RSS Feed

October, 2015

  1. The Karate Kid

    October 28, 2015 by Graham Pellegrino

    Karate kid.jpg

    The Karate Kid is an iconic 80s American film.  And yes this 80s version is what is important not that embarrassing new version with Jaden Smith.  The classic movie is the ultimate tale of an underdog, as Danny LaRusso overcomes every obstacle he faces, concluding in victory over his arch nemesis.  The Karate Kid is culturally symbolic too, as “Wax on wax off” has become a well-known saying from the movie.  As great as the movie is, it does have a major plot hole at the end.  This is what I want to explore today, the strikingly obvious plot hole that director John Avildsen must choose to ignore and hope audiences simply just do not notice.

    As Daniel LaRusso enters the karate tournament it is made clear to the viewers the rules of the tournament.  One of the rules is no kicks to the face or this is immediate disqualification.  So when Daniel wins the tournament over bully Johnny with the famous crane position and kick to the face, why is he not disqualified?  Granted in both the semi-finals and championship fight there were many illegal attacks, this winning move is a blatant rule violation.  Daniel has been severely injured by multiple illegal kicks and attacks that the refs have punished opponents for, yet when the main character and hero of the story does it, no call by the refs.  This feel good moment of the film as Daniel defeats his rival and wins the girl is great, but it should not happen.  Daniel should be disqualified and Johnny crowned champion.  Now director John Avildsen probably hopes the audience is swept up in the tears of joy as Mr. Miyagi, Daniel, Ms. LaRusso, and Daniel’s female friend Ali, all celebrate together and do not notice this rule violation.  While I admit if Daniel had not won the movie would have had an empty feeling, but why make him win like this? Would a kick to the chest have not been just as satisfactory in winning the competition?  It would not have been the famous image played over and over again as Johnny’s head whips back and falls with defeat, but it would have been a legal victory for Daniel.

    As good as The Karate Kid is this sloppy plot hole could easily have been fixed.  I still love every minute of this movie including the winning kick, but a legal kick would have worked just as well.  The Karate Kid is a great movie with a lazy, fixable plot hole.  If I missed something that made the kick legal I would love to hear, or if you know of a plot hole in this movie or a potential in any other let me know!

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 3 Comments

  2. The Santa Clause

    October 20, 2015 by Graham Pellegrino

    The Santa Clause with Tim Allen is a Christmas holiday classic.  Released in 1994 the movie was a must during the Christmas break for my brother and I as we grew up.  Tim Allen portrays a loving father who does not  believe in Santa Clause.  On Christmas Eve Tim Allen and his son hear something, go outside, and accidentally kill Santa Clause.  Tim Allen is then forced to assume the role as Santa Clause himself.  Running into problems of being a first year Santa ensue, and it takes a bit of Christmas magic for Tim Allen to successfully pull off his first year behind the reigns.  This film is fun for the whole family, and is still entertaining as you age.  But there is one plot hole behind the premise that if you think about does not make sense.

    Tim Allen in the beginning of the movie claims he does not believe in Santa Clause.  So naturally all the gifts under the tree for his son must be from Tim Allen himself, family, or friends.  So when Tim Allen’s son each year gets gifts from Santa, why does Tim Allen not question where they are from?  These gifts that Tim Allen did not buy appear beneath his tree each year for his son labeled from “Santa Clause”, yet Tim Allen continues to claim there is no Santa. How do parents all over the world not believe in Santa, and explain the mysterious gifts under the tree that they themselves, the parents, did not buy.  This does not makes sense logically.  Tim Allen gets mysterious gifts under his tree from a man named Santa, and yet he never believes in Santa Clause?  This does not makes sense why parents do not believe in Santa.

    This plot hole does not really ruin anything major in the movie, but does not really make sense with why parents do not believe in Santa with the mysterious presents from Santa.  Overall  it is still a great holiday film.  If I missed some explanation of this whether its Tim Allen’s first Christmas with his son or simply Christmas magic I would appreciate an explanation!

