Ahh... Procrastination... Welcome back old friend.

[prisoner_24601]

I should be working on chapter five of Chasing Redemption, but I've decided to screw off and procrastinate by writing a short rant inspired by the Batman Begins (which I thought was absolutely fantastic, btw).

Okay... so if you've seen the trailer for the movie, you'll see that Katie Holmes plays Bruce Wayne's love interest. It's truly annoying. Every time she comes on the screen, the rather interesting plot screeches to a halt while they wangst about their non-love affair. It's clear that she's tacked in there because someone producer or something decided that Batman has to have a love interest. While they do a somewhat decent job of integrating her into the plot, her character is entirely generic and most of the plot purposes that she serves (other than a predictable, wangsy romance) could have been done better by a character like Jim Gordon.

I just don't understand why the hell movie writers insist on tossing half-ass romance subplots into stories that simply don't need them. I admit that I’m a sucker for a good romance, but not every damn story needs one.

Does anyone understand why this happens? Am I the only one who gets annoyed by this?

Comments

[miakun.livejournal.com]

No, actually when I was watching War of the Worlds and some other movie I can't remember I was really happy there was no romance. There was no need.

I mean even in freaking Scooby Doo you have Velma and Freddy making out at the ends. It's retarded, you don't NEED romance in everything, life happens people!

[foxfire74.livejournal.com]

I just don't understand why the hell movie writers insist on tossing half-ass romance subplots into stories that simply don't need them.

Because they think that's how to get a female audience/a bone thrown to the women who get dragged to the movie by their boyfriends? That's my best guess, anyway.

I adore a good romance myself, but I prefer that it be mixed in with a good story. I don't much like romance novels or movies, but give me a good mystery/sci-fi/STORY and punch it up with a romance, and watch me swoon. :-)

[mizanchan.livejournal.com]

Y'know Pris, it's funny you mention this. I DL'ed the KotOR1 mod that reinstates the cut DS Female Revan ending. First time I ever played DS, and I felt somewhere between lower than pond scum and heartbroken. I thought that ending was a great, bittersweet moment.

Grah, I'm rambling. Back on topic, stat!

Anyway, no you're not the only one by a longshot! I find it annoying when they toss in a half-baked romance plot as well. I think with "Batman Begins" it's setting up the whole "Bruce Wayne, career bachelor" thread that weaves into all the movies.

I find it very insulting. As a female who enjoys movies and video games, I think the whole "tossing in a romance thing just to have one" reeks. The worst part to me is how obvious it is. A real romance subplot is one that doesn't look like it was written into the script in five minutes to give the ladies something to cry over. To me, it's very condescending, almost as though women are being told that women in movies are just there to fawn over the men. Give me a break.

[angelan.livejournal.com]

Batman's 'love' bit was as terrible as they come, because the actress they cast was far too young (weren't they supposed to be the same age? She looked about 18!) and though they kissed at the end, they just sorta...I don't know...decided they didn't want to be with each other after all or something. It was pretty bad.

Sahara's obligatory love interest was even worse than that, though. I swear, someone in post-production noticed that there was a female character and a male character on screen without any kissing going on and demanded that a scene be tacked on to the end where they pranced about on a beach getting all loved up.

What I hate even more than that (though only a bit more), is disappearing girlfriend syndrome. Hero and obligatory love interest get together after the normal trials and tribulations, and then in the sequel...she just vanishes. Men in Black is the perfect example. Original: I love you! Sequel: Oh, she, er, decided she didn't like being a man in black...or something...god, I dunno, you figure it out. Hey look, another pretty gal for me to have as a love interest! (I don't generally watch soaps, but it's impossible not to get the jist of the plots, and they're even worse for having couples meet, get together, get married, then have an affair and get divorced within the space of a month. It seems, I don't know, kind of lazy writing.)

Makes me kind of sad that when a couple ever gets together in a film, then that's it, end of romance...people generally spend more of their lives in a relationship than chasing one, so surely there's got to be some material in there that the filmmakers could use...