History Film / Popeye

* BadassGrandpa: Poopdeck Pappy takes his old ship and pursues Bluto to Scab Island, and even rescues Swee'Pea from a mean-looking octopus.

* TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty: Popeye is generally amiable with his foe in the Oxblood Oxheart boxing match. Until Oxblood hits him from behind. [[ItsPersonal Popeye doesn't take that very well at all.]]

** Somewhat with Bluto, ultimately. Sure, he got a super-charged whack on the jaw... but when you consider the terrible things he did in the movie (attempted murder, kidnapping, theft, assault, vandalism, vindictive taxing, hijacking)... he still seems like he got off pretty easy.

** The killer octopus is first pummeled silly by Popeye (while Popeye is ''underwater'') and then it hit by an uppercut of such ridiculous force, it launches him not just out of the ocean, but ''several hundred feet in the sky.'' It's difficult to think of another movie monster who was annihilated *that* badly in the final fight.

** Percussionist Ray Cooper plays the town's preacher.

* KarmaHoudini: Wimpy causes a lot of complications for Popeye and The Oyls -- as the ''80s All Over'' podcast points out, he ''sells a baby for burgers'' -- yet he never really seems to pay for any of it. Olive did nearly kill him on a rickety bridge in the course of interrogating him about Swee'Pea's whereabouts..

* KickTheDog: Bluto tries to pull this with Popeye at the end of the film. [[NiceJobFixingItVillain It backfires on him rather emphatically.]]

* KarmaHoudini: Wimpy causes a lot of complications for Popeye and The Oyls -- as the ''80s All Over'' podcast points out, he ''sells a baby for burgers'' -- yet he never really seems to pay for any of it.

* DefeatEqualsFriendship: The diner toughs, after a fashion. They all are (understandably) uncomfortable when they next see Popeye (at the engagement party), but when he exiles the tax man, the jubilantly carry him aloft. Later when he goes to have it out with the commodore, they shout encouragement to him.
* DefrostingTheIceQueen: Olive is rather snooty at the beginning of the film -- especially towards Popeye. She starts to mellow out and warm up to him after they find Swee'pea.

** Klaus Voorman and Doug Dillard play Von Schnitzel (the conductor) and Clem (the banjo player), who often frequent the Rough House.

The movie grossed more than twice its enormous budget in the U.S. alone (it took two studios to mount it -- Paramount and Disney), but received extremely mixed reviews from critics. It was also a TroubledProduction; between that and its inability to live up to Paramount's high expectations, Robin Williams came to see it as something of an OldShame and it derailed Altman's mainstream directorial career for well over a decade. It hasn't yet been outright VindicatedByHistory, but it does have a growing CultClassic following.

* AndThereWasMuchRejoicing: Practically the entire town rejoices when [[spoiler:Popeye takes down the tax collector]].

* NumberOneDime: One of Bluto's motivations for villainy (other than "I'm mean, if you know what I mean") is getting his hands on Poopdeck Pappy's treasure. When the treasure is finally revealed, it turns out to be things like an empty picture frame of Popeye (Pappy's son) as an "infink", his baby rattle, baby booties, and other sentimental mementos of childhood.

* EspeciallyZoidberg: A sign on the wall at Rough House's:

* MuggingTheMonster: When several of thugs at Rough House start harassing Popeye as he tries to talk to Wimpy. Popeye keeps his fuse in check until they physically try to attack him. Naturally, he wipes the floor with them.

** All the Roughhouse roughnecks -- Spike, Mort, Gozo, Bolo, Slug and Butch -- are all named after various thug villains Popeye encountered (and defeated) in the ''Thimble Theater'' comic strips. About half of them were henchmen for The Sea Hag.

* OrderedApology: In the lead-up to the brawl at Rough House's, Popeye demands an apology from the thugs who mocked his pappy. They respond by seizing the hash houses's ''other'' patrons and forcing an apology out of each. This is just for fun, as they obviously intend to throw down with Popeye one way or another.

* SoProudOfYou: At the end, when Popeye finally gets force-fed spinach by Bluto, Popeye knocks the octopus out of the water and sends Bluto swimming for his life, and even Pappy is smiling and singing along with the musical number as Popeye learns that spinach gives him strength to face impossible obstacles.

* EvilSoundsDeep: A [[SubvertedTrope subverted example]]: Bluto is played by Paul L. Smith, but his deep baritone singing voice is provided by "Big" John Wallace. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSBtBSLlr6w Bluto's "I'm Mean" song]] shows a prime example of his baritone voice.

* CreatorCameo: The Falcons, formed by Music/HarryNilsson for the film, appear as characters in Sweethaven in the film:
** Klaus Voorman and Doug Dillard play Von Schnitzel and Clem, who often frequent the restaurant.
** Hoagy is played by Van Dyke Parks, who arranged and conducted Nilsson's songs, including "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" at the end of the film.

* CreatorCameo: Klaus Voorman and Doug Dillard, who performed with Music/HarryNilsson on the soundtrack, play Von Schnitzel and Clem, who often frequent the restaurant. Hoagy the Piano player is also played by Van Dyke Parks, who arranged and conducted Nilsson's songs, including "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" at the end of the film.

* CreatorCameo: Klaus Voorman and Doug Dillard, who performed with Creator/HarryNilsson on the soundtrack, play Von Schnitzel and Clem, who often frequent the restaurant. Hoagy the Piano player is also played by Van Dyke Parks, who arranged and conducted Nilsson's songs, including "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" at the end of the film.

* CreditsMedley: A lushly-orchestrated instrumental medley of "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man", "I Yam What I Yam", "He Needs Me", and "I'm Mean" closes out the film.

* NumberOneDime: One of Bluto's motivations for villainy (other than "I'm mean, if you know what I mean") is getting his hands on Poopdeck Pappy's treasure. When the treasure is finally revealed, it turns out to be things like pictures of Popeye (Pappy's son) as an "infink", his baby rattle, baby booties, and other sentimental mementos of childhood.