troperville

tools

toys

SubpagesAGodAmI
AbusiveParents
ActionDad
ActorAllusion
AffablyEvil
AffectionateParody
AfterTheEnd
AlphaBitch
AlternativeCharacterInterpretation
AlternativeForeignThemeSong
AlternativeForeignThemeTune
AmusingInjuries
AndIMustScream
AndTheFandomRejoiced
Angrish
AntiVillain
Anvilicious
AnyoneCanDie
ArsonMurderAndJaywalking
ArtEvolution
AscendedExtra
Awesome
AwesomeButImpractical
AwesomeMusic
AxCrazy
BLAM
Badass
BadassAdorable
BadassBoast
BadassCreed
BadassNormal
BalloonBelly
BerserkButton
BetterThanItSounds
BewareTheNiceOnes
BeyondTheImpossible
BigDamnHeroes
BigNo
BigOlEyebrows
BlessedWithSuck
BlindIdiotTranslation
BodyHorror
BookEnds
Bowdlerise
BreakingTheFourthWall
BrickJoke
BrokenBase
BunnyEarsLawyer
CameraAbuse
CaptainObvious
CardCarryingVillain
CarnivoreConfusion
CatchPhrase
CelebrityParadox
CentralTheme
CerebusSyndrome
ChainedHeat
CharacterDerailment
CharacterGush
ChekhovsGun
Cliffhanger
CloseCallHaircut
CloudCuckoolander
ClusterFBomb
CombatPragmatist
CompletedMigrations
ConservationOfNinjutsu
ContinuityNod
CowboyBebopAtHisComputer
CrapsackWorld
CrazyAwesome
CrazyPrepared
CreatorBreakdown
CreatorsPet
CriticalExistenceFailure
CurbStompBattle
CuteBruiser
DarkIsNotEvil
DarkerAndEdgier
DeaderThanDisco
DealWithTheDevil
DeconstructedTrope
Determinator
DethroningMoment
DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu
DieForOurShip
Discontinuity
DisproportionateRetribution
DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything
DorkAge
DoubleEntendre
DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale
DownerEnding
DracoInLeatherPants
Dresses
DrivenToSuicide
DumbMuscle
EarWorm
EarlyInstallmentWeirdness
EarnYourHappyEnding
EldritchAbomination
EnemyMine
EnforcedMethodActing
EnsembleDarkhorse
EpicFail
EstablishingCharacterMoment
EvenEvilHasStandards
EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs
EvilCounterpart
ExecutiveMeddling
ExpositoryThemeTune
Expy
ExtremeOmnivore
EyeBeams
EyeScream
FaceHeelTurn
FakeAmerican
FakeBrit
FamilyUnfriendlyDeath
FamousLastWords
FanDisservice
FanFic
FanNickname
FanPreferredCouple
Fanon
FantasticRacism
Film
FireBreathingDiner
FirstNameBasis
FiveBadBand
FiveManBand
FlameWar
Flashback
FoeYay
FollowTheLeader
FourPhilosophyEnsemble
FourTemperamentEnsemble
FreudWasRight
FreudianExcuse
FreudianTrio
Fridge
FridgeHorror
FromNobodyToNightmare
FrombadToWorse
FunWithAcronyms
Funny
FunnyAneurysmMoment
FurryConfusion
GenreDeconstruction
GenreSavvy
GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff
GetAHoldOfYourselfMan
GondorCallsForAid
GoofyPrintUnderwear
GratuitousEnglish
GroinAttack
GrowingTheBeard
GrumpyBear
Gush
Hammerspace
HarsherInHindsight
HaveAGayOldTime
Headscratchers
Heartwarming
HellIsThatNoise
HeroicBSOD
HeroicSacrifice
HeterosexualLifePartners
HilariousInHindsight
HoYay
HoistByHisOwnPetard
HonorBeforeReason
Horrible
HotBlooded
HumanlikeFootAnatomy
HumiliationConga
HypercompetentSidekick
Hypocrite
HypocriticalHumor
IAmNotShazam
IdiotBall
IdiotHero
IllGirl
ImprobableWeaponUser
ImprovisedWeapon
IneffectualSympatheticVillain
InformedAbility
InformedSpecies
InternetBackdraft
InterspeciesRomance
It
JerkWithAHeartOfGold
Jerkass
JerkassWoobie
KarmaHoudini
KeepCirculatingTheTapes
KickTheDog
KidsAreCruel
KilledOffForReal
KnightTemplar
Laconic
LampshadeHanging
LargeHam
LastNameBasis
LauncherOfAThousandShips
Leitmotif
LightIsNotGood
LightningBruiser
LookBehindYou
