TV or theatrical SF movies where someone integral DIDN'T die, yet it was great anyway... by chrisisall

OTHER SCIENCE FICTION SERIES

TV or theatrical SF movies where someone integral DIDN'T die, yet it was great anyway...

POSTED BY: CHRISISALL
UPDATED: Sunday, October 10, 2010 04:08
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 3890
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Tuesday, October 5, 2010 2:01 PM

Parameters here: No killing a beloved character, no killing the "bad" guy, no killing someone important to the main character(s).
My list is incredibly SHORT (Shakespeare has had his evil effect, it seems):

Superman II
Man From Atlantis
Planet Earth
Wargames
Spacecamp
Short Circuit
City of Ember
Empire Strikes Back
Close Encounters
E.T.
Incredible Hulk (theatrical movie)
Fantastic 4 (1 & 2)

I MUST be missing some...
I just want to list movies where death isn't the answer to a "bad" guy, and it isn't the compelling factor to a "good" guy.

The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010 2:44 PM

THEHAPPYTRADER

Back to the Future

That's all I got right now, I'll have to think on that.

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010 3:06 PM

CHRISISALL

YES! I KNEW I was forgettin' something!

The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010 5:26 PM

STORYMARK

Flight of the Navigator?

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 12:10 AM

LWAVES

Tough question that would definitely lead to a short list. You've mentioned the first ones I thought of and when I think I've found some more I remember that someone died. Bugger.

So could 'Moon' count?
Strictly speaking Sam Bell does die but he does get to live on as well. May be pushing the boundaries of the question a bit much for this one.

And the only other one I can think of to add to the list is Pixar's 'Wall-E'.

"The greatest invention ever is not the wheel. It's the second wheel." - Rich Hall

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 2:27 AM

MENDUR

SPOILERS FOR CITY OF EMBER
.
.
.
.
.
I thought the mayor (Bill Murray) died at the end, eaten by a giant critter (albeit not onscreen). At least, I remember it that way. Could someone please correct me on that?

The Codex Menduri: http://mendur.blogspot.com

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 4:12 AM

CYBERSNARK

No, you're right, the Mayor became mole food.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 4:44 AM

SHINYGOODGUY

Galaxy Quest
Dark City (is that considered sci-fi?)
The Matrix

:-)

SGG

Tawabawho?

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 5:55 AM

STORYMARK

Quote:
Originally posted by Shinygoodguy:

Dark City (is that considered sci-fi?)

Yeah, but it wouldn't count, since not only does the hero go on his quest because of murders, the second lead dies, and the hero also kills the bad guy and eradicates his whole race.

It really, really involves some death.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 5:56 AM

STORYMARK

The list is going to be short no matter how much we rack our brains, though. Screenwriting 101's basic rule is, conflicts should be on the life and death scale. It's the most universally understood motivation.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 8:24 AM

MSA

Labyrinth( why does this look like I spelled it wrong???)

To love someone is to see a miracle invisible to others.
--Francois Mauriac
It's fuzzy-minded liberal thinking like that that gets you eaten.

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 9:17 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Mendur:

I thought the mayor (Bill Murray) died at the end, eaten by a giant critter (albeit not onscreen). At least, I remember it that way. Could someone please correct me on that?

He wasn't what you could consider a classic "Bad Guy." More like an idiot that just complicated things a lot.

The laughing Chrisisall

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 9:48 AM

STORYMARK

But was he "integral"? Would the movie have functioned without him?

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 11:16 AM

IMNOTHERE

Quote:

Empire Strikes Back

...pushing it a bit, because its the middle part of a story in which the Significant Deaths happen in "Hope" and "Jedi"...

Toy Story?

I'm thinking "Spirited Away" and "Howl's Moving Castle" but I'm not familiar with them enough to be sure.

(You'd expect movies aimed wholly or partly at kids to have a low body count - but even then when you apply the "great" criteria it cuts it down a bit).

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 11:21 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
But was he "integral"?

Okay, let me rephrase then- Emotionally integral... as in, we *care* about the character. K?

The laughing Chrisisall

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 12:46 PM

CYBERSNARK

Quote:
Originally posted by Shinygoodguy:
Galaxy Quest

Sariss died at the end (as did his entire crew, when their ship blew up).

Quote:
Originally posted by ImNotHere:
Quote:

Empire Strikes Back

...pushing it a bit, because its the middle part of a story in which the Significant Deaths happen in "Hope" and "Jedi"...

