And here we see our friends arrive at Meduna International in Arulco…where, inevitably, they have already been expected. I’d estimate that at least half of all airport arrival scenes in B-movies serve only to demonstrate that the atagonists are already expecting the heroes.
Additional credit for this episode:
Special Guest Villain: Dr. Kobras
There are several ways to indicate that the heroes are being expected, for example by having the camera linger on people at the airport that are easily recognizable as spies by their dark trenchcoats, hats, shades and newspapers with eyeholes cut into them. The cheapest (and thus Nolan’s favourite) method is the sinister phone call. The only requirement for that is hiring a character actor who can phone sinisterly.
While Dr. Kobras is a sinister teleconversationalist, Biff is basically only a big boy. This supplies him with certain boyish characteristics and abilities, including an interest in aircraft…thanks to which he, and he alone, can notice something being slightly off about one of the airliners on the tarmac. Unfortunately, Mopey believes Biff is just getting distracted by shiny objects again, which, in her defense, happens a lot.
More on Thursday.