MacGuffin
MadmanEntertainment
MagnificentBastard
Main
MakeMeWannaShout
ManChild
MassiveMultiplayerCrossover
MeaningfulName
Memes
MemeticBadass
MesACrowd
MilesGloriosus
MindRape
MindScrew
MisaimedFandom
MissingEpisode
Monster
MoodWhiplash
Mooks
MoralEventHorizon
MotiveDecay
MrFanservice
MultinationalTeam
MundaneMadeAwesome
MundaneUtility
MustHaveCaffeine
MysteryFiction
MythologyGag
NamesTheSame
Narm
NauseaFuel
NeedsMoreLove
NeverLiveItDown
NeverTrustATrailer
NiceGuy
NiceHat
NiceJobBreakingItHero
NightmareFuel
NinjaPirateZombieRobot
NoExportForYou
NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished
NoHoldsBarredBeatdown
NonIndicativeName
NoodleIncident
NotMeThisTime
NotSoDifferent
ObfuscatingStupidity
OffscreenMomentOfAwesome
OffscreenTeleportation
OhCrap
OldShame
OlderThanTheyLook
OlderThanTheyThink
OneManArmy
OneWingedAngel
OnlySaneMan
OohMeAccentsSlipping
OurDragonsAreDifferent
OurVampiresAreDifferent
OurWerebeastsAreDifferent
OverlyLongName
PapaWolf
PaperThinDisguise
ParanoiaFuel
ParentalAbandonment
PimpedOutDress
PintsizedPowerhouse
PowerTrio
PrecisionFStrike
PunchClockVillain
PuppyDogEyes
QuirkyMiniBossSquad
Quotes
Radar
RealMenWearPink
RealityIsUnrealistic
ReassignedToAntarctica
RedOniBlueOni
Redundancy
RefugeInAudacity
RequiredSecondaryPowers
RidiculouslyHumanRobots
RingRingCRUNCH
RoaringRampageOfRevenge
RuinedFOREVER
RunningGag
SacrificialLion
SadisticChoice
SanitySlippage
SayMyName
SceneryGorn
ScheduleSlip
ScrewedByTheNetwork
SeinfeldIsUnfunny
SerialEscalation
SeriousBusiness
ShipTease
ShipperOnDeck
ShirtlessScene
ShootTheDog
ShootTheHostage
ShootTheShaggyDog
ShoutOut
ShowerOfAngst
ShownTheirWork
ShrinkingViolet
ShutUpHannibal
SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism
SmallNameBigEgo
SmallReferencePools
SmugSnake
SoBadItsGood
SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped
SomethingCompletelyDifferent
SortingAlgorithmOfDeadness
SoundtrackDissonance
SpiritualSuccessor
StalkerWithACrush
StealthPun
StepfordSmiler
StraightMan
Summary
SuperWeight
SuspiciouslySimilarSong
SuspiciouslySpecificDenial
TakeThat
TearJerker
TelevisionGeography
TemptingFate
TheChewToy
TheDragon
TheFaceless
TheFool
TheOtherDarrin
ThePollyanna
ThePowerOfRock
TheReasonYouSuckSpeech
TheScrappy
TheUnintelligible
ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill
TheyChangedItNowItSucks
TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot
ThrowItIn
ThrowTheDogABone
TimeLord
TitleDrop
TooDumbToLive
TookALevelInBadass
TookALevelInDumbass
TookALevelInJerkass
TotallyRadical
TrademarkFavoriteFood
TrainingFromHell
TropeNamers
TropersDoIt
TroubledProduction
TrueCompanions
Tsundere
UncannyValley
UnusualEuphemism
UnusuallyUninterestingSight
UpToEleven
ValuesDissonance
VerbalTic
VillainSong
VillainousBreakdown
VillainsOutShopping
VisualEffectsOfAwesome
VitriolicBestBuds
WMG
WallBangers
WarIsHell
WarpThatAesop
WellIntentionedExtremist
WhamEpisode
WhamLine
WhatAnIdiot
WhatCouldHaveBeen
WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids
WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids
WhatHappenedToTheMouse
WhatMeasureIsAMook
WhatMeasureIsANonHuman
WhatTheHellHero
WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes
WildMassGuessing
Woobie
WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds
Woolseyism
XMeetsY
Yandere
YouGottaHaveBlueHair
YouKnowThatShow
YouNoTakeCandle
YouShallNotPass
ZergRush