Also Dak (Luke's snowspeeder gunner), and (offscreen) a good chunk of the Rebels at Echo Base.

Oh, and Admiral "clumsy and stupid" Ozzel.

Quote:

I'm thinking "Spirited Away" and "Howl's Moving Castle" but I'm not familiar with them enough to be sure.

True for them.

Select to view spoiler:

YuBaba in Spirited Away is foiled, but survives, and the Witch of the Wastes also manages to survive (though you could argue that there are fates worse than death at play in Howl's Moving Castle).

I was gonna just say "all Miyazaki," but then I remembered the bodycount in Nausicaa.

Trying to think of others now that I have a moment.

Did anybody die in Star Trek IV? It's the only one I can think of that didn't have a villain to off (the Probe itself simply departed).

There are the Ghostbusters movies.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 12:55 PM

STORYMARK

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
But was he "integral"?
Okay, let me rephrase then- Emotionally integral... as in, we *care* about the character. K?

The laughing Chrisisall

Well then, that really kinda makes it a bit too subjective. Who's to say who everyone cares for. Someone could say that Serenity didn't have any meaningful deaths, if they weren't a fan of the show first, for instance.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 1:50 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Cybersnark:

Did anybody die in Star Trek IV? It's the only one I can think of that didn't have a villain to off (the Probe itself simply departed).

YES! STIV!! Good call.

Quote:

There are the Ghostbusters movies.

Banished to other realms I guess doesn't count as killing... another good call!

The laughing Chrisisall

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 1:53 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
Who's to say who everyone cares for.

ME. I am the thread master here!

JK

The laughing Chrisisall

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Thursday, October 7, 2010 12:18 PM

MOOSE

This thread became null and void when you included:

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Superman III

as "great anyway."

Then again, I might be thinking of Superman IV.

Never mind....

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
Someone could say that Serenity didn't have any meaningful deaths, if they weren't a fan of the show first, for instance.

At that point I would say "HOW ABOUT YOURS? HOW ABOUT YOURS?!?!?" as I wrap my hands around their neck....

"What did you say nurse? Time to take my meds?
okay."

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Thursday, October 7, 2010 12:28 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Moose:
This thread became null and void when you included:

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Superman III

as "great anyway."

Holy crap Batman... you are correct!!!

*goes to erase it*

The laughing Chrisisall

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Friday, October 8, 2010 4:27 AM

CYBERSNARK

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
But was he "integral"?
Okay, let me rephrase then- Emotionally integral... as in, we *care* about the character. K?

Well then, that really kinda makes it a bit too subjective.

"Anyone we couldn't spare," then.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Friday, October 8, 2010 4:37 AM

OUT2THEBLACK

Adventures In Babysitting ?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092513/plotsummary

Not technically SF per se , but it includes fantasy elements.

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Friday, October 8, 2010 4:44 AM

CHRISISALL

Has no one mentioned Close Encounters yet?

The laughing Chrisisall

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Friday, October 8, 2010 2:12 PM

SHINYGOODGUY

Ooooohhhh yeaahhhh! I knew that..........so that wouldn't count then.

;-)

Excuse me while I go wipe the egg off my face.

SGG

Tawabawho?

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Friday, October 8, 2010 2:19 PM

SHINYGOODGUY

2 for 2, damn I suck at this.

(:-0

Oh nooooooooooo! (my poor imitation of Mr. Bill)

SGGmyscifiskillsarelackingisall

Tawabawho?

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Saturday, October 9, 2010 9:11 AM

LWAVES

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Has no one mentioned Close Encounters yet?

The laughing Chrisisall

Yes.
You mentioned it in your original post. It was the first movie I thought of on reading the title but you had it already.

"The greatest invention ever is not the wheel. It's the second wheel." - Rich Hall

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Saturday, October 9, 2010 3:25 PM

MISSTRESSAHARA

Starman, the movie and tv show. Of which I loved both. And so of course the suits trashed it, even though there was a campaign to save it (lead by the lead antagonist no less) *sigh* there was really good tv. I can't recall if it had any closure.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
~~~~If I'm a bitch, life just got interesting~~~~~

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Sunday, October 10, 2010 4:08 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by lwaves:
Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Has no one mentioned Close Encounters yet?

The laughing Chrisisall

Yes.
You mentioned it in your original post. It was the first movie I thought of on reading the title but you had it already.

*smacks forehead*
Marriage weekend again, I'm all in a tizzy, clearly...

The Best Man Chrisisall

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