Most Unlikable Protagonists

[JJandJanice]

For anyone who saw the new live action Maleficent movie. I would like to add to the list, the three good fairies. I don't think I've ever hate and I mean HATED any three female characters as much as I hated them. They were basically the female three stooges only a lot less funny.

I'll also add...

Venus De Milo from TMNT: the next Mutation. A female Ninja turtle is one thing, but since they wanted her to be a possible love interest for one of the other turtles, they had to established that the four turtles were in fact NOT brothers. She just seemed so unneeded and really didn't add much.

Road Runner from the Looney Tunes. This one might upset people a little and I'm not saying I hate Road Runner, but let's be honest, he is a bit of cocky jerk and you were really cheering form Wile E. Coyote.

I'll probably add more later.

 

[Drtooth]

For anyone who saw the new live action Maleficent movie. I would like to add to the list, the three good fairies. I don't think I've ever hate and I mean HATED any three female characters as much as I hated them. They were basically the female three stooges only a lot less funny.

I'm starting to think the movie Maleficent is actually told from her perspective in a manipulative view, like a very self-biased memoir in movie form.

Venus De Milo from TMNT: the next Mutation. A female Ninja turtle is one thing, but since they wanted her to be a possible love interest for one of the other turtles, they had to established that the four turtles were in fact NOT brothers. She just seemed so unneeded and really didn't add much.

UGH! Venus was created by the network to add positive female role models to a show only boys would watch (as far as demographics are concerned). I still find that practice absolutely ridiculous, especially since I've seen quite a few girl's shows where the lead female protagonists are vapid stereotypes. The show runners were idiotic to have to wait for an unproduced second season to introduce April, the organic positive female role model in TMNT. So Venus started out as the personality devoid "better than everyone else at everything" token girl's character... then she turned into the idiot foreigner that doesn't know anything about Western culture played for laughs. Still not okay.

 

[Dominicboo1]

Kuzco (mostly on the Emperor's New School) gets on my nerves. He learned his lesson in the movie, but then on the show, he became again selfish, rude, and cruel to some of his students. (He teased a boy who talked improperly to the point he wanted to fight him, and after he apologized the boy was willing to call of the fight, but then he teased him again by saying "Me happy, you Jane!")

 

[Drtooth]

Yeah. The TV series basically throws out all continuity, yet keeps continuity... it is a bit confusing to see Kuzco back to his old self. Especially since he's very much changed in the DTV sequel about Kronk. The one where he appears specifically to say that this one's about Kronk, not him... over and over.

 

[Dominicboo1]

Yeah. The TV series basically throws out all continuity, yet keeps continuity... it is a bit confusing to see Kuzco back to his old self. Especially since he's very much changed in the DTV sequel about Kronk. The one where he appears specifically to say that this one's about Kronk, not him... over and over.

That's true!

 

[Drtooth]

Way I see it, in the movie Kuzco was intentionally unlikable. What makes ENG a special film is the fact that it's a complete subversion parody of Disney movies. Making the hero a selfish, unlikable d-bag was one of those subversions. Where as the TV show basically threw away character development for the sake of plot. And it turned into one of those TV spinoffs that tries too hard to copy the jokes from the movie, anyway. Of course, it got better halfway through first season and did it's own thing.

 

[beatnikchick300]

UGH! Venus was created by the network to add positive female role models to a show only boys would watch (as far as demographics are concerned). I still find that practice absolutely ridiculous, especially since I've seen quite a few girl's shows where the lead female protagonists are vapid stereotypes. The show runners were idiotic to have to wait for an unproduced second season to introduce April, the organic positive female role model in TMNT. So Venus started out as the personality devoid "better than everyone else at everything" token girl's character... then she turned into the idiot foreigner that doesn't know anything about Western culture played for laughs. Still not okay.

I'll take more movies and shows with interesting female characters than "strong" female characters. By which I mean, I'd much rather see girls and women who are flawed, developed, and fun to watch than just some more flat female characters who kick butt and take names. And by all means, more girls and women of color, and from other countries, sure, but could they stop making them stereotypes (like you're saying Venus turned into)? Pretty please?

Okay, sorry to get off topic...

 

[Drtooth]

Everyone's too afraid to give not white guy characters any character flaw because they're afraid of letters from someone. Venus is the textbook case of screwing it up. Laird goes berserk if she's even mentioned. There was an interview I long forgot where he basically trashed the character, and I don't think anyone blames him.

It's all a matter of thinking too far into the future, and giving April and Casey a belated spot in a second season that didn't happen. Budget reasons, not ratings.

I've since watched a few episodes of Next Mutation and I have to admit, it wasn't as bad as I remember. But it's that lost potential that makes the show look bad. Plus, even if she was a bad character to begin with, there's the stigma of adding a fifth turtle that wasn't needed. I'm sure even a standard action girl character would have been tolerated if she were either human or another mutant. Adding a fifth turtle, no matter what the gender or characterization is a HUGE no-no for the fanbase. Parodied brutally in the new series with The Pulverizer.

 

[fuzzygobo]

Disney was once criticized for the protagonists in "The Rescuers" and its sequel, "The Rescuers Down Under". I've seen them both in the theatres when the first ran, and they both left me with the same impression.

In the 1977 original, a girl named Penny was kidnapped, and the film revolves around her being rescued. But it was a little hard to root for her, because she suffered from crippling low self-esteem. She admitted she wasn't pretty, she wasn't popular (her only friend at the orphanage was Rufus the Cat), and was even asked "Why would anybody want to adopt a homely girl like you?" Eventually the story has a happy ending, Penny gets adopted, and all is well in the world of Walt again. But she mopes through most of the movie, and it makes it pretty hard to pull for her.

Cody, the hero of the 1990 sequel, seems so obnoxiously cute it's a challenge to pull for him as well. He talks to and befriends all the animals, but he's pretty brave and resourceful he really doesn't need to be rescued. He can easily outsmart the villain Archibald McLeach, so we never feel Cody is ever in any real danger.

Despite the heroes' shortcomings, these are still two very enjoyable Disney flicks.

 

[beatnikchick300]

Cody, the hero of the 1990 sequel, seems so obnoxiously cute it's a challenge to pull for him as well. He talks to and befriends all the animals, but he's pretty brave and resourceful he really doesn't need to be rescued. He can easily outsmart the villain Archibald McLeach, so we never feel Cody is ever in any real danger.

Despite the heroes' shortcomings, these are still two very enjoyable Disney flicks.

I think the villain's first name is actually "Percival." I've been watching that film since before I was learning to spell my name.

I also didn't think the kid in the Rescuers sequel was all that overly cutesy, personally. I never saw the first Rescuers, so I can't speak to that.