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So there are two movies that I don’t like. Before I was a plot-analyst writer I didn’t really know why, but I just didn’t like the main characters and I didn’t like the feeling I had afterwards.
Feel free to disagree with me, but I don’t like Megamind or Over The Hedge.
And I think I figured out what bugs me so much about them.
The character arcs take WAY too long to get going and it killed any like I had for the characters.
Megamind, for about 3/4 of the movie, is an outright villain. A humorous one, granted, but it’s really depressingly pointless. We’re not learning anything good from the majority of the movie.
He has a very large character arc once he finally gets around to it, but by that time (*cough* about 15 minutes from the end), he’d already lost me. He practically learned nothing and did not improve his character throughout the whole rest of the movie.RJ from Over The Hedge is the same. The whole time he’s with the forest animals, he’s manipulating them to meet his own ends while acting like a friend. He bugs me a little less because he actually feels really bad about it and is doing it purely to save his own skin, but again… no learning anything for him until almost the end of the movie.
From not looking at the characters, both of these movies have really decent plots. But the characters pretty much ditched it for me.
Anyway, I’d like to hear your guys’ thoughts. I realize everyone probably hasn’t seen the movies I’m talking about, but have you seen any other examples of delayed character arcs that didn’t fly with you? What story elements ruin a book or movie for you?I haven’t seen Megamind, but I have seen Over the Hedge, and I totally get what you’re saying @writefury. Delaying anything for too long will turn me off— development in relationships, development in situations, etc.— like if they’re just going on and on and on and literally getting NOWHERE I start to get tired. There has to be at least a shadow of suggestion that things are going to improve. Foreshadowing, I guess— if I can’t see something right now, I at least need to be able to see that it has the potential to happen, you know what I mean? 😛
Exactly, @kate-flournoy. The arc of the story needs to have a slow rise to a lesson. Not just wandering along as a flat line and then a sudden lesson spike up right at the end.
Also, both those movies were pretty good, conceptually. But when you aren’t able to root for the characters, it’s a big hole in the storytelling.I’ve never seen Over the Hedge, but I have seen Megamind. I must say I love the movie, mainly because of the humor. And I liked Megamind even when he was bad. Anyway, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen it, but I do think there is some character development through the movie. You can see him softening as he’s with Roxanna, though he’s trying to get her through deception. That doesn’t work, everything falls apart and then…yes. It’s pretty much the climax where he finally turns good saves everyone. But I think that fits with the story, the climax is where he should turn good, not the middle of the movie.
INTJ - Inhumane. No-feelings. Terrible. Judgment and doom on everyone.
I see what you’re saying @hope. I think Megamind probably just starts his character arc lower than most. 😛
I will admit it was funny. I just can’t shake this weird feeling after I watch it, though. Not a happy “Oh that was a good story”, but more of just an “ugh”. I don’t know.
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