History BerserkButton / Film

* ''TheGreatMouseDetective'' features Ratigan (VincentPrice). Ratigan can be quite AffablyEvil, but he absolutely flips out when called a rat. (He actually IS one, the only one depicted in the film, though all the rest of the characters are various mice and lizards.) A drunken mouse slips and calls him a rat during his VillainSong. His reaction is all the more effective in that after an initial moment of fury, he calms down... instead, he goes extremely quiet, and coolly, calmly, even lovingly, [[BadBoss feeds poor Bartholomew]] to his RightHandCat.

* ''TheAdventuresOfPriscillaQueenOfTheDesert'': Do not call Bernadette by her birth name, [[MyNameIsNotDurwood Ralph]].

* ''BillyJack'': Possibly the trope namer. Do not mistreat children in the presence of Billy Jack. If you do- "I just go BERSERK"!!!

* ''{{The Boondock Saints}}'': Threatening either of the [=McManus=] brothers will get you utterly fucked up by the other. Just ask Ivan Checkov, who got [[DeathByLookingUp a toilet dropped on him]] by a pissed-off Connor for trying to execute Murphy after forcing him to cuff himself to said toilet.
* ''Back to School'' with Rodney Dangerfield has one with the teacher who freaks out about the Vietnam War.
** Said teacher being the one and only [[SamKinison Sam Kinison]], who made a comedic living by pushing his own buttons while on stage.
* The 2009 ''StarTrek'' movie. It is perfectly okay to talk shit about Commander Spock's Momma... as long as you do it while he's under heavy sedatives and has all four limbs tied down. Otherwise, you are going to get [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped.]] [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown Epically.]]

* The 2005 remake of ''King Kong''. When the group gets dropped into insect trench, there are two examples of this: the first is Lumpy, the chef, whose HeterosexualLifePartner Choy (who he was defending the whole film) dies from the fall. When the worms start coming from the mud, he's cut off from what other survivors there are, and surrounded by NightmareFuel creatures, they make the horrific mistake of trying to eat Choy's body. Lumpy proceeds to go AxCrazy with a machete, killing several of them even while one of them is eating his leg. He only gets killed when they've disabled one of his legs, an arm, and then got a hold of his head. And even then, he's not screaming in terror: he's swinging the machete howling in anger.

** ''OBrotherWhereArtThou?'' applies the same thing to George "Babyface" Nelson. This, too, is historically justified, as the real Nelson [[EmbarrassingNickname hated the nickname.]]

* ''AChristmasStory'': Ralphie when cornered by Scut Farkus and Grover Dill... and anyone knows that cornered prey '''WILL''' fight back, but dishes out a beatdown '''''AND''''' cussing out, too? Well, after what Ralphie been through, does anyone need to ask?

* Marty [=McFly=] from the ''BackToTheFuture'' films: "Nobody... calls me... chicken!" This is a ShoutOut to ''Rebel Without a Cause'', below.

* Subversion: In Wes Craven's movie ''RedEye'', the villain, whose name is Jackson Rippner (CillianMurphy) explains early on that he doesn't like being called Jack, because then his name sounds too much like Jack the Ripper. Towards the end, the heroine tries to activate his berserk button by calling him "Jack," with no real effect. He's already chasing her with a knife, so he doesn't seem to take much offense.

* TallTale - You can insult Pecos Bill or his friends. You can even insult his momma, or his horse. But don't you EVER insult Texas.

* In TimBurton's ''EdWood'', Bela Lugosi is having a good day on set, until a well-meaning prop guy compliments him for playing "BorisKarloff's sidekick." Profanity ensues.
* Otamyas in ''DaftQueens'' does not "like... being... called... Mother... Fucker!"

* In ''{{Meet the Feebles}}'', Heidi's berserk button is Samantha, Bletch's secret mistress. During their first encounter, after Samantha insults her and says Bletch doesn't love her, she calls Samantha a pussy (she is a cat, after all), and throws her in a box. In their second encounter, while Heidi is trying to commit suicide by machine gun, Samantha basically tells her NotWithTheSafetyOnYouWont, and begins to leave. [[spoiler:Heidi turns the gun on Samantha and kills her, starting Heidi on a murderous massacre]].

* The Joker in ''TheDarkKnight'' always gets a little bit more serious whenever someone calls him crazy or a "freak." At first, he merely shows annoyance, but the final time [[DisproportionateRetribution he angrily orders a man]] [[CompleteMonster cut into pieces and fed to his dogs.]]

* ''[[RepoTheGeneticOpera Repo! The Genetic Opera]]'': If you hurt Nathan's daughter, [[PapaWolf do not expect to survive the night]].
** Also, [[{{KnifeNut}} Luigi Largo]] does not like decaf. Then again, the guy has a HairTriggerTemper that must be seen to be believed anyway.
* ''[[MarxBrothers Duck Soup]]'': President Rufus T. Firefly is prepared to go to war over Ambassador Trentino calling him an "upstart." Later Firefly has calmed down and he and Trentino patch things up, realizing that neither of them can remember the word that set things off. Trentino jokingly tries several possibilities, and unfortunately hits on the right one, which starts the war all over again.

