Linear
momentum, when applied to animation or film, tends to be a very inconsistent
concept. Few audiences would watch a film where their favorite superhero
becomes a flesh colored puddle on concrete after they land. While the
conservation of momentum is important to mechanics and construction of vehicles
in reality, the limitations that it places over reality can prevent fantastical
motion and action. Many instances of the inconsistency around the conservation
of momentum involve falling and the impacts it has the human body, namely how
injured any particular character could be past impact.
One set of films that violates the realistic constraints
of linear momentum, particularly when applied to the human body, is The Matrix Trilogy.
The cyberpunk action films consistently break physics, more often to increase the
tension of the moment. One of the most blatant examples of this happens at the
end of the second film, The Matrix: Reloaded. Neo, having learned Trinity is in
mortal danger, flies through the city in order to save her. As she falls from a
building, Neo catches her and flies away. In terms of cinematic action, the
series of events seems fairly benign and simple, however when one adds the
physics of the actors’ movements, the outcome becomes far more unrestrained. In
this series of actions, Trinity is in free fall from approximately
three-fourths the height of a skyscraper (she is also firing guns at an Agent,
but for the physics purposes that means very little). While Trinity falls, Neo
flies through the city at a breakneck speed. His velocity is inferred to be
quite high as when he flies closely between two buildings, the force expelled
from him causes the glass to ripple and shatter behind him. His flight also can
be seen to create a vortex of debris and cars following behind him. Despite Neo’s
obviously incredible momentum and force, when Neo flies by to catch Trinity,
she comes away seemingly unharmed, sans a bullet wound from the earlier
firefight. Comparing the momentum of Neo and Trinity, Trinity would not have
survived the impact of Neo grabbing her. Not only would the rapid change of
direction at the speed Neo was moving would cause great physical harm, combine
that with Neo’s momentum, Trinity should have been torn apart by the force
applied to her in a very small window of time. This exemption of physics being
applied to Trinity could be explained by Neo’s status in the film during the
sequence, as Neo has nearly god-like power, which includes altering The Matrix
in its basis code. While this can explain the physics being broken, knowing
when physics breaks compared to reality allows the audience to gain an
understanding of the universe which the movie takes place in.
Often films breaks physics in order to create moments and
emotional reactions, and while breaking physics at times shatters the
suspension of disbelief, doing so in a minor enough fashion will either fly
under the radar, or will be minor enough to be forgiven. A well thought out
instance of only a minor break in physics is a moment in How to Train Your
Dragon when Toothless and Hiccup saved Astrid as she fell by snatching her by
the leg after her was knocked off her own dragon. In the movie, she was
unharmed, albeit a little unhappy she was being held upside down. If she was
caught by her leg while tumbling through the air in reality, her momentum would
continue her motion with enough force to cause her leg to break or possibly
enough to snap her spine. While she clearly ends the battle injured, her
injuries are nowhere near the extent they should have been. By causing a main
character to enter into a situation where great danger is present, and having
them to almost not survive, but happen to be saved, it increases tension and
eventually create attachment to them. Astrid’s fall was a moment of great
danger (and momentum), and Hiccup and Toothless catching her endears them to us,
and shows the relationship Hiccup and Astrid share now. Going outside the bounds
of realistic physics in films and animation not only establishes the bounds of
the universe but also can be used to exaggerate emotional moments.
Physics does not always have to be broken to cause an
impact on the story or characters, it can be bent in slight but consistent
manners to exaggerate how that specific universe functions. Within the Marvel
Universe, the reins of physics has been loosened, so many seemingly regular humans,
such as Hawkeye and Black Widow, can survive battle with superhumans and aliens.
Specifically, Tony Stark, with his Iron Man suits, seemingly survives countless
impacts and falls that would essentially liquefy Tony if realistic physics
applied. A strong example of this phenomenon would be Tony Stark escaping from
the militants who captured him. After building the Mk.1 Iron Man suit and
cutting down his guards, Tony’s suit explodes, sending him flying several
hundred feet through the air. Given the composition of the suit and his high
momentum as he lands, realistic physics would cause him to break almost all his
bones and tear his apart. Instead, Tony survives with only minor injuries and
no permanent damage. While there are some effects of heavy impact and high
speeds, the Marvel Universe removes some of the consequences of momentum in
order to exaggerate the action and glamour of the films.
Momentum, which often limits how realistic movement can
be, is often broken in film and animation in order to exaggerate action or motion.
When the rules of momentum are broken, it can be obvious and feel incorrect.
Yet when used properly, the breaking of conservation of momentum can establish
a universe, or show how the rules of the universe changes. While deconstructing
improper physics in film and animation serves an important purpose for a
content creator, knowing how to bend and break physics in the ways that are
purposeful and thought out can create universes and emotional moments that feel
real and consistent.
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