(**disclaimer: characters, casting, plot and story, costumes, everything is devised & created by me. These are products used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental**)
Title of movie
'I Do'
Movie classification ratings
R - Restricted (US), 15 (UK), MA15 + (Aus)
Notes: contains strong and frequent language, such as the F-word, b***h, b*****d and strong violence and strong sexual references and sexual activity. No smoking scenes. Lots of explosions and special effects, action, martial arts fight scenes, some humour & romance
Estimate Feature Runtime: 1 hour, 45 Mins
Year of production: 1997
Theatrical Release: 1998
Movie Logos Design by Me (updated: 18 September 2017)
Taglines:
'A Deadly Marriage Made In Heaven'
'Breach of Promise'
'Two Hearts Are Better Than One'
'He Has Her In His Sights.... & Not In A Good Way'
It's Not Just The World He Has To Save, But His Marriage Too'
'Til Death Do US Apart....'
Additional details:
Written and directed by me
Produced by Joel Silver & Silver Pictures (distributed by Warner Bros), who is most well known for action films (Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Fathers' Day, Conspiracy Theory - the latter two being a comedy, which starred Robin Williams & Billy Crystal and thriller, that starred Julia Roberts alongside Mel Gibson)
Action & Fight Choreography by Corey Yuen -Yuen was and is one of the top action movie directors of Hong Kong and the U.S. After success in Hong Kong, he first gained attention in 1998's Lethal Weapon 4, as well as worked on X-Men, Romeo Must Die & The Expendables in America. His style of action is noted for its speed, creativity and a higher emphasis on offence and Yuen has the ability to mix hand-to-hand fight combat with gun fighting. Gunfighting is a battle between groups of people where guns are used
What type of movie is it?
An action-adventure (romantic) comedy/comedy-based action flick set in the mid or late 1990s, heavily influenced and inspired by and is similar to True Lies. It is True Lies meets Mr and Mrs Smith. The film's tone is slightly shifted to be more light-hearted and frothy & is a parody of action films. Unlike True Lies, this one is a lot more comedy-orientated and less misogynistic and the female protagonist character is far less of a coward, as well as being less submissive than Harry's wife, Helen of the film, True Lies. Here, both the husband and wife are portrayed here fairly equally. Well, I try to anyway. That, and they are not spies, and I thought it would be better if I didn't make them become spies or full-time spies because this has been done many times before.
In terms of style, it's a fusion of the Hong Kong action comedy, as well as Hong Kong action films with that slick and fast editing and close-up shots, & James Cameron's True Lies
Full cast:
Robin Williams as Alex Giles
Julia Roberts as Shannon Giles, Alex's wife
Fran Drescher as the femme fatale, Gloria Bauer
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the main arch enemy/Spy, Lorenzo Levy
Tom Sizemore as Lorenzo's mole, Stuart
Joe Piscopo as Rick, Alex's fellow sidekick & best friend
Christopher McDonald as David, Alex's work colleague
Walter Matthau as Alex and David's boss, Roger
(6th picture: comedians Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams & Joe Piscopo on SNL in the 1980s)
Weapons used in the movie: General Electric M134 Minigun, Beretta 92FS Inox (Silver), Stainless chrome .357 Magnum chambered Desert Eagle Mark VII, AMT Hardballer.45 Longslide with a laserlock sight, Mosel 1300, Airrow Stealth, Colt Gold Cup National Match Series 80, Calico Pistol (SA) 9mm, Mossberg 500 Mariner, Remington 870 Tac-14 12 Gauge Pump - Action with Barrel, Prather War Bowie Knife, Pistol Crossbow, Modified Saiga -12 Shotgun, Stainless Taurus PT92AFS, Vektor CR-21, AK-102 assault rifle, Chris Reeve Pacific Combat Knife Fixed 6'' Black Plain Blade, Heckler & Koch HK51, Mini Uzi, Grappling- hook & Launcher replica, MK 2 Hand Grenade
Plot/Story Outline:
After 6 and a half years, the marriage of computer programmer, Alex and paramedic, Shannon Giles (Robin Williams, Julia Roberts) is on the rocks and they are not on speaking terms as much as they used to. Despite their hectic schedules, dissatisfied & bored Shannon resents how Alex pays little attention to her and their marriage. He's not a bad husband per se; rather he turns up every night after work, feeling tired, drained & heads off to bed. Now estranged, they spend more time apart, whilst at work and their sex life isn't as passionate as it was & for a long while, and they feel that spark has gone out of their relationship.