* In ''{{Return of the Jedi}}'', Luke is trying to keep his anger in check to avoid falling to TheDarkSide, but then Vader threatens to do something Leia, who is basically the only family he has left. [[UnstoppableRage What happens next]] seems to take Vader by surprise as he cuts off Vader's sentence, knowing Vader was about to say she will turn, or another terrible thing would happen to her.
** Also in ''{{Star Wars}}'' (before Anakin turns to the dark side), touch Anakin's loved ones and DIE.

* In the film version of ''{{MASH}}'', a player from the rival team tries to get one of the black players thrown out of the football game by hitting his Berserk Button (calling him a coon) and causing the player to attack him. Spearchucker Jones (played by Fred Williamson) decides that two can play at this game and suggests the player hit ''his'' Berserk Button by calling into question the virtue of his beloved sister. This other player attacks him and is himself thrown out.

* In ''{{The Lord of the Rings}}'' movie, the ''entire'' Fellowship flips out when Frodo gets stabbed... ''again''.

* In ''{{Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels}}'', Big Chris is a calm and collected enforcer. When Dog puts a knife to his son, Little Chris' throat, he keeps cool until he gets the upper hand, and then goes completely apeshit.

* Do NOT, under any circumstances, make [[RockyHorrorPictureShow Dr. Frank N Furter]] jealous. You WILL regret it.

* William from ''Almost Famous'' represents this trope nicely. The band Stillwater and their Band Aids use every opportunity to take advantage of him, and he usually lets it happen, but there are moments when he's about had enough:

* Do ''not'' call Jim Stark of ''Rebel Without a Cause'' "chicken." His overreaction to this insult gets him into a fair amount of trouble.
* [[BewareTheNiceOnes Don't you dare harm any human]] in front of [[TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen Optimus Prime]], especially humans who are particularly close to him. [[PapaWolf He WILL scare the crap out of you]], like what he did to Sector Seven, who kidnapped Sam and Mikaela. Or [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome beat you senseless]], like what he did to Megatron, Starscream and Grindor when they captured Sam and tried to get his brain.

* The song "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is the Berserk Button Mugatu gives to Derek in ''Zoolander''.

* [[SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut Sheila Broflovski]] has a Terence and Phillip-shaped Berserk Button.[[supersecretspoiler:.. until Chef blamed Satan nearly taking over on her rash decision to shoot the two.]]
* [[Film/AliceInWonderland The Hatter]] may be as mad as a box of frogs, but he's among the best of the good guys in Underland and will do just about anything for his friends. However, if you mention the day his family was slaughtered, or you make one wrong move toward either Alice or the White Queen...suffice it to say that if his eyes change color, ''run''.

* The author from ''ThrowMamaFromTheTrain'' has absolutely no intention of doing what the title suggests, no way no how, until Mama suggests a better phrase for his book than either of the two he'd been trying to choose between.
* Never tell Freeman Lowell (in the film ''SilentRunning'') that plants don't matter. Or imply that synthetic food is better than the grown kind. Ever.

* In ''The Protector'' or ''Tom Yum Goong'', you ''will not'' mess with TonyJaa's elephants.

* In ''Monsters Inc.,'' Boo has one. And Randall figured that out MUCH TOO LATE! Trying to kill Sulley in front of Boo will result in...[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAHpS_50ACs this]]. Go to 7:22.
* Eustace accidentally presses Reepicheep's button when he grabs his tail in ''The Chronicles of {{Narnia}}: Voyage of the Dawn-Treader.'' The great Aslan himself gave Reepicheep that tail, and "''no one'' touches the tail, period, exclamation point!"
* How come LionKing hasn't been mentioned yet? Mufasa gets a couple, first when Scar threatens him, and second when the hyenas threaten his son. Simba gets one when he finds out that Scar murdered his father. Finally, Pumbaa gets one when the hyenas calls him a 'pig', though Timon and Simba can get away with it.

* He doesn't have much personality otherwise, but [[FridayThe13th Jason]] has a real soft spot for his [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas mother]]. And, as Freddy found out, he doesn't like it at all when people pretend to be her.

* [[Film/{{Thor}} Thor]] did not take it well when a Frost Giant mocked his masculinity ("Run home, little ''princess''"). By the end of the film, [[spoiler: he lost that and gained a new one that was a harder to press that Loki managed to: threatening Jane.]]

* ''[[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitlemr9bxczz Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story]]'' - Watching his "wife" with another man pushed Gordon's berserk button. And proceeds to destroy the entire opposing team. By himself.

* In ''{{Return of the Jedi}}'', Luke is trying to keep his anger in check to avoid falling to TheDarkSide, but then Vader threatens to turn Leia, who is basically the only family he has left. [[UnstoppableRage What happens next]] seems to take Vader by surprise.

** Lance, the meek TokenWhite member of the BROTHERHOOD. When he's called a "sissy," he [[BeatStillMyHeart pulls a man's heart out of his chest]], rips another guy's head and spinal column clean out of his body (?a the title creature in ''{{Predator}} 2''), and squashes the speaker's head between his hands.
** Mr. Feather, when he realizes that he's being subconsciously influenced by black culture.

