pursues, but when she evades him he just assumes he's GoneMadFromTheIsolation and imagined her.

* There's an Australian short film called ''Film/{{Gotcha}}'' about a boy who likes to play pranks on people. His sister gets her revenge by turning off the water while he's in the shower. He goes outside to turn the water back on but the front door slams shut behind him. While trying to get back in the house, he loses his towel and gets covered in gray paint. When a neighbor steps outside to see what the commotion is, he poses as a statue in her garden.

[[folder:Web Video]]

Compare MobileShrubbery, StandInPortrait, KnightsArmorHideout and WallpaperCamouflage, as well as MistakenForExhibit.

* In the movie ''Film/IRobot'', Del Spooner (Creator/WillSmith) find himself looking for a rogue robot inside a factory that [[NeedleInAStackOfNeedles makes that exact model of robot]]. And the bot in question is very good at standing still...

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' to hide from a cult that hosts their meetings in a museum, Dipper, Soos and Old Man [=McGuckett=] pretend to be an exhibition of a typical settler family. The cultists see the exhibition and one of them try to straighten [=McGuckett's=] FishEyes, which quickly return to their position, making him mutter that the quality of the exhibitions are getting worse.

* ''Film/ThePrincess2022'': An accidental version. The Princess emerges from a secret passage, coming out directly between the legs of what she things is an empty suit of ceremonial armor. In fact it's an actual knight standing around in ceremonial armor for some reason, and a fight scene ensues.

* ''Film/AManWithAMaid'': When the police search his house, Jack disguises the naked Alice as Greek statue.

** Taken UpToEleven in the Ukrainian ''Naked and Funny'' ("''Голые и смешны''") series with an ''[[DeadlyPrank absolutely vicious]]'' [[DeadlyPrank prank]]. [[{{Fanservice}} A topless woman]] would stand on a pedestal, body-painted and remaining still to resemble a statue - and [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale kick passing men]] [[GroinAttack in the nuts]]. Justified (slightly) in that the nut-kicking would be largely restricted to men who [[AllMenArePerverts groped or ogled]] the "statue".

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'': The Allied Mirage Tank has the ability to [[MobileShrubbery disguise itself as a tree when not moving]]. One of his quotes? "Nobody here but us trees!"

* ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' has this happen with Namir. You think you've cornered the BigBad in a room full of very odd statues of skinless humans constantly switching poses, then Namir (whose augmentations make him look like this naturally), who was standing behind you the entire time and acting like the rest of the statues, grabs you from behind and throws you against the wall.
* The animatronics in ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys''; they don't move while you look at them, but constantly using the cameras to spy on them drains power. And if you run out of power, they either stuff an animatronic skeleton in you, or [[RussianReversal you in an animatronic costume]].

* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':

* In ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'', levels are peppered with gargoyle statues. Some of them are [[MistakenForGranite real gargoyles]] in disguise. Some aren't, and [[ParanoiaFuel there isn't any way to tell which are real]] until they reveal themselves and attack - even the actual statues bleed if you try to hit them early.
* Gargoyles in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim The Elder Scrolls 5: Dawnguard]]'' behave more or less the same as ones from ''Blood''.
* ''VideoGame/NightmareCreatures'': In the first game, certain enemies such as gargoyles and winged demons like to disguise themselves as statues, before revealing themselves to attack the players. But subverted in the first level: you can come across a gargoyle in a park, but that one was ''actually'' a statue. Real gargoyles don't show up until several levels later.
* Happens in ''VideoGame/{{Paperboy}}'', of all games. One of the house owners is painted white as if to blend in with the tombstones and other statues, then runs at you.
* A level which takes place in a decrepit mall in ''VideoGame/CondemnedCriminalOrigins'' has enemies wearing cracked plastic shells over their heads who hide in plain sight among the actual store mannequins.
* Downplayed in ''VideoGame/RhythmThiefAndTheEmperorsTreasure'': The guards at The Louvre are at least smart enough to recognize Raphael is not a statue, and there are no empty pedestals, so he ''hides'' behind the existing statues instead. Amusingly, as the gameplay cannot work otherwise, each guard happens to be next to one or more of these statues as Raphael runs by.
* Aeviters and Cantors do this in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX''. There are a few [[GlamourFailure problems with their disguises]], though: Disguised Cantors keep moving their heads with a loud clacking sound. And the Aeviters' disguises ''would'' have been perfect... if not for the fact that there are ''no'' non-Aeviter statues in the game.
* In the ''VideoGame/HenryStickminSeries'', Henry can pretend to be a mannequin at one point to hide from a pair of Toppats on a train. It works a little too well: one of the Toppats thinks he's a fancy human-shaped coatrack and plays with him, which ends when the Toppat holds Henry out the window causing his head to be taken off by a passing object. Somehow, the Toppat still thinks the headless corpse in his arms is a coatrack, and it just broke.
* In various ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games, Sudowoodo is said via the Pokédex to do an imitation of a tree when it's scared, [[PaperThinDisguise even though it fails to fool even children]]. It doesn't help that it hates water, has skin that feels more like rock than wood, and happens to be a Rock-type rather than a Grass-type.

