I've decided to start a cleanup thread for Narm, since it seems to attract a lot of misuse and complaining. Like I said in my ATT post
, "some misuse is easy to catch (e.g. saying a joke is Narm when Narm by definition can't be a joke), a lot of examples fall into grey areas that seem like misuse but it's hard to tell. Like nitpicks that at first glance seem to be valid examples, but feel like stretches the more you think about them."
I think one of the main reasons for misuse is that most people aren't clear on what Narm actually is. To my understanding, it's when a scene is intended to be dramatic, but comes off as cheesy/funny unintentionally. But going by the page description, it's kind of vague what actually qualifies something as Narm. At the top, it says "Narm is a moment that is supposed to be serious, but due to either over-sappiness, poor execution, excessive Melodrama, or the sheer absurdity of the situation, the drama is lost to the point of surpassing "cheesy" and becoming unintentionally funny." But then later on in the same page, it gives a much more vague definition:
In CGI movies or video games unrealistic movements or facial expressions may result in Narm. Dated special effects during dramatic scenes can cause Narm for younger audience members who were raised on nothing less convincing than the Phantom Menace. Totally Radical dialog in cartoons or commercials pandering to children can also be a rich source of Narm. Even a good performance in a bad movie can evoke Narm if the actor's performance isn't enough to save the scene.
That last sentence I feel just confuses the whole thing. It makes it sound like absolutely anything can count as Narm, no matter if it works in context or not.
Most often, Narm is misused to mean "anything I personally don't think worked," whether or not it was intended as dramatic or comes off as funny. And when a work is high-profile enough, hoo boy, pretty much every scene is Narm to somebody. You can look at the Narm subpages for Doctor Who, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones and find tons of examples of people nitpicking the tiniest of details in a scene and blowing whatever it is out of proportion.
Another problem is that since it's such a subjective trope, it's not clear if there's supposed to be any sort of in-fandom consensus on the example in-question, or if every example is valid under the "it's called YMMV for a reason" excuse, even if the only person who thinks the example is Narm is the troper who adds it in.
I think it needs to be clearer whether nitpicks are valid examples of Narm, especially since nitpicking overlaps so often with barely-disguised complaining. The most frequent offenders for Narm entries I see are complaining, nitpicking, adding jokes, and ZeroContextExamples. I'm going to use Venom (2018) as an example, with my comments in bold:
- The scene of Eddie freaking out on the medical table is presented as the teaser's Money-Making Shot. It... doesn't quite work as intended, which isn't helped by it being sped up, making it look like a parody.
- The final trailer features a more complete version of the clip showing Venom's face "shutter" over Eddie. Whether or not this works or if it looks like a cheap special effect depends on who you ask.
- What makes the freakout even more narmful is that Eddie's screams are different screams playing on top of each other. The actual film lacks this strange effect. This example seems fine to me, but falls into the "The trailer is Narmy but the finished product isn't" doublespeak.
- The leaked trailer revealed some pretty terrible lines (“The guy you work for is an evil person.”). Tom Hardy's horrible New York...ish(?) accent isn't doing the delivery any favors either. And it really does not help that his voice cracks on the reading of "evil person". Thankfully, that line is not in the film proper. Do we keep examples that are purely in the trailers? Also an example of "thing falls flat" instead of "thing is funny."
- Hardy's line reading of "You're not real, you are just in my head." sounds like he's suffering from Elmuh Fudd Syndwome. At worst, he sounds like Adam Sandler's signature Manchild babbling. However there's some speculation that, based on the context of the scene and Eddie's stumbling movements, he's actually drunk, or perhaps even overdosed on medication (considering he was seen taking a bunch of pills, thinking he's sick). That and it could be a case of Reality Ensues, as it's unlikely anyone would keep the mental clarity to speak normally as an alien parasite is slowly bonding with their body. Natter. Goes back and forth between snarky complaints and defending the moment. Also nitpicking.
- Movie trailers cutting quotes out of context to form a new sentence is nothing new, but the editing on the line "you will only hurt bad people" is particularly poor, and it's very easy to hear that the line has been cut together out of separate pieces of dialogue. Not really a dramatic thing, so I don't think it counts as Narm. And it definitely isn't funny, it just falls flat.
