# Gravity! \[open spoilers\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950 "2013-05-10T01:41:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/221 "2013-10-14T22:10:11Z")
I disliked the scene at the ISS where Clooney unclips himself. When I was watching it, my brain was going “there’s no net force on him!”, though I may have missed some rotation that would bering centrifugal force into it. But mostly because it just seemed overly—and unnecessarily—schmaltzy. I’d much have preferred her to just not catch him or for the cable to break. It plays up the random inhospitable world. He could still have talked her into the station, cool as a cucumber, and even let her think she was coming after him. Then there’s no fuel, etc. The plotline continues untouched. I _loved_ when the last bit of fire extinguisher juice is used and she spins around and hurls the tank out into space to give herself just enough extra delta V to get a hand on the Chinese station. I was waiting the whole movie for someone to chuck something for a little more momentum, and the payoff was perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/222 "2013-10-15T00:57:21Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > You didn’t notice how her hair wasn’t affected by zero-g at all? Same thing with the book she was casually flipping through? That bothered me. Surely it’s not that hard on her relatively short hair to get the effect. The costume department sure didn’t have much else to do at that point. Also wondered what the hell when a lone ping-pong paddle was floating around the Chinese station. Huh? I understand you could probably have some fun with a ping-pong ball in zero G but the paddle? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/223 "2013-10-15T01:05:16Z")
I’m sure they had (will have) two paddles, in addition to balls. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/224 "2013-10-16T00:17:46Z")
Where did the Chinese crew go, and how? Their lifeboat was there for her to hijack. Anyway, a fukken’ great film. Bullock completely nailed the fear /despair / redemption character arc. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/225 "2013-10-16T01:23:31Z")
They took their own primary lifeboat, just as the ISS crew did. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/226 "2013-10-16T10:13:37Z")
The ISS crew left that Soyuz because it was damaged and would not survive reentry. But, are the “escape pods” still just two-seaters in real life? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/227 "2013-10-16T11:41:02Z")
Soyuz and Shenzhou can carry three. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/228 "2013-10-16T11:48:16Z")
Note: I am a nit-picky geek, but I will not allow myself to be distracted by evacuation protocols of a fictional Chinese space station. I will fan-wank it to say that it made sense to the mission designers to leave a re-entry vehicle docked even after a complete emergency evacuation was ordered. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/229 "2013-10-16T11:54:45Z")
That’s not a fan-wank, that’s exactly what it would be. There needs to be a backup descent vehicle there at all times in case a new crew’s ascent vehicle becomes unusable. That’s what they were looking for and found at the ISS, and it was only the unusability of _that_ that sent her on to the Chinese. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/230 "2013-10-16T14:11:45Z")
I enjoyed the movie, but it did I think suffer from slightly excessive cliff-hanging. By the end, it was pretty obvious that each stage of the adventure would involve a just-in-time salvation … I was half expecting her to be chased to shore by sharks, or, when she totters to her feet at the end, to find herself facing a hungry lion or an angry Taliban dude, and end up running for her life. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/231 "2013-10-16T14:17:35Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I enjoyed the movie, but it did I think suffer from slightly excessive cliff-hanging. By the end, it was pretty obvious that each stage of the adventure would involve a just-in-time salvation … I was half expecting her to be chased to shore by sharks, or, when she totters to her feet at the end, to find herself facing a hungry lion or an angry Taliban dude, and end up running for her life. 😉 I thought it would have been funny if, after going through all she went through, she died from a bee sting after getting to shore. (of course, I’m glad the writers didn’t do a silly thing like that, but the thought was good for a quick chuckle) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/232 "2013-10-16T14:45:46Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I enjoyed the movie, but it did I think suffer from slightly excessive cliff-hanging. By the end, it was pretty obvious that each stage of the adventure would involve a just-in-time salvation … I was half expecting her to be chased to shore by sharks, or, when she totters to her feet at the end, to find herself facing a hungry lion or an angry Taliban dude, and end up running for her life. 😉 Again, Cuaron was swinging for the fences - everything was geared towards a specific rhythm of crisis, despair, release, hope, etc., and he did whatever he felt he needed to do to hit that rhythm. It is a bit much, but that’s the roller coaster he was going for, right? I saw it again with the rest of the family who hadn’t seen it. It worked again. I really noticed the opening, 15-min single camera shot. Also, yes, her hair was not as affected by null gravity as it should have been, now that I looked for it - but for the loose-leaf manuals, I noticed that she kept her fingers on them or tucked them open under one of the belts strapping her in. I didn’t see a time they should’ve floated free, as near as I can tell. Score one for them. I can quibble on the margins, but overall, it is a well-crafted experience which feels different vs. other movies. I remain very interested in seeing what the reception of this movie will be in terms of US box office, Global Box Office, length of release and awards. It may simply translate to “successful Box Office and solid tech-related run of awards” but it feels like it could be more… ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/233 "2013-10-18T19:58:12Z")
