Line #59 Film/Stealth


1	[[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stealth_xlg.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:1000:[[DeathFromAbove Fear the sky]].]]
3
4	''This page is about the movie. See also StealthTropes.''
5
6	''Stealth'' is a 2005 action film directed by Rob Cohen (the guy who did the ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' and ''Film/XXx'' film franchises).
7
8	The United States Navy has built three new top-of-the-range fighter jets called the [[CoolPlane F/A-37 Talons]]. From over 400 applicants, 3 pilots are chosen to fly them; smart hotshot Lieutenant Ben Gannon (Creator/JoshLucas), tomboyish Lieutenant Kara Wade (Creator/JessicaBiel), and street-wise, philosophical Lieutenant Henry Purcell (Creator/JamieFoxx). When the three are flown out to the aircraft carrier USS ''Abraham Lincoln'' in the Philippine Sea where the jets are, they learn the navy's developed a fourth jet: unmanned AI-programmed fighter jet known as "EDI"[[note]]Extreme Deep Invader, no relation to [[Characters/MassEffect2NormandyCrew that EDI]][[/note]] (voiced by Creator/WentworthMiller).
9
10	The pilots are to take EDI out on a mission and train it. While they're at it, debate rages amongst commanders about whether it's ethical to use artificial intelligences in war, given that although a computer is not subject to the physical limitations of a human pilot and can calculate strategies more quickly; they likewise possess no sense of morality, at least theoretically...
11
12	[[OhCrap Can you guess where this is leading?]]
13
14	And indeed, sure enough, with the mission a success, on the way back, EDI is [[LightningCanDoAnything struck by a lightning bolt, thus zapping his circuits]], [[InstantAIJustAddWater and he develops a moral code]]. Initially, everything is fine. But then, on a subsequent mission in Pakistan, [[AIIsACrapshoot EDI decides that the decisions of the humans are faulty, and he starts doing his own thing]]... Now it's up to the three pilots to stop him.
15
16	-----
17	!!This film provides examples of:
18
19	* AcePilot: The three main pilots were selected from 400, due to their skill in the cockpit.
20	* AerialCanyonChase: Between Henry and and EDI. [[spoiler:This costs Henry his life when EDI dodges a missile and he loses visual for a second, causing him to plow into the canyon wall.]]
21	* AllOfThem: It happens right after EDI [[LightningCanDoAnything becomes sentient after getting struck by lightning]].
22	-->'''Tech Guy''': EDI just downloaded some music from the internet.
23	-->'''Ben Gannon''': How much?
24	-->'''Tech Guy''': [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale All of it.]]
25	* AIIsACrapshoot: An interesting variation. EDI doesn't actually decide the humans are evil or anything, but is just misinterpreting orders. When its human superiors try to correct the misunderstanding, it uses past statements or examples given by its human companions as a logical precedent for its actions. The overall effect is closer to GoneHorriblyRight than GoneHorriblyWrong: EDI is really doing exactly what it was told to do, just not in the way it was told, and ignoring the context of said orders.
26	* AlternativeForeignThemeSong: The Japanese version uses [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRfNTsLwVI8 "Countdown"]] by Hyde as the theme song.
27	* ArtisticLicenseMilitary: Quite a bit. Even the premise is suspect: because all of the Navy's hardware is, to at least some extent, AwesomeButImpractical, thanks to their [[CripplingOverspecialization extremely specialized requirements]], it's the ''least'' likely branch of the UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks to sink a gazillion dollars into SuperPrototype planes as it is seen doing here.
28	* ArtisticLicensePhysics:
29	** ''All'' flight scenes.
30	** The "implosion bomb" that safely takes down a skyscraper in the middle of a city as if it was a controlled demolition.
31	* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Henry crashes into a mountain chasing EDI.
32	* ChekhovsGun: EDI's cockpit chair.
33	* CombatPragmatist / WellIntentionedExtremist: EDI doesn't care about collateral damage as long as he kills terrorists. Then again, he learned this from Ben, who was prepared to slam his plane into the ground and kill hundreds of people just to prove a point.
