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