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