34	* CoolAirship: Airborne fuel station, but it still counts.
35	* CoolPlane: Well, yeah. Basically the entire premise of the movie is "Squadron of Cool Planes gets another Cool Plane added to their ranks."
36	* CustomUniform: Real naval uniforms are not ''quite'' as flattering as Jessica Biel's.
37	* CustomUniformOfSexy: Given how tight her uniforms are.
38	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Leaving aside the funny acronym, just watch the scene where EDI goes for a refuel. His initial attempt is met with a feminine computer voice saying "Access Denied." He angrily shoves his refueling probe into the nozzle several times, complete with bumping noises. As he does this, the camera is focused on his cockpit and the actual computer housing his AI inside at an angle that invokes an angry-looking facial expression. Then, he shoots off the nozzle and forcibly shoves his refueling probe into the hose.
39	* DrivenToSuicide: The three protagonists' boss kills himself when his villainy is exposed (although we don't actually see it).
40	* EagleLand: A seemingly unintentional Type-2, as the right of Americans to fly into any country and shoot any local defenders is never questioned.
41	* EmergencyRefuelling: An airship tanker craft called a Camel Hump, which is basically a giant automated dirigible, orbits an area and refuels any craft that can reach it. After EDI goes nuts and requires fuel to continue on its rogue mission, the Navy tries to scramble its codes so that EDI will have no choice but to return to the carrier and refuel. EDI would have none of this, shoots the drogue off, and refuels anyway. When Gannon attempts to refuel his aircraft, he arrives to see a cloud of fuel, and while he refuels, EDI gives Gannon a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, ignites the cloud of fuel, and leaves. Gannon [[spoiler: barely manages to get away before the Camel Hump explodes in a fireball large enough to be seen from space.]]
42	* EverythingSensor: In Rangoon, EDI manages to perform a series of comically impossible tricks to identify the various terrorists, including identifying a ''fingerprint'' left on the scenery using a spy satellite.
43	* ExactWords: EDI uses this logic when his superiors attempt to stop him from carrying out misinterpreted orders.
44	* FakeStatic: Gannon pulls this at one point.
45	* {{Fanservice}}: Bikini-clad Jessica Biel? Yes, please. Doubles as a ShirtlessScene for Josh Lucas, and it's certainly just as nice for the chicks in the audience. (Also, Biel's extremely... snug legwear wriggling through the undergrowth later on.)
46	* FriendlyEnemies: Gannon and EDI, eventually.
47	* HalfwayPlotSwitch[=/=]ConflictKiller: 90% of the film revolves around [=EDI=] gaining sentience, and the three pilots ending up in conflict with it as it goes on an AIIsACrapShoot rampage. The finale of the movie has Jessica Biel getting shot down in North Korean territory, and the movie ends with [=EDI=] and Gannon abruptly dropping the whole Man vs. Machine plotline entirely and teaming up to fight North Korea and save her.
48	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: EDI [[RammingAlwaysWorks kamikazes]] a North Korean helicopter to give Gannon and Wade the chance to escape.]]
49	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:A doctor is given orders to quiet Gannon by lethal injection. Gannon uses it on him instead.]]
50	* HollywoodScience: Lots and lots of it.
51	* ImprobablePilotingSkills: The dive-bomb in Rangoon. And that's not half of it. This may be justified on account of it being the planes and not the pilots.
52	* InformedAbility: For the best pilots in the world, they sure do a lot of stupid things during the course of the movie.
53	* InsaneAdmiral: [[spoiler:Cummings. Well, captain, but as a Full Bird Captain he's not far short of flag rank.]]
54	* InstantAIJustAddWater: EDI becomes sentient after getting hit by a bolt of lightning; a splash of water [[spoiler: from Lucas' character saves EDI from burning up and helps nudge him into a HeelFaceTurn]].
55	* IronicEcho: During the [[AerialCanyonChase canyon chase]], separated by about ten seconds:
56	-->'''Henry:''' Goodbye EDI!
