History Film / TheManWhoKnewTooLittle

* HeyItsThatGuy: Alfred Molina (Doctor Octopus) as Boris the Butcher
** Peter Gallagher (Buddy Kane from ''AmericanBeauty'') as the brother-in-law

* AxeBeforeEntering: Used as a blatant ShoutOut to ''TheShining''.
** For extra points, he uses a croquet mallet, which is what Jack Torrance used in the original novel.

* YouFailGeographyForever: Possibly an intentional use: During James' business presentation, the map of Germany is shown. The major cities are labeled... with the name of other German cities.

* SociopathicHero: Viewing the events of the movie from the point of view of the actual spies can lead to a wildly different interpretation of Wallace. He comes off as an absurdly skilled (even by badass standards) rogue agent who is doing everything he does just for laughs, and that it's so easy for him, he can afford to goof around and just do whatever amuses him at the time. Among his many deeds include pretending like he's going to execute Lori, [[ForTheEvulz for no reason whatsoever,]] playing with a dead body and applauding it for being so remarkably dead, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and running over traffic cones]] while fleeing assassins, simply because he's always wanted to do it and now seemed like a good time. Basically, to those not in on the joke (Everyone but Wallace), he might as well be the super-spy version of TheJoker.

Wallace receives information about the character he should play via a phone call; unknown to him, the calls get mixed up, and he instead receives instructions intended for a real hitman. HilarityEnsues.

Wallace proceeds to [[LargeHam ham his way]] through the underworld of secret agents and espionage. He almost immediately decides to break from "the script" and help the person he was ordered to kill: Lori (JoanneWhalley), a [[HookerWithAHeartOfGold call-girl with a heart of gold]] who's trying to blackmail the Defense Minister she's been sleeping with. Along the way, Wally accidentally convinces his "superiors" that he's a loose cannon who knows of their devious scheme to restart the Cold War by blowing up the dignitaries at a historic peace accord. And all the while, Wallace thinks the bullets, TruthSerums, car chases, and dead bodies are AllPartOfTheShow.

* BalconyEscape: Wallace prefers doing this for the film because its much more dramatic than the more conventional method. Since he isn't that strong, he has trouble doing it.

* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Lori, though she insists she's not a call-girl. Even though she accepted money for sex with the Minister of Defense.

* ShoutOut: The man disguised as a waiter who approaches Wallace in the end of the film is addressed as [[{{Ghostbusters}} "Venkman."]]

A 1997 film written by Robert Farrar (adapted from his novel ''Watch That Man'') and starring BillMurray, which combines AndYouThoughtItWasAGame with Main/MistakenForBadass.

This film provides examples of:

** Viewing the events of the movie from the point of view of the actual spies can lead to a wildly different interpretation of Wallace. He comes off as an absurdly skilled (even by badass standards) rogue agent who is doing everything he does just for laughs. And that it's so easy for him, he can afford to goof around and just toy with the opposition. Among his many deeds include pretending like he's going to execute Lori, [[ForTheEvulz for no reason whatsoever,]] playing with a dead body and applauding it for being so remarkably dead, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and running over traffic cones]] while fleeing assassins, simply because he's always wanted to do it and now seemed like a good time. Basically, he comes off as the spy version of TheJoker.

* BalconyEscape

* HeyItsThatSong: Korobeiniki, a traditional Russian folk song, features in this film. Of course, most of you know it as "The Tetris Theme."

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Sir Roger and Sergai [[spoiler: get blown up by their own bomb.]]

* CareerKillers: Spencer, Boris, and The Plumbers. All are Hitmen rather than Assassins.

* {{ptitle1d213erd}}: Sir Roger and Sergai's motivation.

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* WarForFunAndProfit: Sir Roger and Sergai's motivation.

** Also, in a scene where Wallace is offered an espionage job, he thinks he is being hired to be an actor, and indicates his desire to "do" (i.e. assassinate) multiple children a week (thinking of performing at childrens' parties).
** I was under the impression that he wanted to do jobs that ''helped'' children.

Wallace receives information about the character he should play via a phone call; unknown to him, the call he receives is actually instructions intended for a real hitman. HilarityEnsues.

Wallace Ritchie is an American vacationing in London, hoping to spend his birthday with his brother Jimmy (PeterGallagher). Unfortunately, James has an important business dinner; in order to get rid of Wallace for the evening, he signs him up for an evening with the Theatre of Life, an [[LARP experimental hyper-realistic audience-participation theater.]]

Wallace Ritchie is an American vacationing in London, hoping to spend his birthday with his brother Jimmy (PeterGallagher). Unfortunately, James has an important business dinner; in order to get rid of Wallace for the evening, he signs him up for an evening with the Theatre of Life, an experimental hyper-realistic audience-participation theater.

It should be noted that, beyond the similar titles (and [[MistakenForSpies superficial plot similarities]]), this film has nothing to do with Hitchcock's thriller ''TheManWhoKnewTooMuch''.