CURRENT MOVIE CLICHES

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Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
How about "Schrödinger's C(h)a(rac)t(er)"? You know, when a character clearly dies in a movie, whether it be in a stand-alone original or part of an existing franchise, but then that movie and/or character gets iconic (or at least successful), the studio wants a sequel, and the filmmakers suddenly regret their decision to kill off them off, so they try a resurrection, either with a very flimsy explanation as to how they survived, or even nothing at all in some cases, meaning that the character is both dead according to the canon of the previous entry, and simultaneously alive in the next one; think Blade 2 with
WARNING: spoilers below
Whistler
, The Matrix Reloaded with
WARNING: spoilers below
Agent Smith
, or Michael Meyers in this scene in Halloweenwater (aka Halloween H20)...



...which Resurrection wants us to believe was actually an innocent paramedic who couldn't speak because he had his larynx conveniently crushed by Michael, who then swapped his clothes with the guy and escaped, and somehow never bothered removing the mask to reveal his true identity to Laurie. Yeah sure, movie.
The Fast and Furious movies are bad for this as they ressurected two characters, who seemed pretty dead in the movies they died in.



This is an old one and may have been mentioned already...

Every movie bomb (explosion, self-destruct, or whatever) that has a countdown can only be stopped at the last second.
The "blue wire" can never be cut with two minutes to spare or a half hour in advance. Whatever the threat is, it must always be averted or escaped from only at the last second.

We all understand the need for tension, but you'd think they'd break with such a predictable formula once in a while.



Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
One possible cliche I noticed in movies, people are arrested, but are able to escape, and I think maybe they wouldn't have been able to escape if the police or authorities actually handcuffed them behind their backs, rather than cuff their hands in front.



If I hear the phrase, "It's complicated" one more time, I may have to go on a rampage...

I don't know if writer's keep using that long hackneyed phrase because it's been used in so many films/series, or whether they can't think of any better dialogue.

Sheesh!!



Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
If I hear the phrase, "It's complicated" one more time, I may have to go on a rampage...

I don't know if writer's keep using that long hackneyed phrase because it's been used in so many films/series, or whether they can't think of any better dialogue.

Sheesh!!
I remember hearing it in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), but not any other movies.



Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
This is one movie I was thinking I was thinking of yes. Perry Mason was always funny for that for me. I can spoil to others that do it if that's okay.

WARNING: "SPOILERS" spoilers below

Knives Out
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Here's another scene where the villain not exactly confesses but goes psycho just because he is merely accused of a crime, nothing more:




If I hear the phrase, "It's complicated" one more time, I may have to go on a rampage...

I don't know if writer's keep using that long hackneyed phrase because it's been used in so many films/series, or whether they can't think of any better dialogue.

Sheesh!!
I find that people who aren’t in a relationship or in one that isn’t feasible very often say “It’s complicated”. In other words, their significant other doesn’t exist.
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I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.



I find that people who aren’t in a relationship or in one that isn’t feasible very often say “It’s complicated”. In other words, their significant other doesn’t exist.
True. If I remember correctly, one of the early social networks gave you an option of “it’s complicated” alongside “single”, “married” etc. for relationship status. I used to find it hilarious. It’s a bit of a preposterous thing to say, really, either way.



This is an old one and may have been mentioned already...

Every movie bomb (explosion, self-destruct, or whatever) that has a countdown can only be stopped at the last second.
The "blue wire" can never be cut with two minutes to spare or a half hour in advance. Whatever the threat is, it must always be averted or escaped from only at the last second.

We all understand the need for tension, but you'd think they'd break with such a predictable formula once in a while.
Yeah, I really hate that one, might be top of my list. I don’t think it’d be any less dramatic/traumatic/tense if they had an hour to spare.



Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
Yeah, I really hate that one, might be top of my list. I don’t think it’d be any less dramatic/traumatic/tense if they had an hour to spare.

Have you seen the bomb disarming scene in The Manhattan Project (1986)?



Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
Another cliche or trope in older movies is that in a couple, the woman wants to have kids and the guy does not, but this seems a little odd nowadays since nowadays it seems it's the other around more often.



Another cliche or trope in older movies is that in a couple, the woman wants to have kids and the guy does not, but this seems a little odd nowadays since nowadays it seems it's the other around more often.
Can’t say I’ve noticed that men want kids these days more than women do.



No one notices... or no one wants kids?
I was getting at the latter. But could be either, I suppose.

I really wanted kids at one point. And then it… passed. 🤷🏼*♀️



The Fast and Furious movies are bad for this as they ressurected two characters, who seemed pretty dead in the movies they died in.

If you don't see the body, they aren't dead.



If you don't see the body, they aren't dead.
Then there is the old soap opera cliché - where the apparently resurrected dead person is the long lost twin brother or sister of the dead person.



Then there is the old soap opera cliché - where the apparently resurrected dead person is the long lost twin brother or sister of the dead person.

If they really had stones, the would next kill off the twin and then reveal the triplet with amnesia the following week.



I'm sick to death of characters in the movies saying "I get it." It seems to be present in all dialogue exchanges. Whatever happened to "I understand", "Okay", or "I see what you mean"...



I'm sick to death of characters in the movies saying "I get it." It seems to be present in all dialogue exchanges. Whatever happened to "I understand", "Okay", or "I see what you mean"...

Yeah, that one is pretty common. I get it. I really do.