Movie Plot Holes that Actually Have Explanations

The Blind Eternities forum

Posted on Dec. 21, 2021, 9:10 p.m. by DemonDragonJ

A "plot hole" is an element of a story that makes no sense within the context of the story and does not have an easy explanation (such as, for example, how the entrance to the centuries-old Chamber of Secrets in the second Harry Potter book was concealed inside a modern restroom), and many famous movies contain a number of famous (or, in some cases, infamous) plot holes, many of which have puzzled or frustrated audiences for years.

However, there are some movie plot holes that actually do have explanations, so I shall start a thread to discuss those situations.

In Back to the Future, viewers have often wondered why, in the revised timeline, George was never suspicious when Lorraine gave birth to a son who grew up to look exactly like the mysterious stranger who brought them together, especially considering that they named said son in honor of that stranger. However, those viewers forget that Marty is the youngest of three children, so he was born long after the mysterious stranger (who was actually Marty, himself, traveled backward in time) had vanished from George and Lorraine’s lives. However, a true plot hole does exist in that George and Lorraine waited until their third child to honor the mysterious stranger.

In Star Wars, Episode V: the Empire Strikes Back, both Luke and Han leave Hoth at the same time, with Luke going to train with Yoda on Dagobah while Han and Leia travel to Bespin to hide from the empire. It is never explicitly stated, but it is heavily implied, that Luke trained with Yoda on Hoth for several days or even several weeks, whereas Han and Leia’s journey was only several hours, or perhaps several days, but that can easily be explained by time dilation, which is a very common element for any stories that involve travel across the vast distances of outer space.

What does everyone else say about this subject? What are some movie plot holes that actually have explanations?

TypicalTimmy says... #2

In Spiderman: No Way Home, Flint Marko - aka Sandman - protects Spiderman from Electro when they both first appear. Spiderman asks what the hell is going on and Flint says he has no idea; He just appeared there and this other guy did as well. Peter tells Flint that he needs to get them back home, and Flint agrees saying he just wants to see his daughter again.

So Flint begins the movie HELPING Peter.

But, very quickly, turns to try and kill Peter. Why? What's going on here? Was there dialog or a scene cut? Is this a plot hole?

Nope! ^_^

Of the five villains; Doc Ock, Sandman, Lizardman, Electro and Green Goblin only ONE of them was a convicted felon - Flint Marko; Sandman. Only Flint had a prior criminal history as a bank robber. Only Flint new what it felt like to be locked up. Only Flint knew what it meant to have his freedom taken from him.

So when Parker put Flint in a magical prison cell with the others, it made him angry and full of hatred. For he just wanted to go home and see his daughter, and believed helping Parker would be his ticket out of there. Instead, Parker locks him up with the rest of them.

Then, he finds out that he will likely die when he returns home.

Thus, his desire to kill Parker at all costs - for the seeming betrayal, and the threat to his own life.


In fact, what IS a plot hole is why in the Hell Eddie Brock was there at all!

Everybody who KNEW who Spiderman was got pulled to the MCU. But in the Venomverse, there isn't a Peter Parker / Spiderman. Eddie Brock wouldn't have known, and thus he should have never been there in the first place!

THAT'S a plot hole.

December 22, 2021 2:23 a.m. Edited.

plakjekaas says... #3

In The Matrix (1999) it's explained that the humans in the actual matrix are harvested for energy. Futurama pointed out that the human body is one of the worst batteries you could ever think of (the body does use electricity for nerve signals and such, and for biological energy, ATP is kinda efficient, but if you're actually after generating energy, any food you'd feed a human would release more energy by being burned, than by being fed).

This is not an oversight by the writers who just needed a dystopian future for the matrix to be set in. They actually meant for the machines to harvest humans for the computational power of their brains, but computers were not as widespreadedly present in our daily life back in 1999 as they are today, and the studio expected the general public to understand energy better than computer power.

December 22, 2021 2:37 a.m.

plakjekaas says... #4

As for

TypicalTimmy's Second Plot Hole Show

I'm not saying it's a good explanation, but there's something there that's actually told in advance, not retroactively corrected after it was noticed to be a plot hole.

December 22, 2021 2:49 a.m.

TypicalTimmy says... #5

But that would suggest the hivemind can share knowledge across the multiverse. Not unreasonable, if they are multiuniversal beings living beyond what we perceive as a "universe", but perhaps is still the biggest leap of faith we have seen yet. Because the two iterations exist wholly in their own movie universes, it would only be possible if one of them could communicate to another one, spanning said universes.

In my opinion, that sounds more like a Reddit fantheory that would get 22k upvotes and dozens of awards but is just theorycraft on a bored Tuesday night.

December 22, 2021 2:58 a.m. Edited.

TypicalTimmy says... #6

One "plot hole" I am a fan of is in original Jurassic Park. We are told by Doctor Alan Grant that the T-Rex's vision is based on movement; If you stand still, it can't see you. Obviously 100% false.

And yet... we see it to be true? The T-Rex largely ignores, or "misses" anyone not actively panicking and fleeing. Why?

The general accepted theory is that the T-Rex is actually a juvenile. It sees them perfectly well, but has a more playful / curious mentality. It isn't actually hunting - it is exploring. And just like a puppy who will chew on something when it gets its chance, the T-Rex too will eat what it can.