When Alex is coerced and blackmailed into doing a deed involving a woman he met up with, - who turns out to be a femme fatale (Fran Drescher), by putting a hit out on an 'alias' in return for his normal life, his wife Shannon becomes increasingly suspicious of his behaviour, thinking that perhaps her husband is a philanderer and she sets out to investigate. She hires a 'spy' in Lorenzo (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) to secretly keep tabs on Alex. On the other hand, unknownst to Shannon, Lorenzo has plans for a large-scale money- laundering scheme that also involves the conspiracy of looting the funds of millions of private and public businesses, organisations & institutions worldwide - one of them being Shannon's hospital where she works. Which is where he upon sets his sights on Alex as the unfortunate culprit to help him achieve his task.
Shannon, meanwhile, also has a secret of her own that she has been keeping under wraps from Alex - she is two months pregnant with their first child! However, little do they know that they have both been set up..... with Shannon turning out as Alex's main target - and when they eventually realise this, the couple turn the tables on their employees who are hot on their trail, as they have to rely on & trust one another, as well as their love, in order to survive.
The film's title 'I Do' alludes to a phrase uttered by the bride and groom when they are about to tie the knot and get married. But it also refers to the film's plot where Alex accepts an offer to bump off another person, as part of a deal.
The film provides ideas and examples of:
Duelling-Stars Movie - marketed as a joint Robin Williams and Julia Roberts vehicle, during the 1990s when they were two of the biggest and most well-known bankable stars in Hollywood >> a film whose entire reason being (and the main reason to see it), is to see those two performers, who have about the same level of success and popularity, together
Official Couple - married couple Alex and Shannon Giles >> couple who have already acknowledged their feelings and entered into or are currently in a relationship with each other in Canon
Samaritan Relationship Starter - Alex falls in love with Shannon after seeing her attend to a patient during the scene of an incident & they converse with one another >> a character falls in love with somebody upon witnessing them perform an act of kindness
Dead Sparks - at the beginning of the film, Alex and Shannon's marriage has hit a dead end; after 6 and a half years, they've lost their connection >> passion fizzling from their marriage
Relationship Ceiling - the two rarely go out anymore and spend time with each other and their love life isn't as passionate, romantic and amorous as it ought to be for them >> the level of stagnation therein, of the relationship of the characters, is played straight
Extreme Doormat - Shannon is this at first, a slight variation on this trope >> humble, stoic, quiet and disobedient and often lets people walk over them, may lack drive and ambition. Can be part of a love harem for the more active hero
Married To The Job - Alex is too busy focusing all of his attention on his IT job and Shannon, who is busy as a paramedic on call to and tending to patients >> when the character/s devotion to their career is such it begins to seriously affect their ability to hold down their relationship with their other half outside of it
Come Back To Bed, Honey - Shannon says this to her husband when they are in bed together, but Alex's mind is on other things besides making love to her >> when one partner has to go somewhere and the other wants more sex
Not Listening to Me, Are You? - His wife wants to spice up their sex life and she wants to make love - but he is not interested. As a result, Shannon becomes upset and angry with Alex for ignoring her, in favour of whatever he is doing >> stock phrase, is almost always the woman testing the man and rarely vice-versa with the man
Non-Violent Initial Confrontation - Following day, Gloria spots Alex sitting alone in a coffee shop & decides to join him in a private conversation, with the same thing happening with Shannon and Lorenzo who both meet up in a restaurant >> mostly an espionage trope, the hero and antagonist meet in public, i.e a coffee shop, restaurant - with lots of witnesses. Builds tension by establishing personal conflict between the two characters
Running gag - when Alex and Shannon kick ass and beat up the bad guys later on several times, they look astonished and in amazement at how badass they are >> a joke that derives from repetition, must be repeated at least three times
Manipulative B*****d - Gloria >> person who gets off on playing mind games by playing on the characters' emotions and then watching the victims destroy themselves. They are rarely emotional and unmoved by other people's pain and misery and B**** In Sheep's Clothing >> person who one thinks is a really nice guy/gal. However, their true colours are revealed, thus revealing an outright villain. They appear to be nice but is actually cruel and manipulative
