Ever got lost in the action of a great movie only to have Neil deGrasse Tyson swoop in with a tweet that points out the science just doesn’t add up? It happens more often than you’d think! Tyson, the super-smart astrophysicist, and Twitter guru, loves to drop truth bombs about the scientific blunders in our favorite movies and TV shows.
He turns movie night into a science class, revealing goofs and gaffes that filmmakers missed. Join us as we dive into Tyson’s most side-splitting tweets, where he pokes fun at movie mistakes and makes us laugh and learn at the same time.
Feeling Blue
Avatar was the 2009 blockbuster smash hit that had people painting themselves blue on Halloween for years. The film used its blue-hued Indigenous Na’vi species to subtly make commentary on the history of the early colonial period in North and South America.
On Pandora, the Na’vi people rely on the environment to survive while the humans are trying to take advantage of their natural resources for their own gain. There’s no denying that this take about the movie from everyone’s favorite astrophysicist would have ruffled some feathers.
Let it Go
Some people have a soft spot for large, enchanting eyes, and in that department, Elsa of Arendelle unquestionably takes the cake. However, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, with his penchant for scientific scrutiny, couldn’t resist hitting us with an icy-cold critique of Frozen 2.
While we understand that animated kids’ movies don’t require much realism, Tyson’s knack for dissecting the science behind how much space Elsa’s eyes take up in her cranium does take a little bit of the magic away.
Muscling In
When we conjure up an image of a superhero, we usually envision a particular stereotype. Whether it’s a teenage boy who transforms into a Spider-Man or a caped crusader like Batman cloaked in black from head to toe, one common element often springs to mind—bulging muscles. These heartthrob heroes are usually pretty easy on the eyes.
Tyson’s got a good point because, in reality, these heroic figures probably don’t spend their downtime from world-saving at the gym. That doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate seeing them flex those muscles, though.
Green With Envy
Doctor Bruce Banner is a genius scientist who, the more we think about it, bears a lot of similarities to Neil DeGrasse Tyson himself. But one of the ways they differ is that Banner was able to withstand the power of huge amounts of Gamma Rays, a feat we now know is impossible for any regular human.
So sure, it might not be realistic, but this superhuman disregard for scientific truth makes for an excellent movie.
Just Sayin’
As a genius astronomer, Neil DeGrasse Tyson probably knows everything there is to know about all the different universes out there—factual and fictional. While there are actually multiple different colors and varieties of Kryptonite, Tyson knows that Green is the only one with the power to kill Superman.
Maybe Tyson is making a social commentary on the meaning behind the use of green as our hero’s downfall. Is jealousy or envy the one element that can bring Superman to his knees?
Starry Eyed
Did you prefer Armageddon or Ad Astra? There are definitely a number of differences between these two sci-fi movies, not to mention the two-decade gap, but one thing that remained constant is leading lady Liv Tyler.
Perhaps her penchant for astronaut romances is not a coincidence but a career choice. Though she might have been typecast for this role, Tyson seems to have a real problem with it. Just because she’s played similar space-based roles, that doesn’t mean it’s time for her to leave our planet altogether.
Girl Power
Tony Stark is resourceful and brilliant, but many would argue he’s powerless without his suit. Despite his lack of superhuman abilities, Batman is one of the most notable vigilante heroes thanks to his cunning and martial arts prowess.
These two characters fighting it out as their regular human selves would certainly make for a very different film. Whichever man you think would come out on top, we’re not arguing with Tyson’s take here. Black Widow would win without a shadow of a doubt.
Need for Speed
Top Gun fans waited long enough for a sequel to this cult classic, so by the time Top Gun: Maverick came around, everyone was expecting the stunts and tricks to outdo the original.
It’s called an action movie for a reason—because the action usually has to be more tense or exciting than just regular people doing regular things. And besides, if Maverick were to try these huge and daring moves only to splatter on the ground, Top Gun: Maverick probably wouldn’t get such good reviews.
Not Wrong
Movie titles don’t always have to be literal. If every film were given its literal title, the world would be a very different place. For example, if The Fast and the Furious had the correct name, a la Snakes On a Plane, it would have to be called something boring like Some Cars on a Road.
So Noah Baumbach’s devastating Marriage Story might be more about a difficult divorce than actually about marriage, but no one wants to watch a movie they know is going to give the game away from the title.
