Science Fact or Cinematic Fiction? (Outline)

The Action/Reaction Principle

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

An object at rest remains at rest until acted on by an unbalanced force.

Scene 1: Elysium

- Kruger kicks Max across a platform. Max slams into the saftey bars, Kruger remains in the same place.

-Kruger should slide backwards to compensate for the force of his kick. This violates the princicple because the reaction is not balanced.

Scene 2: Kung Fu Panda

-Po punches Tai Lung. Tai Lung goes flying off through walls, but Po doesn't move or budge.

-Po should counter the action by flying backwards. It's impossible that Tai lung went that far to begin with, but the rules in an animated film about Kung Fu are lenient. The reaction doesn't not match the action.

Scene 3: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

-A character stops a motorcycle dead it it's track without flinching or moving an inch.

-This character should fall backwards or have some sense of the "slow in" principle. But the animation style calls for very quick movements and very little attention to the laws of physics.