Best adventure movie questions of all time

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The Day After Tomorrow picture

Question: Why would Sam and his friends go to the library?

Answer: Possibly because it was the closest building with height to it as they are about to be hit by a gigantic wave of water. There was no snow yet, so I don't believe burning books or snow was on anybody's mind yet. It turned out to be a great idea as snow soon starts to fall and those books were literally a life saver.

Susan D. Santos

Answer: It was the closest building they could access. While the smarter move would have been to just go back to JD's apartment (which Brian and Laura suggest) it may have been too far a walk to get out of the flooding streets.

Answer: Big building with lots of space and lots of books to burn for heat.

Ssiscool

Why did they burn the books and not the wooden shelves that the books were on?

As for burning books rather than shelves, it was just easier. They would have had to expend more energy to break down the shelves into manageable size.

They burn books instead of the wooden shelves because burning books is a quicker and more efficient way to generate heat in a desperate situation, as the paper readily catches fire and produces a substantial amount of heat compared to solid wood, which might take longer to burn properly.

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The Neverending Story picture

Question: After Atreyu passes the first gate, soon then after is a scene with Falcor and [forgotten the little man's name] is stabbing Falcor with what looks like a cross between a jackhammer and a giant hypodermic needle. What's that all about?

Answer: That's actually Urgl, Engywwok's wife. She is giving Falcor a vitamin injection while she is nursing him back from his exhaustion.

Twotall

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War of the Worlds picture

Question: Is there any indication as to where the aliens come from and what exactly they want?

MovieBuff09

Chosen answer: In the original George Pal version they were Martians and the reasoning for what they were doing was never explained. In this version, it's never explained where they come from, but their mission is simple, to eradicate human life from Earth, and use our bodies to fertilise the planet, probably so that they can colonise the planet for themselves.

GalahadFairlight

If it was to eradicate us they could have done that millions of years back, why now, so that doesn't add up.

You want to grow the substance (people) that grows your food source before using it. If they waited too much longer, they'd have a harder time because we'd have the technology to fight them back.

The reason which was apparently provided by Wells was that Mars was dying by lack of natural resources and that Martians needed a new home and food source.

They were waiting until the population grew large enough to sustain terraforming efforts. As they used our bodily fluids seemingly as a primary material for their terraforming.

It's an assumption that they could have eradicated us millions of years ago (which by the way would be long before we even existed). Maybe they didn't have the ability to transport themselves, only the machines. Maybe the original aliens all died. Lots of other options why they couldn't have done it.

They probably needed to wait for us to produce enough humans to use as fertilizer. Doesn't make sense to try to use several million bodies as fertilizer back then vs now with billions of people.

Answer: Maybe they were waiting for us to get up to a very high number in population. Before, we didn't have over 7 billion people in the world. More people, more food.

Answer: All versions of "War of the Worlds" are based on the novel of the same name written by H.G. Wells and published in 1897. Wells explained that the aliens are from the planet Mars, and they came to Earth for the natural resources.

Charles Austin Miller

But that still doesn't answer why did they wait till then to attack when they could have done it years ago with less resistance. The natural resources were still here.

Perhaps the Martians considered the technological advances of Mankind as "resources," also. The prologue states that the Martians had been observing humanity on Earth for a long time before they chose to attack. Why? Possibly observing our advances in engineering (dam building, for one example, mining for another). It could be viewed that the Martians allowed us to perform the hard work of making natural resources more accessible and consolidating those resources. Personally, I always thought the Martians intended to come exploit the fruits of our labor, allowing us to advance as far as we could without becoming a physical threat to them. If the Martians had waited a few decades more, they could be dealing with a technologically-dangerous human species.

Charles Austin Miller

Maybe they were still building the tripods, and when they finished, they would bury them in the ground. Then wait for the Earth's population to grow.

Answer: The alien homeland is never described in the film, but is described in the script as a lifeless, barren place, unfit for life.