Villainess Crush - during their meeting at a cafe and later on during a hostage-taking scenario involving Alex and Shannon, Gloria develops a crush on Alex and stares longingly into his eyes >> bad guy or girl has romantic or sexual feelings for the heroic good guy/girl, they force their desires on him/her
Sadistic Choice - Alex is told by Gloria that under orders he must kill a certain person, or else he'd be killed. Finds himself in a kill or be killed scenario >> situation in which a character is presented with a choice, any outcome of which causes something bad to happen, exists as a set-up and presents a moral/ethical dilemma that will inevitably cost the character something that they hold dear & Join or Die >> The villain makes an offer to the protagonist/hero they can't refuse: either side with them or die
Spy's Suspicious Spouse - though they are technically not spies, Shannon becomes suspicious of her hubby & goes out to investigate the matter further >> spouse notices something odd about their partner, who may act strangely, never gives a straight answer to a question
Battle Couple vs Outlaw Couple - Alex & Shannon >> battle couple, battle couple where bullets figure prominently in the story of their romance and outlaw couple >> Lorenzo & Gloria, two lovers who team up to commit a crime and are on the run from the law
The Comically Serious - Alex, Shannon, Rick and Gloria, in particular, >> serious characters who show their comical and fun side, typically act as the straight man
Plucky Comic Relief - Rick >> character who relieves tension with oddball or hysterical antics is known as the funny guy and acts as a foil to the hero
Damsel Out Of Distress - Shannon who can put up a fight, manages to land several blows to the bad guys, as well as her husband >> female character who can take care of herself, occurs when the damsel makes significant progress
Big Bad and Arch Enemy - Lorenzo >> character with evil plans
Affably Evil - Lorenzo, who is well-dressed, but has no qualms about other people's feelings and goes out of his way to hurt and kill others >> nothing separating them from normal people other than taking over the world, the trope is exaggerated. Are well-intentioned extremists, who really believe they are right
Beauty Is Bad - Lorenzo and Gloria in Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Fran Drescher >> good-looking characters who are actually unlikable and insufferable & Big Bad Duumvirate - Two villains working in intentional collision with each other.
Action Survivors - Alex & Shannon >> innocent bystanders in dangerous situations, are normal in just about every way and are good at improvising
Unlikely Hero & Badass Normal - Alex >> average guy who gets involved in all kinds of craziness in defiance of all reasonable logic & possesses no special powers but is still useful through intellect, fight skills, martial arts
Mistaken for Badass - Alex who finds himself caught up in a nasty mess that eventually involves his wife and not realising just how deadly and ugly it has become >> the protagonist who is a perfectly normal nice guy & average Joe who has gotten himself mixed up in a serious and deadly affair
Training Montage - Alex undergoes intensive training in preparation for the various tasks/assignments he is forced to undertake by his employers by pumping iron, lifting weights, running & shooting a gun at target practicing to name but a few >> character builds themselves up over time in preparation for a battle & Workout Fanservice - character working out & flexing their muscles
I Know Mortal Kombat - Alex watches a martial arts movie on TV and from it, learns how to fight. He, later on, beats up Lorenzo's bad guys with martial arts learned from watching karate and kung fu movies >> character acquires a skill, not by learning that skill but by watching a movie or playing a video game that simulated that skill
Guile Hero - Alex >> hero who operates by playing politics and manipulating the bad guys and trades swords and guns for charm, wit & engages in a battle of wits with the villains
Deadpan Snarker - David >> character prone to making sarcastic, occasionally whimsical comments
Your Cheating Heart - the woman Alex was seeing in Gloria was trying to get him to dump and kill his wife so she can spare him his life - yet Alex never really does this (Subverted) >> going behind their partner's back, yet s/he doesn't tell their spouse/lover and doesn't dump him/her, nor tell the other person their marriage is on the rocks or ask for more space
Dirty Business - as part of the deal, Alex kills a couple of people as ordered by Gloria. Afterwards, he feels remorse for going through with these acts. >> when the hero does something wrong that involves putting his life in jeopardy. He feels tainted by it, even though he had no say or choice in the matter. As a result, he feels stuck between a rock and a hard place. Shows he is not cold or heartless, thus making him more palatable.