57	-->'''EDI:''' [[AC: Goodbye Henry.]]
58	* JobStealingRobot: EDI. He's the whole idea. And Gannon is the only one of the team that is seriously pissed about it.
59	* JustPlaneWrong: The whole film runs on a hefty dose of the MST3KMantra. Granted, it was inspired by media such as ''[[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Macross]]'' and ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' so a good bit of liberties taken with realism is hardly unexpected.
60	** The F/A-37s would never be able to take off from a carrier. Aside from being based on a somewhat dubious concept aircraft which would likely have trouble transitioning between wing angles, there's the minor issue that they're apparently all but VTOL-capable, swing-wing CATOBAR aircraft with comically gigantic missile loadouts and utterly insane range; there's no way an aircraft with such a laundry list of capabilities would be able to take off from a standard ''Nimitz'' catapult, and it's doubtful if it could do so at all, especially not with the stated empty weight of nine metric tons for a 70-foot aircraft. And even if all that weren't true, there's the small matter of their rear landing gear being secured to the carrier's deck with tie-down chains when they're on the catapult. Although it's worth mentioning Northrop-Grumann believed the aerodynamic concept might be feasible and as such has taken steps to ensure they had complete control over the forward swept swing wing design for the next two decades by [[http://www.google.com/patents?id=iRQXAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false patenting it]] in 2000.
61	** There's also the infamous exploding plane scene, where Jessica Biel punches out seconds before her plane explodes. Next, the pilotless-but-still-in-one-piece plane twists around and starts ''barreling after her'' like she insulted its mother (although it ''had'' been twisting around before she hit the eject). '''Then''' it explodes, and an enormous cloud of wreckage chases her down. The "LudicrousGibs" level of debris rather suggests she was carrying a Lockheed C-130 troop transport in her missile bay.
62	** Slightly less obvious but equally hilarious is how the F/A-37s are shown to outfly Su-37s using exactly the kind of cool supermaneuver [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ALt3m3Kkhw those very Su-37s introduced in real life]]. Somehow, the Russian pilots only know how to fly in straight lines.
63	** Made even worse when you know that those very same maneuvers are reserved for airshows and technology demonstration, and that no competent pilot would actually be stupid enough to attempt one in an actual dogfight. Made even more worse (worser?) that they are in a dogfight at all, when both sides are equipped with Beyond Visual Range missile technology, which means dogfighting is your last resort, not your go-to strategy for an engagement.[[note]]Which is pretty much case-in-point as to why the United States isn't (as) interested in super-manuverability outside of their F-22 Raptors; sure, it makes for a good airshow, but most of their modern jet fighters are little more than advanced platforms for their missiles, which are typically what does all the maneuvering. As fun as 3D-thrust vectoring can be, the USAF just sees it as [[AwesomeButImpractical a lot of extra parts that have a low probability of actually being used to their fullest extent]] during the aircraft's service life.[[/note]] Or the fact the non-stealth Faux-37s weren't even detected until they were only 25 miles out, etc. There's also the fact that these Su-37s are shown as two-seaters, when the only two Su-37s in the real world only have room for the pilot.
64	** The F/A-37's cockpit has more elbow room than do passengers on commercial jets. A bit more forgivably, the joystick is in a between-the-legs placement; most American jets since the F-16 have a side stick.
65	* KarmaHoudini: The government ally of the three heroes' corrupt boss seemed to go scot-free, despite his involvement in most of the movie (even if he only came up in the second half of the movie).
66	* LightningCanDoAnything: Rewire an artificial intelligence into having self-awareness, obviously.
67	* MilitaryMaverick: Ben Gannon performs a bombing run that could have probably ended with multiple blocks of Rangoon destroyed and thousands dead if he had done it wrong in a moment of unapologetic {{Jerkass}} thinking (that EDI, a highly precise machine that could not be affected by G-forces, was not adequate for the job). This act (which is promptly learned by EDI) is the cause of all the problems that follow afterwards.
