Brains and Brawn...
November 3, 2008 3:19 PM Subscribe
Character Study. The mean little weakling mastermind and the big tough goon who does the dirty work. I need film reference or specific TV episodes.
Kinda blocked and need inspiration for these archetypes. Can you think of a movie that contains this pair of characters? Was there a relationship like this in the Sopranos at any point? A good example would be maybe an older more powerful mob-boss and the younger, bigger, dumber brute that beats people up for him. It seems like a common thing but for the life of me I cant come up with any other specific movies Ive seen this in.
Kinda blocked and need inspiration for these archetypes. Can you think of a movie that contains this pair of characters? Was there a relationship like this in the Sopranos at any point? A good example would be maybe an older more powerful mob-boss and the younger, bigger, dumber brute that beats people up for him. It seems like a common thing but for the life of me I cant come up with any other specific movies Ive seen this in.
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.
"Who...run...Bartertown? Master Blaster runs Bartertown!"
posted by muddgirl at 3:26 PM on November 3, 2008
"Who...run...Bartertown? Master Blaster runs Bartertown!"
posted by muddgirl at 3:26 PM on November 3, 2008
Best answer: The Princess Bride - Vizzini and Fezzik
posted by artychoke at 3:27 PM on November 3, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by artychoke at 3:27 PM on November 3, 2008 [3 favorites]
Pinky and The Brain?
posted by Solomon at 3:36 PM on November 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Solomon at 3:36 PM on November 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Fargo, Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare.
posted by Free word order! at 3:41 PM on November 3, 2008
posted by Free word order! at 3:41 PM on November 3, 2008
Brains and Brawn entry at TV Tropes.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 3:46 PM on November 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 3:46 PM on November 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
Also in Miller's Crossing, there's the guy who says, "Jesus, Tom" when get gets whapped in the face with a chair. He was also the muscle in Mad Dog and Glory. In fact, Di Niro and Caruso were also meek and muscle in that movie.
There were two Bugs Bunny cartoons with the Big Goon and the Small Boss.
posted by stubby phillips at 3:48 PM on November 3, 2008
There were two Bugs Bunny cartoons with the Big Goon and the Small Boss.
posted by stubby phillips at 3:48 PM on November 3, 2008
Lenny and George are the archetypes, I guess.
posted by stubby phillips at 3:50 PM on November 3, 2008
posted by stubby phillips at 3:50 PM on November 3, 2008
Gort and Klaatu
posted by stubby phillips at 3:51 PM on November 3, 2008
posted by stubby phillips at 3:51 PM on November 3, 2008
The brain in the jar with his henchmen Bebop and Rocksteady, I think from the cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (though I could be wrong.)
posted by np312 at 3:59 PM on November 3, 2008
posted by np312 at 3:59 PM on November 3, 2008
The ventriliquist and the gangster dummy from Batman, the Animated Series. Not that the ventriliquist was the goon, but that there were usually goons working for him.
(Dammit, muddgirl...)
posted by Ghidorah at 4:02 PM on November 3, 2008
(Dammit, muddgirl...)
posted by Ghidorah at 4:02 PM on November 3, 2008
Prince John and his henchmen from Robin Hood.
posted by amicamentis at 4:03 PM on November 3, 2008
posted by amicamentis at 4:03 PM on November 3, 2008
This is going to be a loooong list, because the idea goes back quite a ways and turns up in any number of places.
The Joker and his henchmen
Robin Hood and Little John
Hans Gruber and Karl from Die Hard
Big Figure from the Watchmen
The Emperor and Darth Vader
Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 4:17 PM on November 3, 2008
The Joker and his henchmen
Robin Hood and Little John
Hans Gruber and Karl from Die Hard
Big Figure from the Watchmen
The Emperor and Darth Vader
Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 4:17 PM on November 3, 2008
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dad: The Man With the Plan and his henchmen
posted by K.P. at 4:47 PM on November 3, 2008
posted by K.P. at 4:47 PM on November 3, 2008
Croup and Vandermar from Neil Gaiman's TV series Neverwhere.
posted by xchmp at 4:52 PM on November 3, 2008
posted by xchmp at 4:52 PM on November 3, 2008
Murky & Lurky from Rainbow Brite, if you want a G-rated example.
posted by lilac girl at 7:48 PM on November 3, 2008
posted by lilac girl at 7:48 PM on November 3, 2008
np312: You're thinking of Krang (who was, literally, just a brain), though I would probably pair him with Shredder as the brawn.
posted by Panjandrum at 8:53 PM on November 3, 2008
posted by Panjandrum at 8:53 PM on November 3, 2008
Many Bond villains - Goldfinger and Oddjob, Stromberg and Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me, Drax and Jaws again in Moonraker
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:30 PM on November 4, 2008
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:30 PM on November 4, 2008
Gort and Klaatu are not a good example. Gort is both the muscle and the brain. Klaatu is mostly his cats paw. Even moreso in the story (Farewell to the Master).
Does it have to be a one-to-one mapping? Because there are many examples of one-to-many mappings in fiction (Dr. Fu Manchu, Professor Moriarty, etc).
posted by Crosius at 3:02 PM on November 4, 2008
Does it have to be a one-to-one mapping? Because there are many examples of one-to-many mappings in fiction (Dr. Fu Manchu, Professor Moriarty, etc).
posted by Crosius at 3:02 PM on November 4, 2008
Little Fauss and Big Halsy gives an alternate to your initial condition.
posted by ptm at 6:10 AM on November 5, 2008
posted by ptm at 6:10 AM on November 5, 2008
The brain in the jar with his henchmen Bebop and Rocksteady, I think from the cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (though I could be wrong.)
That's General Krang.
Mr. Big, the diminutive KAOS agent on the pilot of Get Smart fits that description.
posted by Barry B. Palindromer at 9:16 AM on November 5, 2008
That's General Krang.
Mr. Big, the diminutive KAOS agent on the pilot of Get Smart fits that description.
posted by Barry B. Palindromer at 9:16 AM on November 5, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
The Dane from "Miller's Crossing"
Bill Gates on The Simpsons ("Buy him out, boys!")
"My Bodyguard"
posted by rhizome at 3:26 PM on November 3, 2008