Beloved movies with big plot holes

[Nittany1865Farmer]

This one has always bugged me:

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - The keeper of the Holy Grail tells Jones that the Grail will give eternal life, but it is not supposed to be taken past the great seal, or it will lose its power. Uhhh. it must have had "power" in the beginning, since it was known through the centuries of cures and the like before it got placed where it was now. And why would it lose it's power now because of going past a seal carved in the floor?

 

[Nittany1865Farmer]

The Godfather. They decide to use Michael to kill Sollozzo & McCloskey even though they know that he will become a marked man and have to be sent out of the country to avoid prosecution and being killed in return. This plan all hinges on finding out where Sollozzo & McCloskey are taking Michael for the meeting so they can hide the gun.

Once they know the location of the restaurant, there is no longer the need to have Michael pull the trigger. If they can get a guy to hide the gun in the restaurant, they gan get a guy, or several guys to show up there and kill Sollozzo & McCloskey.

Wasn't there some of McCloskey's men watching the place while Michael, Sollozzo and McCloskey were in there? I think that was mentioned in the book, but not in the movie.

 

[LionJim]

The Godfather. They decide to use Michael to kill Sollozzo & McCloskey even though they know that he will become a marked man and have to be sent out of the country to avoid prosecution and being killed in return. This plan all hinges on finding out where Sollozzo & McCloskey are taking Michael for the meeting so they can hide the gun.

Once they know the location of the restaurant, there is no longer the need to have Michael pull the trigger. If they can get a guy to hide the gun in the restaurant, they gan get a guy, or several guys to show up there and kill Sollozzo & McCloskey.

Huh. I’d never thought of that. Also, apologies, but I’m anal about these things: McCluskey.

 

[BobPSU92]

Wasn't there some of McCloskey's men watching the place while Michael, Sollozzo and McCloskey were in there? I think that was mentioned in the book, but not in the movie.

Book?

 

[LionJim]

Wasn't there some of McCloskey's men watching the place while Michael, Sollozzo and McCloskey were in there? I think that was mentioned in the book, but not in the movie.

Just spitballing here: maybe there was a fear that Mike could get hit in the crossfire. At any rate, since Mike would have been in the restaurant when S and McC were gunned down, he’d have to leave the country anyway.

 

[PSU87]

For Lord of the Rings, please no one try to assert that the eagles could have just flown Frodo and Sam straight to Mount Doom.

That one’s been Tolksplained away on the internets already.

Massive armies, endless number of battles, moving people over large, sparse distances, and never a sign of food and water to support them.

Fair point… but were you also disappointed there was no depiction of the Riders of Rohan dismounting their horses for a quick stop at the latrine? Perhaps Merry or Pippin copping a squat behind Treebeard in Fangorn Forest?

To me, the mundane details are just to be assumed and not integral to be shown… not plot holes really IMO

The LOTR movies are a plot hole in and of themselves

 

[Woodpecker]

"I'd bet most of us could look thru our high school yearbooks and find photos of our teen-aged classmates that bear some resemblance to our children."

My kids all look like our mailman

 

[manatree]

Wasn't there some of McCloskey's men watching the place while Michael, Sollozzo and McCloskey were in there? I think that was mentioned in the book, but not in the movie.

Another wrinkle. Why didn't they shoot Michael who was unarmed when he left the restaurant?

Just spitballing here: maybe there was a fear that Mike could get hit in the crossfire. At any rate, since Mike would have been in the restaurant when S and McC were gunned down, he’d have to leave the country anyway.

They were already in proximity of the restaurant as they had to come by and pick Michael up. If they were close enough to hear the gunshots inside the restaurant, they had to be close enough to observe, or had an observer to signal them. McCluskey & Sollozzo could have been shot when Michael was in the bathroom.

Granted, it's been forever since I read the book and watched the movie.

 

[PSU87]

From IMDB:

In April 2020, Back to the Future screenwriter Bob Gale finally decided to explain the plot-hole question about why Marty's parents didn't remember him as the kid in high school who got them together. He told The Hollywood Reporter, "Bear in mind that George and Lorraine only knew Marty/Calvin for eight days when they were 17, and they did not even see him every one of those eight days. So, many years later, they still might remember that interesting kid who got them together on their first date." He continued, "But I would ask anyone to think back on their own high school days and ask themselves how well they remember a kid who might have been at their school for even a semester. Or someone you went out with just one time. If you had no photo reference, after 25 years, you'd probably have just a hazy recollection. So Lorraine and George might think it funny that they once actually met someone named Calvin Klein, and even if they thought their son at age 16 or 17 had some resemblance to him, it wouldn't be a big deal. I'd bet most of us could look thru our high school yearbooks and find photos of our teen-aged classmates that bear some resemblance to our children."

