Tropescilloscope: Action Prologue
An exciting beginning followed by the "real" story. (read more at tvtropes.org)
More Tropes
Artistic License Physics
Captain Ersatz
Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism
Creepy Child
Real Life Writes the Plot
Aluminum Christmas Trees
The Alleged Car
Badass in a Nice Suit
Empathic Environment
The Dog Bites Back
The Un-Reveal
Take That!
Animated Credits Opening
War Is Hell
Bavarian Fire Drill
Those Two Bad Guys
Scary Black Man
Word of God
The Place
Disappeared Dad
As Long as It Sounds Foreign
Continuity Nod
The Load
Big Bad
Armor-Piercing Question
Show Within a Show
Anachronic Order
Kick the Son of a Bitch
Eagleland
Villain Song
Totally Radical
The Bully
Five-Man Band
Pretty Little Headshots
My Beloved Smother
Jitter Cam
Artistic License Geography
Mugging the Monster
Properly Paranoid
The Stinger
The Chessmaster
Woman in White
Black and Gray Morality
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits
Self-Deprecation
Ungrateful Bastard
No Name Given
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking
Translation Convention
Australian Movies
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice
Novelization
Blonde, Brunette, Redhead
Wounded Gazelle Gambit
Fate Worse than Death
Wicked Cultured
Dirty Coward
Fire-Forged Friends
Gilligan Cut
Author Avatar
Foreshadowing
Cassandra Truth
Lock and Load Montage
Dramatic Irony
Once More, with Clarity!
Stalker with a Crush
Bloodless Carnage
Bullying a Dragon
Brick Joke
The Great Depression
The X of Y
BFG
Shout-Out
Say My Name
Pragmatic Adaptation
What Happened to the Mouse?
Interrupted Suicide
Vomit Indiscretion Shot
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass
Dual Wielding
Take a Third Option
One-Word Title
The Ghost
Ripped from the Headlines
Credits Gag
Only Sane Man
Composite Character
As the Good Book Says...
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
Dark and Troubled Past
Red Right Hand
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome
Damsel in Distress
Red Herring
Evil Is Hammy
Establishing Character Moment
Nice Hat
Sanity Slippage
Celebrity Paradox
All Men Are Perverts
Punny Name
Improvised Weapon
Mooks
Improbable Infant Survival
aka: Infant Immortality
Noodle Incident
Non-Indicative Name
Naked People Are Funny
Disproportionate Retribution
Girl-on-Girl Is Hot
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!
Tempting Fate
The Chick
Monumental Damage
Punctuated! For! Emphasis!
Adults Are Useless
Ambiguous Ending
Death by Irony
The Lancer
The Voiceless
Major Injury Underreaction
Dark Action Girl
Shower Scene
Important Haircut
Brutal Honesty
Imagine Spot
No Ending
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold
Rewatch Bonus
Video Credits
Big Applesauce
Funny Foreigner
Insult Backfire
Cowboy Cop
Smoking Is Cool
Running Gag
Your Cheating Heart
Evil Is Petty
Fake Shemp
Retired Badass
The Film of the Book
Sassy Black Woman
Spared by the Adaptation
Almost Kiss
Unspoken Plan Guarantee
Break the Cutie
Despair Event Horizon
The '50s
Crazy Jealous Guy
Apocalypse How
Failed a Spot Check
The '60s
An Aesop
As Himself
The Hero Dies
Crapsack World
Dull Surprise
Undying Loyalty
Honor Before Reason
Stealth Hi/Bye
Bond Villain Stupidity
Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?
Distracted by the Sexy
Music Stories
Beware the Nice Ones
Would Hurt a Child
Happily Married
Mood Whiplash
Downer Ending
Dirty Cop
Enemy Mine
Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday
Big-Bad Ensemble
Sci-Fi Horror
Epic Fail
Wham Shot
Darker and Edgier
Pyrrhic Victory
Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other
Beard of Evil
The Vamp
How We Got Here
It Will Never Catch On
Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping
Soundtrack Dissonance
Only Known by Their Nickname
Fanservice
Large Ham
Call-Forward
Suspiciously Similar Substitute
Black Comedy Rape
Intergenerational Friendship
Double-Meaning Title
Guns Akimbo
My Greatest Failure
Straight Gay
Karma Houdini
Would Hit a Girl
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?
