# Common movie plot/line misconceptions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 19, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750 "2005-08-19T15:17:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/41 "2005-08-19T23:06:36Z")
Let’s overlook the possibilty of a bit of prejudice in the term ‘bug hunt.’ The Marines would rather stand up and have a real fight with a worthy foe than go around looking for ‘bugs’ to squish. Recall all those little bits of bravado provided for us in the lead in to the landing. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/42 "2005-08-19T23:07:42Z")
Or “not overlook.” Whatever floats your boat. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/43 "2005-08-19T23:19:14Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Push You own** : > > You can try and justify it all you want, but even in a future with space travel, the first real encounter with ETs would be BIG news. Yes in this worlds YES it would be a big deal We can all safely say. But since neither of us know jack and/or shit about this fictional universe’s day to day culture and life… It’s impossible for either of us to say. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > And the Corporation _didn’t_ believe Ripley – that’s the point. But the idea of extraterrestrial life didn’t throw them. Theregfore tyhey knew about it from elsewhere. Ummmm… Watch it again. That’s why Paul Reiser is there. Did you forget why they end up abandoning him to get killed. The Coporation KNEW what was happening in the colony. They sent the Marines there hoping to get them impregnated so when they return to civiliation the company can finally have live specimens. Presumably because they have yet to encounter live ones but KNOW they exist. ---
**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:** [August 19, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/44 "2005-08-19T23:23:22Z")
**Push** Nahh, I say you’re grasping about the future culture. Even in a world of tech wonders, the first encounter with bona fide extraterrestrial life will make a splash. And no one mentions it in the Alien films. It’s a lot easier to believe that they’ve already encountered alien life than that human nature has changed. [quote] Ummmm… Watch it again. That’s why Paul Reiser is there. Did you forget why they end up abandoning him to get killed. The Coporation KNEW what was happening in the colony. They sent the Marines there hoping to get them impregnated so when they return to civiliation the company can finally have live specimens. Presumably because they have yet to encounter live ones but KNOW they exist. [/quiote] No – Burke is there as a rep for the company. There’s no evidence that the company knew what was happening at all, and certainly nothing to suggest that they were cynically trying to bring back specimensd in marines. I always thought that was Burke’s idea. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/45 "2005-08-19T23:27:44Z")
One last thing: When Gorman orders all magazines collected under the cooling structure, Hicks gets out an old fashioned pump-action gun, and says “I like to keep this handy for close encounters.” This is clearly a reference to “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” again implying that he is familiar with aliens. ---
**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:** [August 19, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/46 "2005-08-19T23:33:05Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > Ummmm… Watch it again. That’s why Paul Reiser is there. Did you forget why they end up abandoning him to get killed. The Coporation KNEW what was happening in the colony. They sent the Marines there hoping to get them impregnated so when they return to civiliation the company can finally have live specimens. Presumably because they have yet to encounter live ones but KNOW they exist. Why don’t _you_ watch it again? Reiser (aka Carter Burke) wasn’t abandoned to die by the marines or anyeone else. They _wanted_ to grease him, but Ripley interceded (it’s still unclear to me why, since Burke had just done his best to get her and Newt impregnated) and then the power went out and hilarity ensued. Opposite to your assessment, Burke eventually _abandoned the marines to get killed_, locking a door behind him to seal them in with the Xenos, but then he took a wrong turn and blammo. Ripley was already pissed at Burke for sending the colonists into the meat grinder based on information she provided at her debrief (the extended version makes this plot point clearer). The impression I get (and I admit I may be wrong in light of Blake’s alternate analaysis of the poontang conversation) is the Burke was pushing for an investigation of Ripley’s aliens; that he saw this as his big chance for wealth and advancement. The company doesn’t strike me as being _that_ devious, or farsighted enough to know exactly what was happening when no-one else (including Burke) did. Further the mission wasn’t under their direct control, but rather turned over to a green lieutenant whose squad came equipped with nerve gas (!) and nukes (!!) For all the control the company allegedly had, it looks like there was an excellent chance the marines were going to waste every xeno they could find, leaving nothing for the bioweapons division. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/47 "2005-08-19T23:45:49Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > I should mention in the Colonial Marines Technical Manual, which is at least semi-official, there are some references to extraterrestrial life aside from the Xenomorphs. (Like a bright yellow native jungle on one planet) No mention of intelligent species or (as I remember) fauna, but it seems likely that if plant life isn’t totally unknown, there’s bound to be some animal life. So, there might have been problems with colonists being harassed by alien vermin, or “wolves,” or something. If you want to include the Technical Manual the there is no ambiguity at all: alien fauna is commonplace and well documented. There is even a section headed “Alien Biological Threats” which says outright that it is not uncommon to find large predatory organisms that pose a threat to humans. It also says that a significant part of marine operations is to cull any that colonists can’t handle by themselves and goes into some detail about how that is achieved. Since this is about misocnceptions within the movies I wasn’t going to mention the manual, comics, novels, games etc. that all make it quite clear that alien life is normal and that intelligent life is unknown to the general population (though known to those in power). ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/48 "2005-08-20T00:02:19Z")
::Shrugs:: All right fine. ::kicks the dirt:: Stupid xenomorphs. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/49 "2005-08-20T00:20:41Z")
Just to clear something up, “The Company” as an entity did not know that The Aliens (The Aliens, capital T, capital A) existed. By that I mean that nobody employed by the company ever offically knew, and the board of directors could never have faced charges for what happened. Who knew what and when unofficially is never discussed at all, but the only evidence we have is that Burke was the only person who had even an inkling of what had happened, and even he didn’t know The Aliens existed, only that it was possibility worth risking lives for. This is one point that is made very explicit in the script: Ripley: You sent them to that ship. I just checked the colony log… directive dates six-twelve-seventy-nine Signed Burke, Carter J. You sent them out there and you didn’t even warn them, Burke. Why didn’t you warn them? BURKE: Look, maybe the thing didn’t even exist, right? And if I’d made it a major security situation, the Administration would’ve stepped in. Then no exclusive rights, nothing. It was a bad call, that’s all. That’s unambiguous. Burke at least believed that he was acting alone and The Company was totally ignorant of his plans. He has taken pains to ensure that nobody from Company admin has any idea that The Aliens exist so that he can get exclusive rights to the species. We can speculate all we like about whether Burke himself was a pawn who was selected by the company as fall guy and fed the information so that he would believe he was acting alone to give the board deniability. That’s plausible, but there is nothing in the movie to suggest such a thing. According to the script Burke was acting alone and had kept The Company adminstriation in the dark deliberately. IOW The Coporation never KNEW what was happening in the colony. That also explains why they would happily allow gung ho marines to solve the problem. WIhtout any plausible reason why the colonists were suddenly attacked after 20 years they assumed it was unconnected with Ripley’s story. Only Burke knew why they had suddenly become active. > [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > The company doesn’t strike me as being that devious, or farsighted enough to know exactly what was happening when no-one else (including Burke) did. Farsighted enough? Maybe not. Devious enough? Without a doubt. This is the same company that told the crew that a leprosy bell was a distress beacon in the first movie. The same one that told the android and computer that the humans were expendable. There’s no doubt The Company was devious enough to try this, but they never got the chance because Burke pre-empted any plans they may have had. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/50 "2005-08-20T02:41:17Z")
Maybe \*Aliens \* is a sequel to _Starship Troopers_? 😃 ducking and running ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/51 "2005-08-20T06:19:29Z")
> [@Ghanima](#): > > One last thing: When Gorman orders all magazines collected under the cooling structure, Hicks gets out an old fashioned pump-action gun, and says “I like to keep this handy for close encounters.” This is clearly a reference to “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” again implying that he is familiar with aliens. True, but shotguns are also close-range weapons, so it works that way too. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/52 "2005-08-20T08:27:21Z")
> [@Raygun99](#): > > Except > a) what is Superman pushing against to make the Earth spin backwards – the atmosphere? That doesn’t make any sense. What would he grab on to? > b) how would physically spinning the Earth backwards fix anything? > > The only explanation that makes even sci-fi sense is that Superman flew so fast as to go back in time, and that the director and producers goofed on their Advanced Physics lessons. > Of course, if Superman can indeed turn back time more or less at will by whatever mechanism, it presents a giant plot hole in any action he does. “You’re going to plan this? Oh, just hold on a second…” a. What is Superman pushing against to fly? Particularly when he is carrying something like a helicopter that is several magnitudes beyond his mass? He clearly has an inate ability to manipulate the gravo-magnetic-unified field, he can simply uses this ability to eventually drag the Earth along with him on his hypersonic revolutions, to influence the Earth’s rotation. b. Good fucking question. But how would flying really fast do anything either? Extreme speed slows down time, it doesn’t turn it backward, . 🙂 The physics is pure unicornshit either way, but the movie clearly shows he reversed the rotation of the Earth, whatever in that could have caused time reversal. The ‘it’s only perspective angle’ is misguided revisionism. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/53 "2005-08-20T11:08:51Z")
I think you’re all missing the important point: what it _sounded_ like. ---