68	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The powers that be want EDI to learn from the three mains. It watches and learns from Ben that getting the mission done is more important than following orders from that stupid stunt in Rangoon. If Ben had JUST let EDI take the damn shot... we wouldn't have a movie.
69	* NomDeGuerre: Although the three human pilots have callsigns, they aren't get used. Gannon's call sign is "Big," Purcell's is "Easy" and Wade's is "Guns". EDI is given the callsign "Tinman", which he uses more consistently.
70	* PrecisionFStrike: only one F-bomb, possibly the only swear in the film.
71	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Capt. Marshfield.
72	* RuleOfFun: The most likely reason for all the inaccuracies and improbabilities.
73	* SapientShip: EDI.
74	* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Ben Gannon lives and dies by this belief. He does the Rangoon bombing run because he believes it's right for a human to do it ([[NiceJobBreakingItHero although it ended up causing all of the problems of the film]]), he uses his authority as squadron leader to call off a mission that he and his fellow squadron members can see would end up irradiating a nearby town full of innocents if pulled off (and then is forced to do the bombing run anyway when EDI goes LeeroyJenkins) and when he discovers that Wade never returned to the carrier and is TrappedBehindEnemyLines, he disobeys direct orders, risks [[spoiler:and loses]] EDI and causes what may be considered an act of war on North Korean soil to go rescue her. EDI learns it as well, and the first time he applies it he causes massive amounts of nuclear collateral damage which it cares none about and nearly causes an act of war against Russia.
75	* SceneryPorn: The film has a ''very'' long time showcasing bird's-eye views of Asia, Europe and Alaska.
76	* ShoutOut:
77	** EDI has a big red eye; an obvious reference to HAL 9000.
78	** And the entire third act could count as one to ''Film/IronEagle'' (see TrappedByMountainLions).
79	** EDI is directly compared to [[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz the Tinman]] and ends up having "Tinman" as his callsign.
80	* SpoilerTitle: The [=BT=][[note]]short for Brian Transeau, not British Telecom[[/note]] score album gives away the BlackDudeDiesFirst moment, has cues titled [[spoiler: "Kara's Ejection," "Cummings' Suicide," "Death of Col Yune" and "EDI's Sacrifice"]] and if it had a track called [[spoiler: "Just Tell Me You Love Me, You Pussy," named after what Kara says to Ben shortly before the end credits]] it would have the entire story of the movie right there.
81	* StealthPun: According to the Tech Guy, the guy who made EDI was only 22 when he programmed the AI for the Raptor, a relatively new fighter aircraft. [[spoiler: The Raptor's designation is F-'''22'''. Note that this is also literally a [[IncrediblyLamePun Stealth Pun]].]]
82	* TheStinger: After the credits, we see the red light of EDI's CPU come back on.
83	* StuffBlowingUp: The aircraft seem to have non-conservation-of-energy missiles that explode with the force of plot.
84	* ThereAreNoGlobalConsequences: So the pilots shoot down 3 Russian pilots after invading their airspace, shot a bunch of North Korean soldiers in the finale, and EDI's little stunt when he started disobeying orders irradiated an unknown large amount of the Middle East... And all's well. No international incidents. No World War 3.
85	* TokenRomance: Ben and Kara. Mentioned in about two scenes, never has any relevance to the plot, and barely transmitted in the character interactions.
86	* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: Set in the year 2016.
87	* TwoGuysAndAGirl: The trio becomes a foursome once EDI arrives, and then [[BlackDudeDiesFirst it's back to a trio again]].
88	* WhamLine:
89	** In-universe after EDI disobeys orders in Tajikistan.
90	--->'''EDI:''' [[AC: [[IronicEcho 'You're just not getting it, are you? EDI is the whole idea.']] Selecting other targets. Detaching formation.]]
91	** There's also a line later, also delivered by EDI as he discusses his killing Henry and developing emotions.
92	-->'''Orbit:''' You mean...you feel...?
93	-->'''EDI:''' [[AC: Sorry.]]

Context Film / Stealth