Yeah, that movie really could have been even better with a different male lead.
I still like it a lot, but having him act like a smug action movie star type star never really landed.
Movies that do a terrible job convincing you the protagonist is likeable
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I still like it a lot, but having him act like a smug action movie star type star never really landed.
Yeah compared to the cast of the previous ones, they are all pretty unpleasant. Even Ripley is at her worst here. Alien 3 has its issues, but for a bunch of criminals I felt quite a bit sorry for a few of them, and Charles S Dutton was great.
There is quite a few examples of a main character who is written to be unlikable. Boardwalk Empire is an example of this; I don't know anyone who sympathises with Buscemi in that. James Darmody and Richard Harrow are the reasonably sympathetic ones, maybe Chalky. Everyone else is a piece of shit, including the main character.
Also Stephen Donaldson books. Thomas Covenant rapes someone in the first few chapters and spends the rest of the series being a douche. And Angus Thermopyle in The Gap series is probably the most vile human I have ever read about.
So it does happen quite a bit. You just need to contrast unlikable main characters with sympathetic supporting characters.
Was gonna post this movie when I saw the title. The editing in the theatrical cut did him no favours either for sure, paring it down to a shorter and more straightforward action flick just doesn't quite work imo, because he was never conceived as an entirely likeable/charming protagonist. He's still a dick in all cuts, but deleted scenes showed more of him dealing with people's bullshit/being treated like shit and insight into why he's as sour as he is, plus some more scenes of him slowly coming around to being less of a dick. The unlikeability comes off like a mistake in theat cut, whereas it at least makes sense and feels deliberate in the TV/extended cuts.
Everyone in Prometheus and Covenant.
I've never seen a group of protagonists so inept, so idiotic, so brain dead, so stupid as like the ones in these two movies.
I've never seen a group of protagonists so inept, so idiotic, so brain dead, so stupid as like the ones in these two movies.
I mean there's a reason the opening of Mr. Bean is him getting thrown down from heaven hahaha.
I mean, criticizing Dwight is just preaching to the choir.
The show wants you to like Jim. Jim is the kind of person who thinks he's above it all, everyone but him is crazy and because he's surrounded by crazy, he doesn't have to look inward at his own shit.
It's like the person that hangs out with someone down on their luck to feel better about themselves. That kind of thing being less blatant is what makes it more frustrating.
Also, things like snow episode don't work if Jim hasn't clearly gone overboard more than enough times.
It's why people root for Tom out of Tom and Jerry. Jim is Jerry.
The positive thing can be that they're interesting to watch, but outside of that, no, that's not a requirement. The directors did a previous movie Good Time, with Robert Pattison playing a petty criminal, he's fascinating to watch, but the longer it goes on, it becomes apparent that he's a cancer to everyone he gets near and he belongs in jail, much worse than Sandler's character as a person.
omg I totally agree with this
Same!
Either interpretation of the opening is funny to me (an alien the other aliens dumped on Earth because they were sick of him, or an angel the other angels booted out of Heaven because they were sick of him).
The Tom & Jerry part wildly swings depending on the short. Sometimes Jerry really is just minding his own business and Tom comes looking for trouble or hunts him for no real reason, other times Jerry is being an actual nuisance to the household and Tom is technically doing his job trying to stop him. I never settle on one or the other, sometimes Tom is a real dick, other times Jerry is a real dick. Other times it's just two forces colliding.
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Mr bean is a child in an adults body.
I remember seeing the bong inside the one guys space suit and immediately hoped he would be one of the first to die.
FWIW - that movie is 1/3rd of the story and makes up it's own ending, which is pretty flat.
I feel like i'm reading the OPs comment differently than you because in my mind, the problem with Don't Breathe 2 is that they DID attempt to humanize him and make him likeable, which is why so many people hate the film. if you have seen the original film, you know he's beyond redemption, but if you watch Don't Breath 2 before 1 you probably think nothing of it and believe he's actually not such a terrible guy which would imply they succeeded in making him likeable.
It's would be like arguing Cruella in the same vein. They technically succeed in making you want to like the protagonist, but when you realize who she becomes, it's impossible to like her.
