History PetTheDog / LiveActionFilms

* ''Film/SchindlersList'': Nastily subverted. Amon Goeth seems intrigued by the concept of showing occasional mercy, and waves off a concentration camp inmate with "I pardon you." He then repeats the phrase to a mirror... which is followed by him sniping the "pardoned" man from his balcony. And again when he gently caresses his Jewish paramour, only to immediately begin beating her savagely. There's a reason this guy is considered a monster among monsters.

** The rogue officer explains to the person sent to deal with him that, [[WouldHurtAChild despite hacking the arms off innocent children]], the Viet Cong were decent family men at home [[MoralDissonance and therefore not evil]].

* ''Film/{{Casino}}'': [[Creator/JoePesci Nicky Santoro]] is a vice-toting individual with a [[KickTheDog terrifying]] HairTriggerTemper, but after a night of crime and general violence, he always comes back home to make his son breakfast.

* ''A Is For Acid'': This film featured mass murderer John Haigh adopting a dog, taking good care of it, and breaking down in tears when it finally died. The reason the dog needed adopting in the first place was that he killed its owners and dumped them in a vat of acid to cover it up, but there you go.

* ''Film/WestSideStory'': A subtle example. During the Jets' opening dance-march through their territory, while making it very clear how they consider themselves the ''de facto'' owners of this chunk of the city, they pointedly walk around a little girl's chalk circle rather than interrupt her.

* Film/JurassicWorld: Despite his villainy, Vic Hoskins has multiple moments. He has a literal one in his backstory where he rescued a wolf pup and did not put it down after it mauled his wife to protect him. When his boss Marsani [[spoiler: dies]], he has the decency to look sorrowful and calls it a tragedy. He also does not retaliate or sic his men on the hero Owen Grady when Owen punches him in the face. Hoskins is clearly horrified watching his men get torn apart by the raptors.

*** ''Film/TheDeparted'': Near the end, Colin Sullivan ''attempts'' to pet a neighbor's dog in the hallway of his apartment building, but the dog shies away.

* ''Film/TheDeparted'': Near the end, Colin Sullivan ''attempts'' to pet a neighbor's dog in the hallway of his apartment building, but the dog shies away.

* ''A Kitten For Hitler'': Twistedly crossed with KickTheDog, Hitler gets a kitten from a Jewish boy for Christmas, which he quickly comes to love. This does not stop him from having the boy skinned and turned into a lampshade.

* Film/JurassicWorld: Despite his villainy, Vic Hoskins has multiple moments. He has a literal one in his backstory where he rescued a wolf pup and did not put it down after it mauled his wife to protect him. When his boss Marsani [[spoiler: dies]] he has the decency to looks sorrowful and calls it a tragedy. He also does not retaliate or sic his men on the hero Owen Grady when Owen punches him in the face. Hoskins also is clearly horrified watching his men get torn apart by the raptors.

* ''Film/VantagePoint'': The main villain amasses a rather large list of crimes over the course of the few hours in which the movie takes place, including killing many civilians, is [[spoiler: unable to run over a little girl, ultimately proving to be his undoing - his van crashes and he is caught.]]

* ''Film/{{Alien}}'': The name "Save the cat" for this trope was coined by scriptwriter Blake Snyder, after the scene in which Ripley saves the cat from the alien. Creator/HarlanEllison noted that Ripley and Jonesey[[note]]he thought the cat's name was Shithead, because Ripley calls him one, but it's an InsultAsEndearment[[/note]] were the only survivors.

* ''Film/{{Alien}}'': The name "Save the cat" for this trope was coined by scriptwriter Blake Snyder, after the scene in which Ripley saves the cat from the alien.

* ''Film/TheWatcher'': Creator/KeanuReeves' character pets a dog. The dog belongs to the women he strangled with piano wire ''seconds'' ago. But he's a good guy.

** Another notable one is when the Middle Eastern shopkeeper blames a locksmith for his shop being broken into and robbed (the locksmith was not at fault, but the shopkeeper was paranoid from racial persecution). When the shopkeeper goes to get the money back, he holds the locksmith at gunpoint and accidentally shoots the locksmith's young daughter, which horrifies him. When she isn't hurt at all, he sees it as a sign from God, decides that the girl was sent to show him to get his life back on track, and gives the gun to his daughter. [[spoiler:His daughter actually loaded the gun with blanks, but he never realizes this.]]

** ''Film/AntMan'': After getting released from prison, Scott Lang is quickly fired from Baskin-Robbins due to his criminal record ([[MemeticMutation Baskin-Robbins always finds out]]). The manager, who's actually sympathetic towards him, offers to look the other way if he wants to help himself to a smoothie on his way out. Scott takes him up on that offer.

* ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'': The nicest thing Dr. Robotnik does throughout the course of the film is compliment the way Agent Stone makes lattes when the latter offers him one.

* ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'':
The nicest thing Dr. Robotnik does throughout the course of the film is compliment the way Agent Stone makes lattes when the latter offers him one.

* ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog'':