Throwing Down The Gauntlet - Alex and Lorenzo meet-up for the first time, with Alex unaware that Lorenzo has been 'eyeing up' his wife and that he wants him dead. Lorenzo calls out Alex and challenges him to a friendly one-on-one basketball match and the pair do battle on the court. Acts as a calculated effort to goad the challenged into accepting the fight or battle & fighting their hardest either to test him >> the act of challenging someone to a fight or some other competition
Newhart Phonecall - Shannon attempts to call Alex, who she thinks is at work early in the evening, - only to be told he is at a 'meeting' by the female receptionist who works at his company. She becomes even more suspicious of him and later secretly phones & meets up with Lorenzo to tell him the news >> a phone call where one half of the conversation is heard & seen by the audience
Dead Foot Leadfoot - Alex finds himself followed by three men who spy on him whilst in a shopping mall and they discreetly follow Alex wherever he goes. He tries to get away and jumps in a cab to escape. A few mins later, the driver is shot and slumped over the steering wheel - only for Alex to grab the wheel to prevent it from crashing >> when the driver of a vehicle is shot/killed/rendered unconscious and their leg pushes the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor. The car/truck/van accelerates to a ridiculous speed and goes out of control
Wedding Ring Removal - Shannon removing her ring and placing it on the bedroom table. When Alex comes home and finds the ring, he thinks his marriage is over >> character is about to do something serious when s/he takes off their ring
Mistaken For Cheating - Alex gets this idea when he sees and finds his wife's wedding ring and when Shannon, Stuart & the spy spots Alex and Gloria exchanging comments and getting up close and personal >> when a character is wrongly accused of cheating on their spouse, because of a series of misinterpreted clues
Hidden Wire - Rick is ordered by Alex to pose undercover and spy on his wife using a wire under his shirt, provided by Alex via Gloria >> a miniature microphone worn by an informant or cop
Femme Fatale - Gloria towards Alex >> female character who manipulates and confuses the hero with her aura of sexiness and danger, wraps men around her finger
I Want Them Alive - Lorenzo announces this to Gloria in reference to capturing Shannon and Alex >> villain wants the satisfaction of killing them, or be it the hero himself, sets up an increased amount of urgency with the scene
Adrenaline Makeover - at the beginning of the film, she is sort of a plain Jane, but much later on, Shannon becomes sexier, wears more alluring clothing such as a Black bra and panties, ditches the glasses and lets her hair down >> particular form of character development that disguises itself as a love trope. Tends to happen to a shrinking violet who finds herself embroiled in an adventure situation. Hero exists to rescue her, help her look beautiful & for him to fall in love with her
Glasses Pull - played straight when Alex sees Shannon's new look for the first time and he is left completely floored by her beauty >> hero emphasises a point that s/he is trying to make, taking off his glasses off and (perhaps) delivering a melodramatic line
Distracted By The Sexy - Alex can't help but notice how beautiful and drop dead gorgeous and sexy his wife now looks to him >> character loses concentration, is a comedy trope
(Above Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich, 2000)
Ms Fanservice - Shannon and Gloria (Julia Roberts & Fran Drescher) >> eye candy for men
Mr Fanservice - Alex in a ripped vest with a smooth chest, muscular build and arms & buff-looking Lorenzo (Robin Williams & Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Additionally, in preparation for this movie and role, Robin would undergo martial arts and weight training, as well as put on 15-20 lbs worth of muscle >> eye candy for women
(Above Robin Williams in Hook, 1991)
Large Ham - Gloria and Lorenzo >> larger than life character/s full of energy, they punctuate and emphasize everything they say and do
Wouldn't Hit A Girl - Alex towards Gloria, as well as his wife >> when a male hero refuses to use physical force against any woman
The Mole - Stuart for Lorenzo, who eventually dies >> bad guy who pretends to be good, his role is to gather information for the villain and limit the effectiveness of the hero's side
Geek - Alex >> person who is interested in computers and works in an area that is IT-related
Pregnant Badass - Shannon kicking bad guys & Gloria's ass >> when a pregnancy causes a woman to take a new level of badassery, in this case temporarily
I Didn't Tell You Because You'd Be Unhappy - Shannon and her pregnancy from Alex >> character decides not to reveal important information to another character because they don't want to ruin whatever it is the second character is doing, is a common motive for My Secret Pregnancy
