MovieChat Forums > Red Planet (2000) Discussion > Problem with Santen death...

Problem with Santen death...

posted 12 years ago by DamianKnight
15 replies | jump to latest

I was watching the movie yet again and I realized something in the part where the men are just sitting or standing around HAB waiting for their air supply to run out.
They're still wearing their helmets, so they still had to be on the com system with each other. Wouldn't Gallagher and Burchenal have heard the conversation between Santen and Pettengill? So, wouldn't they have heard the argument between them?
The only thing I could think is that the com system is either line of sight or has a limited range.
What's everyone else's opinion?

[–] Grizzly101 12 years ago

This movie sucks. And that isn't an opinion. It's a fact.

There are no problems that cannot be solved with a can of brake clean and a lighter

[–] DamianKnight 12 years ago

If it does why are you even bothering to look at a board for the movie? And of course, it will be more amusing if you actually reply, which means you came back to the board for this movie.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] kolchak-thenightstalker 10 years ago

pettengill deserved an apology from santen for screwing up on landing. santen was too much of a douche and bully to admit his mistake and as such he was responsible for his own death. in stressful situations, probably not a good idea to bully or put others down because they can reach a breaking point.

at the most i would say that pettengill committed manslaughter, not murder, but santen was such an a**hole that he got what was coming to him regardless. pettengil could even claim temporarly insanity because of santen constantly running his mouth off. perhaps more appropriately santen deserved a serious beating, not to be pushed off the cliff. although, got to be honest with you, i didn't shed a tear when he went off that cliff.

it would have been funny if pettengill yelled to santen as he fell: "hope you make a better landing this time, a**hole!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_BbtXj2P4g

[–] balducci2 10 years ago

The dialogue is transcribed below. Even if the others were listening in (but I am of the opinion that they could have private conversations via different channels using the helmet radios), there was nothing to indicate that Pettengil killed Santen. The last line could very well be Pettengil expressing shock that Santen threw himself off a cliff:

You're amazing, Mr. Santen. Your life is about to end, and you still can't accept defeat.

I can come across as a hard-ass. I know that. But technically...I didn't fail.

Look, what's done is done. I came up here to forgive you.

Yeah? Well, screw you. I don't need forgiveness from a pussy like you. Get out of here. Go away and die like a man if you can.

Santen. Oh, my God. Santen! Oh, Jesus.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] the_la_baker 10 years ago

If it does why are you even bothering to look at a board for the movie? And of course, it will be more amusing if you actually reply, which means you came back to the board for this movie.

Hating a film is probably the #1 reason film message boards are visited. JFYI.

[–] doenormaaljoh 10 years ago

+1

...the only cool thing about it was the robot, what a waste of budget and time...

[–] TruthPredator 12 years ago

Perhaps they could hear their conversation...This might explain why they, especially Burgenal, seemed very suspicious of Pettingil's claim about Santen throwing himself off the cliff.

[–] bohar06-1 11 years ago

good thinking adds different edge to the sheltering from storm scene

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] deflime 10 years ago

LMAO. You found the one flaw with this movie.. the radio coms. Otherwise, 10/10 comedy.

Fantastic thread.. seriously.

[–] blueman_0101 10 years ago

DamianKnight,

It has been awhile since I saw this movie, but I remember a scene where Gallagher is talking to Bowman privately via a radio they salvaged from an old Mars lander spacecraft, where Bowman informs Gallagher that the Russian rock collecting sampler return spacecraft will only hold 2 men, instead of all 3 men. So there is the capability to have a private conversation via radio. I would think their spacesuit radio communications also have the private communication capability as well.

blueman_0101

[–] DarthBill 10 years ago

I'm guessing they simply had their comm channels switched up, as others have suggested.

Don't know if anyone bothered watching the deleted scenes on the DVD but originally Pettengill got into a fist fight with Santen, which ended with Pettengill kicking Santen over the side saying "How's this for a web hit?" or something like that once he got the upper hand due to Santen running out of oxygen before Pettengill did.

[–] skrall-991-949327 10 years ago

I don't understand why people go out of their way to rip on a movie. It is a F...ING "MOVIE". Maybe watch the NASA channel if you want pure realism.

There's nothing ever perfect about a movie. As good as Star Wars is, as good as Guardians Of The Galaxy is...you CAN find some kind of problem. A plot hole, a tech issue, an acting flub and "unrealistic" thingy.

Newsflash: (hang on to your hat this is big)- we didn't actually go to Mars...so that's kind of a big problem right there!

But...if we did...things have to be THIS way or it's unrealistic. RIGHT? The radios didn't work right, the sensors didn't detect oxygen, BLAH BLAH BLAH! Guess what we probably can't go OR terraform either. GOSH!

Come on. Just sit back and enjoy the movie. Do you rip on The Martian Chronicles while you're at it? No...you just enjoy it. This is actually one of the best "human on Mars" movie you will find. Not perfect but the best of what's available. Sizemore is absolutely astounding in this one.

If you didn't like it fine. But the whole thing is preposterous anyway, no need to micro-nitpick.