Identifying Formulaic

Duos in Movies
Zechariah Boswell
Bo McDowell
“Always two there are. No more, no less.” - MASTER YODA

One of the most common tropes in film

and television is a pair of friends or
acquaintances with conflicting
personalities.

These can vary between many different

traits -- pretty and ugly, nerd and jock, nice
and mean, etc -- but it all boils down to two
characters with opposing traits having a
“Good Cop, Bad Cop” relationship.
Rules

1. Story contains two characters.

2. Characters are partners or friends (not enemies, which would obviously
have opposing viewpoints.)
3. The characters do not have to be complete opposites of each other, but
must have different enough personalities to not be too similar of characters.
Why?

From a filmmaker’s standpoint two separate characters with opposing traits

and/or viewpoints allows more conflict and interactions to be written than if
characters are the same.

This obviously is more entertaining to the audience, but display opposing

personality traits make audiences relate to one side or the other, as well as
showing them both sides of an argument. This can especially be important to
younger audiences, who need to development these empathy-like skills.
Han and Chewie - PASS

While they are a pair of smugglers,

faithful to the rebel cause, Han is seen
as cool, suave, and even a bit of a jerk
sometimes, whereas Chewbacca is
basically a giant puppy in conversation,
who additionally can tear your arms
off.
Spongebob and Patrick - FAIL

While an argument may be made that

Spongebob and Patrick are different, at
their root they are both two silly
morons who don’t think and are only
really different in smaller character
details, not in personality.
Frodo and Sam (Lord of The Rings) - PASS

While Frodo and Sam are similar character

with similar motives, they both see the
world differently and have different
personalities. Frodo has a more “weight of
the world on his shoulders” trope, while
Sam is more cautiously optimistic. This
leads to these characters disagreeing on
several occasions, without leading into full
fledged arguments.
Chloe and Nadine (Uncharted: Lost Legacy) - FAIL

Chloe and Nadine have a lot in common in the

popular video game franchise Uncharted. The
reason this duo fails the test is because they
are not exactly friends in the game The Lost
Legacy. They form more of an uneasy alliance
to get what they both want, and by the end find
respect for each other. Boiling it down, Chloe
and Nadine’s character are not quite on the
level of friendship needed to pass this test.
Maybe in a future sequel.
Doc and Marty - PASS

Does this one even need explaining?

These two characters are established
as friends early on in the film, and have
such differing personas that we almost
don’t believe it. A mad scientist and a
high school student are an unlikely pair,
but check all the boxes to pass this
particular test.
Two Fools

Another common trope that is used in

place of “Good Cop, Bad Cop” is “Two
Fools.” This is when instead of having
opposing personalities, two characters are
basically the same. It is almost always
seen in cartoons or children shows where
two characters are both silly, goofy, or
moronic, such as with Shaggy and Scooby,
Spongebob and Patrick, or Tom and Jerry.
Why do we like this?

Obviously, with the “Two Fools” approach, children like characters being funny, it
does not have a deeper meaning.

One’s opinion on a pair using the “Good Cop, Bad Cop” approach can speak on
how they perceive themselves and their own personality. Do you see yourself
more as the smart, nerdy Cody or the cool, charismatic Zack? Character
interactions like these can affect how one interacts with their friends and
acquaintances in real life, so it is important to be shown a wide variety starting at
an early age.