My Secret Pregnancy - Shannon keeps her pregnancy a hidden secret from Alex, up until towards the end when she breaks the news to him >> a pregnancy where the wife/girlfriend keeps hidden from their partner
If You're So Evil, Eat This Kitten - Alex is under orders to shoot the alias >> the bad guys challenge someone (such as the hero pretending to be bad) to do something evil to prove his evilness. Any test to demonstrate the willingness of a person to do immoral deeds, either to demonstrate that s/he isn't the hero in disguise
Oh Crap! - Just as Alex was about to eliminate and shoot the alias as he was ordered to do so by Gloria, he sees that Shannon has the same alias as the one he has memorised in his head, - and thus, he doesn't proceed ahead with the task >> the moment when a character realises that something really, really bad is going to happen, can occur if protagonist has been luring the other one into a trap & Internal Reveal >> when writers reveal a secret to the audience, but one or more of the characters in the story do not know what that is
In Love With The Mark - Alex towards Shannon; inverted at the beginning when neither Alex is aware that Shannon is his main target and Shannon is being targeted by her husband who aims a chrome .357 Magnum chambered Desert Eagle Mark VII gun (fitted with a laser sight as his sidearm) at her. But when Alex sees to it that she is the one who is supposed to be killed, his feelings for Shannon resurface again >> character who has their eyes on that one target..... the one that got into and stole their heart and made him/her fall in love with them
Secret Test of Character - Alex is ordered to shoot the alias (Shannon), but at the last minute he doesn't go forward with the act >> character undertakes a challenge for some important prize or reward. However, at a critical moment, s/he is confronted with doing something that is morally unacceptable. Despite being warned about a forfeit if the reprehensible act is not carried out, the character accepts the challenge is lost and doesn't go ahead with the act
Everything Sounds Sexier In French - Alex in a heavy disguise and speaking to Shannon in a heavy French accent >> when words take on a different slant when one says them in a foreign language
The Reveal - When Alex's fake moustache and wig fall off in a botched plan and Shannon discovers it was him, all along in disguise >> character is revealed as another character's father, suitor, boyfriend or whatever in disguise, can change the nature of the plot by pushing it from suspense to action
Lured Into A Trap - When Alex sees Shannon and asks her what she is doing and for her to ask him the same question, a bunch of Lorenzo's goons then show up with guns and take them hostage >> character is/characters are given a seemingly innocent reason to go to a specific location, but it turns out to be a trick; rather than what they were expecting, they find their enemy lying in wait to capture or kill them
Evil All Along - Lorenzo, who posed as a spy and Gloria double-cross Alex and Shannon. They reveal themselves to be bad guys, and that they are looking forward to seeing the couple dead. Alex is forced at gunpoint to develop a new system that will transfer and steal millions and sent to Lorenzo's account >> character/s who are thought to be good turns out to have been always evil
Was It All A Lie? - Both Alex and Shannon suspect each other of cheating and lying and pretending that they still love one another, when Alex finds out about Shannon's involvement with Lorenzo and Gloria reveals to Shannon that he'd been seeing her (Gloria) behind her back >>one or both of the good guys have just been betrayed by the bad guy/s who pretends to be good, whom they let get close
Berserk Button - Irate Shannon finds out about Alex and Gloria meeting up and slaps Alex across the face and shouts obscenities at him, as he tells her that nothing serious happened between him and Gloria >> type of trigger, where the response is one of extreme anger from a person who is usually well adjusted, nice and a perfectly normal person
Slap-Slap-Kiss - Shannon acts like this towards her hubby & towards the end they make out >> is triggered by the couples' hostilities with the kiss prompting them to realise they love each other still
Groin Attack - After being slapped, Alex is then kicked hard in the groin by his wife >> cause for amusing injuries and is played for laughs and drama; is a human version of 'attack its weakest point', usually applies to men
Kiss Diss - Whilst holding the couple hostage, in an attempt to further anger his wife Shannon, Gloria tries to kiss Alex but at the last moment, he turns his face & she ends up kissing his cheek instead >> done to show that the relations of 2 characters are frosty
