No matter how fantastic a fi lm is , none of them are perfect . Even ones deserving of a 5 star rating can have fl aws – albeit not as many as other movies . The fi lmmakers can try to make their story as tight as possible , but there will be the inevitable detail that slips through the cracks as the project makes its way to the screen . Especially after multiple viewings of a personal favorite , there will be a basic plot point or question that needs clearing up . Not everything is apparent in the fi lm , and sometimes fans have to look to other sources to learn everything . Here are 10 answers to movie mysteries you ’ ve been waiting for . The Dark Knight Rises After Heath Ledger tragically passed away prior to the premiere of The Dark Knight , Christopher Nolan decided that he would not use the Joker in its sequel . While that decision was understandable , many thought it was odd that the character wasn ’ t even mentioned by name during The Dark Knight Rises . He was such a huge part of the franchise that he couldn ’ t have just fallen off the face of the Earth . According to the novelization , Joker is the lone inmate at the rebuilt Arkham Asylum , spending his days in solitary confi nement with no one to “ play with .” It ’ s a sad end for a memorable character , but one we would have loved to see . Taxi Driver For years , people have thought the ending of Taxi Driver is inconsistent with the darker nature of the fi lm , as Travis Bickle is hailed as a hero for saving Iris . Some believe that the fi nal moments all take place in his head , a dream that sees him writing his own legacy . Clues that support this are Travis ’ previously destroyed TV seen intact , and a letter from Iris ’ parents that appears to be in Travis ’ handwriting . Writer Paul Schrader says that since the whole movie is set inside Travis ’ head , it ’ s not meant
27 | BOOM
FEATURE
10 Answers To Movie Mysteries You Have Been Waiting For
to be realistic . How ’ s that for a mind bender ? Star Wars : The Phantom Menace The original trilogy featured Dark Side users , but the term “ Sith ” was never spoken on screen until the fi rst prequel . Polar opposite of the Jedi , they do not have a full army or an entire order at their disposal , just two . If the Sith were to overthrow the Jedi , why would they only have a master and an apprentice ? Per the novelization , the Sith originally did bring as many allies together , before they tore each other apart with their extreme lust for power . Darth Bane , who survived the fi rst Sith purge , was the one who decided there should only be two at the most , which worked quite well until Darth Vader came back to the light . Star Trek In the 2009 Star Trek reboot , villain Nero has been waiting 25 years to invoke revenge on the Federation , but why did it take him so long to move into action . It doesn ’ t make sense for the Romulans to wait 2 + decades to strike , and luckily , there ’ s a perfect explanation as to why . A deleted scene shows that Nero was captured and held in a Klingon prison before he broke his crew out and moved forth on his plan . There ’ s no telling why this was cut from the theatrical cut , but it would have been a nice inclusion to clear things up a bit . Captain America : The Winter Soldier After his old fashioned costume in The Avengers , Steve Rogers received an upgrade for his uniform in Captain America : The Winter Soldier . The modern design was well-received by fans , but by the fi lm ’ s end , Cap is wearing his old duds from World War II , stealing them from the Smithsonian . The reasoning for the theft is never given in the theatrical cut , but a deleted scene showed that S . H . I . E . L . D . was tracking the updated costume , so Rogers ditched it to throw them off the scent . Fortunately for him , his original uniform was still in great shape and proved to be just what he needed to get the job done .