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