Seduction-Proof Marriage - When Gloria suggests to Alex to ditch Shannon for her, he flashes his wedding ring right in front of her face and says, 'Not now... and not in your wildest dreams' >> when a character who is married becomes immune to seduction, either because their marriage is a happy one or they have a strong sense of honour to their partner. Is a sign of maturity, of being a good spouse as well as someone who keeps a cool head
Hypocritical Humour - Gloria hurls an insult at Shannon by saying she 'looks like a s***', - to which she, as in Gloria, herself is dressed in an even more provocative manner & showing off more of her legs and cleavage. Shannon and Alex then look to each other with expressions going, 'pot calling kettle...' >> type of gag where a character's actions or words contradict each other and is played for laughs
Casual Danger Dialogue - Alex does this a few times >> characters shrug off danger or laugh at it, will crack a joke or make a sarcastic comment about the danger, is usually done in comedies for comedic effect
Not Distracted By The Sexy - Alex towards Gloria >> a character spends a portion of the story wearing an incredibly revealing/skimpy outfit, without her attire being acknowledged
Precision F- Strike - When Gloria gropes and touches Alex in a sexual manner, whilst practically gloating over to him and his wife that he went out to her, as in Gloria, because she could offer him something that Shannon couldn't, he replies with an ''F - you, b****!'' to Gloria >> when a character suddenly swears in an uncharacteristically strong manner and This Is For Emphasis, B**** >> basically, ending a sentence with a comma & the word 'b****', as a way for he or she is verbally making an exclamation point in dialogue
To The Pain - a bad guy villain does this to Alex by beating him senseless with a baseball bat & gloating that he will cut him using a knife. He starts by slashing one of his arms, with Shannon looking on with worry and in despair >> torture where the bad guy tortures the victim and they describe every last detail to make them squirm, is painful, gives the hero 100% of surviving
I Just Want to Be Special - Shannon tearfully stresses to Alex how much she feels that she isn't and her efforts aren't being appreciated enough by her husband, whilst also admitting that she needs to have more confidence and belief in herself, which he fully understands and realises now. His conversation with her acts as a wake-up call for him to change his ways and for the two of them to make even greater strides in their relationship >> character who feels unexceptional and ordinary that they wished things were better, more exciting for them
Must Make Amends - After their talk, Alex now feels terribly guilty for neglecting her and the way that he has treated Shannon recently, as well as for getting himself into this mess. He also maintains that he has never ever cheated on her and that he never will. He apologises to her and vows that the pair of them will get through this ordeal and that when they do, he will go to lengths and beyond to make it up to her. >> character, usually a hero, has done something that led to terrible consequences. They have the best of intentions, but due to inexperience or something else, the results were the opposite of what they wanted and intended. S/he will do everything in their power to undo the thing they've done or caused
Meet Cute - Whilst being tied up, Shannon and Alex reminisce about meeting up for the first time on the street during an incident where Shannon, whilst on duty, is tending to a patient..., & the 911 caller being that of Alex. They, later on, go on a date and start falling for each other, and then getting hitched; flashback is played straight >> 2 characters are romantically entwined where a brief montage is shown with the couple during a series of classic dates, shows how in love the couple has become & and Happy Flashback >> flashback in the character's past that invokes the 'good old days' feel
Actor-Shared Background - Alex briefly mentions to his wife that back in high school he used to be a former football jock (in real-life, Robin Williams was high school football athlete) >> character shares a detail of their heritage, upbringing or backstory with the actor playing them
Flirting Under Fire - Alex and Shannon share a tender moment as they flirt, smile & exchange glances and sweet banter towards each other, in an attempt to patch up their marriage. They talk casually while the danger is going on >> characterised by both the presence and danger to the protagonists/lovebirds and their ambivalence to the danger's presence, whilst focusing on their romantic relationship. Is employed to show how much the characters care for one another and also used for comedic effect and Casual Danger Dialogue >> character/s shrug off danger or laugh at it.
