Obeying The Speed Limit

 For those of us who are fans of safety and caution, it is always appreciated when a movie character drives a vehicle responsibly. Movie vehicles are designed to seem sleek, thrilling, and fast. They have roaring engines that pulsate a primal ferocity that borders on sexuality. However, when a character resists the overwhelming temptation to drive dangerously with a speedy vehicle, he or she must be applauded. Remember, children, reckless does not mean "wreck less." Two such outstanding role models of prudence are Flash Gordon from his eponymous 1980 movie and Sam Flynn from TRON: Legacy.

Interplanetary football hero Flash Gordon shows great restraint while operating a vehicle called a Rocket Cycle. When Emperor Ming the Merciless orders the destruction of the hovering Hawkmen palace, Flash barely escapes by boarding an emergency, rocket-propelled jet ski. A jet ski weighs around 745 pounds, and a rocket needs to travel fairly quickly to keep it airborne (at least 56 miles per hour). Nevertheless, Flash defies physics to fly safely, even wearing the safety bar. He travels at a moderate, golf cart velocity. The background behind him barely moves, and the wind barely tussles his flowing locks. The Hawkmen, who fly by flapping their wings, can out fly Flash. Adding to the drama are Ming's forces trying to shoot him out of the sky. Rather than race around in a panic, Flash continues to travel in a straight line at single digit speeds. He shows how fearless he is by traveling at reasonable speeds, taunting his enemy with a near stationary target. Although for safety's sake, he should probably wear a helmet.

Similarly, Sam Flynn, usually a brash young man, becomes judicious when he enters the virtual world of the Grid. When chased by real world police officers, he weaves his Ducati motorcycle through traffic and over ledges to escape. Not so in a computer. On the Grid, his father Kevin Flynn builds a stylish, white light cycle that appears capable of traveling at high velocity, including off road. Considering how a normal light cycle can collide with ribbons of light (implying it travels so fast that light stands still as a wall in comparison), this white light cycle is far faster. Kevin Flynn's disciple Quorra describes it as "the fastest thing on the Grid." Even though he is racing against the clock, Sam Flynn rides this light cycle at normal highway speeds, reducing this speed when reaching the streets of TRON City. He respects crosswalks and parks his vehicle properly in a city alley. Although for safety's sake, he should probably wear a helmet.

These two exemplars of reservation show that a movie character need not zoom about indiscriminately to be cool. Discretion on a swift vehicle is just as stylish as being hasty. Kudos to Flash and Sam for feeling the need for heed. Did I just type that?