MovieChat Forums > The Signal (2014) Discussion > Physically and medically impossible

Physically and medically impossible

posted 10 years ago by Dejay
77 replies | jump to latest

SPOILERS!

Why is this still acceptable to have an bionic arm or leg to give super powers that would require the same strength in the connecting body? In the main characters case, his pelvis would break and tear itself to pieces, or the bionic legs would rip off if he would exert too much power with his bionic calf muscles. It's simply impossible and doesn't make sense!

The same for crazy arms, he is basically wearing METAL GLOVES. So if I put on metal gloves, how then am I able to smash a column of concrete, since all the strength would have to come from my arm, shoulder, spine and even legs to exert that kind of force?

And while we're at it, even if the main character still has genitals, how in the world doesn't he have "scrambled eggs" after running like 100km/h? Or why isn't his head bashed in after running through the glass in the end?

Even for a science fiction, you should get fundamental physics and logic right. I'm surprised no one complains about this, because I'm incapable of suspending my disbelief when watching stuff like this.

Otherwise, it was not a bad film, but stupid writing is stupid.

[–] fp_ff_fp 10 years ago

I agree. Movie physics is stupid and absurd.

Even the IPs they showed were some rfc1918 IPs - private reserved IPs which are non-routable on the internet. MIT students in Computer sciences would know that and laugh.

Same for comic super heroes like IronMan. Sure, he can create a suit but there's no escaping the g-forces and he takes a tank shell? He'll become pulp inside his suit and will be leaking out of his suit.

His arms would just snap off and some of the things shown seem physics defying.

Knowing what we know about the universe and the universal constants like the Planck Constant etc. physics out in another planet wouldn't be dramatically different at all. Sure, gravitational forces will be diff, but all the physics would be the same.

The same equations true on Earth will be true in the alien floating ship as well.

Also, for OP - Amazon has a good book on this - Insultingly Stupid Movie physics or something. Check it out

[–] Dejay 10 years ago

Haha I missed the IPs. And I bet the IPs looked good to the director because those are the IPs you most see on a network in your office.

Thanks for the info about the book but I better not read it. Might spoil even more movies!

Yeah lots of fantasy in sci fi movies for some reason didn't annoy me in Iron Man even though it's totally implausible.

[–] PsychoAndroid 10 years ago

This whole thread is like cavemen discussing quantum physics.
Obviously, the aliens are able to control gravity (their spaceships dont need to rotate to produce gravitational force).
Most likely the arms and legs have their own power supply (hence the red glowing) to manipulate gravity. therefore he can smash anything without straining his muscles, because the hands move by themselves....

[–] fp_ff_fp 10 years ago

I was referring to IronMan's arms, not the arms of the guy in The Signal

[–] poirier_mark 10 years ago

I think they used the 192 intentionally like the use phone numbers with 555 so you dont get movie wacks calling the number or tracking down a legit ip address.

[–] northern-fantasia 9 years ago

I also think it was on purpose.

[–] vicster111 10 years ago

I'm thinking the legs weren't the only 'improvement', because Nic wasn't hurt too badly after being thrown off the tractor trailer the first time, before chasing it down again. Jonah was still getting around pretty good after being shot twice in the back. Apparently they had 'replacements' AND 'improvements'.

This is my siggy. It appears, automagically, when I post.

[–] subwoofers 10 years ago

this isn't exactly Dr. Rudy Wells performing these installations

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] sati_84 9 years ago

Great post, Dejay, well put and an excellent point to highlight!

Additional reading material about enhanced bodyparts and superpowers:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RequiredSecondaryPowers

And about the plausibility or stupidity of some ideas or depiction of ideas:

http://lesswrong.com/lw/sp/detached_lever_fallacy/

I'm really sick of the "this is a movie with FTL spaceships, aliens, laser weaponry, etc. and you are hung up on THAT detail?" type of argument. That's not even an argument of course, since overall believability and plausible plot points are two different things.

If something is explained in-universe with a some degree of science, then that is believable. If something was sloppily executed and the explanation was omitted or was particularly stupid, then it is right to complain about it. And the bionic arms and legs in this movie were perfect examples of the second case.

I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me to see me looking back at you

[–] Dejay 9 years ago

I was initially going to thank you for linking me to that site but now I hate you for it! ;)

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife

Hours later...

For all the "it's just a movie" supporters this explains the different viewpoints to sci fi best:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness

[–] sati_84 9 years ago

Wait... you didn't know this site before? Well, prepare for living with 25+ browser windows at all times in the next 1-2 months 

I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me to see me looking back at you

[–] Dejay 9 years ago

Haha yeah. No I knew and browsed the site before but you made me fall off the wagon again! ;) I think they added more hyperlinks / updated the wiki / or I got in to different and more interesting area. I'll definitely have to read more.

PRO tip: If you end up with a big cluster of open links just click right on tabs and click "save all tabs". It feels so good closing all that ballast even though you know you'll never use those bookmarks again ;)

[–] sati_84 9 years ago

For exactly the reason you mentioned - I'm never going to open them again - I never save "to read later" type of links into my favorites. I'm also allergic to having 10 or more browser tabs open at the same time.

I was nervous reading TVTropes for the first time for exactly this reason in 2010. But I'm better now.

You can find my fave articles here - if you have not read one of them, I strongly recommend to do so:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Tropers/Sati1984

I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me to see me looking back at you

[–] englisher101 9 years ago

his pelvis would break and tear itself to pieces

Never underestimate the power of the human pelvic region.

[–] Dejay 9 years ago

Death by snu-snu?

[–] gabypanama 9 years ago

Very similar remarks were said in the past about flying at supersonic speeds, space travel, submarines, and talking to somebody on the other side of the planet.

[–] sati_84 8 years ago

But those solutions were enabled by our deeper understanding of new area of physics. But for example a human smashing a concrete rod while wearing metallic gloves - we fully understand the physics of that scenario. And what is presented in the movie, doesn't make sense.

The arm is bionic, but the rest of the body isn't - so that human should not be able to exert such force. There is nothing presented in the movie that would explain the scene. So the point still stands.

I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me to see me looking back at you

[–] duanereilly74 8 years ago

jesus christ, there is always one isn't there....

[–] Dejay 8 years ago

Nope. We are in fact many. And more plausibility in regards to science makes for better movies.

[–] duanereilly74 8 years ago

just accept it for what it is and move on ffs, nitpicking to that degree shows you need everything spoon fed to you and have a very limited imagination.

[–] Dejay 8 years ago

No. Discussing what you liked and didn't like about a movie and what could be improved is what these forums are for.

[–] info-38565 8 years ago

Except for the fact that it makes absolutely no sense it's a great movie.