- How Jenny Slate's character pronounces "symbiote" note . Plus, her giving firm, equal stress to all three syllables like she's speaking some foreign language. Luckily, this was cut from the theatrical release. Nitpicking and not funny.
- The shot of Eddie crashing straight through a half-fallen tree in the forest that he could just as easily have ducked under comes across as more comedic than cool, as if they just needed an additional gratuitous shot of something breaking. Especially if your mind goes to Victor from Wet Hot American Summer and his inexplicable refusal to jump over anything. It really does not help that the evil bad-guy vehicle chasing him looks like a slightly modified golf cart. The context for this one in the movie is that Venom is taking control of his body and forcing him to blindly flee through the woods to escape the Life Foundation. Context makes it not-Narm. Cut?
- Although it may look better in the context of the full scene, Eddie flying 50 feet into the air on his motorcycle off a slightly steep hill seems to rather severely break the laws of physics. Clearly written before the movie came out. Cut?
- The Jump Scare (on both sides of the fourth wall) where Venom suddenly shouts Eddie's name as he brushed his teeth would have been much more scary if not for the fact that the latter Screams Like a Little Girl. There's also the fact that he somehow throws himself backwards so hard that he crashes into the bathroom wall. Intended as comedic, so it isn't Narm.
- Remember how creepy and awesome that shot from the second trailer of the symbiote forming around Eddie's face in order to eat a guy was? In the third trailer, the potential Nightmare Fuel of that moment is significantly undercut by Venom slobbering all over the man's face with its tongue in an amusingly over-the-top manner. One is reminded of the scene with Patrick licking the yellow popsicle, or perhaps "This is the taste of a liar".... This seems pretty in-character for Venom. I'm not sure with this one.
- The guy who Carlton Drake subjects to Orifice Invasion in the third trailer would have been disturbing, if not for the victim's bland expression. Moment that falls flat; not funny. Cut.
- The symbiote's Venom-face forming on the end of Eddie's arm to talk to him strongly resembles a deranged hand puppet rather than a vicious alien parasite. There's also the fact that they can communicate telepathically, making that sequence unnecessary. Seems fine.
- Venom's violent threats to his enemies are this if they're not aggressively tasteless Black Comedy. His threat to mutilate a man until he's "like a turd on the wind" is particularly groan-inducing, especially coming after a genuinely frightening threat. How It Should Have Ended was even driven by this to make a video on just the trailer for the very first time, in which he mangles a bunch of other sayings. Pretty sure they are intended as comedy, so it's not Narm. Cut.
- The animation of the yellow symbiote just looks like mozzarella cheese come to life. Nitpick. Also... inaccurate? It's more of a mucus yellow.
- After Venom heals Eddie's broken legs, he flatly states "My legs! They were broken... and now they're not broken..."
- "My leg!" Seems fine to me.
- "HOSPITAL!!!! (extremely long pause) Now!" Zero-Context Example.
- Eddie and Anne quite casually discussing cannibalism as one of the symbiote's favorite activities. It's something that would probably sincerely shock and disgust the average person and likely require therapy, and yet it's bandied about like it's a pretty normal occurrence. These kinds of entries are tricky to me. They seem valid at first glance, but there's something off about them. I don't think this one counts if the work itself is treating the moment lightly.
- Any menace from Cletus Kasady is completely undercut by Woody Harrelson's truly ridiculous wig. A common comparison is that it causes him to look like a live-action Sideshow Bob, or a make-up-less Pennywise. Uses complainy word-choice. Otherwise fine.
- Kasady promising that there will be "carnage" after he gets out is so on-the-nose that it feels like it's straight out of a parody. First off, that's not an example of Anvilicious. Secondly, this verges on a nitpick to me. I'm not sure. It's not really funny, just lame.
- The final trade of words between Venom and Riot before the final battle is nothing but total Ham-to-Ham Combat - that and the two symbiotes happen to be Perpetual Smilers, which just gives off the feeling that they don't really give that much of a damn about their goals.
- Towards the end of the film, it's revealed that Venom used to be something of a loser on his home planet, like Eddie. This is his entire reason for wanting to save the Earth. Moment played as a joke, so it isn't Narm.