No Antagonist
Smug Snake
Psychopathic Manchild
Kids Are Cruel
Abusive Parents
Extremely Short Timespan
Protagonist Title
Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds
Super Strength
Demonic Possession
Betty and Veronica
The Ditz
Dark Reprise
Evil Brit
Calling the Old Man Out
Exactly What It Says on the Tin
Horror Comedy
20 Minutes into the Future
It Can Think
Bring My Brown Pants
For Want of a Nail
Black Best Friend
Overprotective Dad
Male Frontal Nudity
Sports Stories
The Stoner
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife
Beauty Is Never Tarnished
Reality Has No Subtitles
Star-Crossed Lovers
Determinator
Fish out of Water
Rule of Cool
Psychological Thriller
Slap-Slap-Kiss
And Starring
Broken Pedestal
No-Sell
Bilingual Bonus
Storming the Castle
Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy
Bar Brawl
Together in Death
Mercy Kill
Darkest Hour
Rule of Funny
Match Cut
Antagonist Title
Foregone Conclusion
Unresolved Sexual Tension
Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer
Depraved Bisexual
Black Comedy
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"
Domestic Abuse
Villain Ball
Mythology Gag
Bad Boss
Dramedy
Demoted to Extra
Disguised in Drag
Ironic Echo
Obfuscating Stupidity
Off with His Head!
Artistic License Gun Safety
Italian Films
Have a Gay Old Time
Plucky Comic Relief
Ambiguous Disorder
Guile Hero
The Big Guy
Danny Peary Cult Movies List
Put on a Bus
My God, What Have I Done?
Insane Troll Logic
Ambiguously Gay
Pet the Dog
Shipper on Deck
The End... Or Is It?
Hollywood Darkness
Curse Cut Short
Love Triangle
There Is No Kill Like Overkill
Loophole Abuse
Not What It Looks Like
Meaningful Echo
Artistic License Law
Martial Arts Movie
Aside Glance
The '70s
Man on Fire
Twist Ending
Spiteful Spit
Knight Templar
Meet Cute
Cat Fight
Rasputinian Death
Older Than They Look
British Films
Homage
Pretty in Mink
Historical-Domain Character
Those Two Guys
Historical In-Joke
All for Nothing
Extreme Doormat
The Smurfette Principle
Skewed Priorities
Papa Wolf
Jump Scare
Sexy Discretion Shot
Outrun the Fireball
World of Ham
Getting Crap Past the Radar
In the Back
The Smart Guy
Gainax Ending
Instant Death Bullet
Alliterative Name
The Sociopath
Parental Neglect
Death Seeker
Adaptation Dye-Job
Annoying Younger Sibling
Bare Your Midriff
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
Deadpan Snarker
Central Theme
Rape as Drama
NO INDOOR VOICE
Eye Scream
Historical Hero Upgrade
Every Car Is a Pinto
Death by Sex
Canadian Movies
All There in the Script
Yandere
Badass Longcoat
Unusually Uninteresting Sight
Science Fiction Films
Femme Fatale
Asshole Victim
Stock Footage
Epic Movie
Slasher Movie
Big Eater
Big Damn Heroes
Title Drop
Took a Level in Badass
True Companions
Flipping the Bird
Manic Pixie Dream Girl
I Did What I Had to Do
Broken Aesop
Age Lift
Frame-Up
The '90s
The Atoner
Expy
"Awesome McCool" Name
Good Is Not Nice
Diabolus ex Machina
Does Not Like Shoes
Villain Opening Scene
Only One Name
Alpha Bitch
La Résistance
N-Word Privileges
Police Brutality
Irony
Foil
Room Full of Crazy
Playing Gertrude
Implacable Man
Time Skip
The Casanova
Amoral Attorney
Facial Horror
Thriller
Recycled IN SPACE!
Action Prologue
Cruel and Unusual Death
Film Series
Well-Intentioned Extremist
Pay Evil unto Evil
Improbable Weapon User
Drill Sergeant Nasty
Public Domain Feature Films
Sole Survivor
Grievous Bottley Harm
Not So Stoic
Gorn
A Date with Rosie Palms
Awesome, but Impractical
Babies Ever After
Body Horror
Ax-Crazy
Leitmotif
Ass Shove
Roger Ebert: Great Movies List
I Need a Freaking Drink
Laughing Mad
More Dakka
The Dragon
Mind Screw
Brainless Beauty
Fun with Acronyms
Bi the Way
You Have Failed Me
Never Trust a Trailer
Friend to All Children
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!