Missile the Point
Just as we’re getting caught up in all the high-flying drama of the new Top Gun: Maverick, science extraordinaire Neil DeGrasse Tyson swoops in with his tiny little scientifically accurate pin to burst our fantasy bubble.
Flying planes through a hail of missiles is what Maverick and the Top Gun crew are all about. Neil doesn’t seem to get that those very daredevil manoeuvers are exactly what we’re watching the movie for!
Shoot the Breeze
The Martian follows Matt Damon’s character who relies on science to survive after getting stranded on Mars. This movie was praised at the time for its attention to scientific accuracy, a feat most sci-fi movies fail to accomplish.
As we all now know, Tyson is not one to praise scientific accuracy—he’s searching for the plot holes as much as he can. So hey, if the wind strength is the only inaccuracy that Tyson can find with this film, we’d say they did a pretty great job.
Sunshine State
Greta Gerwig’s 2023 smash hit Barbie took the world by storm and had us all wondering what life would be like outside of the real world and instead, in the perfect pink Barbieland. According to our resident science expert, Barbieland might not be as far away as you might think.
Obviously, this is putting Tyson’s astrophysics expertise to great use because he’s answering the real questions we’ve all been wondering about. Who knew all we had to do to get a taste of life in plastic was hop on down to Florida?
Too Close to Home
The satirical, yet surprisingly realistic film Don’t Look Up may have gone unnoticed by many, but Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s reaction speaks volumes.
When a renowned science and astronomy expert like Tyson is practically shouting that a movie depicting a world on the brink of destruction due to a looming comet, with those in power ignoring the impending catastrophe, feels more like a documentary than satire, it serves less as a funny tweet and more of a wake-up call.
Bright Spark
Despite its controversial final season, Game of Thrones had a serious hold on the world for a long time. With all the action, and characters being killed off left, right, and center, the likelihood is probably that most people weren’t watching Game of Thrones as a study in thermal physics.
That’s why Tyson is such a gift to us all. Without him, how would we possibly know which of the dragons has hotter breath?
Now That’s a Super Power
Neil DeGrasse Tyson seems to have a real fascination with superheroes above all other movie characters. He even has a cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as himself, but even Marvel and DC’s iconic characters like Bruce Banner and Hulk can’t escape his classic Tyson scrutiny.
Of course, Tyson’s favorite superhero is the one who’s backed up with scientific evidence. We can’t see this hero being a great addition to the franchise.
Physics Fail
If anyone holds the crown for nitpicking blockbuster shows and movies, it’s Neil DeGrasse Tyson, no doubt. He’s upholding his reputation this time with Game of Thrones, not complaining this time about where the chains have come from, but about the angle at which they’re being used.
While we wouldn’t usually recommend taking life advice from a show like GoT, at least now you know how to correctly drag your chains next time you need to haul a dragon from a lake.
Defining Gravity
Any time a director is bold enough to create a movie about outer space, scientists wait with bated breath to see exactly how true to life their vision about the universe outside planet Earth really is. With Gravity, Tyson doesn’t seem to have a problem with the physics—only with the name.
Sandra Bullock finds herself floating in zero gravity in the movie, so Tyson is technically right, but “Gravity” is obviously just a much cooler title for a film.
Wingardium Leviosa, Neighbor!
Millions of children grew up with Mister Rogers as their TV “Neighbor”. Though A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood wasn’t a documentary, seeing Tom Hanks portray Rogers taught us more about the man behind the magic in a whimsical and beautiful way.
We’d never heard the rumor that Mr. Rogers had magical powers before Tyson’s take, but he’s got a good point this time. Maybe it was his telekinesis powers that made him so enchanting all those years ago?
That’s Progress
Rick and Morty is the show that preaches the message about the meaning(lessness) of life. It’s an easy comfort watch, not to mention being completely hilarious, so viewers need not look into whether or not it’s scientifically accurate. It’s a cartoon, what does it need to be accurate for?
Well, it turns out, that in the eyes of the big guys (the astronomers and scientists of the world), Rick and Morty is more favorable than Marvel movies, when it comes to science, at least.
Crystal Clear
Animators spend literally years making sure that every last pixel of their movie emulates real people, places, and characters. It’s all to make you forget that you’re watching an animated movie in the first place.