That's valid.

Think about your own experiences. How well would you remember someone who was in your life for a week 20 years later?

If the identical twin of a kid you went to summer camp for a week with walked by you, would you remember him?

 

[LionJim]

Another wrinkle. Why didn't they shoot Michael who was unarmed when he left the restaurant?

Yeah, valid. To that point, it looked to me that Sollozo’s driver was dead in his car when Mike leaves the restaurant. The Corleone people hear the shots from inside the restaurant and immediately kill Sollozo’s driver, is my take.

 

[Piketownman]

Someone please explain to me why Joe Frazier was even in the original? Just plunked him in for the name factor? Never fit the storyline.

Probably because he’s from Philly

 

[Relayer]

One of my favorite movies is Midnight Run. I find it hard to believe Jonathan Mardukas (The Duke) could manage a cross country adventure without exposing a heavy belt around his waist that contained $300,000. He did fall 30 feet into a raging river. "We're starving and you're buying cigarettes?"

 

[NoBareFeet]

In Happy Gilmore, Happy would not have had to putt his Tour Championship winning putt through the grandstand wreckage. He could either have moved the wreckage himself (if possible), or been entitled to line of sight relief no closer to the hole.

 

[Corner Room Breakfast]

National Lampoons Vacation.

They closed the fun park for two weeks during summer vacation?

Employee strike.

 

[Corner Room Breakfast]

Shawshank Redemption
How did Andy Dufresne reattach the Raquel Welch poster in his cell so perfectly after escaping through the tunnel?

Bottom of the poster weighted or double stick tape, my question with that movie is Andy closing his million dollar account without anyone ever seeing his face.

 

[Corner Room Breakfast]

Stripes. The whole Russian plot is just stupid and ruins the second half of the movie. Is that a plot whole? I don’t know but it’s 1/2 a great movie.

Stripes, every GI gets a buzz cut.

 

[FrontierLion]

In the Star Wars movies, I like that everyone can go about their business without issue on the Death Star and the like with a large bay door open to outer space.

Another one from Star Wars... Somehow, just knowing what planet somebody is on is enough to find them. Heading to a certain planet and the ship lands exactly where it needs to be. If I was in space searching for BobPSU92 and somebody told me he's on Earth, it would take me a lifetime to find him once I got there.

 

[CVLion]

Another one from Star Wars... Somehow, just knowing what planet somebody is on is enough to find them. Heading to a certain planet and the ship lands exactly where it needs to be. If I was in space searching for BobPSU92 and somebody told me he's on Earth, it would take me a lifetime to find him once I got there.

Not if you had lattes, scones, and hot chicks as bait

 

[PSUAVLNC]

Delete

 

[PSUAVLNC]

The Godfather. They decide to use Michael to kill Sollozzo & McCloskey even though they know that he will become a marked man and have to be sent out of the country to avoid prosecution and being killed in return. This plan all hinges on finding out where Sollozzo & McCloskey are taking Michael for the meeting so they can hide the gun.

Once they know the location of the restaurant, there is no longer the need to have Michael pull the trigger. If they can get a guy to hide the gun in the restaurant, they gan get a guy, or several guys to show up there and kill Sollozzo & McCloskey.

I’ve always thought this

 

[Lion84]

The biggest plot hole in Back to the Future is that a DeLorean could go 88.8 mph.

Downhill in neutral with a rocket motor attached maybe - I hear they are going to make new ones - which begs the question- why?

 

[Grant Green]

Going from memory, so correct me if I'm off.

Point Break - Bodie and his boys are at an airport getting ready for their escape when two of them are killed and one mortally wounded.
He and the wounded guy still make it to the getaway plane and sky dive to freedom. Wounded guy dies on the ground and Bodie is met by another friend with much fond greetings. The friend never says "Dude, where are our three other buddies that are supposed to be with you?"

 

[NoBareFeet]

In All the Right Moves, Stef mouths off to the coach after the Walnut Heights loss, then participates in a group that trashes the coach's house. And we are supposed to think he was unfairly treated by the coach. Was he? Seems Nickerson was justified in whatever bad info he was passing along to recruiters.

 

[JWB389]

In the Star Wars movies, I like that everyone can go about their business without issue on the Death Star and the like with a large bay door open to outer space.