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A.I. Artificial Intelligence picture

Question: Why did Teddy growl in the helicopter when the trio arrived at Manhattan?

Bunch

Chosen answer: It was dangerous for Mecha to go there; he was afraid for David's safety.

David R Turner

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Chosen answer: He "searched his feelings" as Vader instructed; he reached out with the Force and felt the truth of the statement.

Phixius

Answer: The vision Luke sees in the cave on Dagobah is a clue to this. Luke is realizing he has a lot more in common with Darth Vader than the idealized father he'd always imagined. When Vader tells him he's his father, Luke doesn't want to believe it, but he simply can't deny that it feels much more true that his father would be someone passionate and reckless like himself rather than someone who exemplifies a noble Jedi, which feels like an obvious myth in hindsight.

TonyPH

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Gladiator picture

Question: I don't know whether this is a mistake or if there was a certain reason for it but, at the end of the movie when Maximus tells Quintus to free his men, Quintus turns to the line of guards standing behind him and says, "Free the prisoners, go!" Two of the guards standing next to each other immediately go to free the prisoners, and the rest of the guards don't budge. How did those two guards know that the orders were given directly to them?

dan coakley..

Chosen answer: Because they would be the ranking soldiers, and accustomed to being given orders. Being disciplined, they would obey Quintus without question. The legions would necessarily have soldiers assigned to following orders at different times, similar to how a captain would give an order to a full room, and the first mate would be the one to carry out the order.

rswarrior

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Answer: Jill Mullan.

Donald Jenkins

Answer: Haviland Morris.

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The Wizard of Oz picture

Question: It is implied strongly in this movie that water makes witches melt, and this is spoofed in other media. I've only ever seen this referenced to wicked witches. Does water make good witches, such as Glinda, melt too?

Answer: In all likelihood, probably not. Water is often depicted and represents purity, and cleansing. It flows smoothly, is beautiful, clear, and responsible for life on Earth. Everything the Wicked Witch is not. Where as the good Witch is pure and of a true heart. So it makes sense that something so evil and impure as the evil witch would be effected by the purest substance there is, yet not harm the good witch because she is good.

Quantom X

Answer: In the original book, water caused the wicked witches to melt away because they were so old and shriveled that all the fluid in their bodies had long since dried away. Meanwhile, the film Oz: The Great and Powerful instead implies that the Wicked Witch of the West is weak against water due to being a fire-elemental witch, which could also be the case for this incarnation, meaning it wouldn't apply to other witches like Glinda (whose element in both films appears to be ice) or even the Wicked Witch of the East (whose powers are never shown in this film, but were electricity-based in Oz the Great and Powerful).

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Van Helsing picture

Question: In the beginning of the film, where Dracula is talking to Viktor vonFrankenstein, he slams the chest shut and begins yelling at him. Before this, Viktor was looking over his shoulder and his attention immediately snaps back to Dracula, but he then turns once more to look behind him before staring at Dracula again, can someone explain why he looks over his shoulder a second time?

Answer: During their conversation Dracula is able to move around the room without Viktor noticing it. Then Dracula is standing on top of the fireplace behind Viktor, that's why he turns his head the first time. When Dracula suddenly slams the chest Viktor is surprised to see Dracula suddenly standing in front of him so he instinctively turn his head to look at the fireplace to believe his own eyes.

Mortug

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Ferdinand picture

Question: Ferdinand had his name since birth when he is being raised at the bull camp. But he is later adopted by Nina and Juan who also name him Ferdinand. How do they know that his name is Ferdinand? He was not wearing any identification tags and he couldn't speak to the humans to tell them this.

Cody Fairless-Lee

Answer: It's a very common Hispanic name, so probably just a coincidence that Nina and Juan happened to name him that.

raywest

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Independence Day picture

Question: Several times near the end of the movie, there is a biker type man. He is wearing some Harley Davidson clothing and a black leather cap. He is one of the pilots. He stands out if he is just an extra. Is he anyone famous?

