this movie is possibly the best example of why IMDB is a gift + a curse

this may contain spoilers, so steer clear if you haven't seen it

i love IMDB. been a member for years, and used it for years before becoming one. it's one of my favorite websites; i love watching movies, and i love discussing movies. but the absolute most aggravating thing in the world is when people want to analyze everything to death instead of just enjoying the ride. there's a reason they call movies ENTERTAINMENT and not crime scene investigation. the point of watching a movie isn't to try and turn over every stone looking for explanations or plot-holes. what's the point of watching a movie just to try and ruin the ending before it's even half-way over? it drives me crazy, but i guess that's the gift and the curse of websites like IMDB. it's open to everyone, and everyone has an opinion.

there's been a lot of talk about "suspension of belief" on this particular board, mostly because this movie absolutely requires it. but the idea that "this movie is too absurd even if you suspend your belief" is ridiculous, and shows that you didn't pay close enough attention to the movie.

everything in the movie is explainable. i hear talk of a lot of "plot holes" and "what ifs", but if you approach the movie logically, you can see that there isn't really THAT many "leaps". pretty much everything nick does is the logical next step. he's under the impression that he's playing a game in the beginning, so he willingly follows their instructions. even after he "realizes" it isn't a game, most of the steps are either A) the logical next step for a person in his position, or B) CRS would have found a way to intervene either way. remember that they had all of his phone calls on tap, so they knew where he was going and what he was up to. they had a PI following him around, so they knew where he was at all times presumably. if he had chosen to do or not do something, they would have just done something else to put them back on track. they do an exceptionally good job of setting him up to complete the next objective. remember that they also did an extensive "personality test" before the game, so they had a good idea of how he would react to certain things.

the most ridiculous thing i've seen is "how did they know he was going to jump off the right side?". well had you been paying attention and not so quick to throw something under the bus, you would have heard Feingold say "if you hadn't jumped, i would have had to throw you!" which implies that if they had saw him walking to the wrong side, they obviously would've stepped in and intervened.. like i said, NO part of this movie is that absurd. i mean, the movie itself is extremely absurd (the concept) but the execution was pretty much spot on.

and i challenge anyone who wants to be purposely difficult: if there's a part you have a problem with, post it. i guarantee i can come up with a logical explanation.
summary: STOP TRYING TO OVER-ANALYZE THINGS AND GET BACK TO ENJOYING ENTERTAINMENT. YOUR BRAIN WILL THANK YOU.