**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:** [August 20, 2005, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/54 "2005-08-20T12:28:46Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > This is the same company that told the crew that a leprosy bell was a distress beacon in the first movie. The same one that told the android and computer that the humans were expendable. There’s no doubt The Company was devious enough to try this, but they never got the chance because Burke pre-empted any plans they may have had. Well, technically the company that willfully misinterpreted the beacon was the _old_ company. The guys that indulged Burke on his little nature hike were the successors to the old company, plus 57 years (and IQs had dropped sharply in that time). 😃 Oh, well… they are naught but dust by the time of Alien 4. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/55 "2005-08-20T16:07:58Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > My theory is that “Velociraptor” is just a way cooler name than “Deinonychus,” not to mention easier to pronounce. > > Also it wouldn’t have been quite as terror inspiring to have our heroes stalked by Superchicken. Especially sinced they didn’t know the job was dangerous when they took it. ---
**Author:** ![ElectricZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58f4c7/32.png) [@ElectricZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElectricZ)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/56 "2005-08-20T16:45:15Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Here’s a perfect example from _Aliens_. > > Hudson: Sir, is this going to be a stand up fight or just another bug hunt? No, a “bug hunt” is definitely referring to a boring, clean-up mission better suited for a team of exterminators rather than a squad of Marines who engage enemies who shoot back. Hudson is implying that he’s been on many such missions and they’re a waste of time. As pointed out before, when Gorman tells the marines during the briefing that “A xenomorph” is involved, Frost says “Excuse me sir, a WHAT?” Hicks tells them “It’s a bug hunt” and wants to know what kind of “bug” they are dealing with. Alien species aren’t anything new or wonderful in the “Aliens” universe. They’re just animals to be domesticated, exploited or wiped out, and to a bunch of grunts (“Uhhh no offense.” “None taken.”) aren’t anything more than a nuisance. A small detail in the movie that clearly expresses the Marine’s view of their mission is the nose art on their dropship: [http://www.alienscollection.com/endless1.jpg](http://www.alienscollection.com/endless1.jpg) EZ ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/57 "2005-08-20T17:44:02Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Oh, well… they are naught but dust by the time of Alien 4. That reminds me. For some reason, I could swear I remember a line in Alien Ressurection where it’s mentioned “The Company got bought out by Wal-Mart” but I’ve never heard this again in subsequent viewings. Did I imagine it or did they cut that line out of the TV versions? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/58 "2005-08-20T18:18:37Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > Did I imagine it or did they cut that line out of the TV versions? It’s in the script and the novelization, at least. I can’t speak to the movie because I only watched it once and usually try to pretend it never happened. It makes sense, though, given Wal\*Mart’s hiring practices. ---
**Author:** ![AmyG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@AmyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmyG)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/59 "2005-08-20T20:04:18Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Menocchio** , I’m one of those who thought that the beings at the end were extraterrestrials, but I have to admit that thinkling of them as extremely highly developed robots makes much more sense. Nevertheless, fronm what I recall of the movie there’s absolutely nothing that tells you that they aren’gt aliens, and that they are robots, and no reason that the supposition that they’re aliens is obviously incorrect. Sure there is. In addition to the foreshadowing already mentioned, the more advanced robots are seen “linking up” like computers so that they can all process David’s experiences. One robot puts his “hand” on David, the next robot puts his “hand” on the first robot, etc. etc. Lights twinkle as the data passes from one to the other and so on down the line. I suppose you could argue that they come off as telepathic aliens or something, but there’s absolutely nothing in the film (other than Spielberg’s name in the credits) that would suggest aliens are going to make an appearence. I think the shape of the robots must have thrown a lot of people. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750/60 "2005-08-21T01:02:27Z")
> [@AmyG](#): > > Sure there is. In addition to the foreshadowing already mentioned, the more advanced robots are seen “linking up” like computers so that they can all process David’s experiences. One robot puts his “hand” on David, the next robot puts his “hand” on the first robot, etc. etc. Lights twinkle as the data passes from one to the other and so on down the line. > > I suppose you could argue that they come off as telepathic aliens or something, but there’s absolutely nothing in the film (other than Spielberg’s name in the credits) that would suggest aliens are going to make an appearance. I think the shape of the robots must have thrown a lot of people. Upon first glance, I too thought they were aliens. What made me realize they were advanced robots was when the airship they traveled in suddenly disassembled itself as it approached the site in the ice where they found David and the fact no biological beings could likely survive the extreme glacial cold of the site without protective clothing of some sort (which they did not have). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-movie-plot-line-misconceptions/317750.md?page=4)