# Any action/adventure movies with no plot holes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2014, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997 "2014-06-04T05:49:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/21 "2014-06-05T00:18:37Z")
Even though Bond movies are the poster child for this, I’m coming up empty for DR NO. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/22 "2014-06-05T00:20:53Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > The Dark Knight Anything related to Batman is almost immediately shot full of holes, regardless of the quality of the script: 1. Why does Batman dump billions of dollars into R&D for crime fighting tech that only he will use to protect a single town, instead of spending it to increase the police force, make technology that is generally useful for the security of any city, or seek to combat crime by fighting poverty traps? Why does he work alone, rather than with the police force? 2. How does Joker actually accomplish anything? He’d need an army of well-trained, obedient minions, which would require a stable mafia or military-like organizational structure to create and maintain, with the obedience of jihadists. Nothing about him makes one think he’s that organized nor would gain that loyal of a following. 3. None of Batman’s gadgets are particularly viable, minus unobtanium and the physics of an alternate universe. 4. How is anyone that Batman catches convicted, under our court system? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/23 "2014-06-05T00:31:38Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > When I read the OP’s list my immediate reaction was that probably virtually everyone’s real life is filled with plot holes (violations of these principles)–so why should movies be different? In my opinion, the definition in the OP is closer to describing **idiot plots** than **plot holes** , focusing as it does on things the characters do or do not do. Even that’s too strong for some examples, since, as you say, it’s totally normal for people to behave sub-optimally. For what it’s worth, I really dislike the plot device of the mistake: where the otherwise-competent hero (or for that matter, the villain) would have triumphed by now if only he hadn’t made one stupid mistake or lapse in judgment. I don’t dislike this because it’s a plot hole or or is unrealistic, necessarily; it just makes the plot less satisfying, in perhaps the same way it’s less satisfying to watch a ball game in which one team wins because of, or just barely loses despite, some errors and bad plays made by their opponent as opposed to their own brilliant play. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/24 "2014-06-05T00:51:29Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Riggs’ life was pretty much an ongoing violation of the _“Character does something that is dangerous or risky when an obvious safer and surer alternative would have accomplished the same thing”_ rule. Murtaugh: “You’re not trying to draw psycho pension… you really are crazy!” > [@](#): > > And there’s the _“A character not passing on important information to another character when he had the opportunity to do so and no significant reason not to”_ rule. We saw early in the movie that Riggs got a message from his old army buddy Hunsaker. Hunsaker’s daughter Amanda is murdered. Riggs keeps investigating the murder (even after it initially appears solved) and Hunsaker eventually reveals he is involved in a drug smuggling operation, was going to tell Riggs, and Amanda was killed as a warning. Riggs: “That hooker who witnessed the jump the other night. What was her name?” Murtaugh: “Dixie.” Kid: “What’s a hooker?” Murtaugh: “Shh, quiet, I’m combatting crime.” Nick: “A hooker is a…” Riggs: (interrupts) “Right, and she’s in Century City witnessing Amanda Hunsaker’s suicide.” Murtaugh: “…or murder --” Riggs: “…right, or murder, and my question is… what is she doing there? I called Wilshire Vice, that’s not her usual turf.” Murtaugh: “Wow.” [pause] “Wow. That’s really reaching.” Riggs: “Cut me a break, it’s a hunch, Roger. I’m having a hunch.” > [@](#): > > So why didn’t Hunsaker tell Riggs all this earlier? He was planning on telling Riggs in the beginning - that’s why his daughter was killed. And he eventually did tell Riggs after his daughter’s murder - so the murder didn’t stop him from talking. So why didn’t he just tell Riggs the whole story the first time they met? The reason, of course, is that the movie would have only been thirty minutes long and it made a better story to have Riggs conducting a full investigation. But that doesn’t make Hunsaker’s inexplicable reluctance to pass on information at the one time it would have done the most good any less of a plot hole. Murtaugh: “They paid off a hooker to poison your daughter. Talk to me!” Hunsaker: “Dammit, Roger! I have another daughter!” Murtaugh: “She’ll be protected. It’s over, pal” Hunsaker: “Protected. That’s a laugh… You don’t know these people.” Murtaugh: “Acquaint me.” > [@](#): > > The Predator only killed people who had guns. Dutch knew this because he told Anna she shouldn’t carry a gun because that would make her safe from attack. But Dutch and the others left themselves open to attack by continuing to carry their own guns. They’re soldiers. There’s something out there that is the enemy, and they want to find out what it is. And kill it. Plus, it had already killed some of them already. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/25 "2014-06-05T01:02:49Z")
