MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > overdone themes and ideas in movies?

overdone themes and ideas in movies?

posted 4 years ago by filmgeek99 (656)
47 replies | jump to latest

What are the most overdone, trite, cliche, regurgitated themes and ideas that comes to mind for you in film?

Here's a few of mine:

- idiot fuckboy thinks hot girl is perfect, only to discover cute girl even tighter
- man has cancer and cries, then cute girl cums in and helps him discharge other fluids
- abuse = victim, victim = villain/or asshole (remember, he's a victim)
- cool, confident, good-looking loner gets bullied in school because no one likes cool, confident, good-looking people
- TV telling you how to think = bad, so bad that we have to tell you it's bad
- genius man so genius he can't figure out emotion because too genius

What others come to mind for you?

[–] exithereplease (3553) 4 years ago

Easily

[–] FredBurroughs (21466) 4 years ago

Can you name five movies for each mentioned trope? I want to study these patterns for myself.

[–] filmgeek99 (656) 4 years ago

idiot fuckboy thinks hot girl is perfect, only to discover cute girl even tighter

Don Jon, Clerks II, Frozen (gender swapped), Stardust, Enchanted (gender swapped)

man has cancer and cries, then cute girl cums in and helps discharge other fluids

The Fault in Our Stars (gender swapped), Me Before You, The Sessions (polio, not cancer), Restless, Then Came You (gender and personalities swapped)

abuse = victim, victim = villain/or asshole (remember, he's a victim)

Joker, Good Will Hunting, One Hour Photo, Red Dragon, Chronicle

cool, confident, good-looking loner gets bullied in school because no one likes cool, confident, good-looking people

Rebel Without a Cause, The Amazing Spider-Man, Man of Steel, Carrie (2013 version), Ender's Game

TV telling you how to think = bad, so bad that we have to tell you it's bad

Nightcrawler, Diary of the Dead, The Hunger Games, Incredibles 2, Breaking News

genius man so genius he can't figure out emotion because too genius

The Imitation Game, Watchmen, The Social Network, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Ender's Game

Granted, some of these are a bit of a stretch and not all of these were bad movies, necessarily. But I do think this list shows how overused these cliches all are. Any up-and-coming aspiring screenwriter should do their damndest to avoid these tropes.

[–] chilone (17875) 4 years ago

idiot fuckboy thinks hot girl is perfect, only to discover cute girl even tighter

Don Jon, Clerks II, Frozen (gender swapped), Stardust, Enchanted (gender swapped)

Clerks II is a bad example. Rosario was definitely the "hot" girl!! :)

[–] actionkamen (23176) 4 years ago

Member of family is killed, enact overcomplicated revenge.

5 examples:
Various Batman movies

[–] FredBurroughs (21466) 4 years ago

That's such a trite observation. Familial revenge is a theme dating back to ancient mythology.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 4 years ago

Yes. And it's overused in movies. Just as what this thread wanted. Those 5 examples are just (tongue-in-cheek) examples, of course there are more than 5 revenge movies in the entire history of cinema.

[–] moviechatterer (15643) 4 years ago

"You killed my brother!!"
...most martial arts movies

[–] Moonglum9 (11275) 4 years ago

Every single one.

[–] exithereplease (3553) 4 years ago

Comic book movies.

ENOUGH

[–] moviechatterer (15643) 4 years ago

IKR?

[–] exithereplease (3553) 4 years ago

Comic book movies.

Skinny white guys in tights. Trying hard to get tights on to fight crime against special effects!!!

Get your outfit on eB.aBy!

I liked Batman (1989) though.

Go figure...

[–] moviechatterer (15643) 4 years ago

Dont get me started .....
Those costumed asshats have ruined cinema!
Somebodys got to do something!

..ok, I'll Do it!
for all our sakes!
to save moviemaking!

right, for that kind of activism im gonna need
some sort of secret identity ... and a disguise

[–] moviechatterer (15643) 4 years ago

FIGHT TO THE DEATH!

From Futurama (where no fan has gone before):
Melllvar: No! To determine who is more worthy of my fanatical devotion I shall pit you together against each other in armed combat ... to the death!

[Everyone gasps.]
Bender: Where'd you get an idiotic idea like that?

Melllvar: Episodes 19, 46, 56 and 77.

Fry: Great list. Except, you forgot episode 66!

[–] exithereplease (3553) 4 years ago

Well the coronavirus got rid of something...

[–] actionkamen (23176) 4 years ago

I'd blame Van Damme for that.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Tired of sick kids in peril not having their inhaler/ insulin.

[–] Sarmoviefan26 (1368) 4 years ago

It’s not done that much anymore but one theme done a lot in the past is the teacher who saves a group of troubled students.

[–] filmgeek99 (656) 4 years ago

Oh yeah, lame and cringey as fuck that one is. In its defense though, I have met one or two teachers in my life who I would say inspires me to become a better person to this very day. So I guess that one isn't entirely outside the realm of reality, unlike some of the ones I listed.

[–] Sarmoviefan26 (1368) 4 years ago

Yes definitely we can have teachers who can inspire us and be really good at their job and really nice towards us.

Is not an implausible theme but those films go way overboard with the theme.

[–] Furienna (3345) 4 years ago

That is actually a cliché, that I rather like. Some times, you need a new teacher to fix things in real life too.