- Despite angrily forcing Eddie to spit out cooked meats because they're no longer living animals, the symbiote develops a taste for tater tots, and it practically demands that Eddie buy some during a conversation in the ending. The director admitted in an interview that the writers just thought it was funny and put it in the script. It unfortunately invites comparisons to a similar tots-focused scene in Napoleon Dynamite as a result. Entry admits it's a joke. So it isn't Narm.
- Drake having bonded with Riot is treated as a huge shocking twist going into the final battle... except for the fact that the audience was already well aware of it and saw the whole process. It feels very much like a consequence of Executive Meddling to give Riot more screentime. Another tricky example. Seems to fall under "scene doesn't work" instead of "scene is funny."
- Right after Eddie is separated from the symbiote, a rather obvious ADR overdub replaces the intended "fuck you" with the much less vicious "we're done". Not really funny, just falls flat.
- Eddie's "DRAKE! STOP!" sounds less like he's in pain and more like a little kid telling his Big Brother Bully to stop giving him a wedgie. Nitpicking. Most people wouldn't even pay this sequence any mind.
Another issue with Narm is the distinction between moments that are unintentionally funny on their own, and moments that are only unintentionally funny after Memetic Mutation or similar feat. Does the latter truly count as Narm? Because you can make the case that everything that has ever been made can fall under that.
Edited by MisterApes-a-lot on Mar 31st 2019 at 7:06:31 AM
Anddrix
Since: Oct, 2014
#377: Sep 23rd 2020 at 8:01:16 AM
Reposting from the previous page, so it doesn't get lost:
Bringing up the following example from Doctor Who S29 E13 "Last of the Time Lords":
- Narm: The Master using Rapid Aging to somehow turn the Doctor into Gollum and Dobby's freaky love child came across as downright ridiculous to quite a few viewers. But many more, including most members of the first group, felt that the episode then managed to top that moment in absurdity by having the Doctor then turn into what can only really described as Tinkerbell Jesus in the climax.
Edited by Anddrix on Sep 23rd 2020 at 4:01:41 PM
MisterApes-a-lot
Since: Mar, 2018
#378: Sep 23rd 2020 at 4:48:28 PM
Might be legit, but boy is it complainy. It needs a serious rewrite.
Anddrix
Since: Oct, 2014
#379: Sep 23rd 2020 at 8:45:53 PM
Reposting from the previous page, so it doesn't get lost:
Bringing up the following examples from Doctor Who S37 E1 "The Woman Who Fell to Earth":
- Narm: American viewers will be left giggling over the design of "Tim Shaw's" transport capsule, given that its shape bears an uncanny resemblance to a Hershey's kiss◊.
- Narm Charm: The Stenza's face being decorated with the teeth of those he's killed is simultaneously absurd, unnerving, and revolting.
Tabs
Since: Jan, 2001
#380: Sep 24th 2020 at 4:04:22 PM
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
First sounds OK, cut the second for being just... confusing? Scary despite funny despite scary?
Anddrix
Since: Oct, 2014
#381: Sep 25th 2020 at 3:32:07 AM
Reposting from the previous page, so it doesn't get lost:
Bringing up the following examples from Blade Runner 2049:
- Narm:
- The decision to cast Dave Bautista as a hulking but still relatively nerdy doctor might have gotten some surprising acting from the former professional wrestlers, but those familiar with his usual roles and persona could easily giggle at the sight of him in such role. That his glasses look somewhat small for his face doesn't help.
- The hologram with whom K shares a rather touching relationship is named "Joi", which is meaningful by itself but unfortunately also might remind some of "JOI" or "Jerk-Off Instructions", a term used to describe a form of porn. Though, considering that the character is a holographic AI designed to be a perfect romantic partner for lonely men, this might be an intentional reference.
- While Niander Wallace is an interesting and powerfully acted character, "Wallace" is a rather prosaic surname, especially next to the more exotic-sounding Tyrell from the previous film. The fact that his corporation's name follows again the unoriginal pattern of "surname + Corp" and thus causes his surname to be repeated over and over in the film only makes it to be even worse.
- Joi serving K boring food with a hologram laid over it might remind you of a different character with a computer wife that serves him holograms for dinner, which might dampen the drama of food scarcity a bit.
