Movies and Science

A pretty laid back evening for a Wednesday I should say. Did not get much work done and was bored to death. So what do i do? I decided to watch a movie. I have a fancy for natural disasters and this time I picked up Volcanoes as my pet topic. The movie was Dantes Peak starring Pierce Brosnan as a volcanologist and some other lesser known folks.

While the movie was interesting, there are some weird sequences which defy science (atleast i think so). For instance after the volcano erupts Brosnan and his lady love go in opposite direction towards the mountain to rescue the kids and their grandma. Enroute, their truck is literanlly submerged in water as they try to cross the river. Frankly I cant understand how that truck managed such a feat (mebbe i dont know much about automobiles).

Well the truck makes it and the two of em reach grandmas place and set about planning the escape. In comes molten lava pouring into the house and the house does not burn. Lava temperatures approximate close to 1000 degrees Centigrade. Come on folks I need a break. While we are talking about lava, there is a scene where Brosnan drives his truck over molten lava. Given the tempererature, the truck should be blown away or atleast the tyres should burn. Adding insult to injury, somehow the pet doggie finds it way right next to lava and manages to jump in. Talk about timing!

Hmm there are a number of other funny sequences, such as the acid lake where Brosnan manages to use his left arm wrapped in a thick coat, to paddle for nearly 3 to 4 mins and nothin happens to his arm, wheras grandma Ruth is crippled within 30 seconds of jumpin into the water. Do note that the water in the river is so acidic that it has literally eaten away the propellor on the outboard engine. What material did they use to make that coat. Obviously it can withstand acid, which by the way eats metal and humans too for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

An then the last sequence. I believe it takes two days before fire service comes in to rescue Mr. Brosnan and co. Well he probably was fractured and bleeding from the rock slide and stuck in a mine completely enclosed for 48 hrs. When he is rescued he walks out and lo behold the two kids and the mom are also safe. Now i wonder if folks trapped for 2 days without food and water (dont know where they got their oxygen from) and suffering from multiple fractures presumably(otherwise those rocks were probably made out of paper) can walk out without so much as a hint of tiredness on their face and get to hug each other blah blah.

What is the point of such movies? I guess its more the effect, the fact that you can show large scale destruction keeps viewers at the endge of their seats. It dun matter if science takes a backseat. The worst part is an added love story. Do we really need a love story between an erupting volcano???