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Back To The Future MAJOR Plot Hole?

j7wildj7wild Suspended
edited September 2011 in General Movies & TV Posts: 823
At the beginning, Doc Brown says the DeLorean Flux Capacitor runs on Plutonium.

He fueled the DeLorean with one Plutonium canister and then Marty used it to get away from the Libyan terrorists.

Then the car died in 1955 on the road, right after his arrival and escape from Mr. Peabody Pines Farm. and he had to push it behind the construction sign of his future home's neighborhood because he couldn't get it to start.

Doc Brown also had to use a trailer to tow the DeLorean to the street by the Clock Tower (remember the Police Officer asking Doc what was under the tarp on the trailer?)

So, how the heck was Marty able to start the DeLorean to drive down the street to reach the necessary speed to hit the electric wire at the same time the lighting strikes?

The DeLorean is supposed to be dead!!

Comments

  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,138
    The car runs on regular gasoline j7.
    This is mentioned in one of the films in the trilogy. For someone who works in the dvd / entertainment industry a question like this is almost baffling.
    Have you never seen the other films? If not I am truly appalled.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,187
    The FC makes the time jump possible. The car itself rides on gasoline, as Benny pointed out. What is required, however, is not plutonium but the energy generated through the nuclear fission of said plutonium. However, if the required amounts of energy can be supplied some other way, the FC can still work. Lightning is a generous supplier of energy and so the way they figured out how to make the FC work in the absence of Pu is nothing short of brilliant. ;;)
  • j7wildj7wild Suspended
    edited September 2011 Posts: 823
    no need to bite my head off!!

    I've seen all 3 movies many many times but it's been over 10 years since I've seen the trilogy and I forgot about the car running on gasoline.

    Last night I decided to rewatch the first film and I haven't had the time to watch the other two.

    Therefore, it is natural to thing there is a plot hole; furthermore, even if I was watching the first film for the very first time, it is also natural to think there is a plot hole.

    I don't think Gasoline is mentioned in the first film and if it is, I must have missed it.

    Furthermore, even if the car does run on Gasoline, Marty was not able to restart it after it died when it arrived in 1955 and Doc had to tow it to his lab.

    We didn't see Doc repair the car starter system so still, it is technically still a plot hole!!
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited September 2011 Posts: 24,187
    To be fair, @j7, it is suggested, since Doc has the car in his 'lab', that he's handling all the required repairs during most of the film's second act. Something so trivial shouldn't be visually forced upon us when more interesting things can happen - and do happen - on screen. I don't so much see plot holes as I do the inevitable time paradox BTTF shares with The Terminator. But I give it a pass for that since the film is so enjoyable.
  • SpectoneSpectone
    Posts: 1
    Old conversation here but as a fan of the trilogy I must say that the whole fuel/gas thing has me puzzled. marty asks Doc in the first film is the car runs on gas and Doc said the car is electrical but needs a nuclear reaction hence the plutonium...eventually the lightning bolt takes the place of said nuclear reaction to power the car to go thru time. then he events the mr. fusion as a fule replacement but in the 3rd film states that while mr. fusion powers the time circuits and flux capacitor, the combustion engine of the car runs on ordinary gas and that it always had. so going back to the first movie, none of that is ever mentioned and Doc did say the car is ELECTRICAL. So i dont know about anyone else but the whole thing had me somewhat confused.
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    We have to wait a year for the Cubs to win the World Series. That could end up a pretty big plot hole.
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    Screw the Cubs, I'm waiting on my hover board next year ;)
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    WillyGalore wrote:
    Screw the Cubs, I'm waiting on my hover board next year ;)

    And hover cars, self cleaning jackets, self fitting jackets, self fitting shoes, diners where you're served by the black Michael Jackson and Ronald Reagan (which serve classic Pepsi), video newspapers, Pizza Hut pizzas that go in a microwave small and come out large... etc...

    Y'know, there's a lot that movie promised, but the shark still looks fake.
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    Agent007391 wrote:
    WillyGalore wrote:
    Screw the Cubs, I'm waiting on my hover board next year ;)

    And hover cars, self cleaning jackets, self fitting jackets, self fitting shoes, diners where you're served by the black Michael Jackson and Ronald Reagan (which serve classic Pepsi), video newspapers, Pizza Hut pizzas that go in a microwave small and come out large... etc...

    Y'know, there's a lot that movie promised, but the shark still looks fake.

    Still looked better than all the CGI in DAD! ;-)
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    edited March 2014 Posts: 16,351
    You can get Nike Mags and Marty's rainbow cap. Mr. Fusion replica's are coming out soon. Though I think Hydratable pizza's inspired the Take and bake pizza's so there is something. :D
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    And we're still having to play video games with our hands. "That's like a baby's toy!" ;)
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    WillyGalore wrote:
    And we're still having to play video games with our hands. "That's like a baby's toy!" ;)

    I blame Activision. :))
  • Master_DaharkMaster_Dahark
    Posts: 4,813
    The biggest plot hole in BTTF as far as I'm concerned is in part III when they can't get gasoline and yet the original Delorean is already packed away in that cave.