Answer: In the book of the same name, this man is called "Pig". He was a test pilot during the Vietnam War. He played a crucial role in training the new pilots.

Answer: He is just an extra, who just happens to be in more shots than the other extras. He is not more famous than the other extras.

lionhead

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Man on Fire picture

Question: Is this a true story? The ending with text "John W. Creasy" and lifetime dates makes it seem like a true story.

Answer: Daniel "La Voz" Sanchez was based off the kidnapper Daniel Arizmendi López and Aurelio Sanchez was based off his bother Aurelio Arizmendi López, so some of it maybe true but not a lot.

Answer: No, the movie was based on a fiction book. The book takes place in Italy, and the kidnapping ring is run by the mafia.

Answer: The movie was completely lifted from a much better 1987 version of the same story.

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Chosen answer: Rafiki is a bit of a msytic or a shaman; a quasi-magical character. He was able to smell Simba on the wind that we followed from one to the other.

Phixius

Answer: Rafiki just knows because he's wise.

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Answer: Cast Away was filmed on an island called Monuriki. It's part of a group of islands called the Mamanuca Islands, in Fiji.

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Toy Story picture

Question: When Woody and Buzz are at Sid's house, at one point the baby with the spider legs taps something in Morse code to Sid's other toys. Is he really tapping something in Morse code or is it just a random jumble of dots and dashes?

Answer: Baby face taps RR TOYS COME OUT. Telling the other toys to come out from hiding. Pixar stated this in their Toy Story character overview.

But why "RR"?

"RR" is shorthand for "Message Received." Babyface is telling Woody that he understands Woody's problem and then taps out to the other toys to come out.

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Rango picture

Question: What was that thing with the big eye Rango and his posse were walking by?

Answer: TV Tropes mentions that the big eye might be an enormous alligator, because alligators are known to live in sewers.

Alligator eyes are different from what was shown in the movie.

Answer: I think the big eye might be an allusion to Wyrm, the villain from a popular novel.

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Aladdin picture

Question: What does Aladdin mean when he says: "Look at that Abu, it's not everyday you see a horse with two rear ends."?

Answer: Aladdin is referring to the person riding the horse as being a "horse's ass" in the way he is acting, thus the horse the person was riding on has two rear ends, his own and the rider.

Mark English

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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix picture

Question: When Umbridge has Harry, his friends and the Slytherin students in her office, she asks Harry if he was going to warn Dumbledore. When he says he wasn't, she responds by slapping him in the face. In the background, Draco has a look of shock on his face. Considering the fact that he hates Harry, why would he react this way?

Answer: Draco is shocked because a teacher is never allowed to hit a student, not for any reason. He never expected Umbridge to behave in such a manner.

raywest

Considering that Draco hates Harry, I would have thought he would be laughing about it.

Answer: It was probably a mistake. Tom Felton may have flinched by accident.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End picture

Question: Maybe I'm missing something, but why can't Elizabeth just live on Will's boat at the end? Someone suggested it was because she cannot go into Davy Jones' Locker, but she has been there and got out before so why not again? Also, Will's father isn't dead but he can travel with Will, so why couldn't Elizabeth just join his crew?

Answer: From the point of view of the Dutchman, Bootstrap is dead enough to serve on the ship. The idea is that Jones rescues people who would otherwise simply have drowned and makes them serve on his ship in lieu of death; as such, they can be considered technically deceased. Elizabeth has been into the Locker, yes, but with the demise of Jones, the Locker may not even exist any more. Will's task is to escort the dead into the afterlife, not the Locker - while Elizabeth survived the Locker, the afterlife may be something entirely different. The rules regarding the Dutchman and the duties of her crew are never spelled out, but it seems that, no, Elizabeth cannot live on her.

Tailkinker

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The Hunt for Red October picture

Question: In the sonar room on the Dallas, there is a roll of what looks like toilet paper next to the monitor. Is there some special purpose for that?

Kgprophet

Chosen answer: They use it to wipe the grease pencil markings off the screens.

We called it "the Duty Roll."

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