This doesn't mean the T-Rex isn't dangerous; It is. What it means is that the T-Rex isn't territorial and savage - It's young and curious.

December 22, 2021 3:05 a.m.

Niko9 says... #7

There was a good plothole to payoff in the show Supernatural. Through a series of things, at one point, the main characters literally lose their plot powers for an episode. Like, the car breaks down, the one character has to go see a dentist, picking locks becomes hard, they can't just punch supernatural creatures, and it's all very kinda fun. It goes back to normal at the end, but the break where they have to do normal every day things is pretty good. That show has some problems, for sure, but they do goofy-good episodes really well sometimes : )

And, speaking of futurama, one of my favorite set ups is the episode where the professor invents the forwards time machine, then they go too far forward, then they have to continue going forward until they discover someone who has invented the backwards time machine. It was just like, pfft, yep, that's such a good way to do this episode.

December 22, 2021 7:36 a.m.

TypicalTimmy says... #8

Niko9, wait I thought the episode was that they go forward in time so far that they witness the end of the universe. Then, they witness the big bang and realize the universe is on a continuous loop, so they fast forward to the point in the universes history to where they wanted to go in the first place?

Is this the same episode or a different one?

December 23, 2021 12:44 a.m.

Niko9 says... #9

TypicalTimmy Yep, that's the same episode. When they start going forwards the professor says that they only have to go forward until they find the time where someone invents the backwards time machine, but then things get out of hand. It's been a while since I've seen it, but I remember that being the set up because it was so ridiculous but also so logical. Futurama was such a great show. It's also one of the few shows that subverts the "main characters want to date but never date" trope. They just date, and it's fine. I always liked that : )

December 23, 2021 7:43 a.m.

DemonDragonJ says... #10

In The Matrix, the characters repeatedly emphasize how important it is to have an operator in the material world, to allow people to enter and exit from the titular computer simulation, but Cypher is able to enter the Matrix for his meeting with agent Smith despite not having been shown entering; the logical explanation is that he used an automated program to enter and exit the Matrix, but it would have been nice for that to have been explicitly stated.

The plot hole there is that, if automated programs exist to allow people to enter and exit the Matrix, why operators are even necessary, but that can be explained that Cypher alone had the knowledge to write such a program, but, again, it would have been nice if the movie had explained that.

December 25, 2021 1:12 p.m.

Niko9 says... #11

Ha, I mean, I think in general The Matrix movies are a mixed bag. There's a lot of good there, but it's the kind of movie that went for cool over impactful. The romance is okay, the plot is decent, the setting is goodish, but the look of everything is very cool. The only problem is that years later when you watch it again, cool never holds up the same, and then you start to look at everything else and say, meh.

Oh, and on the subject of plot holes, there is one in the netflix sequel to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon that really kinda bugged me. I love the first movie and I'm a huge martial arts doer/fan/nerd and the sequel was mostly good, but the main focus of the movie kinda walked dirty feet on the first movie's carpet.

The whole plot where they have to find this legendary sword to fight the bad guy who has another legendary sword is so wrong in the context of the first movie. Crouching Tiger was all about the self and how the balance of someone's skill and emotions are always in flux. The best warrior could beat anyone with a stick but was stunted when it came to admitting his love. And though she was more mature with her feelings, the main female character was always on the back foot in fights. Then both of the younger characters were more wild, and no matter how skilled or how much they loved, it was never fully realized. The whole execution of the first movies was an interplay of the various characters and not only did each of them grow through the journey, but that growth played into their core character. Then, in the sequel, they just needed to find a magic sword. I can't remember feeling that disappointed by a movie in a long time. Still enjoy every second of the first one though : )

Sorry to derail the conversation a bit. It's not a filled plot hole, but it's one that I really wish they would : )

December 25, 2021 2:17 p.m.

Niko9 says... #12

Also, Rogue One! It's an hour and a half of filling a four decade old plot hole. It's also the only of the newer star wars that I really enjoyed.

December 25, 2021 2:23 p.m.

DemonDragonJ says... #13

Niko9, what was the "plot hole" that Rogue One fixed?

December 25, 2021 10:59 p.m.

Niko9 says... #14

The original Star Wars had a kind of plot hole of convenience with the death star. It just happened to have a chute the size of a bomb-thing that not only blew up the whole station but also gave the heroes time to escape before it blew up. The joke used to be that the entire rebellion could have been stopped by a manhole cover : ) But then Rogue One went into the story that the designer purposely made a defect and wanted to leak the plans to the rebels. It was an explanation that wasn't really needed to have the original still be great, but it was nice all the same.

December 26, 2021 6:46 a.m.

DemonDragonJ says... #15

Niko9, I severely disliked that retcon, because, originally, the explanation was that it was a sign of the empire's hubris and arrogance, but the new explanation that it was deliberately inserted strains credibility, because I find it very difficult to believe that the empire would not have noticed it.

December 26, 2021 8:35 a.m.

Niko9 says... #16

DemonDragonJ That's fair : ) I don't know a ton about star wars lore, but I always found it really interesting. It always seemed kinda daunting, you know? There have been so many books and comics and things through the years and it's one of those ones that's like, I love the core idea here, but where do I jump in?

But you have a really good point, it's usually an enjoyable conclusion if the villain plays into their own downfall. Very cathartic.

December 27, 2021 7:55 a.m.

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