Old deep cut: Robert DeNiro in New York, New York.
We're supposed to be sad that it doesn't work out between him and Liza Minelli, but he's a horrible, self-centered toxic boyfriend. One example: One night he tells her to get her stuff, they're going out -- he doesn't tell her where they're going. They take a cab in the middle of the night to ... see a priest to get married. She's floored - he never actually asked her if she wanted to marry. He just badgers her. When she tries to press the pause button, he lies down behind the cab and yells at the cabbie to run him over. If she wont' have him, then he doesn't want to live. I think the movie's going for this thing where he's so passionate and so in love with her that he can't help his impulsive behavior but .... no, he's just a disrespectful lout he wants to steamroll her because it didn't occur to him that her personal feelings also matter.
We're supposed to be sad that it doesn't work out between him and Liza Minelli, but he's a horrible, self-centered toxic boyfriend. One example: One night he tells her to get her stuff, they're going out -- he doesn't tell her where they're going. They take a cab in the middle of the night to ... see a priest to get married. She's floored - he never actually asked her if she wanted to marry. He just badgers her. When she tries to press the pause button, he lies down behind the cab and yells at the cabbie to run him over. If she wont' have him, then he doesn't want to live. I think the movie's going for this thing where he's so passionate and so in love with her that he can't help his impulsive behavior but .... no, he's just a disrespectful lout he wants to steamroll her because it didn't occur to him that her personal feelings also matter.
The main character in the ruins is the single most insufferable protagonist in a horror movie I have ever seen. No redeeming qualities of any kind, makes everything worse with her presence.
The one, who was constantly taking pictures during their trip, was the most annoying.
What about the cell phone impersonating plants where they rank on the list?
The protagonist in Jumper. He goes out of his way to use his powers in the worst possible way and he can't even be cool with it. He's literally the least likable character in the whole movie.
So did you cheer when she got eaten?
The movie laid it out pretty clearly (incidentally so does this headline)
(Filed under "sh*t they won't put to print anymore" lol)
I love this movie personally, but it's funny to see it mentioned because
the story goes originally she lived, and audiences hated it because she didn't deserve it.
They weren't wrong.
Haha
wasn't exactly happy but I wasn't unhappy lol, LL Cool J surviving was great though
Oh I almost forgot somebody mentioned the documentary of Everest but there's another documentary I want to mention:
I believe it's on Disney under the national geographic but it was about a guy who was obsessed with climbing without safety equipment and his whole preparation for the Yosemite climb.
Throughout the whole thing he's been told it's dangerous he's been told that it stresses his girlfriend out but every time he gets on camera he completely dismisses everybody and says he doesn't care he needs to climb the mountain.
No by the time he gets to the park and clearly gets in another fight with his girlfriend honestly she should have just pushed him off herself. Completely obsessive nutter butter. It's sold as inspirational but all I see is a cult like obsession
Reminds me a lot of my uncle who despite his 80 plus years in age, is going to Panama to preach to people because they need to hear his version of Christianity. Fuck him and fuck that
I believe it's on Disney under the national geographic but it was about a guy who was obsessed with climbing without safety equipment and his whole preparation for the Yosemite climb.
Throughout the whole thing he's been told it's dangerous he's been told that it stresses his girlfriend out but every time he gets on camera he completely dismisses everybody and says he doesn't care he needs to climb the mountain.
No by the time he gets to the park and clearly gets in another fight with his girlfriend honestly she should have just pushed him off herself. Completely obsessive nutter butter. It's sold as inspirational but all I see is a cult like obsession
Reminds me a lot of my uncle who despite his 80 plus years in age, is going to Panama to preach to people because they need to hear his version of Christianity. Fuck him and fuck that
This is a really good one. A pretty scumbag character when you think about it.
Hmmm Im going to go with the ping-pong ball that was Jamie Lannister. You weren't supposed to like him, but at one point it felt like they wanted you to, then they didn't want you to like him again. And then you were supposed to again. And then once more, back to "did you forget that you're not supposed to like him?"
