How realistic is the engineering in these popular movies?

Image: Paramount Pictures

From Alien: Romulus to Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, we asked an expert to weigh in ahead of the 2025 Oscars.

Any Tom Cruise fans – and, indeed, detractors – will be familiar with his penchant for death-defying stunts, including his jaunt up the side of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai for the film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol using nothing but special adhesive gloves.

But just how realistic is this ability for a glove-equipped human to stick to the side of a 800 m-high building?

Professor Michael Milford, electrical engineer and Director of the QUT Robotics Centre, has spoken with create about the depictions of engineering in movies such as the classic action flick Speed. Late last year, he assessed films including Top Gun: Maverick and Dune: Part Two.

Now, Milford is back to debate the viability of engineering concepts presented in Alien: Romulus – nominated for Best Visual Effects at this year’s Oscars – Blade Runner 2049 and others.

Watch the full video below to find out whether Tom Cruise’s antics are actually plausible or a mere fiction – and tell us which movies we missed in the comments.

Video edited by Anya Dunstone.

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