Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
09-28-12, 08:36 AM
#1
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Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
One that comes immediately to mind is James Cagney's role as "Rocky" in Angels With Dirty Faces. He plays a tough criminal, who is admired by the gang of kids - but when it comes time for Rocky to be executed, his priest friend pleads with Rocky to "go out like a coward," in order for the gang of kids to stop admiring Rocky for all the tough things Rocky did. The purpose, of course, is to get the gang of kids to admire someone upstanding, not Rocky.
Rocky at first refuses such a plead! Then, I guess he had time to think about it, and figured it was the least he could, since he never gave a shit about anybody in his whole life before. He did as the priest asks, and the gang of kids hear about it, and decide Rocky was a coward.
That is called "redemption," and I'm wondering if anybody else can remember a movie where a bad apple character redeems himself before the movie ends, or before said bad apple dies in the film.
Rocky at first refuses such a plead! Then, I guess he had time to think about it, and figured it was the least he could, since he never gave a shit about anybody in his whole life before. He did as the priest asks, and the gang of kids hear about it, and decide Rocky was a coward.
That is called "redemption," and I'm wondering if anybody else can remember a movie where a bad apple character redeems himself before the movie ends, or before said bad apple dies in the film.
09-28-12, 08:44 AM
#4
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
Spoiler:
09-28-12, 09:28 AM
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
Titanic. Billy Zane saved a little girl and William Murdoch shot a vampire and then turned the gun on himself when it was clear he had also been infected.
09-28-12, 09:32 AM
#6
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
I can't believe Cameron pussied out and edited out the vampires from Titanic.
09-28-12, 01:47 PM
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
Sometimes I wonder why certain things just stick in my head...
CJ from Dawn of the Dead (2004) came to mind, mainly because he spent the entire film being a huge cock to everyone, then he begrudingly saved all their asses at the end.
CJ from Dawn of the Dead (2004) came to mind, mainly because he spent the entire film being a huge cock to everyone, then he begrudingly saved all their asses at the end.
09-28-12, 01:55 PM
#9
Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
In a way, Tony Montana in SCARFACE (1983).
There's gotta be a Godzilla movie where the Big G or some other monster does this.
There's gotta be a Godzilla movie where the Big G or some other monster does this.
09-28-12, 02:06 PM
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09-28-12, 02:11 PM
#12
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate, although he wasn't really bad, just misguided.
09-28-12, 02:20 PM
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
09-28-12, 02:22 PM
#14
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
I'm not much of a Godzilla fan but weren't there numerous movies where Big G fought some other monster (Mothra or whatever) that was destroying Japan and ended up helping the people? He wasn't always the bad guy was he?
09-28-12, 02:32 PM
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
09-28-12, 02:35 PM
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
Jaws in MOONRAKER
What about Roy Batty in BLADE RUNNER? Not sure if that's a complete conversion, or if he was really "evil" to begin with.
What about Roy Batty in BLADE RUNNER? Not sure if that's a complete conversion, or if he was really "evil" to begin with.
09-28-12, 02:35 PM
#18
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
Nope, he wasn't always bad. He started as a bad guy, then turned face in the movie Ghidorah along with Rodan to help Mothra save the earth. Why they did such is never explained. I am guessing they just didn't like the thought of Ghidorah replacing them in the hierarchy. This was the famous Showa-era Godzilla of the 60s and 70s. It was in the 90s that he wasn't exactly a good guy as much as a monster trying to protect his turf.
09-28-12, 02:52 PM
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
Gil Westrum in 'Ride The High Country'. That may be my favorite. His words to Steve there at the end get me every time: "Don't worry about... about anything. I'll take care of it, just like you would have."
Moll, Flaubert, Julie and Andre in 'Strange Cargo'.
Terry Malloy in 'On The Waterfront'.
Batty.
Boromir.
Mrado and Jorge in 'Snabba Cash'.
Anton Ego in 'Ratatouille'.
Rick in 'Casablanca'.
There's a few
Moll, Flaubert, Julie and Andre in 'Strange Cargo'.
Terry Malloy in 'On The Waterfront'.
Batty.
Boromir.
Mrado and Jorge in 'Snabba Cash'.
Anton Ego in 'Ratatouille'.
Rick in 'Casablanca'.
There's a few
09-28-12, 03:48 PM
#21
Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
09-28-12, 03:52 PM
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
HAHAHAHA!! How? How possibly did this man redeem himself? Because he wouldn't blow up the car like he was supposed to, because he didn't want to kill the wife and little kids? Hardly. He died a wreck of a man, and he was never that great to begin with. Coke sells itself. Ain't like he was winning awards for Best Salesmenship or something.
09-28-12, 03:53 PM
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
09-28-12, 03:54 PM
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Re: Movies where the "Bad Guy" redeems himself before he dies or before the film ends
Nope, he wasn't always bad. He started as a bad guy, then turned face in the movie Ghidorah along with Rodan to help Mothra save the earth. Why they did such is never explained. I am guessing they just didn't like the thought of Ghidorah replacing them in the hierarchy. This was the famous Showa-era Godzilla of the 60s and 70s. It was in the 90s that he wasn't exactly a good guy as much as a monster trying to protect his turf.