    Though I suppose that one may have been emptied for storage
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    Master_Dahark wrote:
    The biggest plot hole in BTTF as far as I'm concerned is in part III when they can't get gasoline and yet the original Delorean is already packed away in that cave.

    Though I suppose that one may have been emptied for storage

    But if they used that one, it would create a paradox.
  • Master_DaharkMaster_Dahark
    Posts: 4,813
    No I meant just the gas
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    Master_Dahark wrote:
    No I meant just the gas

    Ah, good point, well made.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Doc most likely emptied the fuel in it when he put it in the mine.
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    Well, I'd assume he'd drained the gas, because wouldn't it have dried up, or something, had it remained in the gas tank for seventy years?
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    Who cares? This film is full of so much breezy charm and is paced to perfection with superb performance from everyone that I couldn't give a stuff if it has plot holes.

    So many blockbuster now can only aspire to be this good.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    Spectone wrote:
    Old conversation here but as a fan of the trilogy I must say that the whole fuel/gas thing has me puzzled. marty asks Doc in the first film is the car runs on gas and Doc said the car is electrical but needs a nuclear reaction hence the plutonium...eventually the lightning bolt takes the place of said nuclear reaction to power the car to go thru time. then he events the mr. fusion as a fule replacement but in the 3rd film states that while mr. fusion powers the time circuits and flux capacitor, the combustion engine of the car runs on ordinary gas and that it always had. so going back to the first movie, none of that is ever mentioned and Doc did say the car is ELECTRICAL. So i dont know about anyone else but the whole thing had me somewhat confused.

    i think it was just inferred... when Marty asks Doc does it run on ordinary gasoline - the question implied was all you needed to do was drive up to 88mph and that would be it?........ Doc's response doesn't suggest that the whole car is powered by the plutonium, just the flux capacitor controlling the time circuitry.
    Agent007391 wrote:
    WillyGalore wrote:
    Screw the Cubs, I'm waiting on my hover board next year ;)

    And hover cars, self cleaning jackets, self fitting jackets, self fitting shoes, diners where you're served by the black Michael Jackson and Ronald Reagan (which serve classic Pepsi), video newspapers, Pizza Hut pizzas that go in a microwave small and come out large... etc...

    Y'know, there's a lot that movie promised, but the shark still looks fake.

    i am still waiting on those 14 Jaws sequels btw..
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    edited March 2014 Posts: 14,590
    Shardlake wrote:
    Who cares? This film is full of so much breezy charm and is paced to perfection with superb performance from everyone that I couldn't give a stuff if it has plot holes.

    So many blockbuster now can only aspire to be this good.
    Well said. You have to respect the producers for refusing to make a fourth film despite the temptation, and leave it as it is. Luckily the franchise is in good hands. It's great to see BTTF talked about on a Bond forum... even made an avatar to imply a shared universe, like a silly fanboy 8-| ;)

    http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3795/13208556234_c2e9946bce_o.png
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Hey can we just rename this "Back To The Future Thread." Because we don't have a BTTF thread and I loved the trilogy and the recent videogame which is pretty much the closest to Back To The Future 4 we'll ever see.

    Oh look. My Deloreans!
    10013290_452049541592639_676603936_n.jpg
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,590
    @Murdock, that's fluxing epic!
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    QBranch wrote:
    @Murdock, that's fluxing epic!
    Thank you. @QBranch. Money well spent. :)
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    Murdock wrote:
    QBranch wrote:
    @Murdock, that's fluxing epic!
    Thank you. @QBranch. Money well spent. :)

    dammit i hate you! lol... i spent $40 on one of those from Toys R Us - so I could put it next to my 2.5 ft tall Darth Vader.... and the damn thing didn't work :(..... i was bummed all day


  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    HASEROT wrote:
    Murdock wrote:
    QBranch wrote:
    @Murdock, that's fluxing epic!
    Thank you. @QBranch. Money well spent. :)

    dammit i hate you! lol... i spent $40 on one of those from Toys R Us - so I could put it next to my 2.5 ft tall Darth Vader.... and the damn thing didn't work :(..... i was bummed all day

    I just got mine recently for $80 as I bought it after they stopped making them. It was limited edition sadly. I'm happy it worked and was in tact.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,590
    HASEROT wrote:
    dammit i hate you! lol... i spent $40 on one of those from Toys R Us - so I could put it next to my 2.5 ft tall Darth Vader.... and the damn thing didn't work :(..... i was bummed all day
    Did you try headbutting the steering wheel? ;)
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