Does Tyson really think anyone other than him is checking whether the snowflakes of Frozen 2 are constructed of correctly shaped crystals? Come on, Neil. It’s got a talking snowman in it! Even film critics aren’t going this hard.
That’s a Corker
Everybody knows what happens when the Incredible Hulk gets angry. Or should we say, when human Bruce Banner gets angry—he expands and turns into the extra-terrestrial green giant we affectionately name the Incredible Hulk.
We knew we could trust our buddy Tyson to talk about really important pop culture debates like this one. It only makes us wonder—why have they never gone into detail about life with superhuman rage and the density of a cork before?
We Come in Peace
One of the mysteries that has lasted about as long as humans have been around is the existence of aliens. Thanks to movies and television, most of us imagine aliens to be like those little green guys from Toy Story. But to Tyson, they look more like this.
If we’re being technical, Thor is actually a Norse God and not an alien. Nevertheless, whether they’re gods, aliens, or superhumans, they must have something extra-terrestrial about them to be that beautiful.
They Tried
Handsome ocean hero Aquaman wouldn’t be the same without his trusty trident. But is a trident still a trident if the “tri” part isn’t there? Neil DeGrasse Tyson doesn’t seem to think so.
Aquaman has always had a trident and that’s just the way it is. Sure, five prongs might make it a quindent, but that certainly doesn’t have the same ring to it. Besides, Aquaman doesn’t need to be able to count the tines on his pitchfork, anyway—he’s too busy saving the seas for that.
Bat to the Bone
What would Batman be without his infamous Bat Signal call to action? The answer is that he’d probably be exactly the same and at no detriment because that signal is pretty useless unless it’s a cloudy night, as Tyson points out.
Something about Batman having a beeper feels too mundane to be his signal if the creators were to rethink things. An emoji, on the other hand, we’d love to see that in action.
Troublesome Tribbles
Usually, Neil DeGrasse Tyson is known for tearing down movies and series for their scientific inaccuracy. But this time, he’s noticed that there really is a real-life version of these infamous Star Trek fictional furries.
The Tribbles were known for causing trouble in the show, much like how we see pesky rabbits reproducing at mind-blowing rates in the real world. We can’t help but think that these balls of hair are much scarier-looking than real rabbits, though.
Abra Cadabra
One topic that seems to be popping up over and over again in NGT’s Twitter sphere is the superhero universe. More specifically, Tyson has made it clear exactly which of the universes he prefers, and it’s for exactly the reason you’d think.
Surely, scientific accuracy is not the reason most people enjoy watching superheroes save the world. What’s wrong with things being fantastically magical, Neil? We just know he has strong thoughts about Harry Potter.
Prestigious Award
When filmmakers set about creating a new project, their goal is usually to make an excellent film that impresses critics and audiences alike. Some films do better than expected, and others miss the mark.
1998’s Armageddon has achieved a feat that any filmmaker would surely be jealous of. They may not have won Academy Awards, but they did win the title of Least Scientifically Accurate Film According to Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and that’s an award that money can’t buy. Congrats!
Wrong, He Is
Small in size but wise and powerful, Yoda will forever be known as one of the most legendary characters in movie history. Just when we thought he couldn’t get any better, The Mandalorian introduced a tinier, babier version which divided Star Wars fans across the galaxy.
If we’re on the subject of accuracy, then Tyson is wrong here. He’s not actually Baby Yoda—he’s Grogu. Some people still think Grogu is cute, though if you’re anything like Tyson, this padawan doesn’t have you fooled.
Supernatural Twins
The superhero universe is usually split into two realms—Marvel and DC, but there are of course some independent characters who don’t fall into either category. Our hockey-pucked hero is one of those.
Tyson has a point here because these two do bear a serious resemblance, which only leads us to question: Who would win in a battle between Thanos and the dark-sided demon?
Yabba-Dabba-Dilemma
When you watch cartoons, how often do you find yourself checking how many digits the characters have? If you’re anything like us, the answer is probably never. That’s why it’s lucky we have good old Neil DeGrasse Tyson to teach us things like this that we never knew we needed to see.
Tyson must be the only person concerned about the fact that our prehistoric pals can’t use computer-friendly hexadecimal counting because most of us don’t even know what that is!