* During the Fun Cult arc of ''Webcomic/Oglaf'', [[https://www.oglaf.com/grill/2/ Navaan points out to Grier]] that two of the statues are Fun Cultists in disguise.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' episode "Toy to the World", Perry crash lands in the Har D Har factory that Phineas and Ferb took over while still wearing his secret agent getup, and as the brothers walk in he proceeds to stand completely still, prompting Phineas to mistake him for a toy design he already rejected prior and throw him out.
* A variant in the ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' special, "WesternAnimation/SodorsLegendOfTheLostTreasure"; [[BigBad Sailor John]] and Skiff arrive at Knapford Station as the former attempts to steal the titular treasure that Sir Topham Hatt has locked in his safe, when Henry approaches them while pulling the Flying Kipper. To avoid being spotted, Sailor John stands in front of a poster for the Arlesburgh Beach, using the exact same pose as a lady holding a beach ball.
* ''WesternAnimation/LegoJurassicWorldLegendOfIslaNublar'' one scene in the episode "spit take!" has a Dilophosaurus escape his pen, while he is being searched for the dilophosaurus pretends to be a dinosaur mannequin in a gift shop.

* The BoardGame of ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' has Haley's Hide skill demonstrated by standing in a dramatic position upon a podium.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' Sam Starfall escapes an angry mob by ducking into a sporting goods store and pretending to be one of the [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1500/fc01495.htm practice targets.]] As said store sells target dummies in his likeness due to apparent popular demand.

[[folder:Web Original]]

* Seeing as how {{mentor mascot}}s posing as stuffed toys is a frequent affair in {{magical girl}} works, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2gEkdPZOM8 this video]] advises throwing said critter into the wash to open it up to interrogation.

* ''Series/ForeverKnight''. In "Hunters", Don Schanke is being stalked through a "Hogan's Alley"-type ShootingGallery by a CopKiller. After firing several times at what turn out to be targets, he holds his fire on seeing what appears to be a Police Officer target silhouetted in a doorway. When Schanke turns away, the target is revealed to be the killer dressed as a uniformed cop.

* ''Anime/DoraemonNobitasThreeVisionarySwordsmen'' have Nobitania, Shizukaria and Doraemon infiltrating a dragon's cave. Said dragon breathes petrifying flames instead of regular fire, [[TakenForGranite turning any unfortunate challengers into stone]], and the dragon's cave is in fact littered with dozens and dozens of statues belonging to failed warriors. Doraemon's sentient ''broom'' then comes up with the idea of sweeping rock dust all over the trio, turning them grey in the process - this way, they can sneak into the cave and stay still, pretending to be one of those statues of defeated warriors to avoid detection.

* In ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' Principal Kuno pretends to be a statue to cut off Ranma's pigtail from behind. After pretending to fall for it, Ranma hits him saying how stupid he thinks he is.

* In one issue of ''ComicBook/{{Gen 13}}'', Grunge and Roxy strike a suitable pose to hide among an array of marble statues. It works, mostly owing to Grunge being able to turn himself and what he's touching into various materials.

* Ash pretends to be a mannequin in ''Comicbook/DarkmanVsArmyOfDarkness'' to avoid being found by the Deadites in the local S-Mart.

* To promote the last ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' movie, Johnny Depp dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow and hid in the Ride at Disneyland.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'', Bagheera does this as he tries to hide from a monkey parade, as there are a bunch of statues of panthers in the ruined human city where King Louie holds court, with one conveniently empty spot for him to sit in and assume the same pose as the statues. Even though he's solid black and the statues are light gray, it works. Unfortunately, [[GoneHorriblyRight it works too well]]: Baloo (disguised as a monkey) thinks nothing of pushing open the heavy wooden door so forcefully that it swings all the way against the wall and [[DoorSlamsYou crushes Bagheera]] (although he's pretty much okay, [[AmusingInjuries having to suffer only a swollen black eye]]).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfTintin''. When Tintin breaks into derelict Marlinspike Hall, what appears to be a dummy standing in the darkened interior suddenly starts to follow him. This turns out to be Nestor, the loyal butler who is protecting the house.

* The Beast hiding amongst a bunch of gargoyles in the climatic fight in ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast''. Though he does that at night and amidst some heavy rain, so the vision of his opponent is actually somewhat limited by the surroundings.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'': When Esmeralda is escaping the cathedral with Quasimodo's help, she hides from the guards looking for her by posing next to a statue in a similar pose like the depicted saint, having her hands folded like in a prayer and and looking towards the sky. Admittedly, what sells it is probably less her convincing looks and more the fact that she doesn't move and hence the guards do not look at her more closely.