10 Famous Movies That Got Away With Half-Assed Plots

5. Les Miserables's Story Is Built Entirely On Random Coincidences

The biggest issues inherent to the musical movie version of Les Miserables are also well and truly apparent in the source material; that is, all of its problems stem from Victor Hugo's defining work, so in a way this is just as much a criticism of that novel as it is Tom Hooper's adaptation. Okay, so Les Miserables tells - in its most basic form - the story of Jean Valjean, a prisoner who, having spent nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread, goes on to change his life, becomes mayor of a small town, and ultimately gets caught up in a French revolution, all the while being hunted down by one Inspector Javert, who has dedicated his existence to putting Valjean behind bars. The plot also incorporates dozens more characters, but generally speaking, that's the story. What's wrong with that, you wonder? Can't we just enjoy the songs? Indeed, the reason so many people are willing to overlook Les Miserables' narrative oversights seems to stem from the fact that they're too busy enjoying the musical numbers; but consider for a second that almost everything in Les Miserables happens due to a random coincidence. The characters keep bumping into one another, over and over again, despite being scattered across the span of France - what are the odds of that happening? And then there's the fact that Javert recognises Jean Valjean years later not on his looks, but on the fact that he's "very strong." Seriously: Javert witnesses Valjean lifting up a cart, and surmises that it must be Jean Valjean, for who else would be capable of such heroic acts of strength?