You Wouldn't Believe Me If I Told You - Alex looks at Shannon and says, 'you wouldn't believe me if I told you' & goes into a little detail about it, & that he was under orders to kill her, - or else they'd kill him. Afterwards, she is a little stunned but when she sees to it that she is still alive, she is relieved for herself, and himself too >> stock phrase where person X has just done something, went on an adventure and person Y asks them about it. Person X simply says 'you wouldn't believe me if I told you'. Avoids Cassandra truth where the other person listening doesn't buy into the truth that was told by the teller of that truth
Bench Breaker - Alex managing to ram himself into the wall to break the chair whilst being tied to it. Afterwards, he unties his wife and together, they escape >> when a character is tied to a chair, bench or stool, they resort to some other action that affects their bindings. Is done by a normal human being
Action Dress Rip - Shannon tears the bottom of her dress
Sleeves Are For Wimps - Alex takes off his shirt & wears a White tank top, along with his decked out pair of cowboy boots and Blue Levi or Wrangler jeans >> a tough/wanna-be-tough character habitually wears a shirt without sleeves to show off his/her upper arms
Pistol-Whipping - Alex knocks out a goon, who has his wife in a chokehold, from behind with a Beretta >> knocking someone out cold by hitting and striking them with the butt of their gun. Purpose is to humiliate the opponent/s
I Can't-Do This By Myself and Do You Trust Me? - Alex says this to Shannon as they make their daring escape and he has a plan, but she is unsure at first until he reassures her that they are - or be it he is doing the right thing >> a stock phrase used by characters believing in the power of trust to save the day
Accidental Aiming Skills - Shannon blows up a couple of villains by randomly pressing a button on a rocket launcher, with Alex looking astonished and giving her the thumbs up, afterwards >> when the hero makes a seemingly impossible shot and s/he is congratulated for their efforts & admit they were aiming at something else. Happens with a character who doesn't have a good aim & subverts an awesome moment into a comical one
Leap and Fire - Alex fires and aims multiple gunshots at the bad guys whilst jumping, leaping through the air with a Remington 870 shotgun >> a slow-motion shot of a person throwing themselves to one side, firing a gun/guns as they go. In the media, it either looks impressive or is overdone
Doesn't Like Guns - Alex and Shannon both agree with each other that they hate using guns because they are too dangerous and harmful >> characters who don't like guns or use them for a reason
Heroes Fight Barehanded - Alex against the foes, mostly with his improvised martial arts skills
Flipping The Bird - He also does this towards the bad guys to wind them up >> act of raising one's middle finger upwards is an insult in Western cultures and an easy way to get across complicated emotions in one motion
Techno Wizard - Alex manages to gain access to the villains' computer system and reprograms it so that chooses not to process the transfer of funds from various bank accounts to their account >> a person who can make a computer or an electronic device do anything, they know all the databases and software
We Need A Distraction - He gets his wife to flirt and talk sexy with the bad guys as a way of distracting them, in their attempts to escape >> heroes need a distraction in order to enable an escape & Distracted by The Sexy
Mission Control - Rick >> character/s, who rather than accompany the hero offers assistance with info and technology, tend to be a strategist than a doer
I Know Karate - Alex is confronted by some thugs, who tells them he can beat them up to a pulp. The bad guys laugh in his face and Shannon is worried that Alex will get hurt. He takes up an outlandish pose, before unleashing his flurry of punches and kicks on the thugs & they end up slumped on the floor >> where a fighter/protagonist warns the antagonist/s that he knows martial arts, before kicking their ass
Improvised Weapon - Alex and Shannon use inanimate objects as weapons against their foes >> creative fighting tactic used by unarmed people in any situation by turning and using an object as a weapon
MacGyvering - Alex and Shannon also work together to create weapons out of everyday objects to fight the bad guys with >> character/s who save the day by making a gadget out of unlikely things
Chase Fight - Lorenzo and Gloria and one of Lorenzo's henchmen driving an articulated lorry with Shannon tied up and Alex goes after them with his bike >> a cross between a fight scene and chase scene
Always Save The Girl - fuelled by rage Alex sets out to rescue his wife >> Hero values the life of the love interest/loved one more than foiling the villain's evil plan, even if it leads to large-scale destruction & Roaring Rampage of Rescue - when a loved one is kidnapped by the big bad or his henchmen, sometimes the protagonist has no time for negotiation & will go to any lengths in order to rescue said loved one.
Rescue Romance - Alex and Shannon's marriage is not going so well for them. However, when she is kidnapped by Lorenzo, Alex manages to defeat him, as well as rescue his wife. Their adventure suddenly and ultimately brings Alex and Shannon closer together as a couple >> a way of jump-starting relationships, a woman finds herself kidnapped or taken hostage and feels helpless. When all hope is lost, the hero comes in at the last minute, rescues the girl, causing her to fall in love with him
The Climax - one-on-one fight between Alex & Lorenzo and Alex tries to beat him up with his martial arts & fighting skills >> the point during the third act in which the story reaches its very height where conflicting forces collide in a manner that resolves the conflict, is associated with a big fight of some sort (which frequently occurs in the action genre)
I Know Madden Kombat - Alex and Lorenzo take each other out with powerful American Football smashes, high-flying tackles and charges >> characters whose fighting styles employ or utilise tactics from non-combat sports
The Good Guys Always Win - After getting knocked down a couple of times, Alex eventually prevails & defeats Lorenzo at his own game, with the latter meeting his demise >> The hero fights the villain and the hero wins out in the end
Designated Girl Fight - one female good gal versus bad gal female opponent among men. Unlike a true catfight where it lacks finesse and combat skill (such as pulling each other's hair) >> Shannon vs Gloria with a flurry of kicks, punches and inanimate objects thrown at each other, which then descends into a .....
