Like all good Americans, I spent part of my Memorial Day holiday in a theater watching the first round of summer blockbusters. My kids really wanted to see Up!, but since that doesn’t come out until Friday, they settled for Night at the Museum Part II.
Now I’m the first to admit that when it comes to theme parks and kids’ movies, I’ve become kind of a curmudgeon. But really, am I the only one that sees all these plot holes? (WARNING: Potential spoilers ahead!)
Like weren’t the Smithsonian people going to be a little suspicious when they found all the broken glass and displays in the morning? Not to mention missing planes? And would the hounds of hell (or whatever those bird men were) really turn tail and run from Abe Lincoln, even if he was made of stone? And why didn’t Abe finish the job? And if there was less than an hour left before sunrise, how would Amelia Earhart make it back in time? Wouldn’t she turn to dust and crash the plane?
And that’s just the beginning of my questions.
I know. I’m supposed to suspend belief, blah, blah, blah. But the thing is, when we’re writing books, we have to have all that covered, don’t we? All our loose threads need to be tied up, characters have to make sense and plot holes are seriously frowned upon. Is it me or does Hollywood get away with so much more? Why?
14 comments:
LOL! I saw this today too! Totally enjoyed it, but yeah, there were tons of these little unbelievable things. it does make one wonder about leaving anything unanswered in a ms.
I think Hollywood gets away with it because (1) it's a sequel and (2) it's so much about the humor.
I really wanted Brandon to be a sidekick during the movie. Did you?
Suspension of disbelief can be quite the crutch, right? I guess with the sound and visual effects can distract (some) viewers from plot holes.
Man, screen writers have it so easy. Ha!
PJ - I was totally disappointed that Brandon didn't play a bigger role. Amelia Earhardt didn't do it for me.
Lisa and Laura - The holes were bigger than the story! Hope I'm not making some screenwriters angry :^)
I'm sure we'll see this, but probably on DVD, if I can help it. Not a big Ben Stiller fan (sad, because I love his parents!). We saw Wolverine, though, and while I did love it, I missed all the character layers that get revealed by dynamic interactions. Just a little too much one-person focus for me. Got to remember this as I start writing!
We saw this movie on Saturday and I was bummed about the plot holes. My girls were psyched the singing cherubs were the Jonas Brothers. Who knew? Though, I love Owen Wilson, so I was easily amused. Which one was Brandon?
He was the guard who Ben Stiller stole the access badge from. And yeah, my kids loved the cherubs, too!
I skipped the second paragraph, since I"m sure we'll be seeing that soon! Maybe Hollywood doesn't think kids will notice the plot holes (which is silly, because kids are smart! But then again, sequels are usually not as good as the first ones..)
I think the big names of Hollywood bring in so much money, that they can "afford" to be sucky. It's kind of like how celebrities can write horrible books, but they still sell because of their names.
c
I think I should write for movies. I think that would be much, much better. Because, darn, I spend a LOT (too much) time thinking about motivation and thematic resonance and all that movie-useless stuff.
:)
C.R. Evers you make such a great point! It's like Madonna writing childrens books. Bad books. But people buy 'em!
Maybe Hollywood figures if there's enough star power, action and special effects, people won't notice the crummy film.
Sure, it's harder for us writers, but at least we can be proud of our airtight plots and riveting storylines.
Becky - I guess movies CAN inspire you to write better!
Vivian - I'm glad you saw the plot holes too!
Kelly - Movie sequels never do live up, do they? Unlike books!
Christy - You are so right. I guess their names are their platforms...
Beth - Never stop writing books! Your words are so much more satisfying than any Hollywood blockbuster :^)
Suzanne - I about flipped when I heard Madonna was writing books. Doesn't she dominate enough other arenas?
Hollywood gets away with a lot ... I think the same applies to the books of many (not all) of the 'stars'!! :-)
On another note ... I can't wait to see 'Up'!!! :-)
Sherrie,
You are soo right! It was a fun movie, but I couldn't help annoying my family with similar questions after we left the theater. It just BUGS me when those questions are left unanswered. I don't want to have to speculate.
I do not like loose threads...in movies or in books.
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