Screw the Money, I Have Rules!
Horror Films
Authority Equals Asskicking
Badass Boast
Canon Foreigner
Evil-Detecting Dog
She Cleans Up Nicely
Adult Fear
Evil Laugh
Closed Circle
O.O.C. Is Serious Business
Easily Forgiven
Setting Update
Television Movie Index
Affably Evil
Adaptation Expansion
Anti-Hero
Bunny-Ears Lawyer
Stepford Smiler
For the Evulz
Not Using the "Z" Word
Expository Hairstyle Change
Works Set in World War II
Manchild
Villainous Breakdown
Soft Glass
Redshirt Army
One-Man Army
Adaptational Attractiveness
Hypocritical Humor
Vampire Fiction
Christmas Movies Index
Dying Moment of Awesome
Colour-Coded for Your Convenience
aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience
Cat Scare
Adorkable
Even Evil Has Loved Ones
Curb-Stomp Battle
Politically Incorrect Villain
Gratuitous English
Dissonant Serenity
Unreliable Narrator
Dropped a Bridge on Him
Artistic License Biology
Crucified Hero Shot
Unusual Euphemism
Double Entendre
Race Lift
Reckless Gun Usage
Police are Useless
Cold-Blooded Torture
Market-Based Title
Freudian Excuse
Manly Tears
Small Name, Big Ego
Race Against the Clock
Offscreen Teleportation
Does This Remind You of Anything?
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas
Humans Are Bastards
Gold Digger
Deal with the Devil
Karmic Death
Never My Fault
Heroic Sacrifice
Back from the Dead
Drives Like Crazy
Anti-Villain
Fat Bastard
Here We Go Again!
Disney Villain Death
Offscreen Moment of Awesome
Cool Guns
'80s Hair
No Celebrities Were Harmed
Silent Movie
Dies Wide Open
You Have Got to Be Kidding Me!
Four-Temperament Ensemble
Evil Plan
Shell-Shocked Veteran
Immune to Bullets
Action Genre
Dogged Nice Guy
German Films
Driven to Suicide
Madness Mantra
Belligerent Sexual Tension
Accidental Murder
Leave the Camera Running
Posthumous Character
Bound and Gagged
Arranged Marriage
Index of Film Westerns
Even Evil Has Standards
Pimped-Out Dress
Names to Run Away from Really Fast
Early Installment Weirdness
Not Even Bothering with the Accent
Vomit Discretion Shot
Fiery Redhead
Hate Sink
All Just a Dream
Whole Plot Reference
Jerkass Has a Point
Very Loosely Based on a True Story
HeelFace Turn
Grey and Gray Morality
Ship Tease
The Dreaded
Green-Eyed Monster
Sacrificial Lion
In Name Only
Slashed Throat
From Bad to Worse
Gender Flip
Same Language Dub
Naïve Newcomer
BrotherSister Incest
Actor Allusion
The Cameo
The Mafia
Redemption Equals Death
Wham Line
Catch-Phrase
Car Fu
He Knows Too Much
Sir Swears-a-Lot
Heroic BSoD
Mama Bear
Sequel Escalation
Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique
Mexican Standoff
Kill It with Fire
Fatal Family Photo
Motor Mouth
Death by Adaptation
Stuff Blowing Up
Final Girl
Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene
Chekhov's Gunman
Sinister Minister
Daylight Horror
Cool Car
Badass Grandpa
Bittersweet Ending
The Cavalry
Alas, Poor Villain
Mighty Whitey
Character Development
The Power of Love
Funny Background Event
Defrosting Ice Queen
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy
Vacation Films
Pragmatic Villainy
Faux Affably Evil
Suspiciously Specific Denial
Our Vampires Are Different
Decoy Protagonist
Chekhov's Gun
Bait-and-Switch
Affectionate Parody
Daddy's Girl
Red Oni, Blue Oni
Corpsing
Japanese Films
Meaningful Background Event
Scare Chord
Country Matters
Eyepatch of Power
A Father to His Men
Auto Erotica
Parental Substitute
Blood Knight
A God Am I
Nothing Is Scarier
Hollywood Law
Attempted Rape
Knife Nut
Author Appeal
Neck Lift
Big Bad Duumvirate
Serious Business
Really Gets Around
The Lost Lenore
Reality Is Unrealistic
Adaptational Heroism
The Bad Guy Wins
Ghost Fiction
After the End
What You Are in the Dark
Arch-Enemy
Department of Redundancy Department
Villain Protagonist
Wretched Hive
Dramatic Gun Cock
The Ace
Badass Normal
Anachronism Stew
Villain with Good Publicity
"Where Are They Now?" Epilogue
Needs Wiki Magic Love
French Films
Cool Shades
Big "NO!"
