Question: SPOILERS. We learn that when Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are driving across the bridge, the vault that they are dragging is empty. If this is so, why didn't they both just disconnect and run instead of Vin driving back and causing a huge pile-up? They had the money and dragging an empty vault didn't solve anything.
GalahadFairlight
20th Oct 2011
Fast Five (2011)
Answer: Along with putting a stop to Reyes and all the dirty cops, they needed everyone (including Hobbs) to believe that was the real safe, so they could get the actual safe somewhere secure to be able to open it and quietly divvy up and go their own ways.
13th Sep 2011
Jurassic Park (1993)
Question: What exactly was Dennis Nedry's plan overall? The shutting down of the command building's doors makes sense but shutting down all the park fences always struck me as a really pointless risk, especially considering he then proceeds to drive through the very areas he just disabled. Was he trying to create a distraction to cover his abrupt departure (in which case are we to infer he was actually willing to leave his boss, his colleagues and several visitors stranded with the dinosaurs?) or did he simply not have a safer means of smuggling the embryos off the island?
Answer: Twofold. He had to shut down the fences because they contained the exit gates so he could leave to get to the docks, presumably because he didn't have the time to override the individual doors as he happened upon them. Secondly, it also serves as a massive distraction so that he's highly unlikely to be chased by anyone from the park (Dinosaurs not withstanding!). He had to shut down security features on the island to access the embryos, to navigate through the park, and cause a distraction. All security ran on the same power. He was meant to only be gone for 5 minutes. That was what he had planned.
I agree with the above explanation. Also, Nedry needed the power off so as to not be seen on surveillance cameras.
27th Aug 2011
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Question: Did they give John Lithgow's character Alzheimer's disease in remembrance of Charlton Heston?
Chosen answer: No they most certainly did not. That wouldn't remotely be considered a particularly respectful homage! They picked Alzheimers because it's specifically a brain condition, which can then be explored in the movie as a plausible way of explaining the intelligence raising properties of the drug used.
8th Jul 2011
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Question: How did they clone pteranodons? Technically, they aren't dinosaurs. They are prehistoric birds.
Chosen answer: Irrelevant if they were birds or dinosaurs. Just the same as in the first movie, if a mosquito happened to have taken blood from one and been caught in amber, they can clone it.
6th Jul 2011
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Question: Optimus refers to two autobots called "wreckers". Are these two autobots Bulkhead and Wheeljack? There aren't mention by name, so I was wondering.
Chosen answer: No. In Dark of the Moon, the Wreckers are the three NASCAR Autobots. Their names are Roadbuster, Leadfoot and Topspin.
7th Apr 2011
Robocop (1987)
Question: I have two questions about this film. Firstly, was Clarence Boddicker killing cops simply cause he was crazy, or was he doing it under orders from Dick Jones (so he could get his ED-209's online faster)? And secondly, why was Clarence at the drug factory? I always assumed that he was purchasing drugs, but his conversation with the owner didn't mention this. Also it was a lot of money, and he never struck me as that much of a user. Any other reason?
Chosen answer: In part yes. By killing cops along the way, made more of a case for getting the ED-209's brought into service sooner. Clarence was at the drug factory to buy drugs, presumably to sell on for profit and fund his criminal activities.
Answer: Robocop asserts to Sgt. Reed during booking that Boddicker is a "Cop killer" so it's to be assumed he is a ruthless and notorious criminal. Clarence was at the drug factory to form an alliance and partnership with Sal. Clarence has the man power, executive protection and the sales organization to potentially triple Sal's distribution income. Clarence would receive the drugs at wholesale and Clarence would mark up prices.
25th Apr 2011
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Question: In the sniper scene, the terrorists quickly took out one of the mercenaries on the Barrett. However, when Sergeant Sanborn took the same position, the opposing sides didn't even take a shot and hardly retaliated. Is there any reason why this is so? Including the guys on the roof, the guy to the far right, and the guys in the window not trying to move positions either.
Answer: The problem for the sniper was once he'd taken his shot, he was now pretty exposed. He didn't have a lot of cover and it wouldn't have taken the Americans long to figure out where the shot came from, hence why the enemy snipers made no attempt to move.
17th Apr 2011
The Hangover (2009)
Question: Do we ever find out why the Chinese man in the trunk is naked? I understand that Stu claimed he was his lucky charm, but that doesn't explain why he was naked.
Chosen answer: Presumably being locked in the trunk/boot of a car in the sweltering heat might cause someone to get a tad warm whilst in said trunk/boot.
Answer: Ken Jeong just thought it would be funnier to jump out naked, so he did.
30th Mar 2011
Titanic (1997)
Question: Were Jack and Rose actually married? Because I saw the end and it had a clip of them in front of the Grand Staircase probably getting married.
4th Mar 2011
Tangled (2010)
Question: If Mothel Gothel could fly at the beginning of the film, even if her age was alternating, then why doesn't she use that magic ability of hers throughout the rest of film? It's obvious why she couldn't reveal her powers to Rapunzel, but why didn't she even fly at other times when Rapunzel wasn't in her presence, including the scene when she realizes Rapunzel is no longer in the tower? Since the lack of Rapunzel's answer indicated to Gothel she was gone, couldn't she have flown up to the top of the tower to check through the window, instead of having to climb the stairs?
Answer: She didn't know for a fact that Rapunzel wasn't in the tower until she investigated for herself, hence why she went to the trouble of pulling the rubble from the hidden doorway and entering through the floor. What if Rapunzel was simply asleep or injured, if she flew up to the window and Rapunzel saw her, she'd have lots of awkward questions to answer, and she has jealously guarded Rapunzel to stay young for nearly 20 years, she's not going to risk a mistake.
