It’s true that plenty ofsci-fimovies are more plot-heavy than character-driven, but that doesn’t mean that the best additions to the genre don’t include complex and well-developed characters. However, in most movies, not just speculative fiction, there are sometimes scenes that fit in well with the plot but end up undermining the arc of an otherwise well-written character. Though this doesn’t take away the other moments that exemplify the character’s nuanced and complex emotions and motivation,it does give the viewer pause and make them wonder why these scenes are included.
Occasionally, these characters' moments givegreat sci-fi movies disappointing endingssince what happens to the characters is typically the most emotionally compelling piece of a story.Many of these characters are portrayed by brilliant actors who balance the contradictions within their rolesand make them work within the narrative. Whether these scenes are throwaway moments meant to be forgotten or were included to help the story make sense, they shift the viewers' perspective on the characters, which can call the entire narrative into question.
10Emma Russell - Godzilla: King Of The Monsters (2019)
She sacrifices herself in the final hour
In the 2019 movieGodzilla: King of the Monsters, Vera Farmiga plays Dr. Emma Russell, the mother of Madison, played by Millie Bobby Brown. Though Emma is smart and positioned as one of the good guys at the start of the film, it soon turns outshe’s been double-crossing everyone, including her daughter, and is working for an eco-terrorist organization.While this is a shocking turn of events, it actually makes Emma more interesting and layered. Unfortunately, this is undercut by her change of heart and ultimate death.
Making Emma’s redemption only possible through her death is a bleak message to share with the audience and forces Madison to grapple with losing her mother.
ThoughGodzilla: King of the Monstersisn’t thebestGodzillamovie to watch firstto be immersed in the history and lore of the franchise, it is a strong, action-packed movie.Russell is a compelling enough character to make the film worth watching,even though her final sacrifice doesn’t make sense with her character arc. Making Emma’s redemption only possible through her death is a bleak message to share with the audience and forces Madison to grapple with losing her mother.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Cast
In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters known as the Titians. Among these creatures is the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.
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9Waymond - Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Though he’s a stand-out character in the film, Waymond doesn’t reach his full potential
The central family dynamic inEverything Everywhere All At Onceis the strongest part of the film,with Evelyn’s (Michelle Yeoh) relationship with her husband and daughter evolving beautifully throughout the story. Of course, since Evelyn is the protagonist, she goes through the most development as the secondary character, especially the sweet pacifist Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), who doesn’t change his belief systems throughout the story. Evelyn has to change the way she views him; he doesn’t need to alter himself.
Waymond’s pivotal moment isn’t so much a scene featuring him so much as a lack of one at the end of the movie between him and his daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu). Joy and Evelyn’s relationship is the most important part of the movie, and Waymond does get an amazing speech before mother and daughter reconcile. However,it would have been interesting to see more between Waymond and Joyor have him further included in the healing done between his wife and daughter. Fortunately, Waymond has a moment to shine, even if it’s slightly undercut in the moments after.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
In Everything Everywhere All at Once, a middle-aged laundromat owner (Michelle Yeoh) is distracted from her financial and family issues by a multiversal crisis. With just her husband (Ke Huy Quan) to support her through the confusion, she must contend with her overbearing traditional father (James Hong), a pencil-pushing auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis), and her emotionally-distant daughter (Stephanie Hsu).
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20 Best Everything Everywhere All At Once Quotes
Everything Everywhere All At Once is at its core a very emotional film with deep themes of acceptance and understanding, as quoted by its characters.
8Doc - Back To The Future (1985)
His decision to rewrite his future is out of character but delivers a happier ending
Christopher Lloyd is the perfect Doc Brown, the zany scientistwho inadvertently sends Marty (Michael J. Fox) to the past and then must help him return home to restore the timeline to its former structure. However, just before Marty’s sent back, he sees Doc get killed by a group of terrorists who he tricked, leaving Marty devastated. As soon as Marty meets the younger Doc, he wants to tell him what happened, but Doc refuses to hear anything about his past self.
Doc is a stubborn and intelligent character who believes in the sanctity of the timeline, making it unlikely he would read the letter for any reason but to further the plot.
Marty ultimately writes him a letter explaining the events of that night, but Doc refuses to read it once again. However, once Marty gets back to his present,Doc reveals he did read the letter and wore a bulletproof vest.In some ways, it was always obvious that Doc wouldn’t die at the end ofBack to the Futuresince this would’ve made the following sequels impossible. However, Doc is a stubborn and intelligent character who believes in the sanctity of the timeline, making it unlikely he would read the letter for any reason but to further the plot.
