Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Question: Why did Jack and Max try to kill Mason's son Sonny? They have their masks on and there's no way that Sonny would have identified them.

adamtrainman@aol.com

Answer: He survived the first attempt of his family's murder. There's no telling what he saw or heard. As for the masks, the bad guys were taking no chances, security cameras, cell phones and the unexpected eyewitness.

Question: Why don't they just abandon the place and go to somewhere safer?

Answer: It's a world-wide invasion. There really isn't much of a safer place. And being close to where civilization was is how they are able to keep resources and supplies for their needs. The more remote they go, the harder it will be for them to survive, much less quietly.

Quantom X

Question: How did Santa, Anya, Donner and Blitzen get to the North Pole if they passed out?

Answer: They were magically transported there.

Question: How did IOI figure out how to get the first key? I doubt Wade or his friends sent them an email telling them how to do it.

Answer: They all witnessed Percival and his friends do the race backwards, they just copied the act. Eventually everyone knew how to do it.

lionhead

Answer: Actually, they never got the first key. They even talked about that they didn't need to since Parzival found it. If they did start getting the keys, they would appear on the leader boards also. So only the High Five found it.

Quantom X

Actually they did need to get the key. The second key can only be acquired by someone who has received the first, and the same thing with the third key. Also, the High Five is simply referring to the first five to actually make it onto the leader-board. The simple fact is that once the secret was discovered, it was only a matter of time before it was general knowledge for everyone to do.

Garlonuss

Question: Where does all the power for monitors and lights come from? I assume power is down, a diesel aggregate would be too loud and hydropower too weak. Solar cells?

Answer: While it's never directly addressed, one can see solar panels on the roof of the farm buildings at several points in the film.

There could also be wind generators (not seen).

raywest

While in theory there could be wind generators, I find this unlikely since they tend to make noise. The creatures would have attacked them pretty quickly.

Garlonuss

Question: Why do the toys not want people to know they're alive?

Answer: Because they are supposed to play out the part of a toy, that's their purpose. They want to be there for a child as a toy.

lionhead

Ok, but what are they afraid might happen if people knew they were alive?

I don't really know how you want to look at this but if you look at it realistically I think it's quite obvious what they are afraid of. If it became publicly know that every toy ever made, including all teddy bears, remotely controlled cars and even etch-a-sketches are sentient, then you could probably expect a reaction comparable to that of Sid. Fear and panic.

lionhead

Also, wouldn't toys risk being experimented on, imprisoned, or destroyed if they revealed to humans that they were alive?

Exactly what happened to Sid. He found out and freaked out.

Answer: They're not necessarily afraid, it's just part of being a toy. Woody even mentions "breaking rules" when they move in front of Sid. They may just accept that it's something they're not supposed to do.

But they did reveal themselves to animals like Scud and Buster though.

Trainman

How are dogs going to tell anyone? Besides, they don't care since they are animals.

Answer: I think it's safe to assume that, unless a toy makes a conscious decision to reveal their true nature, they automatically default to inanimate toy mode. Otherwise, Buzz would have easily revealed himself within the first hour after Andy got him. With that in mind, since it's apparently something they have to work to do, I would propose that it's not that they have a reason not to want anyone to know their true nature, but that they have to have a real reason to reveal it in order to do so, like Woody had to save Buzz.

Garlonuss

But Buzz could just as easily make the conscious decision to move whilst Andy was there, he thought he was the real Buzz lightyear after all, and not a toy. Then again, in the plot it's kinda stupid Buzz doesn't think he's a toy even though Andy plays with him. But if Woody can move whilst a human is in the room, then any toy can do that. Therefore, it's a decision not to do so. Buzz most likely got asked by the other toys to play the part and he obliged since he needed them till his ship was fixed, but still.

lionhead

I said it appears they have to make a conscious decision to reveal their nature. Buzz not knowing his true nature makes that kind of impossible for him so he reverts to toy mode when Andy's around. Probably without even being aware of it.

Garlonuss

That's a possibility. But then the question arises how the other toys became self-aware and why they are self-aware in the first place. It appears this is the first time they meet a toy that doesn't know he's a toy. On one side you have toys that are aware they are a toy and want to play by its rules and on the other hand you havee toys that don't believe they are one but magically never reveal their sentience.

lionhead

Who said this was the first time this has happened? For all we know, Woody could've thought he was a real cowboy before realizing he's a toy. We just don't see his or any of the other toys' backstories.

You can tell by Woody's surprise, that it takes so long to realise Buzz actually thinks he is really a space ranger. Again, all the other toys know they are toys and worry about toy things.

lionhead

Yet Buzz could also believe he's on a secret mission from Star Command, hence why he freezes. He didn't even believe he was a real toy at this point. Not a plot hole and not confusing. Also, toys can somehow "sense" when people are nearby and only move if either A), there's no people around or B), nobody's looking. Notice how all the toys go back to "toy form" any time this happens? They're very careful, not stupid.

