Questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Question: Mel Gibson used what looked like an AK-47 to shoot Jet Li. Is a rifle like that watertight and able to fire underwater?

Answer: It can be fired underwater, yes, although its effective range is tiny since the water instantly slows the bullet down. It'd definitely be able to kill Jet Li as demonstrated though, since it's pushed right up against him, thus the bullets would have very little resistance from the water. Although I don't know if it'd get quite as many shots off before jamming up. There are plenty of videos of people firing them underwater, but they always only fire a single round, presumably for safety reasons. Either way, the scene is more or less realistic.

TedStixon

Answer: The AK47 is known for its simplicity and durability, with a design that is easy to use, maintain, and repair, even in harsh conditions. It can function in extreme temperatures, dusty and sandy environments, and even when it is dirty or partially submerged in water."How far can an AK-47 shoot underwater? - Not very far. Besides having to push water out of the barrel, bullets don't go very far through water even when the bullet exits the barrel at full muzzle velocity. Bullets hitting the water travel about 3-feet before stopping."

Perfect School (2) - S3-E12

Question: Were there any hints that CJ was the spy before he reveals himself to Brian O'Conner at the end of the episode?

Question: What did Lau Xing say, or rather, tried to say, in French to the cashier after they arrived in Paris?

Answer: He wasn't trying to say anything. Lau Xing doesn't know French at all but only pretended to because Phineas asked him to speak to the man in the booth in French.

Anchor - S11-E10

Question: After being found not guilty, why would Joe whisper to Randall that he would kill more kids?

Question: When watching Tony on the news, what did Anton mean when he said it should have been Ivan?

Answer: Howard Stark and Anton Vanko together developed the arc reactor technology that made Stark Industries so big and wealthy, and indirectly responsible for the Iron Man suit. But Anton got discredited, so his son Ivan didn't get the opportunities like Tony did, by not inheriting any of the wealth and recognition.

lionhead

Question: Why did Mrs. Incredible look at herself in the mirror? I never did understand that.

Answer: She sees her reflection and notices her thighs and rear-end look a little big, before letting out a slightly disappointed sigh. It's there to indicate that she has minor body-insecurity issues, much as Bob did earlier in the film. She hasn't been a super in a while and has had kids in the meantime, so she's put on a little weight... it's a nice moment to remind us that despite being a superhero on the surface, she's also a normal person with normal worries deep down inside.

TedStixon

Answer: She was noticing her larger hips/butt thanks to the skin-tight super suit. As with a lot of people, she gained weight as she got older, and she was no longer a superhero, so she didn't get the exercise she had in her youth.

BaconIsMyBFF

Question: Why were the Proffitt boys all in the same class even though they're different ages?

Answer: The boys attended the same school, but weren't in the same grade. There was a scene where the boys (and other students) were being tested together to determine their placement at their new school.

raywest

Answer: Hate is probably too strong of a description. The two actresses apparently clashed over things like the costumes they wore, set lighting, and even how each would be depicted in the movie's marketing campaign.

raywest

Question: Why does Alice team up with Carlos after he points a gun at her in the school?

Answer: The movie quite literally explains it. They've both been contacted by the same person with the same offer, so even though their initial meeting is tense, they quickly team up. As the phrase goes... strength in numbers. It's easier to complete a difficult task with more allies.

TedStixon

Question: Why is a toad, a cat or an owl a requirement for first year students?

Answer: Witches are said to have familiars. Animals that act as guardians, protectors, and mascots. Merlin, Circe, and Morgan Le Fay all had familiars.

Answer: It was not a requirement. The students were allowed to have a certain type of pet at school if they wished. I think it was a choice of owl, cat, rodent, or a frog/toad. Not every student had one; most were seen without having a pet.

raywest

Question: What were the police whispering to Father Tom during Mass?

Answer: He didn't think it sent a good message, saying that the changes to the McFly family at the end boiled down to "success = wealth." He thought it should have ended with everything going back to normal, to show that there are no magical fixes to problems. Failing that, he just felt the ending should be less materialistic in its message.

Question: When Sollozzo offers Vito 30% of the drug profits for his financing and political protection, Vito asks him why he (Vito) deserved such generosity. Was Vito being sarcastic, or was it actually a good deal?

Answer: Vito was being sarcastic, but it's also a negotiating tactic. Vito considered it a meager offer and is uninterested. Sollozzo naturally would offer a low-ball price as an opening bid to test Vito's reaction. He would then negotiate further, gradually upping the amount. I took it as Vito testing why Sollozzo is coming to him with the deal rather than another crime families. He doesn't trust Sollozzo and likely suspects there is some collusion going on with another don, which was the case.

raywest

Given Vito's aversion to getting involved in the drug trade, I doubt it's about negotiating or getting a better offer. He has already decided not to go into business with Sollozzo even before meeting him. I think it's more the second part of the answer, about feeling Sollozzo out and trying to find out more about him and which of the other families he's already involved with.

