The Core

[teleen_fiction]

ETA 9/13/15:  I got over it, :).  I had a mad urge to watch it recently and while I noticed the error (it's impossible not to), I was able to gloss over it and enjoy one of my favorite movies of all time.  Which brings me to something else - how the FUCK is this POS one of my favorite movies of all time?  I think it's the cast chemistry.   The movie does have an AMAZING cast who took this movie and absolutely ran with it, taking its incredibly silly premise 100% seriously the entire film and that helps a lot, :).

As some of you may or may not know, I really love disaster movies.  Always have since I was a kid.  I'll watch and enjoy any silly premise out there, from "Armageddon" to "Volcano," from "The Towering Inferno" to "The Poseidon Adventure," but the one that I've found holds a special place in my heart is "The Core."  I actually own two copies of it (pan and scan, purchased by accident, and widescreen) and have found myself watching it recently when it's been on cable.

The plot of the film, for those who, um, care, is that the core of the Earth has stopped spinning, which will lead to Bad Things happening to the planet.  There's a subplot that one of the scientists in the film, a pompous ass named Zimsky, may have caused it using a geo-seismic weapon called "Destiny."

With me so far?  Because here's where it gets really out there.  The main genius in the film, Josh, who figures this out spectacularly fast, tells everyone that it's impossible to reach the core to fix it (even if they could come up with a brilliant plan to do so), because of the pressure involved.

Cut to Zimsky telling everyone that a man named Bras (from whom he once stole research) has a way of getting there using a combination of a magic laser that can cut through mountains and a super-strong polymer that he nicknamed "Unobtainium," (yeah, for those of you who are really geeky, that's the same stuff for which they were mining in Avatar).

They work out a way to build the ship in three months, get together an awesome crew that includes two astronauts played by Hillary Swank (who's great even in this frosted dog turd) and the guy who played Captain Pike in the Star Trek reboot (he gets killed when they crash into a geode somewhere in the mantle, but he does his best up to that point).

They also find a super-hacker who stays behind in mission control, who can control the Internet and keep everyone from knowing that the planet's about to end so that they can have time to save it.

They decide to use a 1,000 megaton nuclear explosion (split evenly among five warheads), to jumpstart the core.

When they get to the core, they discover that it's not as dense as they thought it was, so instead of one big explosion, they have to use five smaller ones.

The ship has six compartments, INCLUDING the drive section.  Josh details what they are very carefully in the ship-building montage scene early in the film.

Six.

Josh's friend Serge, who is the weapons expert, gets crushed to death when one of them breaches and they have to eject it.

They have to use the remaining compartments to set off the FIVE nuclear bombs separately to restart the core.  Oh, and in order to be able to eject all five remaining compartments, Bras has to kill himself sabotaging his own ship.

They eject five compartments.  And still have the drive compartment left.

It's funny, I must have had this movie on as background noise while cooking at least a dozen times, but I only noticed that plot hole recently and THAT is what's messing with me.  Up until now, my ability to ignore the impossible premise, the incredibly bad science, and impossible solution to the impossible problem has been pretty good.  I just sit back, say "fuzzy bunnies" and enjoy the one-liners and the action.  It's a hot mess, but it's a fun hot mess.

But now, the film is spoiled.

Because one of the screenwriters (or editors, or actors, or the director) couldn't fucking count to seven.

Comments

[masterde.livejournal.com]

So, I remember this movie. It was on TV one day so I watched. I tend to pick apart science fiction movies, too, but I can still enjoy them for what they are. Fluff that takes me to a future where impossible things are possible. And, technically, nothing is impossible. It's just that some things are so unlikely as to be considered impossible... but nothing's truly impossible!

I'm sorry the disaster movies are ruined for you. It nice to have big explosions and raining death. Makes for a happy day for me.Then again, I am a man... and what man doesn't love exploding things?

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

You misunderstood me - disaster movies aren't ruined. Only THIS disaster movie is ruined, LOL.

And "ruined" might be a stretch, since I'll still probably watch it on fast-forward and just skip over where he's talking about how big the ship is...

[masterde.livejournal.com]

Ahh... we I'm glad that not all disaster movies are ruined for you. I hope it doesn't become a trend. :)

[kendermouse.livejournal.com]

that's actually one i haven't seen. But what can i say, i watch SyFy "made for SyFy channel" movies. You know where they have flying dinosaur SKELETONS... or Piranhaconda where they have a cross between a piranha and an anaconda, or giant ice tornadoes that are aware enough to chase after SPECIFIC people!

::sigh::

i'm a geek and can ignore most any plot hole if i'm watching for the cheezy factor. Now, if it's meant to be SERIOUS or something that i'm expecting to be GOOD - then it's a little harder.

Sorry that the plot hole ruined it for you. Can you just chalk it up to the character not realizing that someone added an "escape pod" when he wasn't looking that accounted for the extra compartment? ::hopeful look::

i grew up on B-grade scifi movies and serials, i can fake up a "denial of plot hole" without breaking a sweat! ::giggle::

anyway, i hope you get to the point where you can ignore the "oops" and still enjoy the movie, hon.

Take care,
km

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

Eh, I'll eventually get there, but it's just so glaring, y'know?