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I'm generally not one to nit pick details in movies. I don't expect movies to be scientifically accurate. However, one reoccurring thing I see is starting to bug me.
In alien movies, every time there is an alien invasion, they call out the military. Then the soldiers start to go to town with their automatic rifles and gatlin guns. It all is loud and looks good for the camera. There is one major problem. Regular bullets don't work on aliens.
If aliens have so much advanced technology, it makes sense that regular earthly bullets
(and even explosives) wouldn't work. It's the dumbest thing for the military to pull out these useless guns and shoot, fully knowing that these weapons don't work. It's a waste of time.
It depends on which aliens you're talking about. Let's start with Alien aliens.
Bullets work just fine; the xenomorphs are tough, but not bulletproof.
The usual problem is that xenomorphs are also extremely fast, strong and intelligent... and if you're paying attention, the soldiers discount all three, especially the last. They act like they're shooting at a rabid dog.
The acid blood also creates a little havoc when spilled/splashed/blown back in close combat.
As for many other movies... it's in the script. And, if you think about it, if real aliens of any kind landed... exactly who do you think would respond, and with what methods of force?
As Arnold said in Predator, "if it bleeds, it can be killed".
Life forms in general, most likely will have a reaction to a projectile passing through it, whether a super advanced civilization or not.
If anything, I think they downplay the impact bullets and explosives have on aliens. In Starship Troopers, it basically took several people shooting to bring down just one, whereas I think the aliens being living creatures, a couple of bullets or even one good placed one, would in reality bring it down.
They are movies, the aliens are not real, gunfire sells. And if there were real aliens landing in NYC, how would we know bullets don't work till we try?
In alien movies, every time there is an alien invasion, they call out the military. Then the soldiers start to go to town with their automatic rifles and gatlin guns. It all is loud and looks good for the camera. There is one major problem. Regular bullets don't work on aliens.
How do you know?
Quote:
Originally Posted by charlygal
In alien movies, every time there is an alien invasion, they call out the If aliens have so much advanced technology, it makes sense that regular earthly bullets (and even explosives) wouldn't work.
Not necessarily. In ALIENS, for example, the aliens aren't an advanced species. They are basically super lizard/cockroaches. In INDEPENDENCE DAY, far far far far far stupider than the alien craft being bullet and missile proof is the fact that their operating software is apparently compatible with Apple Products.
First, as you said: It's a movie. This isn't real. If there are aliens out there, we have no idea how their tech has progressed. Technologically speaking, the first European colonists had far better weapons than American Indians. But a flint-tipped arrow still did a lot of damage. Superior tech doesn't always win.
And it really depends entirely on the writing. In some stories, human tech has proven ineffective against aliens. The Martians in H.G. Wells's story were taken out by germs. It all depends on how the writer structures the story, because you say, this is fiction.
I'm generally not one to nit pick details in movies. I don't expect movies to be scientifically accurate. However, one reoccurring thing I see is starting to bug me.
In alien movies, every time there is an alien invasion, they call out the military. Then the soldiers start to go to town with their automatic rifles and gatlin guns. It all is loud and looks good for the camera. There is one major problem. Regular bullets don't work on aliens.
If aliens have so much advanced technology, it makes sense that regular earthly bullets
(and even explosives) wouldn't work. It's the dumbest thing for the military to pull out these useless guns and shoot, fully knowing that these weapons don't work. It's a waste of time.
Any one else noticed this in movies?
A TR-116 seems to work just fine where normal phasers wouldn't work.....they just went for something "better".
In any event, one must remember that the military is funded by tax dollars and those tax dollars pay for weapons that work against the most common enemy. Anyone's Congress would be up in arms if the were buying weapons for the "could be" enemy.
Finally, ever see Charmed "Lost and Bound"? Piper's first attack on the gate failed. I think the second one did as well. It took a succession of hits but eventually, she got through. The first bullet might not work but maybe the second or third or......
I'm generally not one to nit pick details in movies. I don't expect movies to be scientifically accurate. However, one reoccurring thing I see is starting to bug me.
In alien movies, every time there is an alien invasion, they call out the military. Then the soldiers start to go to town with their automatic rifles and gatlin guns.
I positively love the idea of arming the Gatlin Brothers and sending them out to fight aliens and guard all the gold in California. Trying to be a hero... The only thing better might be to send ZZ top out to dazzle them with facial hair and spinning guitars, or Ozzy Osbourne to bite their heads off. Then, if THAT didn't work, we could just send out a crew to rap them to death.
It all is loud and looks good for the camera. There is one major problem. Regular bullets don't work on aliens.
Do silver bullets count? Mass, accelerated to sufficient velocity will have an effect. When one starship collides with another, Darth has a big "oops" moment, and then a "Dam, I shoulda given that one the right of way." Bullets are the same, but smaller.
Of course, we COULD fight them off with Powerpoint Bullet Points. All we would need is a lengthy lecture to bore them to death.
If aliens have so much advanced technology, it makes sense that regular earthly bullets
(and even explosives) wouldn't work. It's the dumbest thing for the military to pull out these useless guns and shoot, fully knowing that these weapons don't work. It's a waste of time.
Any one else noticed this in movies?
Obviously, you need to watch "Cowboys and Aliens" again. It'll restore your faith in bullets and knives.
I have another observation.
Many of them have a central switch board, a queen of a sort that, when destroyed, brings everything else down. Of course, a scientists or, just a desperate guy, figures that out and destroys it.
It's called a cliche. Tells you, how creative screenwriters really are.
Also, I asked my son, a graphic designer, about this. He said - Yes, of course, it's all based on video games and, in video games, you have the final boss, you have to fight.
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