MovieChat Forums > Unstoppable (2010) Discussion > Question (Spoiler)

Question (Spoiler)

posted 13 years ago by shollis1
7 replies | jump to latest

Why didn't Ned just have someone in the back of the truck already to jump onto the train? It would have made more sense to be prepared than have Will risk his life with that jump

[–] LadySailor1975 13 years ago

And ruin a great movie?

Anyway, I think that was a last-minute idea. They were out of options. Ned followed the train, just as Connie asked, but her boss made a plan and did not tell her. Then, he threatened to fire Will and Frank if they tried to go after the runaway. He would have likely called Ned and told him to back off or he would fire Ned too.

Ned was cool. I loved him!

This good-looking... and I can fly! Rod Redline
.

[–] spooie-1 12 years ago

Ned had been chasing the train ever since he and the other two guys "lost" it. There was no one else with him experienced to operate the thing if he could ever get close enough, nor did he have the time to stop and pick anyone up. The only reason he had the opportunity to do what he did was because the other guy pulled the breaks on half the cars the train was pulling and it briefly slowed the whole thing down and the one who jumped happened to be there at that exact moment.

[–] richardpaperboy 11 years ago

He was stopped at the railway crossing with 15 officers so he had the time and the people to help him. He had no way of knowing that Frank and Will would be there, so all he would have done is watch the train crash

[–] imflavor 12 years ago

I believe Ned was there to get them off the train. It was Will's idea to try to jump on the train.

[–] richardpaperboy 11 years ago

Ned had no idea that Frank and Will were going to be there when he caught up to the train.

[–] Ironman54 11 years ago

And how does the 'physics' of that jump work when the dude did a lateral leap at what, 70 mph ? Unless the bed of that pick up was 50' long, the chances that he would have completely missed the trucks bed as he de-accelerates in speed during the jump (while in mid air), no ? I dunno how quickly his forward speed would be reduced by but I know that once no part of his body was in contact with the train, only his enertia changed to a sideways (90 degree angle) with no other force propelling him forward, would cause his body to slow its forward movement and unless the truck driver braked exactly in the right amount, he would have hung longer in the air as he was only propelled laterally by the force of his leg muscles (which are no longer in 'play' once he was no longer in contact with the trains body). And if the truck driver didn't de-accelerate at the proper rate, the jumper would have slammed into the rear window of the cab.
Too little breaking and the jumper misses completely and slams face first onto the tracks. The length of the trucks bed decides how little tolerance is afforded the jumper for margin of error so to speak ?
I'm only guessing and wondering if anyone/someone who knows what they're talking about can explain how this would have gone down in reality ? I'm sure theres a formula for calculating this when the 'givens' are known (or close). Speed, truck bed length, height/weight of jumper - maybe wind speed/direction (if windy) ... umm, what else ? Anyone ?

(yeah, its a mess ! No time to proof/edit - too many miles to ride/posts to read, before I sleep :-)

[–] paololita 11 years ago

You got it wrong. If someone is to jump from spot X on a train, at a 90 degree angle from the train direction, his trajectory is going to be perpendicuar to spot X until he lands. Thus if there is another vehicle running alongside the train next to that same spot X, he is going to intercept the vehicle.
Only thing that could interfere is impact with air, which is the pressure you feel on your hand when you stick your arm out of the window while you're driving your car.