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