Missing Mom
Obstructive Bureaucrat
The Musical
You Killed My Father
Framing Device
Re-Cut
Hong Kong Films
Covers Always Lie
Stylistic Suck
Red Eyes, Take Warning
Gone Horribly Right
Fantasy Films
It's Personal
Batman Gambit
Famous Last Words
Malevolent Masked Men
Taking the Bullet
Award-Bait Song
Overly Long Gag
Casting Gag
Action Survivor
The Reveal
Jerkass
Mystery and Detective Films
Deconstruction
Cool Old Guy
Evil Sounds Deep
Death of a Child
Dutch Angle
The Alcoholic
Animal Motifs
Only in It for the Money
Never Found the Body
Film Noir
The Starscream
Nice Guy
Historical Villain Upgrade
This Is Gonna Suck
Unwitting Instigator of Doom
Peek-a-Boo Corpse
Those Wacky Nazis
Romantic Comedy
Becoming the Mask
Shown Their Work
Revenge
Artistic License History
Heel Realization
No OSHA Compliance
Due to the Dead
Male Gaze
Chiaroscuro
Loads and Loads of Characters
Rated M for Manly
Worthy Opponent
Adaptation Name Change
Precision F-Strike
Taking You with Me
Anguished Declaration of Love
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness
Gory Discretion Shot
Let's Get Dangerous!
Mr. Fanservice
Rousing Speech
Psycho for Hire
Fainting
Determinator
aka: The Determinator
Combat Pragmatist
folderlabel
Death Glare
Badass Bookworm
Rich Bitch
Tagline
Make It Look Like an Accident
Bottomless Magazines
Destination Defenestration
And the Adventure Continues
Berserk Button
Only a Flesh Wound
Hell Is That Noise
Hidden Depths
Silence Is Golden
Rule of Symbolism
Woman Scorned
Cloudcuckoolander
Film Noir Index
Vitriolic Best Buds
Punch-Clock Villain
Exact Words
The Un-Favourite
aka: The Un Favorite
Scenery Gorn
Documentary
"Well Done, Son!" Guy
Toilet Humour
aka: Toilet Humor
A.I. Is a Crapshoot
The '80s
Blood from the Mouth
Dressing as the Enemy
The Quiet One
Crazy-Prepared
Tranquil Fury
Agony of the Feet
Based on a True Story
Arc Words
Scenery Porn
Hoist by His Own Petard
Light Is Not Good
Trailers Always Spoil
timeperiod
Throwing Your Sword Always Works
Retirony
Creator Cameo
Token Minority
Get Out!
Random Events Plot
Chase Scene
Deliberate Values Dissonance
Up to Eleven
Dirty Old Man
Didn't Think This Through
Heroes Want Redheads
Ms. Fanservice
Adapted Out
Air-Vent Passageway
Half the Man He Used to Be
Captain Obvious
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil
Not Quite Dead
Deliberately Monochrome
Early-Bird Cameo
Defiant to the End
Love at First Sight
Adaptation Distillation
Ascended Extra
The Faceless
Heterosexual Life-Partners
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown
Amusing Injuries
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Made of Explodium
I'm a Humanitarian
Stealth Pun
Tap on the Head
Jerk Jock
Card-Carrying Villain
Mundane Made Awesome
Adaptational Villainy
The Stoic
Call-Back
The Brute
All There in the Manual
Truth in Television
Moment Killer
Real Life
Red Shirt
Poor Communication Kills
Fantastic Racism
Idiot Ball
Spanner in the Works
Killed Mid-Sentence
Pre-Asskicking One-Liner
Visual Pun
What the Hell, Hero?
