Attention to realism

I would think, at this point, almost everyone in the universe has seen the film “Transformers.” In case you haven’t, here is a quick run-down: Machine-creatures from outer space come to Earth to do battle, and after two hours of buildup, ultimately do so in downtown Los Angeles. OK ... a little far-fetched. Also, the quirky teenager at the center of it all somehow manages to be the hero of the planet despite all of the wedgies he was undoubtedly powerless to prevent prior to the arrival of his intergalactic robot friends. Also a bit implausible, but it feels good to root for the kid. \nHowever, here is where I draw the line: When the fighter jets are dogfighting amongst L.A.’s skyscrapers in the final battle, an airplane flies by a glass building and there is no reflection! \nThe building is glass ... there should be a reflection! \nAs an avid consumer of movies and TV, I often find myself in an immensely frustrating situation. I have already grudgingly accepted the filmmaker’s alternate universe. Robots from space? Fine. I can still take the movie seriously despite such an obvious step outside the boundaries of realism. However, it is the “quirks” and “goofs” that get to me because they undermine even the most creative interpretation of reality.\nAnother example is the TV show “Chuck.” In this one, Chuck, a guy working at a large electronics retailer, receives an e-mail from an old friend. The friend happens to be in the CIA, and the e-mail contains a video of every last bit of U.S. government intelligence, which the protagonist watches once and commits to his photographic memory in its entirety.\nAlright. I can accept that Chuck has become a walking intelligence file. I can even go along with him memorizing everything in the video after seeing it only once even though I’ve been trying to memorize the same irregular Spanish verbs all semester. But why is it that Chuck’s CIA friend could send him an e-mail of all of the U.S. government’s secrets, but I couldn’t send two photos in an e-mail because the files were too big? That kind of thing just bothers me. Also, the secret agents sent to protect Chuck are somehow experts in everything from martial arts to computers, yet they seem to spontaneously become cross-eyed whenever they find themselves in a shoot-out with the “bad guys.” That particular faux pas is, without question, a staple of the entertainment industry. “Chuck” is far from being the \nfirst offender.\nI can appreciate creativity and fiction. It makes TV and movies, among other things, far more interesting and enjoyable. I would certainly rather watch secret agents who flunked “handgun accuracy 101” waste bullets than listen to some vapid brats bicker about their meaningless lives on MTV. However, I would like to see some continuity within the alternate realities that TV and movies create. It is the filmmakers’ job to sell the fictional world in which their story takes place, and I think attention to detail makes it a much easier sell.