Back to the Future
Back to the Future follows teenager Marty McFly as he is inadvertently sent back to 1955, where he disrupts his parents' meeting. With the assistance of eccentric inventor Doc Brown, Marty must restore the timeline by ensuring his parents fall in love and find a way back to 1985.
Back to the Future (1985)
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7Jake - After Yang (2021)
One of Jake’s off-hand comments undermines the better parts of his character
After Yangis one of the best recent additions to the sci-fi genre and should be discussed more widely. InAfter Yang, Colin Farrell leads the movie as Jake in a soft but nuanced performance. Much ofAfter Yangfollows Jake trying to help Mika grapple with the death of her android brother, Yang (Justin H. Min), which sparks Jake’s journey to have him repaired to avoid these deeper feelings of grief. Within the futuristic world ofAfter Yang,androids, clones, and other unconventional additions to family units are commonplace.
In a throwaway line, Jake makes a comment about how he’s made uncomfortable by clonesbecause of his neighbor’s clone children, which adds an unexpected layer to Jake’s character. Though it’s clear later that he doesn’t fully mean this, and he forms a bond with a clone, Ada (Haley Lu Richardson), this remark doesn’t fit in with his decisions. It comes off as if Jake is trying to convince himself of his old-fashioned beliefs and roots, as his actions don’t reflect a prejudice of this nature.
After Yang
After Yang is a science fiction drama directed by Kogonada. Set in a near future, the film follows a family’s emotional journey through grief and connection after their robotic child Yang malfunctions. Starring Colin Farrell and Jodie Turner-Smith, the narrative explores themes of memory and the human experience within a technologically advanced society.
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6Bella Baxter - Poor Things (2023)
Her initial reaction to the poverty and plights of others is the movie’s weakest link
Though Emma Stone’s portrayal and the character of Bella Baxter as a whole sparked debate about the larger implications of the story, overall,Poor Thingsis an interesting and complex movie. Visually stunning and brilliantly acted,Poor Thingstouches upon the search for knowledge inherent to humanity as well as the ability of a woman to move through the world despite the suppression of her independence by the patriarchal society. WhileBella’s interactions with the world are truthful on the whole, there’s a moment on the ship that isn’t quite right.
Bella has already encountered people trying to take away her rights and agency and is smart if sheltered.
She’s exposed to the subjugation of the working class while onboard the cruise linerand is shocked to discover that people are living cruel and unfair lives. Though this is a realization that everyone comes to in their youth, Bella has already encountered people trying to take away her rights and agency and is smart if sheltered. At this point in the story, such a large reaction doesn’t fit with where Bella is in her development, and it doesn’t cement Bella’s role as an intelligent and empathetic person; it slightly combats it.
Poor Things
Poor Things is a sci-fi romance film from The Lobster director Yorgos Lanthimos. The story focuses on the bizarre and fantastical world of Bella Baxter after a scientist named Dr. Godwin Baxter brings her back to life. The film is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray.
The fact that Lucy Gray ever trusted Coriolanus is hard to believe
Rachel Zegler gives a great performance as the kind but fierce Lucy Gray Baird,who falls in love with the treacherous Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth). Though it’s hard to tell what the characters are thinking in the movie adaptation ofThe Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, it’s written from Snow’s perspective in the book, making it obvious from the beginning that all he cares about is himself. While it’s impossible for Lucy to know this, the fact that she places her trust in Snow isn’t the most believable part of her character.
His manipulation and charm contribute heavily to the fact that Lucy Gray comes around and thinks he could be part of the revolution. However, Lucy Gray is smart, capable, and has a streak of self-preservation,making it a little too optimistic on her part to believe that Snow could change and truly love her.Of course, in the end, she realizes his true nature just in time, which helps to limit the moment she decides to trust him before the games.The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reapingbook and moviemust avoid these mistakes with Haymitch.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel movie set 64 years before the events of the original movie with Katniss Everdeen. The film centers on a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and shows his rise to power as the leader of Panem. Taking place during the 10th Hunger Games, Snow is tasked with mentoring Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the tribute from District 12.
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4Sprite - Eternals (2021)
Her character could have been more than her love for Ikaris
Sprite is one of the most tragic characters in Chloé Zhao’s underrated addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe,Eternals. Played by Lia McHugh, Sprite struggles with the fact that she’s permanently in the body of a child despite being as old as the other Eternals, which plays into the feelings she harbors for Ikaris. However, she has just as much of a connection with Sersi, if not more, and the fact that Sprite chooses to side with Ikaris during the fight to stop the Emergence is shocking.
