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Near the end of the 1976 film Futureworld Tracy Ballard, the female reporter, is in a stand-off with her android double, each holding a gun. The android was made as an exact duplicate, and they exchange words along the lines of "I know what you are thinking, because I am you."

During the dialogue between the two the android talks about Tracy's childhood, and her father teaching her how to use a gun. The android exclaims that she too knows how to use a gun now as well, because what Tracy knows she knows....

After a few moments' pause they both fire at each other, but only the android is hit. Tracy the human survives the stand off, while her android double is shot dead.

How is it possible that Tracy was able to out-gun her android duplicate? It's stated in the film a few times that the androids are stronger and faster.

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I had the same question when I watched the movie. I guess they copied her and Chuck (the other reporter) a little too well.
They each knew the others thoughts simultaneously. They both admitted that they were lousy shots. (Chuck and his robot had a similar conversation)
From the book:

Then the real Tracy suddenly realized something: no duplicate, no clone, no look-alike could could possibly be better than the original...

then they both drew at the same time. So fake Tracy had to be thinking the same thing and defeated herself (bowing to the real Tracy's logic). Either that or the real Tracy just got lucky since they were both bad at shooting. Again, they copied her too well.

But I agree with you, the robot should have won since it had superior strength and speed.

EDIT: I forgot to add that Tracy was also extremely reluctant to kill. As evidence, look to the earlier scene where she and Chuck were fighting the android in the hotel room. She could barely bring herself to shoot even though it was defending Chuck's life.
That extreme reluctance could have factored into the fake Tracy missing.
The real Tracy already got over her reluctance and had no problem shooting a fake.

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  • +1 good answer. This makes good logic. The android knew she was a lousy shot and therefore it had to miss. I didn't catch that line of logic when I watched it.
    – Reactgular
    Commented May 25, 2013 at 1:37

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