The scene where the random asian guy kills Reuben. I mean really? This scene was important why? How ridiculous. If they wanted to kill of Reuben, at least make the killer do it. What lazy writing is this? Totally took me out of the movie.
shareShooting someone in the brachial nerve is a recurring theme
in the movie.
Watch the conversation on the shooting range again,about only shooting the perp in the shoulder.
M.J. feels responsible for Reuben's death (she only shoots the asian guy in his shoulder).
She also shoots the copycat in the shoulder,but in the end kills him when she sees he will not give up.
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badgers? badgers!? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGERS!!!
I didn't think it was worthless. Peculiar and digressive? Yes. But not worthless.
Personally, I would like it if more films, novels, plays, et al, included seemingly random developments like that. It's closer to the way reality works (i.e. when things don't go according to plan or don't happen perhaps the way you would like).
I agree it wasn't worthless but I found it a bit out of place. The other guy was responsible and felt bad but it really didn't bring anything to the story. It did fit with the beginning and the end with the shoulder shots and I guess that is why they put that scene in the film.
shareAs I posted in another thread where this came up, this scene is about MJ's character development.
In the first scene in the movie with MJ and Ruben they are at the training facility, MJ shows her marksmanship by shooting a target in the shoulder, taking out the suspect's ability to fire the weapon, without taking his life, something Ruben is somewhat ambivalent about, as when he shot, he just filled the target with bullets.
When the Chinese guy has Ruben at gunpoint, MJ uses this marksmanship, but her strategy fails because the suspect uses his other arm, the uninjured one, to shoot and kill Ruben.
When we get to the end of the film and MJ shoots Peter, she has no hesitation about pulling the trigger several times to assure that he is dead.
That's why the scene isn't worthless.
^^
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badgers? badgers!? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGERS!!!
You nailed it. In fact, I thought M.J. should have shot Foley in the head one more time. Then walked up and kicked him in the ribs. And the groin. Though I suspect she was in too much pain to do so. Then she should have paid someone to do it for her.
Good answer.
I thought it was sad. :(
Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?
It really was... I liked and cared for his character a lot, when he got killed it was pretty sad.
And about the scene being worthless, aside from it having to do with the opening where she tells the male cop how to shoot someone in their shoulder, I found it to also be somewhat true to life. Unexpected turns happen all of the time in life.
No Accidents. No Coincidences. No Escapes. You Can't Cheat Death. - FINAL DESTINATION 5
I disagree that it was worthless.
As others have pointed out, the scene shows that MJ's certainty that she could always respond without taking a life was misplaced. The movie addresses the need for control in both MJ and Helen's characters, as well as (of course) with the serial killer characters as well.
Helen's decision results in Reuben's death (which I think is incredibly sad -- I loved Mulroney in that role, and the character was so genuinely interesting), and also brings her closer in her friendship with Helen. She experiences a personal loss as does Helen, and also realizes how little control she has over the world around her. And there's the really nice scene where Helen comforts her and they talk about Reuben, too.
Last but not least, I liked it from a story standpoint because it was a shocking moment -- outside of all the serial killer stuff, it was just one of those random things and random dangers that cops face every day.
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"I keep thinking I'm a grownup, but I'm not."
Well putt,paramitch
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badgers? badgers!? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGERS!!!
Even after the movie reveals the killer, the talk about a murder involving two people. This made me think that possibly one of the cops could have been helping or working with the killer. There are some points where Durmot's character leaves and a crime is committed. Then part of me also thought maybe the other cop purposefully left the keys there, because he was involved and also jealous of the Dermot/Holly Hunter relationship - almost like they paid the suspect to do it.
Did anyone else ever think these things?
Or the furtive gangster seeing the unlocked draw with the gun inside was just an unlucky, random incident with the jealous cop coming across as genuinely remorseful and grief stricken after the incident. Millions of people have been killed by more stupidly random stuff.
shareAgreed it was a ludicrous scence. It wasn't needed and added nothing to the storyline.
shareIt was left-field and slightly odd scene, but very tense and moving. And it tied into Holly Hunter deciding on shooting to wound or shooting to kill.
shareExactly. The scene isn't "ludicrous" but serves a specific purpose within the film for Hunter's character in how she treats and reacts to high-level criminals. Her arrogance is dispelled and she realizes she will and should take lives when necessary in order to save lives (including her own).
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I keep thinking I'm a grownup, but I'm not.
We're even introduced to Hunter's character smugly lecturing to her doomed partner about shooting to wound instead of shooting kill.
shareI know, Police Officers are NEVER senselessly and randomly killed at inconvenient times by a completely unrelated and unexpected event...death ALWAYS happens strictly at times and in ways that make complete sense!
When you're 17 a cow can seem dangerous and forbidden...am I alone here?
Reuben getting capped when doing a routine chore because of awful luck was certainly more realistic than if Reuben got murdered by the primary villain, but in the context of a fictional movie narrative a secondary protagonist getting killed leftfield still feels jarring and not very harmonious to the story (as very memorable and very sad as it was).
shareDude what the eff? Why are you such a d*ck in every one of your posts? Are you really that insecure that you aren't able to contribute anything of worth so you have to bring everyone down with your negativity, sarcasm, rude comments and overall a$$hole behavior?
Get a life and stop being a troll...
Either yhat or go live under a bridge and leave the rest of this board alone.
(CLARIFICATION: this post was in response to ShizaMinelli, not gregforttmags)
(CLARIFICATION: this post was in response to ShizaMinelli, not gregforttmags)
...creatively unusual and emotionally affecting.I didn't see it that way. It just seemed to me more a case of let's contrive a situation to dispose of the main cop's partner so she can face off alone against "the serial killer" without her buddy clogging up the scene. How often do we see this in these sort of films? In the same vein; how many times does a cop (supposed) guard get killed off in this film?
I'd say it was a moderately cleaver inversion of the "Women in Refrigerators" trope where the potential love interest and secondary female protagonist gets senselessly murdered and this galvanises the surviving main male protagonist into soldiering on through Act 3 (see the first Conan and second Rambo movies as fairly good examples, plus around half the Bond films).
The hapless couple or so SFPD officers who had their throats slit by the villain were Redshirts.
...where the potential love interest and secondary female protagonist gets senselessly murdered and this galvanises the surviving...Yes, it could have been that too.
The hapless couple or so SFPD officers...I counted at least 4 from the start of the film (there may have been more). The budget for redshirts must have been quite large on this film. share
Some people get "taken out of the movie" by the strangest things.
It is a scene showing that everyday life in the police force goes on, and that random, unrelated tragedies happen even when there is a serial killer running around... and that's "lazy writing" to you?
Some people...
Quidquid Latinae dictum sit, altum viditur.
Beautifully put. Thank you.
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I keep thinking I'm a grownup, but I'm not.