Spiritual Successor
Ominous Latin Chanting
Sequel Hook
Catapult Nightmare
Meaningful Name
Hope Spot
It's All About Me
He Who Fights Monsters
"Shaggy Dog" Story
Be Careful What You Wish For
Deus ex Machina
Product Placement
Leaning on the Fourth Wall
Abhorrent Admirer
Boom, Headshot!
Disney Death
Retcon
Obviously Evil
Took a Level in Jerkass
Toplessness from the Back
Kill 'em All
Fanservice Extra
Dark Is Not Evil
Paper-Thin Disguise
Eureka Moment
As You Know
Cool Old Lady
Conspicuous CG
Fatal Flaw
Breaking the Fourth Wall
Manipulative Bastard
Blatant Lies
Screw This, I'm Outta Here!
Accidental Misnaming
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good
And I Must Scream
Dumb Blonde
A Minor Kidroduction
Adaptational Badass
Recap /
RiffTrax
aka: Riff Trax Movies
B-Movie
Sealed Evil in a Can
Pre-Mortem One-Liner
Refuge in Audacity
Laser-Guided Karma
Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome
Better to Die than Be Killed
The Remake
Everyone Has Standards
Coming-of-Age Story
Developing Doomed Characters
Blackmail
Faking the Dead
Plot Hole
Made of Iron
Training Montage
I Have Your Wife
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane
Dwindling Party
Costume Porn
Mad Scientist
Hero of Another Story
Bolivian Army Ending
Butt-Monkey
Slasher Smile
Neck Snap
Groin Attack
Hair-Trigger Temper
Earn Your Happy Ending
Henpecked Husband
Fingore
Evil Counterpart
Beta Couple
Action Girl
Mr. Exposition
Not So Different
Shoot the Shaggy Dog
The Oner
Corrupt Corporate Executive
Anyone Can Die
Fan Disservice
Black Dude Dies First
Insistent Terminology
Logo Joke
MayDecember Romance
Spell My Name with an "S"
Flashback
Drowning My Sorrows
Too Dumb to Live
She's Got Legs
Bond One-Liner
Your Head A-Splode
Hooker with a Heart of Gold
Bury Your Gays
Camera Abuse
Parental Abandonment
Improbable Aiming Skills
Shut Up, Hannibal!
Contrived Coincidence
An Arm and a Leg
Intrepid Reporter
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!
Genre Shift
Humiliation Conga
FaceHeel Turn
Bloodier and Gorier
Big Brother Instinct
Book-Ends
Russian Films
Did Not Get the Girl
Pun
aka: Incredibly Lame Pun
Greater-Scope Villain
Military and Warfare Films
Lampshade Hanging
Not So Above It All
Chewing the Scenery
Wrong Genre Savvy
Zombie Stories
Camp Gay
Victoria's Secret Compartment
Big Fancy House
Actually Pretty Funny
Chekhov's Skill
Romantic False Lead
Superhero
Off-into-the-Distance Ending
Hypocrite
Bald of Evil
The Mole
Bowdlerise
Riddle for the Ages
Creative Closing Credits
Advertised Extra
Bad "Bad Acting"
Reasonable Authority Figure
"The Reason You Suck" Speech
Never Trust a Trailer
aka: Trailers Always Lie
An Axe to Grind
Serial Killer
Sadistic Choice
Freeze-Frame Bonus
Genre Savvy
Oh, Crap!
I Just Shot Marvin in the Face
Maybe Ever After
MacGuffin
From Nobody to Nightmare
Cluster F-Bomb
Lighter and Softer
Suddenly SHOUTING!
Men Are the Expendable Gender
Drugs Are Bad
Line-of-Sight Name
The Hero
Comically Missing the Point
Handicapped Badass
Animal Title Index
Rule of Three
Fourth Date Marriage
Eldritch Abomination
Our Zombies Are Different
Bloody Hilarious
Face Death with Dignity
Left the Background Music On
Artistic License Military
One Steve Limit
Genre Throwback
Cain and Abel
Mistaken for Gay
Morality Pet
Shirtless Scene
Informed Ability
Bland-Name Product
Narrator
Roaring Rampage of Revenge
Biopic
In Medias Res
Eiffel Tower Effect
Children Are Innocent
Kubrick Stare
Evil vs. Evil
Hero Antagonist
Last-Name Basis
Kick the Dog
All Girls Want Bad Boys
Break the Haughty
Reality Ensues
Broken Bird
Married to the Job
Parental Incest