Plot twists

Post by **Graham Kennedy** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:25 am

Be they in movies or television, what's the best and worst plot twists?

I vote for the Sixth Sense. Obvious choice maybe, but my jaw hit the floor!

Worst, I go for The Village. Saw it coming a mile off!

Blackstar the Chakat · Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:00 pm

I, Robot gets my vote. I never saw it coming. In hind sight I should've had an idea that it was VIKI and not the big boss man, but I thought he was going to be a cliche villian who thinks he's God or something.

Post by **Captain Seafort** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:04 pm

ChakatBlackstar wrote:I, Robot gets my vote. I never saw it coming. In hind sight I should've had an idea that it was VIKI and not the big boss man, but I thought he was going to be a cliche villian who thinks he's God or something.

I thought that was pretty clear almost from the start. Given the distinct lack of any mention of Asimov's "zeroth law" it was pretty obvious that that was going to come into play at some point.

Blackstar the Chakat · Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:19 pm

Captain Seafort wrote:
ChakatBlackstar wrote:I, Robot gets my vote. I never saw it coming. In hind sight I should've had an idea that it was VIKI and not the big boss man, but I thought he was going to be a cliche villian who thinks he's God or something.
I thought that was pretty clear almost from the start. Given the distinct lack of any mention of Asimov's "zeroth law" it was pretty obvious that that was going to come into play at some point.

I'm not familiar with that law, and I know more then the average joe when it comes to robotics. What is Asimov's zeroth law?

Post by **Graham Kennedy** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:40 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Laws ... _Law_added

Post by **Mikey** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:44 pm

I have to go with the end of Repo Man.

Enkidu · Post by **Enkidu** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:20 pm

Best twists: Vertigo, Empire Strikes Back, Fight Club, The Usual Suspects, Citizen Kane, Frailty, Great Expectations.
I worked out The Sixth Sense before I saw the film, though it is still a good film. Same with The Village: A good looking film, but a rather empty film pretending to be deep. The entire film is just a giant Macguffin to hang the obvious twist on.
Worst twists: Basic, Rules of Engagement and (possibly) The Da Vinci Code. I've not seen the film but I presume it kept the awful "cheat" twist from the book.

Foxbat · Post by **Foxbat** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:25 pm

I vote for The Usual Suspects. As soon as it was over, I waited around and snuck back in to the next showing to watch it again, knowing the ending and focused on watching Spacey kick butt in the acting department.

Monroe · Post by **Monroe** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:17 pm

Employee of the Month (Not the Comedy! The one about the bank employee) was really obvious. It would have been brilliant except for two things. One the director did Wild Things which I had already seen. And two, had the same star.

Wild Things on the other hand had a great plot twist because I saw it first.

Post by **Mikey** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:24 pm

Enkidu - good call with Vertigo. How do you include Frailty - I saw that coming about 2.5 minutes into the film - and Great Expectations, which was based on one of the more famous English-language novels ever?

RK_Striker_JK_5 · Post by **RK_Striker_JK_5** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:21 pm

"No, I am your father!"

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:45 pm

Damn, beat me to it, RK.

That one has to be the best plot twist ever, how could you possibly see that coming?

Post by **Captain Seafort** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:13 pm

Especially given Obi-Wan's statement in the original film that Vader murdered Luke's father.

The line may have been parodied countless times, but I'd say that goes to show just how famous it's become.

Tiberius · Post by **Tiberius** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:37 pm

The scirpt they actually filmed had different lines.

VADER: Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.
LUKE: He told me enough! he told me YOU killed him!
VADER: No. Obi-Wan killed your father.

they only fixed it when James Earl Jones dubbed the lines, so as to keep it secret for as long as possible.

As for being a surprise, this is a good one, but overall, I think it's not a very good twist. I mean, what does it drive in the movie? Nothing. it only affects the next movie.

Post by **Captain Seafort** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:49 pm

Tiberius wrote:As for being a surprise, this is a good one, but overall, I think it's not a very good twist. I mean, what does it drive in the movie? Nothing. it only affects the next movie.

You could say that about the entire film - by the end of it the Empire is dominant in the Galaxy. The Rebels had been driven from their base, Luke had been defeated by Vader, Han Solo had been captured by Jabba's hired goons. From the perspective of the overarching plot, it was merely a set-up to Return of the Jedi, a crucible to prepare the characters for the decisive final confrontation with the Empire, and to give them a personnal stake in the outcome of that battle (for Leia, Han, for Luke, his father).