main index

Narrative

Genre

Media

Topical Tropes

Other Categories

TV Tropes Org
random
The Unintelligible: Film
  • Many aliens and droids in Star Wars are unintelligible, speaking only in beeps, growls or alien speech. R2-D2 and Chewbacca are both examples. Almost everyone can still understand each other, leading to a lot of Bilingual Dialogue. However, there are occasional instances where characters will translate for each other. Examples include the two cantina ruffians and C-3PO's stint as a translator for Jabba the Hutt.
    • C-3PO is a "protocol droid" designed to help with interspecies communication. This means it's his directive to translate between various languages (of which he knows a lot), and he does it quite often.
  • Captain Stimpson in Texas Across the River is capable of speaking normally, but whenever he issues a command, it sounds like, "Haroo, har!". His soldiers invariably follow the command, despite themselves being unable to understand what he's saying.
  • In the Ocean's 11 trilogy, the Amazing Yen speaks only Mandarin Chinese (except when he's swearing), yet the rest of the gang can understand him perfectly, often (but not always) leading to a Repeating so the Audience Can Hear moment.
  • Team America: World Police's rendition of Matt Damon is only capable of saying his own name.
  • One of Robin Hood's merry men in Time Bandits has to have his friend do translating duty.
  • Inspector Kemp in Young Frankenstein speaks with an accent so thick even his Transylvanian countrymen can't understand him:
    "Vee had better confeerm de fect dat yunk Frankenshtein iss indeed vallowing een ees gandfadda's vootshtaps."
  • Gabby Johnson of Blazing Saddles speaks "authentic frontier gibberish":
    "..And no sidewindin', bushwackin', hornswagglin' cracker croaker is gonna rowway... bushescutter!"
    "Now who can argue with that? ...I think we're all indebted to Gabby Johnson for clearly stating what needed to be said!"
  • Whisper in Live and Let Die. Due to some unspecified condition, he's unable to speak above a whisper.
  • Mikey O'Neil in Snatch speaks with such a thick "Pikey" accent that outsiders have difficulty understanding him. His subtitles occasionally revert to "??????"
  • Mumbles in Dick Tracy, played by Dustin Hoffman. A stenographer is seen giving up entirely on translating. Tracy is able to discern what he's saying by recording him, and then playing back the tape slowly.
    • After which of course, Mumbles is able to speak coherently to confess Big Boy Capri's plans. Albeit, he's still mumbling slightly and speaking kind of fast.
  • Police Constable Bob Walker of the Sandford Police Service in Hot Fuzz speaks with such a thick rural accent that Nicolas Angel needs other villagers to translate for him. However, isolated country folks are unintelligible to everyone but Bob, forcing a translation chain. Interestingly, as Angel gets more familiar with the town, Bob's dialogue becomes more intelligible.
  • The Pink Panther: Inspector Clouseau's outlandish accent often makes him unintelligible to others - even his fellow Frenchmen.
  • Fenster in The Usual Suspects. Benicio Del Toro invented this character aspect because the character was too thin, and existed only to die. He based his performance on Dustin Hoffman's performance as Mumbles. Cast members were asked to have him repeat himself if they couldn't understand his line delivery. A few of these end up in the final cut.
  • Hilariously played with in Hunchback Of Notre Dame by Disney. The heroes are caught by the thieves, tied, gagged, mock-trialed and are about to be hanged.
    Clopin: Any last words?
    Quasimodo and Phoebus:[mumble incomprehensibly through their gags]
    Clopin[condescendingly]: That's what they all say.
  • Farmer Fran in The Waterboy has a completely unintelligible Cajun accent.
  • Frenzy in Transformers live-action film speaks almost entirely in Cybertronian. However, he does speak English sometimes, such as his last words: "Oh, shit." Shockwave from Dark of the Moon is also fairly hard to understand.
  • The frog hunter Two-Fingers from The Princess and the Frog.
  • Blaine Cody from Rat Race, due to a self-made tongue piercing. His brother, Duane Cody will sometimes "translate" his speech.
  • The eponymous Pootie Tang. It is said that he is too cool for words and nobody undestands what he says, but what he means.
  • Herbie The Love Bug embodies this in that his horn is his only method of communication. At least one person from each movie understands him.
  • Played with in Enchanted as far as understanding The Unintelligible goes. When Pip enters the human world, he finds himself in the difficult position of only being able to utter word-like squeaks. Prince Edward thinks he understands him perfectly. He doesn't.
  • Gymnasia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. A woman hailing from the Isle of Silent Women, she expresses with pantomimes apparently unrelated to whatever is happening. When Pseudolous, her Love Interest and Butt Monkey reveals her pantomimes as an highly organized sign language which he's able to translate to the audience, the rest of the cast is genuinely suprised.
  • Elmo in Schizopolis speaks in a weird, drawling language that includes such expressions as "Arsenal! Nose army," (a greeting), "throbbing dust expression" (roughly, "nice place"), and "ambassador landmine" (roughly, "let us copulate"). When compelled to speak in normal English, he becomes almost psychotically frantic.
  • Jack-Jack from The Incredibles speaks in Baby Talk.
  • The titular protagonist in Spider is a paranoid schizophrenic who mumbles his words incoherently much of the time.
  • Q*bert in Wreck-It Ralph speaks in garbled syllables accompanied by speech bubbles, as he does in his games. Felix can at least talk back though "[his] Q*bertese is a little rusty".
  • insectosaurus from Monsters vs. Aliens only speaks be making a screeching noise. It also appears that only Missing Link can understand him.
  • Jack The Giant Slayer :Fallon's smaller head's speech is almost entirely incomprehensible.


Comic BooksThe UnintelligibleLiterature

random
TV Tropes by TV Tropes Foundation, LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org.
Privacy Policy
14854
38