Curb-Stomp Battle - Shannon, eventually having it all her own way against Gloria by beating her to a pulp, & of whom dies >> fight that becomes one-sided when one-side trashes the other with little to no effort; establishes how strong the character is, especially if the person being beaten up is known for being rough and tough and stronger
Take My Hand - Alex to Shannon as she is about to plummet to her death & he grabs hold of her hand & saves her. He then uses & fires a grappling hook & launcher gun as a zip line to hoist them away >> character about to fall or collapse and another one tries to grab their hand
They Do - the conclusion of the romance arc with a happy ending & where we are done with misunderstandings and second thoughts
Please Wake Up - Shannon tries to rouse injured Alex when he's lying unconscious in her arms >> usually implies that the character believes the other individual is only sleeping when they are dead
Beware The Nice Ones - Gloria makes the mistake of pushing the buttons of usually sweet and gentle, Shannon a little too far by goading her about her husband's death, that she goes up to Gloria and slaps her in the face. Handcuffed Gloria is then led away by cops >> when a nice person in the story gets pushed to the limit of what they can take....& the results aren't pretty. Trope involves this type of character submitting to a rare act of malice
Kiss of Life - Shannon gives Alex the smooch of life >> character has been rescued from some sort of danger but they are now unconscious. Their rescuer attempts artificial respiration
Dying Declaration of Love & Not Quite Dead and Murphy's Law - (subverted) a tearful Shannon holding her wounded husband in her arms, worried that he is dead and tells him how much she loves him - only for him to open his eyes and slurs a few words. Alas, he is still alive >> character dies or is about to die and grief-stricken love interest/partner declares their feelings towards them, usually 50-50 chance, 90% of the time will go wrong
So Proud Of You - Alex says this to Shannon, and as he does so, both of them realise the discovery and growth of their own personality, as well as of her backbone >> character tells him/her how proud they are of them
The Reveal Prompts Romance - Shannon comes clean about her pregnancy and tells Alex that she is due to give birth. He is elated by the news that they are going to have a baby and replies by saying he is looking forward to being a father and wants to be by her side in the delivery room when it happens, as well as that being with her during their battle has made him come to love his wife, even more than ever >> is mostly positive. Instead of feeling alienated from the person who has made the reveal, they feel closer instead and creates a sense of intimacy between two people.
I Didn't Mean To Turn You On - when Shannon notices how buff looking her hubby is and stares into his eyes, then at his chest and afterwards, she feels his biceps >> character has a crush on or has fallen in love with someone else. Now all of a sudden, it seems that the things s/he does, says, how they look comes with a free double entendre (word or phrase taken in different ways, innocent, taboo, sexual)
Headbutt of Love - Alex and Shannon falling back in love, as he briefly closes his eyes and opens them again, rests his forehead on hers >> pose showing two people can be close to each other, without obscuring their faces from the camera, also called doing the forehead thing
After-Action Patch-Up - Afterwards, Alex and Shannon return home and to the bedroom. Shannon bandages Alex who suffered a few minor injuries. They both vow that they will spend more time at home with one another. They later renew their vows & Alex makes up with Shannon by placing the ring that he originally found on their bedroom table on his wife's finger. >> tender moment occurring after an action-packed scene
Rescue Sex - He is rewarded for his heroism by his wife who promises Alex sex and the pair kiss and make passionate love to each other, whilst they are naked in bed >> Damsel in distress or female character has been rescued from the evil villain by the hero. How can she show her gratitude? By making love to him!
Babies Make Everything - Fast forward a couple of months later, the couple go back to their normal lives but spend more time at home and with each other, and have a newborn baby boy who goes by the name of Scott. Having Scott brings Alex and Shannon closer together >> having a baby can improve a situation and mend broken relationships to name
(Main source: TV Tropes)
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