This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Clipped to What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic Discussion
Mr Etaoin Shrdlu: We should have a thing for works of fiction called TV Tropes Elements Of Awsomeness. Every entry for a work of fiction would have a page listing the things in it that are awesome. They'd include:
- Anything under Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot
- Anything under Everything's Better With Indexes
- A Cool Old Guy
- A Magnificent Bastard
- A character who is Crazy Awesome
Seth: ...that is the coolest image i have ever seen.
Kendra Kirai: Told you.
Ununnilium: XD Yes.
Seth: I couldn't resist spoiler tagging the ultimate showdown bit.
Ununnilium: Pulling out...
- Also the reason why 300 is so popular.
...because this isn't an entry simply about things that are cool, but about unlikely things being excused because they're cool. Now, if there's something specific in 300 that's unlikely but okay because it's cool, that should be put in.
Seven Seals: The part where 300 Spartans hold off an army of millions is rather far-fetched. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Seth: Don't sweat the small stuff, its all about the vision :D.
- Ditto 300.
...again, say something specific about 300 that falls under this. >>
Seven Seals: Actually, I think that's impossible, at least if you want to be honest. All of 300 is an instance of the Rule of Cool. The entire movie. You can't really point at one thing and say: "well, this is the part that doesn't really make sense and was just put in to get the cool factor up". I mean, where to begin? The Persian army wasn't a collection of monsters and slaves, Xerxes wasn't a vaguely androgynous, pierced freak, Leonidas probably didn't kill a dozen Spartans by charging straight into them and he probably didn't chuck a spear straight at Xerxes to graze him, etcetera, etcetera. None of this was designed to make narrative sense, it's just cool. There are some outrageous things in the movie that actually did happen (or did happen as far as historians claim they did) but even those face massive dramatic exaggeration. Note that, yes, it is important that 300 is supposed to be based on a historic event; without that there wouldn't be a reference point for just how amped-up it is.
Scientivore: The Rule of Cool applies to historical inaccuracies?
Rabbit: I would argue this is a partial subversion of the Rule of Cool; as we see at the very end, every single detail of the over-the-top, incredibly dramatic combat is a retelling by the one survivor, who is relating the story to pump up the REAL army heading into battle with the Persians a year later. (I have no idea if this element is present in the original Frank Miller graphic novel or not, but it's very obvious in the movie the narrator is embellishing to make the story as inspiring and mythical as possible.)
HeartBurn Kid: If anything, that's just Lampshade Hanging, not a subversion.
Sci Vo: I would call it a justification, actually. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Big T: I was about to ask why the ZP quote was bleeped, and then I remembered that he actually intentionally (and badly) bleeped the word in the original. (which he said was a joke) Hope it doesn't give anybody the wrong idea abouot him...
Fast Eddie: Pulled
... to many long quotes at the top. Please see Administrative Policy
Wasn't the purple shirted Doctor from the Authority part of this? I'm not clear on how his powers worked; was it just willpower or was stating his intent a cool way the needed factor to make his spells work? Either way, being a horse-porn loving smack addict did -not- help in the fights. Seriously. Horse porn and smack. I love Image comics.
Clevomon: The opening level in the first Kingdom Hearts was a dream sequence, right? In other words, should it really be held to Rule of Cool standards?
Megaduck: Did it really make sense? No. Was it undoubtably the coolest thing ever? Most definitely. It belongs here.
Andrew: I replaced the second quote. I just think the Bolt line is the ''perfect encapsulation of the trope.
D Travel: One could argue that the entire "story" in the show 'Lost' is an ongoing series of attempts to invoke The Rule of Cool.
