Why This is Good

The ticking clock is an important device that can be used in all genres. Establishing a ticking clock helps build suspense by giving the hero a defined timeline during which he must accomplish his goal. In superhero movies, a ticking clock is nearly always utilized, as Batman, Superman, or Spiderman have to save the girl, the public, or the world from the evil villain’s dastardly plan before it’s too late. They never have much time, but they always have some time. If the villains acted logically and simply killed their captives or enacted their plan for world domination right away, the hero would have no chance of stopping them and the story would end right there. Conversely, if Mary Jane were kidnapped for an indefinite amount of time, and was in no imminent danger, the goal of saving her from the clutches of the nemesis would have no sense of urgency. Spiderman could take his time, figure out the safest, most rational method of rescuing her, perhaps get the police involved. He would have time to visit his Aunt, go to class, and work at the newspaper, because it wouldn’t endanger Mary Jane one bit. Whether he took three months or three days to save her wouldn’t matter. Of course, the idea of a superhero movie playing out so leisurely is ludicrous, and clearly illustrates how vital a ticking clock is to establishing a sense of urgency for accomplishing a goal.

Action-adventure films frequently utilize a ticking clock, as this helps move the story forward in the fast pace these genres require. In Speed, the ticking clock is established when the characters learn that they only have a certain amount of gas before the bus stops and therefore explodes. This heightens the emotional involvement of the audience because we not only have something to root for, we are rooting for it to happen as soon as possible, before it is too late. If the bus held an infinite amount of gas, then they could ride on forever, the bomb squad could come on and figure out how to disarm the bomb, and they could take as long as they needed without making the audience or the characters worry. If the bus ran out of gas in Act 1 and just exploded, the film would end there.

In Armageddon they establish when the asteroid will hit the earth so that there is a defined timeline in which they must destroy it before the world is destroyed. This anxiety urges the characters on, and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats hoping that this will be accomplished in time. It is important not just to establish a ticking clock, but to frame the timeline in parameters that make sense for the movie-too short and it’s impossible, too long and it’s boring and the sense of urgency is gone. If the asteroid were going to hit the earth in two minutes, there would be no movie as everyone would have to give up and wait for the inevitable impact. If the asteroid were discovered a year or two prior to its impact, we would yawn because the scientists could be deliberate and careful in figuring out a safe method to destroy it.

The ticking clock works in other genres as well. In Toy Story, the ticking clock is established very early on-Woody alerts the toys to moving day in the first act, and we know then that Woody and Buzz must get back before the family moves or face being lost forever. If the family wasn’t moving, there would be no excitement or suspense, as Woody and Buzz could take as long as necessary to get back to Andy’s house. Similarly, in Toy Story 2, Woody and Jesse must escape before they are shipped to Japan. If the collector was just going to keep them on display indefinitely, the toys could take their time to rescue Woody, and there would be no story.
In My Best Friend’s Wedding, Julia Roberts must win the love of her best friend before his fast-approaching wedding. Imagine how dull the film would have been if the wedding were a year away, or he wasn’t engaged at all and just dating someone else.
In the Hangover, the ticking clock is established right away, when Vick calls Tracy to tell her they lost Doug, she mentions (good subtle exposition) that the wedding is in four hours. If the wedding were still a week or even a few days away, the sense of urgency would be lost, and the film would be much less exciting. Not only would it be less suspenseful, but the guys could take their time and perhaps choose more logical, less hilarious methods for finding the groom.