Aloha (2) - S2-E19

Question: When the kids win the sand castle contest and get the free helicopter ride, since they are all under age, wouldn't they be required to be accompanied by a parent for the duration?

luke f

Answer: Probably not. Just like when airlines fly unaccompanied minors, the responsibility for their care and safety passes to the airline and the captain of the flight. The legal responsibility is called "in loco parentis." This is based on the child's parent or guardian knowingly placing the child in the care of the airline.

Question: Why did Detective Breer want to provoke Vanessa with the "doing what comes naturally" comment? (Or did he actually not intend to upset her?)

Azalea

Margaritaville - S13-E3

Question: When Stan first tries to return the drink machine, an employee explains that the store just takes an initial payment, then remaining payments are handled by a separate finance company. How does the store even make a profit if they only get the initial payment? I know this is a TV show, but it sounds like the banks who let people mortgage homes for small down payments in the late 2000s, then sold the debt to other companies.

Azalea

Answer: The store sells the debt (at a discount) to the finance company, which then has the right to collect the balance due. This frees the store from the administrative burden of tracking payments and transfers the risk of non-payment to the finance company. This scheme usually works best when there is a huge markup on the product.

Question: Why was Hal mad and blamed Gabe for Sarah's death? It wasn't his fault. Also, how did Sarah get to that height at the beginning of the movie with no climbing experience? I mean, I can barely climb an indoor climbing wall, but she can climb a mountain like a walk in the park. (02:16:00 - 02:16:35)

Answer: There was no realistic reason. First, the steel buckle on the safety harness would never just bend and break like that. The accident was not Gabe's fault, but Hal is supposedly so angry and grief-stricken that he unfairly claims Gabe ignored his advice when rescuing her. The movie uses melodramatic plotting to contrive a conflict between the two men. It's also unrealistic that Sarah, an inexperienced climber, was able to make such a difficult climb, even with Hal's help. The movie had many plot holes.

raywest

Question: To become master of the Elder Wand, it must be taken from the wizard who owns it. How could Harry become the new master of the wand when it was buried with Dumbledore and Harry took away Draco's own wand?

Answer: You don't have to physically take the wand to become the master; you have to disarm the master. When Harry disarmed Draco, the wand became his. Even though the wand was not present, it still knew. Call it magic.

lionhead

In addition to winning the Elder Wand, Harry also physically captured Draco's wand, and it switched its allegiance from Draco to him. In the book, Harry found Draco's wand performed quite well for him.

raywest

Answer: The Elder Wand or Deathstick must be removed by force from the current owner. Draco disarms Dumbledore at the top of the tower. Thus, its allegiance passed to Draco and he becomes the wand's master. When Voldemort takes the wand from Dumbledore's grave, he's not taking it from the wand's master. Later, Harry disarms Draco and as such Harry is now the wand's master. This ultimately proves helpful and a key point in the final showdown in the Great Hall. As Lionhead said above, it's magic. But at its deepest level, as explained by Mr. Ollivander at Shell Cottage.

Ssiscool

Question: When Bellatrix sees the Sword of Gryffindor, why did she assume that Hermione had broken into her vault when it was below the icy lake the whole time?

Answer: To protect the Sword of Gryffindor for Harry, Dumbledore had a replica made. Bellatrix acquired the fake sword (unaware it was a copy) and placed it in her Gringott's vault. Upon seeing the real one, Bellatrix assumed it was stolen from the vault. The genuine sword hidden in the pond wasn't there the entire time. When Snape discovered where Harry and the others were hiding in the Forest of Dean, he magically sent the sword to the frozen pond and then led Harry to it with his Doe Patronus.

raywest

Question: What is the liquid that comes out of the first tripod in the movie when it sounds the horn? I think it could be blood, but it was the first tripod to rise and it hasn't harvested any humans yet. Can someone please explain?

Answer: As it emerges, a lot of dirt is falling off it. I can see no liquid falling off. If you mean at the moment it sounds its horn, that's just more dirt falling off. It falls much later, probably because of the vibrations from the horn blowing.

lionhead

Answer: It looks to be a combination of dirt, dust, steam, and water. As it's breaking through the ground, spouting water is erupting, which could be a broken water main. The machine is probably generating heat, causing the steam. The dirt is covering the hull and falling off as it rises. The machine also appears to vent some type of gas or exhaust on one side after it's fully risen.

raywest

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