> [@Rollo\_Tomasi](#): > > I actually agree with you about all of this. I didn’t mind the backstory and extra dialogue, and I understand why a major studio movie feels the need to have all that, but I would have loved to have seen an even leaner, tighter story, with only the action left to carry the movie. > > **Maserschmidt** , if you’re in the U.S., you should check out [_All is Lost_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2017038/) when it comes out in a few weeks. I haven’t seen it yet, but from what I understand, it’s just a one-character survival story, with no backstory, no three-act plot structure, only a few words of dialogue, etc. I’m really looking forward to it myself. I liked **Gravity** a lot, but I found _All Is Lost_ more poetic and moving. Next to _Nebraska_, my favorite film of the year. For those who complained that there wasn’t enough “plot” in the Cuaron, they’re going to hate the Chandor. But from a dialogue perspective, _Gravity_ is _My Dinner with Andre_ by comparison–from the first time we see Redford’s character, he barely says 10 words through the entire movie (and the movie is about 15 minutes longer). But I found it magnificent, and a lot of that has to do with Redford, who reminds you what a great actor he often was, though at his best, always a very quiet, reactive, recessive one. He carries the movie in a way that Bullock (as fine as she is) doesn’t. _Gravity_ has production values that I found jaw-dropping, truly remarkable. But _All Is Lost_ is more spare, lean, economical while still being visually stunning. Fewer cliff-hangers, but very similar in the procedural aspect of Survival Mode, all calibrated with impending doom vs. Cuaron’s heightened breakneck urgency. And much of that crisis and spiritual dread at ones own mortality is told by the landscape of Redford’s face, eyes, raw physicality. It’s a fantastic performance in a fantastic movie. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/234 "2013-10-19T03:20:55Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > but for the loose-leaf manuals, I noticed that she kept her fingers on them or tucked them open under one of the belts strapping her in. I didn’t see a time they should’ve floated free, as near as I can tell. Score one for them. Going to have to disagree there. You can tell simply by how the paper reacts to being moved that they didn’t even attempt to mimic 0-G conditions there. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/235 "2013-10-19T05:17:48Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Note: I am a nit-picky geek, but I will not allow myself to be distracted by evacuation protocols of a fictional Chinese space station. I would call their depiction of Tiangong _exaggerated_, not fictional. True, the real Tiangong is smaller than the Chinese space station they showed in the movie, but it’s not like the Chinese don’t have an actual space station or anything. EDIT: Unless you were talking about the fact that its orbit decayed. That **WAS** certainly fictional. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/236 "2013-10-19T14:58:40Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > As for her fetal position in the ISS, I don’t think that was meant to be symbolic in any way other than to show that she was utterly spent physically and emotionally and at that point just wanted to curl up and rest. There’s another piece of unreality in that scene, which I just realized. Real NASA astronauts don’t wear a T-shirt and shorts under their space suits. They wear a one-piece suit with long sleeves and legs. Pictures of these one-pieces usually show them as being all white. And under the one-piece, they wear … a diaper. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/237 "2013-10-19T16:46:57Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > Going to have to disagree there. You can tell simply by how the paper reacts to being moved that they didn’t even attempt to mimic 0-G conditions there. That’s fine and what you say makes sense; it didn’t take me out of the story. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/238 "2013-10-19T17:08:53Z")
Saw it last night and loved it. I was really skeptical about the 3D at first but I have to admit they did a stellar job on incorporating it. Yeah there are a few very unrealistic elements in it but c’mon it is a movie. A+ **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![sideshowkar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5e9695/32.png) [@sideshowkar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sideshowkar)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/239 "2013-10-19T20:52:43Z")
Has anyone else utilized a D-Box seat when watching this film? They’re seats that move and shake with the action on screen. It’s sort of gimmacky for other films (I saw the last Harry Potter this way and it was pointless fun), but it really, really complimented this film. It was non-stop floating and tugging and banging and shaking. It added a layer of physical intensity on top of the emotional intensity. Very cool. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950/240 "2013-10-19T21:33:37Z")
I saw it last week. Pay no attention to the dialogue and you’ll enjoy it. 😛 It has changed the way scifi will look, or should look. And if you see it, it HAS to be 3D, IMAX 3D is way better. When Sandra basically plagiarized Ellen Ripley, the guy behind me said, “Groan!” I laughed at that. Otherwise, there’s some funny as hell Clooney lines. “You want some vodka? No. Oh, okay. So anyway…” 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity-open-spoilers/657950.md?page=13)