_The Mummy_ (1999) is worth mentioning, mainly because the DVD commentary track (on at least one version, anyway) by the film’s writer/director and editor talks about that care they took to make sure plot holes were strictly minimized, then having to risk introducing some when they start cutting scenes to increase the movie’s pacing. I don’t see any major holes in it, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/26 "2014-06-05T01:11:51Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Anything related to Batman is almost immediately shot full of holes, regardless of the quality of the script: > > 1. Why does Batman dump billions of dollars into R&D for crime fighting tech that only he will use to protect a single town, instead of spending it to increase the police force, make technology that is generally useful for the security of any city, or seek to combat crime by fighting poverty traps? Why does he work alone, rather than with the police force? Most of Batman’s gadgets are supplied by Waynetech[sup]TM[/sup] and \*are \*sold to police forces and the military. Batman gets to use the prototypes before they go on general sale. Also, Bruce has certain issues, he wants to beat up criminals _personally_. > [@](#): > > 1. How is anyone that Batman catches convicted, under our court system? Most of them are insane, they don’t get a trial and conviction, they are sent to Arkham Asylum. Also, most of them are lifers. When Batman faces them, it means they have escaped. They can simply be returned to their padded cell without any need for a further trial. And when he catches ordinary criminals like muggers, he scares them so much that they confess all. They are a superstitious, cowardly bunch, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/27 "2014-06-05T01:28:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Syndrome’s whole goal was to kill Bob Parr. But he didn’t kill him when he had the opportunity. Heck, the entire movie was a violation of Rules 3, 4, and 5. You want to kill Bob Parr? Just kill him. You don’t encourage him to take all his powers back and tell him what you’re planning first. Uh what? No. Young Syndrome was snubbed by Mr. Incredible, and so Syndrome wants to show the world what a badass he is, even better than Mr. Incredible, and then “flood the super market” so that Mr. Incredible is no better than anyone else. Syndrome’s motivation has nothing to do with killing Mr. Incredible. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/28 "2014-06-05T01:31:09Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Anything related to Batman is almost immediately shot full of holes, regardless of the quality of the scrip I would say the fact that Batman is even alive and not riddled with bullet holes is a pretty big plot hole. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/29 "2014-06-05T01:57:44Z")
Predator? There are some things that violate my sense of reality. I can accept, sort of, that a thin coat of mud makes Arnold invisible. I have trouble accepting that he can erect a huge booby trap – hoisting an 1200 lb. log high into the air using scavaged vines and rigging it to a sensitive trigger-- in a single night without attracting the Predator’s attention. And my memory is that Arnold was lackadaisical about maintaining his mud coat… which most people would be diligent about. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/30 "2014-06-05T02:29:20Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Even though Bond movies are the poster child for this, I’m coming up empty for DR NO. Really? It doesn’t bother you that Dr. No’s guys put Bond in a holding cell that had a ventilation duct big enough to walk through? That bothered me the first time I saw it. I still don’t understand it. They electrified the grill, but Bond is able to bash it open with his sneakers, then just crawl out through the duct. The duct then gets outrageously hot, so he tears off strips of clothing. He then gets hit by water (IN AS VENTILATION DUCT???), but continues to crawl through until he successfully gets out, then overpowers a guard and takes his place in a radiation suit. In the book, there’s a nugget of justification for the whole “ventilation duct ordeal” – it’s a trap by No. Bond is coaxed into the shaft, then they basically throw things at him and watch to see how he reacts. But in the film they never say they’re doing this, nobody is watching, and if this is what they were doing, they failed spectacularly because Bond gets out and tackles a guard. All I can conclude is that they originally planned a “Bond Torture Path” as in the book, but then forgot about it, or ran out of money, or time, or something, and just decided it was a straight escape, even though that makes not a scintilla of sense. Another thing that always bothered me about **Dr. No** is that, when Bond first goes to Strangways’ house, he sees a book with a folded slip of paper marking the page. He pulls the slip out and sees that it’s a bill for Strangways getting some rock samples checked. But Bond had no way of knowing that – the REAL clue might have been what was on the page that was marked, but Bond would never know, because he pulled out the slip without noting the page it was on. And Bond is a Top Agent? Unforgivable! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/31 "2014-06-05T03:19:31Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > In my opinion, the definition in the OP is closer to describing **idiot plots** than **plot holes** , focusing as it does on things the characters do or do not do. Even that’s too strong for some examples, since, as you say, it’s totally normal for people to behave sub-optimally. > > For what it’s worth, I really dislike the plot device of the mistake: where the otherwise-competent hero (or for that matter, the villain) would have triumphed by now if only he hadn’t made one stupid mistake or lapse in judgment. I don’t dislike this because it’s a plot hole or or is unrealistic, necessarily; it just makes the plot less satisfying, in perhaps the same way it’s less satisfying to watch a ball game in which one team wins because of, or just barely loses despite, some errors and bad plays made by their opponent as opposed to their own brilliant play. Basically what I’m thinking is _“What would I do if you put me in the same situation as that character? Knowing what the character knows and wanting what the character wants.”_ And if I can say to myself, _“Well, I’d do the obvious thing and use my invisible power here and that would easily defeat the Martians”_ but the character for some reason fails to do that, then I call it a plot hole. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/32 "2014-06-05T10:37:55Z")
