Movie Screw Ups

[John Bowden]

OK.......... I just watched "World War Z"........ yeah I don't go to the movies very much and it's on Netflix now.........anyway I wish they would have had someone to tell them that:

1. Not everybody uses the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, especially the United States Navy.

2. The United States Navy doesn't use the Antonov AN-12 and IF they did they would not have McGuire Air Force Base markings painted on the tail.

3. An AN-12 would never EVER take off from the deck of a Nimitz class carrier. Especially down the center of the flight deck where there isn't a catapult. A C-130 did it one time..........ONE TIME and it was on the USS Forrestal, and the pilot got the DFC.

I know the UN uses soviet aircraft, but they are marked plainly with a BIG Blue UN on them and are usually painted all white except for the blue UN.......... these in the move were clear marked in US markings........

Not that I'm a rivet counter, or a nitpicker..............but really..........REALLY!

I'm pretty sure if they had asked for help from either the Navy or Air Force they would have accommodated them with advisers and possible let them use REAL aircraft for some of the shots..........

I just think that a movie especially with all the money being spent, the technology available, the Internet for research (Geez!), they would try and make it as realistic as possible.......... yeah I know it's a movie about zombies.

I'm just saying.................. at least try and make an effort to get it close to being right.

[hawkman67]

That is a lot like in one of the Iron Eagle movies where they used F-4 Phantoms and called them Migs!! seriously?? any one with any knowledge would know what planes they were...
Jeff

[marbucu]

and Topgun's Mig-28!

[John Bowden]

well.......... I agree guys.........but,

at that time when they were both made there really wasn't much in the way of computer graphics, (like today) and any source for MiGs other than the USSR and soviet block countries.............. but the movies could have done better. I mean extending the refueling probe to try and change the looks of the Phantom.......... sad, very sad.

WWZ could have hired civil C-130s and Twin Hueys and repainted them and been much more realistic............ I mean they had to hire the copters and transport from someone, why not get something that the USN used............

[SCEtoAUX]

Yep, it gripes me to see movies with actors supposedly being USN sailors saluting indoors or without a cover. Saluting with their freakin' thumbs sticking up (don't you know there is a butt of a M14 with those thumbs' names on it). Saying "Oh eight hundred hours" instead of "Zero eight hundred" and other such things when talking about time. Non-rates, strikers, petty officers, chief petty officers, and zeroes all together in uniform in the same bar, some of the enlisted even wearing dungarees.

There is a TV series coming on TNT about some USN ship crusing around after almost everyone on Earth has died from some disease. It will probably have so much straight, unadulterated BS in it that a good supply of bricks will be needed to chuck at the TV. Or maybe have a drinking game for all of the cwrap that will most likely been shown. Talk about getting wasted.

[Alcides]

Sometimes you wonder why the movies are so expensive and they still have very big mistakes.

I remember in fly boys all the german aircraft where Fokker Triplanes!!!

But my most recent desapointment was with Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. !! On that movie the bad guy force into the stock exchange building and they connect a computer to the network. After that they make a lot of stock transactions and the transactions are valid!!!

That's is crazy in every stock exchange around the world all the transactions rollback without hesitation until before the problem. The IT systems are designed on that way to avoid any "forced" transactions. I know I work in the IT department of the stock exchange for my country.

It's really silly how they make that mistake. Every employee in the stock market know about it.

[evilfer]

I personally suffered a bit watching Gravity. Not that I'll be able to detect mistakes in the ships/stations, but please, no, you cannot go from Hubble to ISS (and then to the next stop) like you go to your neighbours next door to ask for some sugar*.

*source: hours of failing missions in Orbiter .

[rjm]

How about the TV show that had Patton riding a Stuart into battle
in WWI!

[airdave]

When it comes to nitpicking...I thought I wrote the book.
Until I found the actual book...the Nitpickers Guide to...

John, I would be the first to agree with you on all points
except I have to argue with you a little bit...

I liked WWZ...but just as I was getting into the story, it ends.
It seems to take a long time to get there, and when it just starts getting good
the end credits roll.
Made me angry.

When it comes to an all out fantasy film like WWZ, its unfair to be critical
of the use of the wrong type of helicopter when you are tolerating a story
about Zombie hordes.
LOL
I mean, if you are going to accept piles of wall climbing zombies in Jerusalem
then you can't really complain too much about some wrong aircraft markings!

Kinda like suggesting "Willy Wonka is wearing the wrong shoes for that period...its just not right."

Now, Gravity...that was just plain offensive (I thought).
Yeah, I'm sure the scenery was beautiful on the big screen
...but not at the expense of all reality.
Just an endless string of errors and unbelievable situations in that movie.
A few space zombies would have helped that one.

War and historically "accurate" films that don't use or depict the correct
equipment, vehicles, uniforms or historical facts are the biggest annoyance to me.
Like most, I don't know every historical detail, but I can spot a few things.
I don't mind CGI if the real thing isn't available, but it should still be done right.
Lucas' Red Tails was guilty of breaking all the rules.
I found myself nitpicking that film from beginning to end.


In case you haven't seen it yet...avoid "Battleship" like its got Zombie plague.
I don't have enough room here to go into all the problems with this film.
Its like they totally ignored any form of reality to make this movie.
One of the worst aspects is the characters and their places in the US Navy.

The main star is a new Navy recruit
...who gets court martialed or kicked out for some really bad things
...then gets to come back six months later and try again,
...has to apologize to the top Admiral (who is also the father of his girlfriend)
...graduates top of the class
and then is given command of a Battleship within a year!!
(or something stupid like that)

And Rhianna...yes, the pop singer
...is a radar operator onboard the Battleship
...who also gets to go on special ops missions,
fixes engines,
handles communications,
fires the main guns,
steers the boat
and battles aliens hand to hand.
And then she does a concert for the crew.
(Okay I made that last part up....but its really that bad.)

[rewalston]

My biggest nitpic was from a movie called "My Science Project" This is like 20 years ago if not more. Basically a guy builds a machine that warps time, next thing you know there is a T-Rex in the school gymnasium. He's shooting at it with an M-16, with a mounted M-203 grenade launcher. I've fired this thing, it was fun. But what really irked me is he was shooting the 203 as if it was a slide shotgun, constantly racking rounds.....DUH There is no magazine on a 203, it's a single shot....