The issue with Jim is that the US Office goes on longer than it should and also wants to reward all it's characters in the long run. The UK Office recognizes Tim as a little shit with an inferiority complex and when he finally quits, his fantasy of getting with Pam doesn't work out.
Jim is typically in the right in the US Office because Dwight is such a little shit. But then there are times his flirting with Pam or messing with Dwight goes overboard and fucks with everyone. But more importantly, Jim is rewarded throughout the series for his laziness and feelings of superiority.
He's a guy unhappy to be working sales at a paper company, seemingly overqualified and yer not socially inept like his peers. And yet, he never does anything to change his life situation but rather just mocks or complains about others in his same circle. Despite this, he rises through the ranks, gets the girl, gets to start a successful company, and just racks up consistent wins even though they only charge an incremental level.
indiana jones dial of destiny and helena shaw
Dom in Fast and Furious has become a complete asshole
Tom Cruise/Ethan Hunt in the last Mission Impossible movie, he's just not good at his job anymore and seems to live just for adrenaline rushes
everyone in Argylle
Dom in Fast and Furious has become a complete asshole
Tom Cruise/Ethan Hunt in the last Mission Impossible movie, he's just not good at his job anymore and seems to live just for adrenaline rushes
everyone in Argylle
Take your pick of any Terminator movie after 2. I'm talking about the human protagonists, of course, not Arnold.
Passengers was so close to being a fantastic horror film with just a slight retooling.
The kid (Julian?) in Deadpool 2. Couldn't stand him and was hard not to root for Cable to kill him.
I think you're talking about Free Solo, which is about Alex Honnold. I actually believe this is one of the best sports / adventure documentaries I've seen, because it straddles a very careful line between "this person is doing something incredible and we need to be there to document it" and "this person is a complete narcissist who's going to put everyone close to him through the emotional wringer time and time again until he makes us all watch him die".
When you consider that the film was directed and shot by fellow climbers, it would have been very easy for it to come out as just a celebration of the achievement. But it spends the majority of its runtime on what drives a person to put their life at hazard in this way, how many people who walked the same track have died, and what it does to the people around you. It still shakes out to be a film that's in awe of Honnold's climbing, but it's much more conflicted about him as a person - and I don't think you're intended to like the guy.
Sarah Harding in The Lost World.
She goes on and on about not being there to interact yet just got done causing a Stego stampede because she just had to get up close to a baby and.... touch it.
All of her actions resulted in their lives being in danger.
She goes on and on about not being there to interact yet just got done causing a Stego stampede because she just had to get up close to a baby and.... touch it.
All of her actions resulted in their lives being in danger.
Snake Eyes.
You have the well known hero of the GI Joe franchise, you name and make a movie about him, but he's really a dick, a bad guy, and really just is at fault for so many things. There is nothing likable about him and we are supposed to be happy when he becomes the famous GI Joe character?
And they had such a simple and easy heroic story line for decades they could have simply adapted, but instead created a really convoluted story which makes him into a giant dick bag who ruins everything and gets a bunch of people killed and there is no real redemption either.
You have the well known hero of the GI Joe franchise, you name and make a movie about him, but he's really a dick, a bad guy, and really just is at fault for so many things. There is nothing likable about him and we are supposed to be happy when he becomes the famous GI Joe character?
And they had such a simple and easy heroic story line for decades they could have simply adapted, but instead created a really convoluted story which makes him into a giant dick bag who ruins everything and gets a bunch of people killed and there is no real redemption either.
I don't know if "convincing" is the right word, but...
An idiot.
Charisma vacuum.
Insufferable.
An idiot.
Charisma vacuum.
Insufferable.
Let's be real, like 99.9999999999% of the time Dwight has done something horrific to deserve whatever dumb prank Jim plays on him.
Uhh, the entire premise of the film is showing how much of an irredeemable monster Plainview is. That is the portrait that PTA paints of the character; in no way is the film trying to convince the viewer that he might be a good guy.
Isn't that the movie's plot / arc?I don't know if "convincing" is the right word, but...
Insufferable.
I don't know if "convincing" is the right word, but...
Insufferable.
You're definitely not supposed to like Gary King.
