4 ms·

My biggest problem with those imaginary suits is the transfer of energy. Even if a lightweight bulletproof material like that can be made, there needs to be so

by m_a_g 3y ago

My biggest problem with those imaginary suits is the transfer of energy. Even if a lightweight bulletproof material like that can be made, there needs to be some symptom of energy transfer visible to the eye. Otherwise, it's not sci-fi; it's magic

chillycurve 3y ago
In the 2nd movie (and perhaps other places), he gets shot repeatedly with rifles. Even if the shots don't penetrate, the repeated impact alone would break ribs and leave him incapacitated.
- unsupp0rted 3y ago
  It's suggested that he is having ribs broken, or at least badly bruised, by every major hit
- everforward 3y ago
  I think that could still kill as well. Repeated shots break the ribs, and a subsequent shot pushes a broken piece of rib into the lung causing bleeding into the lung or maybe pneumothorax. Either that or the kevlar failing due to repeated shots. It's not meant to be shot in the same place more than once. Still more believable than Matrix style bullet dodging, though.
belval 3y ago
That's my main gripe with how the bulletproof suits were shown in the fourth movie. There is a difference between getting shot in the chest and actually catching a bullet with your suit while using it as a shield. The former is believable because the kinetic energy would dissipate in your ribs (possibly breaking them) the later isn't because it's roughly equivalent to dissipating the bullet's energy using your arm. OTOH it's a John Wick movie, expecting anything to be very relatistic is already thinking one step too far.
- wongarsu 3y ago
  I haven't mathed this out, but from experience from jumping (both from heights and towards ledges) I would think that our arms and legs are much better shock absorbers than our ribs. If you hold something like a shield, you are primarily using your triceps and shoulder muscles as springs to dissipate the impact over the distance of about a foot. Of course there are issues with that, but it's much better than your rips which can move much less before breaking.
ohgodplsno 3y ago
Good thing John Wick isn't scifi then. It'd be like complaining that the Predator has elements that aren't realistic when it comes to physics: it's true, but it's not exactly the point of the movie to make you think deeply about physics, is it ?
brohee 3y ago
A 9mm round (most typical in John Wick) is around 600J of muzzle energy (and John Wick fights are extremely close range so we can use the same estimate for impact). That's in the range of a strong punch by a good boxer (a good heavyweight can be well over 1000J). Punches don't ragdoll humans and neither should bullets stopped by a ballistic vest.
- stevehawk 3y ago
  on the other hand, a bullet isn't stopped by bullet proof fabric, it's stopped by what's behind it. If I take a 9mm round to the arm then my arm is breaking. That 600J is focused on a much smaller area than a heavyweight punch.
  - hesdeadjim 3y ago
    Yea this. Now conceivably such a sci-fi suit might have a non-Newtonian reaction to a bullet impact and automatically spread the force over a wider area in a somehow non-destructive way.
    - brohee 3y ago
      Dunno about sci-fi, but some tactical gear is incorporating D3O today (see https://www.deltathreeoscar.com/ https://www.deltathreeoscar.com/). And I suspect the most advanced stuff is not quite public.
  - backpackviolet 3y ago
    No, that’s the magic of the bulletproof fabric. Imagine the energy of the bullet is distributed across the entire garment.
    - libria 3y ago
      I think that is our problem, we have a hard time imagining how the energy could be distributed across the garment. You could sell me on Non-Newtonian-Kevlar though: Pliant to a slow crease, rock-hard with a sudden strike. --- Oh man I thought I was making that up, but it's a thing! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_Armor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_Armor The future is now!
photochemsyn 3y ago
No worries, it's a Culture suit with a built-in trapdoor system (Iain M. Banks) > "Trapdoor system: A mechanism that transports any unwanted energy inside of the ship into hyperspace, so it can't be destroyed by internal attacks. It was stated that you could set off an H-bomb inside of a Culture ship if you were right next to it, and all of the energy would be instantly transported into hyperspace so it would seem like nothing had happened at all." (outskirtsbattledomewiki)

by m_a_g 3y ago

chillycurve 3y ago

In the 2nd movie (and perhaps other places), he gets shot repeatedly with rifles. Even if the shots don't penetrate, the repeated impact alone would break ribs and leave him incapacitated.

unsupp0rted 3y ago
It's suggested that he is having ribs broken, or at least badly bruised, by every major hit
everforward 3y ago
I think that could still kill as well. Repeated shots break the ribs, and a subsequent shot pushes a broken piece of rib into the lung causing bleeding into the lung or maybe pneumothorax. Either that or the kevlar failing due to repeated shots. It's not meant to be shot in the same place more than once. Still more believable than Matrix style bullet dodging, though.

belval 3y ago

That's my main gripe with how the bulletproof suits were shown in the fourth movie. There is a difference between getting shot in the chest and actually catching a bullet with your suit while using it as a shield. The former is believable because the kinetic energy would dissipate in your ribs (possibly breaking them) the later isn't because it's roughly equivalent to dissipating the bullet's energy using your arm. OTOH it's a John Wick movie, expecting anything to be very relatistic is already thinking one step too far.

wongarsu 3y ago
I haven't mathed this out, but from experience from jumping (both from heights and towards ledges) I would think that our arms and legs are much better shock absorbers than our ribs. If you hold something like a shield, you are primarily using your triceps and shoulder muscles as springs to dissipate the impact over the distance of about a foot. Of course there are issues with that, but it's much better than your rips which can move much less before breaking.

ohgodplsno 3y ago

Good thing John Wick isn't scifi then. It'd be like complaining that the Predator has elements that aren't realistic when it comes to physics: it's true, but it's not exactly the point of the movie to make you think deeply about physics, is it ?

brohee 3y ago

A 9mm round (most typical in John Wick) is around 600J of muzzle energy (and John Wick fights are extremely close range so we can use the same estimate for impact). That's in the range of a strong punch by a good boxer (a good heavyweight can be well over 1000J). Punches don't ragdoll humans and neither should bullets stopped by a ballistic vest.

stevehawk 3y ago
on the other hand, a bullet isn't stopped by bullet proof fabric, it's stopped by what's behind it. If I take a 9mm round to the arm then my arm is breaking. That 600J is focused on a much smaller area than a heavyweight punch.
- hesdeadjim 3y ago
  Yea this. Now conceivably such a sci-fi suit might have a non-Newtonian reaction to a bullet impact and automatically spread the force over a wider area in a somehow non-destructive way.
  - brohee 3y ago
    Dunno about sci-fi, but some tactical gear is incorporating D3O today (see https://www.deltathreeoscar.com/ https://www.deltathreeoscar.com/). And I suspect the most advanced stuff is not quite public.
- backpackviolet 3y ago
  No, that’s the magic of the bulletproof fabric. Imagine the energy of the bullet is distributed across the entire garment.
  - libria 3y ago
    I think that is our problem, we have a hard time imagining how the energy could be distributed across the garment. You could sell me on Non-Newtonian-Kevlar though: Pliant to a slow crease, rock-hard with a sudden strike. --- Oh man I thought I was making that up, but it's a thing! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_Armor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_Armor The future is now!

photochemsyn 3y ago

No worries, it's a Culture suit with a built-in trapdoor system (Iain M. Banks) > "Trapdoor system: A mechanism that transports any unwanted energy inside of the ship into hyperspace, so it can't be destroyed by internal attacks. It was stated that you could set off an H-bomb inside of a Culture ship if you were right next to it, and all of the energy would be instantly transported into hyperspace so it would seem like nothing had happened at all." (outskirtsbattledomewiki)