# Movie scenes that defy logic **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203 "2003-02-15T02:37:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/41 "2003-02-15T20:25:25Z")
How about _West Side Story_? You’ve got the hero running through the streets of east New York, shouting “Maria! Maria!”… … and only one woman opens her window. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/42 "2003-02-15T20:43:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AcidKid \* > \*\*OTOH, wouldn’t you want to let a fugitive into a secure building so you’d know where he was and could lock him in? \*\* I can buy that, but it doesn’t appear to be the case considering nobody seems to know he’s there until he’s already been hanging around the the bathing buddies for a few minutes. No Silent Alarm and it even gets you into the senative areas. Of course, this leads to a few other problems with the movie. 1. Said bathing buddy physics can easily be flushed into the sewer by pulling a nearby lever. Smart, consider Pre-crime needs all three to function. 2. Even after anderton’s been placed in stasis, his code still hasn’t been changed or canceled. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/43 "2003-02-15T22:10:22Z")
I always found it completely illogical that superheroes could so easily keep their identities a secret. For example, how come the Commissioner never put it together that Bruce Wayne was Batman? He’s talked to both on the phone, and seen both up close; but apparently a half-mask to cover the top portion of his face is enough to maintain secrecy. Or Robin, he just wore that little racoon mask. Heck even Superman. He took off his glasses and reparted his hair and not even Lois Lane figured it out. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/44 "2003-02-15T22:28:23Z")
Yeah, and Robocop never gets shot in the chin. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/45 "2003-02-15T22:29:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Greywolf73 \* > The boy fires the gun and of course, misses. That’d be fine except for the fact that two seconds later the father tells the son to try again. To _aim and fire at the same squirrel on the log_! The boy fires again and this time hits the poor squirrel. > Umm…unless that was an incredibly stupid squirrel I seriously doubt that it was still sitting there calmly waiting to be shot at again. 😕 I can assure you that jackrabbits will freeze and let you take multiple shots at them. This occurs a lot if they think they are a long enough distance off and thus thinking that the staying still strategy would work. Don’t know at what range a squirrel will freeze or run. ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/46 "2003-02-15T22:31:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by soulmurk \* > \*\*I always found it completely illogical that superheroes could so easily keep their identities a secret. > \*\* That’s not really bad Movie logic as it is bad Comic Book logic. Of course in the Superman movies there’s more to the Clark Kent/Superman change that whipping off the glasses and changing his hair. His posture and the tone of this voice change as well, but I do see your point. As for Batman though, do you think you could recgonize someone based only on their mouth and chin? Of course, the voice would be a giveaway. Once can assume that if handled somewhat logically, Batman would change the tone of his voice or use a voice modulator. Of course, it amazes me that nobody notices when a hero changes into his costume in public, such as Peter Parker durinf the big unity fair (Or whatever it was.) when he does his Superman rip-off routine opening his shirt to reveal the Spidey outfit underneath. Cute trick, but you telling me everyone was looking the other way? What about the old Incredible Hulk series. Bill Bixby walks into a closet, the Hulk comes crashing out and no one notices a connection? Not even when Bill comed staggering out of nowhere with no shirt and his pants ripped? ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/47 "2003-02-15T23:00:51Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Fibber McGee_ > As for Batman though, do you think you could recognize someone based only on their mouth and chin? Don’t forget the eyes… But, level of familiarity would obviously make a huge difference as far as being able to identify them. Someone as famous and publicly visible as Bruce Wayne should have been easily picked out. Should Bill Gates (the first and most convenient contemporary to Bruce Wayne [if not hilarious to imagine in a superhero costume] to come to mind) don a Batman-esque costume, I dare say I’d be able to recognize him by those features, regardless of whether he spoke or not. If I was as familiar with him as the Commish was to Wayne/Batty, I can’t imagine being so dense as to not make the connection. You’re right though, I suppose it is not bad movie logic so much as bad comic book logic. Drives me to drink though 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/48 "2003-02-15T23:02:21Z")
From the makers of **Independance Day** (already mentioned), there is the movie **Stargate**. In that one, the bad guys had a weapon that was a stick that you would point at someone, then it would light up, and make sparks and what-have-you, eventually firing some kind of energy bolt at the victim. So, basically, to use this weapon you would pull the trigger, and about ten seconds later it would shoot. Not once did an intended victim think it might be a good idea to duck, or step to one side, or run away, or anything. They would all just obligingly freeze in terror so they could be shot by this lame weapon. Hell, they had time to run up and grab the stick for themselves before it would fire. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/49 "2003-02-15T23:10:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ftg \* > \*\*I can assure you that jackrabbits will freeze and let you take multiple shots at them. This occurs a lot if they think they are a long enough distance off and thus thinking that the staying still strategy would work. Don’t know at what range a squirrel will freeze or run. \*\* My brother is a hunter and he told me that while on a hunting trip with some buddies one of them saw three deer standing more or less together. He shot one of them and after it fell the other two just stood there. He waited a while, trying to see if the one he’d shot was dead, then shot one of the others. The third one _still didn’t run away_. I can’t remember whether he tried to shoot the third one too, or just yelled at it until it left. ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/50 "2003-02-15T23:11:41Z")
