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.