I think for The Worlds End everyone in the film finds him insufferable and then feel bad for him at best vI don't know if "convincing" is the right word, but...
An idiot.
Charisma vacuum.
Insufferable.
Maybe? 🤷
I still don't like it as the movie & especially the character(s) were bottom of the trilogy.
Props to Simon Pegg tho.
My theatre cheered when Jennifer Lawrence attacked Chris Pratt is his sleep lol
At the start of the series 95%.
As the series continued Jim would basically steal his hotel room key just because Dwight was rude to him in a conversation in the lobby with others.
Proportional responses and whatnot.
I played office pranks on a coworker / friend whenever he was being a patronizing ass, but I can't say I wasn't being just as childish.
But we're talking stuff like putting my mouse USB in the back of his Mac mini and occasionally moving until it stopped being funny for 10 minutes.
Another office prank we all did was putting a fake roach under people's keyboard.
Whereas, this is Jim.
It's not like I hate Jim, it's just, it's completely understandable why people turned on him. It's just the range of the pranks. Some are funny, some are harmless, and then you get those episodes where he was just being a dick.
Jim slowly convincing Dwight that he's turning into a vampire was genuinely funny.
Dwight The Vampire Slayer - The Office US
'One crisis at a time!'Dwight (Rainn Wilson) discovers a bat in the office and after Jim (John Krasinski) is bitten, Dwight fears it may be too late to save ...
youtu.be
In the grand scheme of things, it's funny, but what horrific thing did Dwight do here? This is that level where the narrative changes for the two.
Dwight Thinks it's Friday - The Office US
When he realises Dwight mistakenly thinks it's Friday, Jim spends the day playing along.From Season 2, Episode 8 "Performance Review" - Michael's uses his di...
youtu.be
Yeah I can't take a lot of Jim commentary seriously... Largely because he's really trapped with a bunch of kinda terrible people.
OP
OP
For me, I feel that Jim seems to specifically target Dwight for past misgivings, even when lightly antagonized by him. Feels as if Jim hates Dwight specifically more than Dwight hates him, so much of the payback is usually much more than needed.
For Dwight, he's just a prick that's kind of a dick to everybody, not just Jim. He only sees Jim as a rival to him in sales, but doesn't particularly target just him when he's being awkward and rude to people in the office. He's still a prick, but an equal opportunity prick that's driven by his need to become successful at the company.
I stand by this being a bonkers response. Jim's pranks becoming more cartoonish and elaborate was basically in line with the show becoming more cartoonish and unhinged from any semblance of relatability. By later seasons every character was written into a caricature, just look to Kevin as an example. He pretty much had the full Homer Simpson transformation of turning from endearingly dim witted to a person who you really wonder if they could spell the word cat. It doesn't make sense to single Jim or his pranks outAt the start of the series 95%.
As the series continued Jim would basically steal his hotel room key just because Dwight was rude to him in a conversation in the lobby with others.
Proportional responses and whatnot.
I played office pranks on a coworker / friend whenever he was being a patronizing ass, but I can't say I wasn't being just as childish.
But we're talking stuff like putting my mouse USB in the back of his Mac mini and occasionally moving until it stopped being funny for 10 minutes.
Another office prank we all did was putting a fake roach under people's keyboard.
Whereas, this is Jim.
It's not like I hate Jim, it's just, it's completely understandable why people turned on him. It's just the range of the pranks. Some are funny, some are harmless, and then you get those episodes where he was just being a dick.
Jim slowly convincing Dwight that he's turning into a vampire was genuinely funny.
Dwight The Vampire Slayer - The Office US
'One crisis at a time!'Dwight (Rainn Wilson) discovers a bat in the office and after Jim (John Krasinski) is bitten, Dwight fears it may be too late to save ...
In the grand scheme of things, it's funny, but what horrific thing did Dwight do here? This is that level where the narrative changes for the two.
Dwight Thinks it's Friday - The Office US
When he realises Dwight mistakenly thinks it's Friday, Jim spends the day playing along.From Season 2, Episode 8 "Performance Review" - Michael's uses his di...
Dwight regularly and publicly made comments about Pam's body and looks, and tried to get Jim fired when he was manager lol.