I always point those things out to my daughter and tell her OSHA would never allow that. Look at all of the long staircases with no railings!

 

[LionJim]

This is an awesome thread, sincerely.

 

[Classof09]

Rudy. They portray Notre Lame as a grand place. In reality, it sucks!

 

[TheBigUglies]

Stripes. The whole Russian plot is just stupid and ruins the second half of the movie. Is that a plot whole? I don’t know but it’s 1/2 a great movie.

Going to disagree with ya there Wink! Stripes was made in 1981(I remember seeing it in the movie theatre the summer after 7th grade) and we were still in the Cold War with Russia. Putting the Russians in there made perfect sense at the time because that was our view of the Russians(although comical) at the time. Remember there was no interwebs at the time to disprove the stereotypical ideas being presented to us, thru the newspapers or 6 channels on TV we had, of the Russians at that moment in time.

 

[BobPSU92]

One of my favorite movies is Midnight Run. I find it hard to believe Jonathan Mardukas (The Duke) could manage a cross country adventure without exposing a heavy belt around his waist that contained $300,000. He did fall 30 feet into a raging river. "We're starving and you're buying cigarettes?"

Awesome movie.

 

[Tom_PSU]

A real oldie, in Casablanca I could never figure out how the NAZI’s (not well known universally for adherence to Legal principles) were going to just let Victor Laszlo (a hated enemy) escape their clutches by waving a piece of paper.

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

All these movies experts and not one individual points out any plot faux pas from a porn film. Which indicates to me all those porn film plots are solid and plausible.

 

[LionJim]

A real oldie, in Casablanca I could never figure out how the NAZI’s (not well known universally for adherence to Legal principles) were going to just let Victor Laszlo (a hated enemy) escape their clutches by waving a piece of paper.

I tried to write a rejoinder, but deleted and have got nothing.

This reminded me of the story of Moe Berg, the American spy who played MLB for many years. During the war Werner Heisenberg was head of the Nazi Atomic Bomb project and at one point was known to be in Switzerland. Berg was sent there with orders to evaluate how far along the Nazi project was, and use this evaluation to decide on his own whether or not to kill Heisenberg. An assassination in neutral Switzerland would have been real problematic.

Book Summary, scroll down a bit.

The Catcher Was a Spy - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Woodpecker]

was known to be in Switzerland

They must not have known his mass very well

 

[LionJim]

They must not have known his momentum very well

Fixed. That was brilliant, Bernard.

 

[Woodpecker]

Fixed. That was brilliant, Bernard.

Doh! Still not bad for a biochemist with a faltering memory

 

[LionJim]

Doh! Still not bad for a biochemist with a faltering memory

Yeah, caught at the warning track. Still, it went pow.

 

[Connorpozlee]

Going to disagree with ya there Wink! Stripes was made in 1981(I remember seeing it in the movie theatre the summer after 7th grade) and we were still in the Cold War with Russia. Putting the Russians in there made perfect sense at the time because that was our view of the Russians(although comical) at the time. Remember there was no interwebs at the time to disprove the stereotypical ideas being presented to us, thru the newspapers or 6 channels on TV we had, of the Russians at that moment in time.

Maybe it made sense, but it wasn’t funny. First half is hilarious, second half is laborious.

 

[Nittany1865Farmer]

All these movies experts and not one individual points out any plot faux pas from a porn film. Which indicates to me all those porn film plots are solid and plausible.

Plots? the plots are solid. Leading female is hungry or has a dirty pool. Calls the pizza guy and the pool guy at the same time. She gets instant service and a clean pool with her hot pizza.

 

[LionJim]

Yeah, valid. To that point, it looked to me that Sollozo’s driver was dead in his car when Mike leaves the restaurant. The Corleone people hear the shots from inside the restaurant and immediately kill Sollozo’s driver, is my take.

If Sollozo’s driver were alive after Mike shot S and McC, he’d immediately be out of his car with a gun in his hand. (A real one, Bob.) Yeah, the Corleones took care of him.

 

[Classof09]

Rudy. They portray Notre Lame as a grand place. In reality, it sucks!

Also, he was offside. Cheater!

 

[Roar More]

Saving private Ryan. They show the squad entering the French town where Vin Diesel is killed. The same number later leave the town. When they go through their assets before their last stand, their is a discrepancy with the ammo. I haven't seen it in a while, but I know it struck me at the time. I think they listed how much 50 caliber ammo they had, but they had a 30 caliber machine gun.