Winging It
Folk who spend their time saving the world are pretty impressive, so it’s crucial that they have the wheels to match. The Batmobile is legendary by any standards and Tyson raises an important question that has left us stumped.
Picture the logistical nightmare of trying to sip on a Bat-uccino while in the midst of a Joker battle—a real nightmare. On the flip side, though, even superheroes need to stay hydrated on those long nights delivering justice.
To the Moon
Most of us ordinary folks won’t get the chance to witness Earth from the viewpoint of the moon, unless, of course, you’re an astronaut. That’s why space movies like Ad Astra captivate us—they offer unique perspectives typically beyond our reach.
While we understand that these fantasy space films don’t adhere strictly to NASA’s documentaries, we can usually overlook minor inaccuracies. However, you might expect a film centered on the moon to delve into some meticulous moon-based research, don’t you think?
Lights, Camera, Accuracy
For an animated children’s movie, Neil DeGrasse Tyson seems to have an awful lot of critical commentary when it comes to Disney’s Frozen. How many times must he have watched the film to have this many comments about it?
The talking inanimate objects and horse-sized eyeballs might have got under Tyson’s skin, but at least they got one thing right in the movie. Phew.
Liv in Space
Liv Tyler has had a vast and varied career in the film industry. She’s been in everything from Lord of the Rings to Jersey Girl, but one thing she just can’t help returning to is the world above planet Earth.
Liv Tyler and Space are clearly a match made in heaven. Or should we say—a match made in the stratosphere? She’s found her niche, and that’s being the leading lady in films where men go to space. Who can blame her—we can’t all be the Meg Ryan type, can we?
Ice Ice Baby
Behind every single tiny decision in the production process of a movie is likely a team of multiple people. While creating a Disney animated movie might not require the same amount of research as a gripping documentary, the filmmakers have to make sure they’re at least getting some things true to life.
The resident physics expert on the Frozen production team, if there was one, must have been jumping for joy after reading this tweet from Tyson. It’s nice that their work didn’t go unnoticed.
Moon Pirates
Brad Pitt’s sci-fi epic Ad Astra was so much more than just another space movie. It added another entry to the list of movies about men pondering in a space suit and dealing with their emotional problems in zero gravity.
There are enough movies out there about regular old pirates on the sea—why not make one about pirates in space? All this talk about moon pirates does make us wonder about the logistics of fighting a war in space, and Ad Astra is certainly raising more questions than it answers.
Hammer it Home
The superheroes we all know and love wouldn’t quite hit the same if they weren’t all drop-dead gorgeous and ripped with superhuman-strong muscles. 140,000 pounds might sound heavy, but for Thor, that’s light work.
Considering Tyson’s follow-up research that the hammer must weigh equivalent to 30 billion elephants, it’s not all that surprising that Thor has such big muscles, after all. How else would he pick it up?
Count Your Digits
Some of the best shows on television are cartoons. Shows like The Simpsons, Futurama, and Family Guy, are all proving that cartoons don’t have to just be for kids.
This must be some kind of Mandela effect that Tyson has pointed out because we’re not sure about you, but we’ve never even spotted that these characters are all missing a digit. What’s that all about?
Tardigrade Tales
Don’t be deceived or underestimate the wealth of Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s knowledge. He’s not just an astrophysics expert—he knows all about all kinds of scientific things, including microscopic animals called Tardigrades, fondly known as “water bears”.
This is less of a scientific roast and more of a hilarious comparison. We can’t deny that this silly-looking microorganism definitely resembles the Totoro cat bus, so please pardon our excitement as this is our first time ever seeing such a creature.
Seal of Astronomical Approval
In a world where Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s space-based takedowns are already infamous, creating a movie named The Sun is Also a Star is a bold move. Sure, it’s not a science movie specifically, but we can see why Tyson jumped at the chance to test it by his tough standards.
Lead character Natasha, who believes in science and not fate, would jump with glee knowing that the ever-critical Tyson approves of the use of science in the movie.
The Original Calculators
These days, we all rely on our phones and computers to complete any everyday math problem that comes our way. We don’t even need calculators—the complex calculation is available to us with the press of a couple of buttons.
Tyson, this time, isn’t taking down scientific mishaps, but instead reminding us of who to thank for the progress we’ve made in the world of astronomical math. Names like Katherine Johnson have been immortalized forever thanks to movies like Hidden Figures telling their story.
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