* We dare you to fuck with Godzilla's kids. Any of them, from any era. We ''DARE'' you. He will find you and he will kill you ''DEAD''.

* The Joker in ''TheDarkKnight'' always gets a little bit more serious whenever someone calls him crazy or a "freak." At first, he merely shows annoyance, but the final time [[DisproportionateRetribution he angrily orders a man cut into pieces and fed to his dogs.]]

* There is an especially dramatic ([[YourMileageMayVary or amusing]]) one in ''La Belle et la Bete'', the 1946 version of ''Beauty and the Beast''. In this version, as well as in the original fairytale, Belle's father was a merchant and she asked him to bring her a rose when he came back from one of his trips. So when he gets lost and ends up in the Beast's castle, the Beast has no problem with him eating or sleeping there, but he [[UnstoppableRage goes beserk]] when the merchant [[MinorInsultBreakdown takes one of the roses in the garden]]. The roses where what the Beast loved most in the world, so he tells the merchant he will [[DisproportionateRetribution kill him]], or give him a chance to bring one of his daughters in his place. Seriously, "you stole my rose, prepare to die".

**** Not to mention the end of ReturnOfTheJedi. What's strong enough to break Vader's addiction to the Dark Side? His BerserkButton regarding the death of one of his family, even one he's barely seen for over twenty years and never really knew, that's what.

** This is evident when, just simply seeing Rocky with Janet causes Frank to go into a psychotic rage and starts to chase Janet all over the castle.
*** Well, it wasn't just that Rocky was in the same general vicinity as Janet; it was that his creation had obviously slept with her. (Not that Frank N Furter's reaction was appropriate, and it was also pretty hypocritical given his routine seduction of AnythingThatMoves, but the distinction there is at least somewhat important.)

** Making Riff-Raff jealous is just as bad...if not worse. Case in point, [[WordOfGod Richard O'Brien]] had stated in an interview that Riff's main reason for [[spoiler:killing Frank N. Furter]] was purely out of jealousy.
* She may be the most [[GentleGiant peaceful monster]] in the Toho universe, but it's still a '''very''' bad idea to harm [[{{Godzilla}} Mothra's]] children or the Shobijin (The [[CreepyTwins two fairies she protects]]).

* Steal [[{{Pocahontas}} Percy's]] food or just mess with him in general, and he will get ''[[HairTriggerTemper very]]'' [[HairTriggerTemper angry]]. Of course, being the movie's ButtMonkey and DesignatedVillain will make him [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption inevitably fail]] at getting revenge, but you should at least be prepared for [[ChaseScene some running]].

* In 1944, both ''TheThreeStooges'' and ''AbbottAndCostello'' made use of an even older vaudeville routine (allegedly created by Joey Faye) in which the words "NiagaraFalls" serve as a trigger for a violent outburst by one of the characters. A variation of the same routine (the keyword was "Martha") showed up in an episode of ILoveLucy, too.
** AbbottAndCostello used "The Sesquahanna Hat Company," as well as "Niagara Falls."

* The author from ''ThrowMamaFromTheTrain'' has absolutely no intention of doing as the title suggests, no way no how, until Mama suggests a better phrase for his book than either of the two he'd been trying to choose between.

* GetSmart: Don't ever question or mock the head of Control's credentials or Control itself's credentials, or you should pray you don't get a beatdown in front of your fellow members in the cabinet, as the Vice President learned the hard way.

* In a much old animated example, Monsters inc., Boo has one. And Randell figured that out MUCH TOO LATE! Trying to kill Sulley in front of boo with result in...[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAHpS_50ACs this]] Go to 7:22.

* An unusually dark, but still funny example in ''Where the Truth Lies'': "You call any Jew on this planet anything you like, but ''nobody'' calls my partner a kike! You understand?" Of course, Vince is repeatedly bludgeoning the man's increasingly bloody face against the floor as he says it.

* An unusually dark, but still funny example in ''Where the Truth Lies'': "You call any Jew on this planet anything you like, but ''nobody'' calls my partner a kike! You understand?"

* Don't call [[GuestFromTheFuture Werther the biorobot]] a tin can, especially when trying to charge past him. He will grab you, spin you over his head, and throw you across the room.

** Also, never insult your [[TheDragon Dragon's]] wife, as the leader of Chaos learned the hard way when he insulted his wife one time too manny and ended up being punched out of his car hard enough to be knocked over a bridge.
* In ''The Protector'' or ''Tom Yum Goong'', you ''will not'' mess with TonyJaa's elephants.

* TallTale - You can insult Pecos Bill or his friends. You can even insults his momma, or his horse. But don't EVER insult Texas.

** Also, never insult your [[TheDragon Dragon's]] wife, as the leader of Chaos learned the hard way when he insulted his wife one time too manny and ended up being punched out of his car hard enough to be knocked over a bridge.

* ''Breaking Away: Whatever you do, do not call Moocher "shorty". He will be more than happy to introduce your face to his fist.

Lots of people have tempers. Here are some of the things that set them off.