- > [@CalMeacham](#): > > Really? It doesn’t bother you that Dr. No’s guys put Bond in a holding cell that had a ventilation duct big enough to walk through? That bothered me the first time I saw it. I still don’t understand it. > > They electrified the grill, but Bond is able to bash it open with his sneakers, then just crawl out through the duct. > > The duct then gets outrageously hot, so he tears off strips of clothing. He then gets hit by water (IN AS VENTILATION DUCT???), but continues to crawl through until he successfully gets out I take it that they’re trying. For purposes of this thread, I award points for trying. I figure they looked at the ducts, saw a potential problem, and chose to electrify the grille. I figure someone said _but those ducts get hot enough to inflict burns requiring immediate medical attention,_ and was told _electrify the grille anyway_. And when someone said _but we routinely pump enough water through there to drown a man,_ he was met with a _just electrify the damn grille already_. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/33 "2014-06-05T11:51:03Z")
Shoot 'Em Up. Because the entire purpose of the movie is to render 1-8 irrelevant. Its just a shoot 'em up. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/34 "2014-06-05T11:58:46Z")
About The Incredibles: Syndrome’s whole process of running his robot up against supers, and then building them to defeat the super? Bob demonstrates to him that the only thing capable of penetrating the robot’s hull is the robot itself, and he doesn’t fix that. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/35 "2014-06-05T17:37:18Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Absolutely not true. The truck chase is just one example. You mean the truck chase where he was trying to straight up murder Harvey Dent because it would be fun? Everything after that was Plan B. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/36 "2014-06-05T18:24:07Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > - > > I take it that they’re trying. For purposes of this thread, I award points for trying. > > I figure they looked at the ducts, saw a potential problem, and chose to electrify the grille. I figure someone said _but those ducts get hot enough to inflict burns requiring immediate medical attention,_ and was told _electrify the grille anyway_. And when someone said _but we routinely pump enough water through there to drown a man,_ he was met with a _just electrify the damn grille already_. Yeah, but they didn’t use lethal force, obviously, because Bond was still able to climb out through a ventilation grill at the other end (don’t these guys use bolts for anything?) and kill or overpower a guard. I mean, if I was putting up with the goons in HVAC flushing sea water through my ventilation ducts every now and then to kill Secret Agents that _might_ be crawling through the ducts, I’d want them to be SURE, dammit! Damned seawater backsplash through the ducts is making my cube of an office humid and making my papers wrinkle. How does the Metal-Handed Wonder exprect me to finish my reports on time if I have to keep taking them down to the men’s room and hold them under the hand dryer for fifteen minutes before submitting them? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/37 "2014-06-05T18:36:17Z")
The biggest plot hole in **Dr. No** was them trying to kill bond with a Tarantula. That’s about as deadly as attacking him with a garden snake. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/38 "2014-06-05T18:45:35Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > About The Incredibles: Syndrome’s whole process of running his robot up against supers, and then building them to defeat the super? Bob demonstrates to him that the only thing capable of penetrating the robot’s hull is the robot itself, and he doesn’t fix that. Arguably, it’s not fixable. He did improve the robot after its first encounter with the incredible Mr. Parr, and it had the upper hand(s on him) before Syndrome stopped it. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/39 "2014-06-05T18:49:35Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Riggs’ life was pretty much an ongoing violation of the _“Character does something that is dangerous or risky when an obvious safer and surer alternative would have accomplished the same thing”_ rule. Riggs was also explicitly suicidal. It’s not a plot hole when a mentally ill character acts irrationally. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997/40 "2014-06-05T18:51:13Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > You mean the truck chase where he was trying to straight up murder Harvey Dent because it would be fun? Everything after that was Plan B. I mean the truck chase where he tried to murder Harvey Dent but was actually trying to get himself caught so he could be in prison for the big “blowing up Harvey and Rachel” dance. It was essential to his plot that he be captured; the whole movie is constructed this way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-action-adventure-movies-with-no-plot-holes/689997.md?page=3)