Fortunately, the end ofEternalsgives Sprite the best ending out of all the characters, allowing her forgiveness and the ability to move on.
This choice makes Sprite seem immature and ruled by her emotions,which hasn’t been the case throughoutEternals and makes her seem weaker than she is. Though this decision is clearly fueled by pain, Sersi has been her companion and remained with Sprite over the years. This connection would warrant more loyalty, especially considering how Sprite is shown throughout the narrative. Fortunately, the end ofEternalsgives Sprite the best ending out of all the characters, allowing her forgiveness and the ability to move on.
Eternals
Eternals, directed by Chloé Zhao, follows a group of ancient aliens who have secretly lived on Earth for thousands of years. The film explores their reunion in the face of an unexpected tragedy and the threat posed by their age-old adversaries, the Deviants. Released in 2021, the film expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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3David - Prometheus (2012)
His motivations throughout the movie only grow more hazy
As the knowledge-driven android David,Michael Fassbender is at his best inPrometheus,theAlienprequel film that is hard to pin down. ThoughPrometheusis a polarizing addition to theAlienfranchise, it’s interesting when viewed as a standalone film that grapples with the origins of the human species. This puts David in a unique position, as he isn’t human but is learning to have his own desires and emotions throughout the story that end up driving him to commit horrible acts.
It quickly becomes clear that David is acting out of a thirst for knowledge and experimentation and a complete disregard for human life. However, two conflicting scenes make David’s character difficult to pin down. When he wakes the Engineer and capitulates to Weyland’s desires, it shows him acting with the utmost arrogance, thinking he can understand and communicate with the Engineer. This moment is confusing sinceDavid appears to be fighting against his subservient programming and should start acting on his impulseseven more, as he is uninterested in the humans' search for their creator.
Prometheus
Prometheus, released in 2012, is a science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott. It follows a team of explorers as they uncover clues about humanity’s origins, embarking on a perilous interstellar expedition where they confront formidable challenges to secure the future of mankind.
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2Phil - Groundhog Day (1993)
Phil’s attempts to seduce Rita haven’t aged very well
Bill Murray leads the cast ofGroundhog Dayas Phil, the reluctant and mean-spirited weathermanwho gets trapped in a time loop. When he’s first trapped, it’s easy to dislike Phil, as he’s unafraid to mess with the townspeople and revel in the fact that his actions have no consequences, which is a strong setup for when he evolves as a person. While most of these hijinxs are played for laughs, the sequences when he’s trying to romance Rita (Andie MacDowell) make it a little more difficult to root for the couple.
25 Cool Time Loop Movies, Ranked
Time loop movies crop up across genres, but the cool ones do the trope with style. Here are some of the coolest time loop movies, ranked.
Of course, the point ofGroundhog Dayis that Phil learns to love and appreciate Punxsutawney and becomes a better man throughout the story, and therefore worthy of Rita’s love. However, the fact that Phil resorted to such sleazy methods of seduction for so long diminishes some of the sweetness of their relationship. Whilethis doesn’t ruin the movie or make it less classic,his blatant manipulation is a bit of a step too far in Phil’s harsh characterization.
Groundhog Day
In Groundhog Day, the arrogant weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) finds himself living the exact same day over and over for what feels like an eternity. To cope with his curse, he learns a variety of skills in the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and tries to earn the heart of his colleague Rita Hanson (Andie MacDowell) while he adapts to the time loop.
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1Arthur - Inception (2010)
His kiss with Ariadne doesn’t make sense for either of them
Inceptionfeatures a great ensemble withChristopher Nolan’s movie castall doing their part to further thesci-fistory like a well-oiled machine. The characters inInceptionwork similarly to the device that allows them to enter people’s minds, operating in harmony with precision, which is where Arthur comes in. For most of the film,Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character Arthur is a strong foil to Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), keeping him grounded and making sure their heists are foolproof, but this characterization wavers.
One of the only female characters in the film, Ariadne (Elliot Page), joins Arthur for part of their mission, and he uses this as an opportunity to kiss her under the guise that it will distract their enemies. Of course, this isn’t the case and is just a confusing addition to the already plot-heavy script. Though Ariadne doesn’t seem upset at the kiss,it makes no sense that Arthur would do this, and it doesn’t align with his by-the-book approach to their work,creating an unnecessary element that doesn’t make the audience like him more.
Inception
Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, features a skilled thief who uses dream-sharing technology to steal corporate secrets. He is tasked with planting an idea into a CEO’s mind, while confronting his troubled past, which threatens the mission and his team.
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