Also a possibility, sure. Just to be clear; I'm not against the idea and thought process behind the plot. It's just a animated movie for kids. I just like to argue.

lionhead

Answer: I questioned this to myself; even at Pizza Planet, before Buzz learns he's a toy, he gets picked up by Sid in the claw machine and turns back into an inanimate object which means by some sort of unconscious decision he becomes a toy again.

Question: Emerson sells off his toxic assets in time, destroying his career. Why is he the only one that ruins his career?

Answer: He is just the only one shown doing so. Everyone in the "Fire Sale" room, is basically done for and they know it. the company will keep the best of the best (or those critical to the company's ability to function) and lay off the rest.

oldbaldyone

Question: Couldn't WCKD send armed troops to kill/capture Thomas (and the others) since he's so dangerous to them (before their tags got removed)? It's not like they don't know where he is as they could get the drone to follow him and show his whereabouts on their map.

Answer: Yes, they could have, but they didn't. Why? Go ask the movie director.

Bunch Son

Question: Thomas knew about being tagged. Why didn't he (and the others) have it removed earlier? It didn't appear to be that delicate or complicated a procedure to have it removed. Am I missing something?

Answer: They were too busy to have it removed.

Bunch Son

Question: Where does Hans get the Post-it note at the end to put on the tape recorder?

Answer: Billy brought an odd selection of items with him, including labels for the guns. It wouldn't be surprising for him to have also brought Post-It notes. Hans could have easily taken one so he could leave the tape for Marty.

Question: Who was the hooded person who shot at the women with the shotgun?

Answer: Florentino, the Mexican member of the Cowboys played by Paul Ben-Victor. Earlier a brief close up of him is seen as he is stalking the Earps and, though only seen briefly as he shoots at the women, his mustache is quite easily recognizable if you pause the movie.

BaconIsMyBFF

Answer: Ali and her family are very well off and are from a nicer part of town. Reseda is a lower income area. It's a typical "wrong side of the tracks" situation. Ali's parents would be happier if their daughter dated someone more well off. The theme of "never judge a book by the cover" permeates throughout the film and this is one of several examples. Daniel is a kind, caring, honorable young man and where he lives has nothing at all to do with his character. Johnny, who Ali's parents are more approving of because of his social status, is controlling, manipulative, petulant, and violent.

BaconIsMyBFF

Answer: Ali's family is well off living in an affluent neighborhood, while Reseda is a lower income level section of town. Her parents are judging Daniel based on where he lives, and don't want their daughter going out with a person they feel is socially "under them."

jimba

Answer: She wasn't exactly fond of the fact when she learned the truth. Telling her before then could ruin Satan's plan, i.e. the revelation could cause her to commit suicide years before the ordained time or she could flee to where they may never find her.

Phaneron

Question: What happened to Beth's boyfriend? Was he too on Krampus' naughty list?

Answer: Since it's never shown, it's only speculation that if he lost his Christmas spirit, he was killed. If not, he's alive.

Answer: Since Denise is never seen or heard by any of the other characters; since Phoebe abruptly stops mentioning her immediately after this episode; and since Phoebe is, to put it gently, a little weird, I think we can safely assume that yes, Denise was made up.

However Phoebe is also known to come out with random things that seem impossible but is true.

Ssiscool

I'd say that Denise being made up is a fair assumption, as Rachel lived with Phoebe long enough to the point where there was no issue with this mystery person returning.

Question: When Mantis keeps the wolf from firing the weapon, he shouts, "Fear the bug!" Is it some kind of a parody?

Bunch Son

Chosen answer: No, it is merely a joke about the size of Mantis and his surprising fighting prowess. "Fear the..." is a somewhat common joke. For example, the University of Maryland uses the unofficial slogan "Fear the turtle!"; the Milwaukee Bucks use the slogan "Fear the deer", etc.

BaconIsMyBFF

Answer: The Hormones are playing at Ross and Emily's wedding.

Super Grover

Answer: 1971 Plymouth Satellite hardtop. You can see the Satellite's blue/white/red flag emblem on the grill.

Bishop73

Question: The opening scene, as well as several others, shows Kaiju skeletons lying on the beach. In the first film, Kaiju bone power was $500 an ounce, used as a aphrodisiac. If that is the case, why is there 10s of millions of dollars just lying on the beach deteriorating?

Answer: The film never addresses this, and in fact the kaiju black market is never even mentioned. Any answer would be speculation. You could argue that it has been a decade since the events of the previous film and in that time the kaiju black market could have collapsed for any number of reasons (lack of demand, procurement costs, government regulation, etc). We must also consider that the writers were not concerned with consistency between this film and the previous film. Since Hannibal Chau does not appear in this film, nor is he mentioned, the idea of a lucrative kaiju black market appears to have been dropped. Since this film focuses instead on a jaeger black market, it might have been a conscious decision by the film-makers to ignore Hannibal Chau in this film to avoid confusing new viewers who didn't see the original film.

BaconIsMyBFF

Answer: What happened to Syndrome happened high in the air, Elastigirl mentions she can't see whats going on and panics. They never actually see what Jack-Jack is doing and think Syndrome is hurting him.

lionhead

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