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 1 Comment

  3. Oceans 11

    October 13, 2015 by Graham Pellegrino

    Ocean's Eleven 2001 Poster.jpg

    One of the great robbery movies of the early 2000’s was Oceans 11.  Focusing on Danny Ocean and his quest for money and revenge on Terry Benedict the movie is compelling and action packed.  The cast is on a whole other level as well.  George Clooney is fresh out of prison, cunning, and looking to make some money.  Brad Pitt and Matt Damon co-star as important henchmen to Ocean’s plan to rob Terry Benedict’s three Las Vegas casinos all in one night.  Andy Garcia portrays Terry Benedict, the ruthless casino owner who stole Reuben’s (a friend of Danny Ocean) property and stole Ocean’s wife, Tess Ocean played by Julia Roberts.  Whit an assortment of other characters Ocean and his gang attempt to steal over $150 million from Terry Benedict.  But part of the robbery plan does not make sense.  The viewer has a general idea of what is happening in the heist, but in order to keep the audience captivated, all the details are not revealed until after the heist is complete.

    Once inside the vault where all the money is, the heist involves a clever way in getting the money out of the casino, back to the team.  Ocean plans it so that Benedict’s team takes the bags of money left behind by the robbers to an airport away from the casino.  These bags of money have been filled with pamphlets to a strip club, and not really money.  This way when Ocean and his team come back disguised as a SWAT team, they take the real bags of money and walk away with it unsuspected.  This might be a confusing description of events and it is confusing watching the movie as well.  It took me a few times watching it and explanations by my friends to fulling grasp what had happened.  How elaborate the plan is, is what makes the movie so fun to watch.  The plot hole however, is how did Ocean and his team get the fake money, or strip club flyers into the vault?  When Benedict’s men arrive in the vault and take the flyers the only people to have been in the vault were Yen, Linus (Matt Damon), and Danny Ocean.  Yen slipped in hidden inside a food delivery cart, Danny and Linus were let in by Yen, and never were carrying bags.  So how did the flyers get in the vault?  Director Steven Soderbergh even admits in an interview after the movie was released that this is a plot hole in the logic of the film.  It is generally overlooked because these details are released to the audience after the heist has happened and many people are wrapping their heads around just the basics of how the robbery was pulled off.

    Oceans 11 is an incredibly interesting movie to watch, simply because of how difficult it is for the criminals to pull off the crime.  While one little plot hole is made, the overall movie is fantastic and just intricate to watch.  If anyone has any explanation on how the flyers got into the vault I would love to know, or if you just have an idea of another plot hole in Oceans 11 or an idea for a future movie plot hole jut let me know!

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 3 Comments

  4. Edward Scissorhands

    October 7, 2015 by Graham Pellegrino

    Recently I watch the Tim Burton film Edward Scissorhands, starring Johnny Depp.  For anyone who does not know is a young man is created by an old inventor, who dies before he can put the finishing touches on his creation, his hands.  As a result the young man is left with scissors for hands and is locked away in his creator’s mansion.  One day a door to door saleswoman visits the mansion and finds the creation, Edward.  She takes him into his home and he lives with her and her family.  After time together Edward falls in love with the family daughter, but after an unfortunate series of events throughout the movie, Edward and the daughter do not end up together.  However, as Edward retreats back to his secluded mansion he makes ice in memory of the family daughter he still loves.  But wait, how did Edward get the ice?  This is the plot hole at the end of the movie I want to focus on today.

    So Edward makes grand ice sculptures of the daughter, Kim, who he used to love.  But how does he get the ice, hold the ice, or prevent it from melting?  As we have seen throughout the movie Edward cannot hold things so he did not call to order the ice.  He cannot type on a computer to order the ice over the internet either.  So how does the ice get to his house?  He cannot have stored it up for years before his master died, which would not be logical as his master died unexpectedly.  Even if somehow Edward does get the ice how does he move it?  He has no grip so he cannot transport it around the house.  Finally how does he keep it from melting?  Edward lives in either Southern California or Florida (it is never made clear) both having extreme heat and it did not seem Edward had a giant air conditioner or freezer nearby.  The idea that Edward’s love for Kim lives on in his ice sculptures is romantic, but impractical for the location and condition of Edward.

    The movie is funny, romantic, and dramatic throughout and is very enjoyable to watch.  However, the logistics of the closing scenes raise a few eyebrows.  If anyone can give even a slight solution to how Edward manages the ice I would love to hear some answers to this plot hole!

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 2 Comments

Skip to toolbar