3rd Mar 2011
War of the Worlds (2005)
Question: Can you ever see inside the tripod?
Chosen answer: No, the closest we ever get to see is at the end when a hatch opens up and one of the aliens slips out of the hatch.
27th Jan 2011
The Terminator (1984)
Question: How did the Terminator manage to find a hotel room already equipped with surgical tools and bandages? Doesn't seem like he set it up with supplies earlier since the first we see is him breaking in via the fire escape.
Answer: He isn't breaking in via the fire escape, hes just using it as a means of coming and going without being seen by the hotel staff, so at any point during the movie, he could have equipped himself with those tools. It is not necessary for a movie to show every intervening action onscreen.
27th Jan 2011
Aliens (1986)
Question: This has been an endless point of debate among my friends and I; how sensible is the placing of the pulse rifle's ammo counter? It seems to me that it'd be very problematic since, if the operator were right handed, they'd have to turn the weapon on its side to read how many bullets they had left.
Answer: A digital ammo counter, like the ammo indicators on magazines, wouldn't be useful in the heat of battle. However, it would be very useful while not in battle. For example, with a real firearm, you would need to remove the magazine to check how many rounds remained in it. With a digital display, you could simply look. The larger issue, of course, is that with a display on the gun, your enemy would also know how many rounds you had left.
If you had the counter on the top of the weapon facing you, you could immediately see how many rounds you had left and the enemy could only see it if he were behind you.
Answer: Yes you're right, the ammo counter is badly placed, but then again a seasoned marine wouldn't need to rely on it in the first place as they'd know through experience when they are about to run out.
Answer: In all honesty you really wouldn't need an ammo counter. Either you shoot until the weapon runs dry and then you have to reload or you shoot until the threat is gone in which case you would do a "tactical reload" where you remove the partial mag and insert a fresh mag to ensure you have max ammo again for the next firefight.
That is, if you have another mag to do a tactical reload with. Real life is not like in videogames where you reload and only count bullets, you gotta have magazines.
25th Jan 2011
The A-Team (2010)
Question: Can a helicopter do barrel rolls and loop-de-loops like Murdock is doing after the A-team leaves the hospital and are being chased to the US border by Tuco?
Answer: They can, but only if they have a set of modified rotor blades to be able to do it. The Apache for one is able to do it. The Huey in the movie however is unlikely in reality to be able to do it - there would be no need to fit the modified rotors to what is essentially a transporter.
10th Aug 2010
General questions
I'm looking for the title of a movie I saw on TV in the mid-90s, which must have been produced in the late 80s or early 90s. The film is set in California and is about a man who rescues a woman who is being pursued by some kind of cult (satanic I think). In one scene the man has a strange encounter in an occult bookshop. The twist is that the woman is in fact a member of the cult and the man is the sacrifice; the cult's ritual requires that the sacrifice arrives at the sacrifice site voluntarily, which the man does thinking he is helping the woman. In the final scene, the woman approaches another man for help, and the cycle is about to repeat itself. Does anyone know this movie?
Chosen answer: Sounds like Spellbinder to me starring Kelly Preston http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096152/.
29th Jul 2010
Starship Troopers (1997)
Question: During the attack on Klendathu when the fleet is bombarded by the plasma bugs, you can see a plasma burst impact the bridge of the Roger Young and kill everyone in it, Carmen included. But later the fleet regroups to repair and the ship arrives with everyone safe and alive. What's with that?
Chosen answer: It doesn't kill everyone on the bridge, it just destroys a lot of it, and presumably the ship has the ability to seal hull breaches so everyone doesn't get sucked out.
24th Jul 2010
Predators (2010)
Question: Does Hanzo have the katana with him from the beginning? My brother thinks he picked it up in Nolan's hideout, but I'm pretty sure a Yakuza would know how to conceal a katana, and in any case, it just makes more sense that way. Which of us is right?
Answer: Your brother is correct, he picked it up at Noland's hideout.
Answer: When he found it in Nolen's hideout, he noticed how old the sword was and therefore made the comment about the Predators doing this for a very long time.
19th Jun 2010
The A-Team (2010)
Question: I know the storyline is not the most important part of this film, but why is Face making the final plan for the climax at the LA harbour and not Hannibal?
Answer: Throughout the movie, Face has shown to be impulsive, and constantly deviating away from Hannibal's plan, in fact Face several times screws up because he hasn't followed the plan. Come the end of the movie however, and Face proves to Hannibal that he can tone down the impulsiveness, come up with a plan, stick to it, and see success, and Hannibal's comment to Face after he makes that plan are along the lines of "Good work kid".
13th Jun 2010
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Question: What causes the change in the condition of Vader's helmet in the final battle? When he's taunting Luke it's at its normal mirror clean finish yet right after his hand is cut off it's all dusty and scuffed.
Answer: The fight is quite protracted, and several times during the fight, lightsabres are cutting through materials, which logically would cause the dust you describe on Vader.
1st Jun 2010
Hot Shots Part Deux (1993)
Question: In the Thailand fight scene, the Thai fighter makes a big move and does a flying kick towards Topper, but Topper just looks at him and he stops just before connecting and falls to the floor. Is this from a specific movie?
Chosen answer: The whole fight scene in Thailand is supposed to be a homage to Rambo: First Blood Part Two, and the fighter falling is just typical ZAZ humour.
Not Rambo: First Blood II, but Rambo III.
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Chosen answer: Dom wanted Reyes dead, the only way that was going to happen was for the chase to be concluded, and for both Dom and Brian to be caught up by the Police who were in Reyes' pocket. Reyes naturally would think he was safe going near Dom and Brian because of the Police presence.
GalahadFairlight