Gravity [Not a spambot]

[SecondRevan]

I'm sure it was all in good fun. And his points about her hair in the zero-G scenes, as well as regarding the two only major plotholes (the communication satellites should have been even higher than they were, and the three station "islands" should not have been within sight of one another) were good ones. WSJ:

Tyson says he liked “Gravity,” and that in retrospect he should also have discussed more prominently “the hundred things they got right.” But he makes no apologies for his insistence on scientific accuracy in the face of the retorts that “it’s only a movie.”

I don't have any issues with Tyson's tweets. Honestly, I love the fact that a scientist is using Gravity to try and build interest in science. I have a problem with people who use those tweets to say it is a bad movie (if you don't like it, have some more legitimate critiques. I can think of several possible criticisms you could direct at Gravity. I don't agree with them, but they are much more legitimate than the science is wrong) The only tweet I had a problem with was

Mysteries of #Gravity: Why anyone is impressed with a zero-G film 45 years after being impressed with "2001:A Space Odyssey"

Unsurprisingly, this is the tweet where he isn't talking about science. Zero-G film making is still impressive, even 45 years after 2001. Any successful attempt to go above and beyond the standard cinematography tricks is impressive, even if Kubrick did it first.

His quote on scientific accuracy, though, I disagree with. Not because 'it is only a movie', but because it is a movie (there is a distinction). Movies have their own demands. That is why I had my speech about 'appearance of realism v realism' above, and how they are different things. And in 99% of cases, a movie should take the former over the latter. Because art has different goals to science.

Also, your two plot holes are not plot holes. They are elements of the setting of Gravity. Inconsistent with real life, but elements of the setting of Gravity. Sorry, it is just plot holes are so often misapplied, and it is frustrating, especially when idiots then use misapplied plot holes to attack movies (once again, I want legitimate criticisms. I mean, while Dark Knight Rises had many problems, I don't think I ever saw a complaint about it that wasn't 75% 'plot holes that aren't actually plot holes')