With as much money as Bill Gates has, if he wanted to fight crime I’m sure he could hire some people to do it for him. OR at least get people to think he did. Remember, in the Marvel Universe most people believe Iron Man is an employee of Tony Stark (Who is actually much more Gates-like than Wayne.) and with the full-body armor he wears, who’s to say otherwise? ---
**Author:** ![Phoenix\_Dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Phoenix\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phoenix_Dragon)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/51 "2003-02-16T00:17:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HPL \* > \*\*2. People who continually rack/pump the slides on said guns to be menacing, but actually reveal to some of us that said guns aren’t actually loaded because nothing is ejecting when they should. (instead of racking/pumping, just hit him with it if you’re not being taken seriously). \*\* On the other hand, that makes it incredibly gratifying when done right. There’s a scene in Snatch, where a character fires a shot with a shotgun, then tries to intimidate a person by pumping his shotgun. Doesn’t work, and in a near-panic, pumps the shotgun again, upon which you see a un-fired shotgun round pop out of the breach and clatter on the floor. I thought it was a really cool touch, and showed how unprofessional these characters were 🙂 > [@](#): > > \*\*…speaking of going through space without a helmet. > In 2001, astronaut Dave Bowman is exposed to outer space for at least ten seconds with no ill effects. > > But in De Palma’s Mission to Mars, exposure to outer space proves to be immediately lethal, with one of the characters “crystallizing” before our eyes. > > Both scenes can’t be right. Right?\*\* 2001 has it _mostly_ right. Barring trauma from explosive decompression, your most likely cause of death in a vacuum is asphyxiation. You definatly would _not_ instantly freeze; Vacuum is an insulator. In fact, it would take days for a person to freeze in the vacuum of space, because the only way to loose heat is to slowly radiate energy away, instead of having other material such as air absorbing heat (Though that would be after their fluids boiled off, very slowly, leaving a dry, super-chilled and extremely fragile husk). That is, if I’m remembering the long-term details right, could be wrong on some of the final effects. However, 2001 is definatly right in that a person would not suffer immediate effects, and could opperate for as much as a minute or so. On the other hand, people have already pointed out that you don’t want to hold your breath when doing this! Serious lung/throat damage if you explosively decompress, and possibly bends. Now, for my additions… My friend just rented Formula 51, so I think I’ll put some bits from that (Could do Armagedon, but the whole movie defies logic, so pointing out individual scenes is somewhat pointless). The first, big one, is about the character that got shot in the ass, by a 5.56mm rifle at relatively short (\<100 meter) range. Okay, let’s assume it hit shallowly enough that it didn’t have time to spall significantly, nor for significant fragmentation inside him; make it a simple wound. The guy limps through the next scene, which is running to the car, then is fine. I’ve had a friend shot in the ass, and I can assure you it’s nothing like that. He hobbled for a few seconds before having to lay down. Now, sure, adrenaline can keep you going a good while, but to make it worse, the guy has no problems sitting down for the rest of the movie. I _know_ that isn’t right! My friend couldn’t sit for a week or two, and he was shot with a much weaker round. The 90-some second laxative is pretty unreasonable, but the worst has to be the 90-some second blow-the-guy-up chemical that the main character sneaks into a drink. There is simply no way to create a chemical reaction so strong from such a small ammount of added chemicals (And apparently, ones he couldn’t notice!), to cause that much of an explosion. And if it was enough of an explosion to completely liquify the guy (There was nothing solid left appart from a few little chunks), it would have killed everyone in there, and created enough over-pressure to blow out those nice big windows. And that’s not even half of it… ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/52 "2003-02-16T00:41:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*[li]Radiation – any at all, even presuming cosmic and background radiation – causes the aliens’ atmosphere to explode.[/li][/list] \*\* I can’t recall how they explained it in the movie, but in the book the gas the Psychlos breathe reacts explosively with the element uranium, not radiation. A small amount (i.e. a few molecules floating in the air) would not cause an explosion, but visible flashes of light when they came in contact with the air. Psychlos were trained to keep an eye out for those flashes and get the hell away when they first notice them, which is why they didn’t find the humans who lived in the mountains where the uranium mines used to be. Silly, but made a bit more sense than the movie. It’s actually a pretty entertaining read if you don’t expect much. Also helps to be about 15. ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/53 "2003-02-16T02:04:59Z")
In the movie **X-Men** the Wolverine is depicted as having these incredibly razor-sharp claws so sharp that they can slice through steel like a hot knife through butter, yet twice he’s shown using them to slow his momentum by stabbing into the Statue of Liberty. Technically, shouldn’t that be about as effective as trying to slow a slide down a mountain of Velveeta by stabbing into it with a knitting needle. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/54 "2003-02-16T02:50:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wendell Wagner \* > \*\*SadTomato writes: > > \> . . . went through an airlock without a space helmet . . . > > This is possible. It would take about a minute of exposure to vacuum to kill someone. Clarke and Kubrick researched this and made sure that a person could endure a few seconds of exposure to vacuum before shooting that scene. The only unrealistic thing is that the astronaut holds his breath, which would not be a good idea. \*\* Minor nitpick. This is a long term theme of Clarke’s which he used in a story “Take a Deep Breath” from 1957. The program from the roadshow version of 2001, when it first came out, had a little enclosure about this also. I have it floating around somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Donut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19adc/32.png) [@Donut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donut)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/55 "2003-02-16T03:00:27Z")
> [@](#): > > For example, how come the Commissioner never put it together that Bruce Wayne was Batman? He’s talked to both on the phone, and seen both up close; but apparently a half-mask to cover the top portion of his face is enough to maintain secrecy. While it’s been a while since I read any Batman comics, I’m pretty sure Commisioner Gordon did know who Batman was. I think maybe he didn’t in the movies (and I know he didn’t in the TV show) though. Point taken about secret identities, in any case. One of the reasons I always liked Daredevil, everybody seemed to know who he was. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/56 "2003-02-16T04:00:10Z")
For Independence Day - no lack of logic, the aliens were clearly using Macs. After all, Jobs has to be selling them somewhere. 🙂 My favorite is the end of Armageddon. They have to blow up the asteroid, which is spinning, at just the right time so that the pieces miss the Earth. So what happens - Bruce Willis makes a speech. No timing at all. Lots of other ones for this movie are in the Bad Astronomer section. I saw it at the dentist - the movie hurt worse than my root canal. ---
**Author:** ![TheOnlySaneOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@TheOnlySaneOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOnlySaneOne)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/57 "2003-02-16T06:16:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Inky- \* > \*\*In the movie **X-Men** the Wolverine is depicted as having these incredibly razor-sharp claws so sharp that they can slice through steel like a hot knife through butter, yet twice he’s shown using them to slow his momentum by stabbing into the Statue of Liberty. Technically, shouldn’t that be about as effective as trying to slow a slide down a mountain of Velveeta by stabbing into it with a knitting needle. \*\* Yeah, well, that’s easily explained by the fact the…thing…with the…metal dealy and… Shut up! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/58 "2003-02-16T06:49:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Inky- \* > \*\*In the movie **X-Men** the Wolverine is depicted as having these incredibly razor-sharp claws so sharp that they can slice through steel like a hot knife through butter, yet twice he’s shown using them to slow his momentum by stabbing into the Statue of Liberty. Technically, shouldn’t that be about as effective as trying to slow a slide down a mountain of Velveeta by stabbing into it with a knitting needle. \*\* Not to defend the movie, but I’m guessing steel could have enough resistance that, while a small bar might be able to be chopped pretty easily, hundreds of feet of it would impart enough friction to slow him down. ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/59 "2003-02-16T07:04:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SenorBeef \* > \*\*Not to defend the movie, but I’m guessing steel could have enough resistance that, while a small bar might be able to be chopped pretty easily, hundreds of feet of it would impart enough friction to slow him down. \*\* Yeah, fair enough, but the Statue of Liberty’s skin is made of four inches of hammered Copper on a wrought iron frame – atomically dense, yet pretty soft as metal goes. I suspect that TheOnlySaneOne has the right idea… ---
**Author:** ![sciguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203/60 "2003-02-16T09:14:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mothchunks \* > \*\*any scene where Batman is falling an incredible distance, but is saved by the bat-rope at the last second and his spine doesn’t snap like a twig. \*\* Bah, Batman has it easy. Superman catches people as they’re falling down, and **he’s flying up** , and they’re perfectally all right. And another Independence Day nitpick: for the final scene, the heroic Air Force is fighting the giant alien ship (10 or 15 mile diameter, right?) which is poised to fire it’s Main Weapon into Area 51. Since the weapon is directly in the center of the dish, how did the ship manage to miss the entire facility when Clark Griswald’s cousin Eddie kamikaze-ed it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-that-defy-logic/155203.md?page=4)