- K casually bursting through a marble stone wall while chasing Deckard is not only a Mood Whiplash for a scene meant to be tense, but also the kind of stunt one would expect from the Incredible Hulk in an Avengers movie.
- Narm Charm: Niander Wallace is so Obviously Evil that some of his dialogue borders on the cartoonish (i.e. "You do not know what pain is... you will learn"), but Jared Leto sells the hell out of it so convincingly that the character is both charismatic and terrifying.
mightymewtron
Angry babby
from New New York
Since: Oct, 2012
Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Angry babby
#382: Sep 25th 2020 at 2:14:38 PM
- Bautista is just WTH, Casting Agency?.
- Accidental Innuendo, also I've never heard that acronym before in my life.
- "Wallace" isn't such a ridiculous name that it would render everything about an otherwise serious character difficult to take seriously.
- Doubtful since it sounds like Fan Myopia.
- This sounds like it could fit for the ridiculous visual of a character crashing into a wall during an otherwise tense scene, but the Hulk connections don't need to be there.
Not sure about the Narm Charm.
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
mightymewtron
Angry babby
from New New York
Since: Oct, 2012
Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Angry babby
#383: Sep 26th 2020 at 6:50:35 PM
From YMMV.Just Dance:
- Narm: In "Bum Bum Tam Tam", there is a Gold Move that requires the players to point at each other. Problem is, it comes up just as the singer says "as novinha saliente". "Novinha" is a Brazilian slang for a young woman, normally in the teenage years, while "saliente" in this context refers to a person with uncontrolled sex drive. So it looks as if the dancers are accusing each other of being horny teenagers.
This is more Accidental Innuendo, isn't it?
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
MisterApes-a-lot
Since: Mar, 2018
#384: Sep 26th 2020 at 7:54:05 PM
Yeah, that's about right. It also doesn't seem to be played for drama, so it can't be Narm.
#385: Sep 28th 2020 at 3:01:37 PM
I found this spicy example on the YMMV page for Little Shop of Horrors
* Narm: "All I ever wanted was you..." Awww, how cu- "...and a sweet little house." Yeah, totally not for the money.
It's a complete non example and doesn't explain anything.
mightymewtron
Angry babby
from New New York
Since: Oct, 2012
Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Angry babby
#386: Sep 28th 2020 at 5:05:52 PM
Even if it had proper context, it's a "falls flat" misuse. Cut.
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
#387: Sep 28th 2020 at 5:49:42 PM
From YMMV.Miraculous Ladybug:
- Narm:
- In "Lady Wifi", Marinette recognizes that Alya is the Villain of the Week by the charm on her cell phone. It may not seem narm-y, until you see that aside from her outfit and mask, she looks exactly the same as she always does. It becomes even more so in "Rogercop" when Sabrina is able to immediately recognize that Rogercop is her dad even though his face and outfit is obscured.
- Some of the villains can qualify, regardless of if they turn out to be Not-So-Harmless Villains. For example, the Bubbler and Mr. Pigeon; while they both may be legitimate threats in practice — those bubbles could have potentially suffocated every adult in Paris leaving vulnerable children alone, and pigeons and their waste are a genuine health concern, being considered "flying rats" — it's still hard to take their motifs seriously, which really isn't helped by both men's rather embarrassing-sounding monikers, the Bubbler's attempts to be Totally Radical, and Mr. Pigeon acting like a pigeon, complete with cooing and flapping his arms like wings.
- "Princess Fragrance" was the audience's first taste of a Musical Episode, albeit not one that could qualify entirely as one (the dialogue was sung but there were no numbers). The musical elements were overlooked. Then the Christmas Episode rolled around, this time a bona fide Musical Episode to boot, with numbers impossible to look away from without missing plot-important sequences. It wasn't... pleasant.
- The term "de-evilize" can be awkward to listen for some English-speaking people.
- "Sandboy" has Master Fu's greatest fears manifest themselves as tiny floating bedsheet ghosts, greatly lessening their impact and making his fear of them look a bit silly. Of course, given that most of the other nightmares are also rather silly despite also being serious subjects (which makes sense since the Sandboy is a young boy with a basic understanding of psychological fear), this can come off as Narm Charm instead.
- The Christmas special may be the first example of singing one's attacks, as Cat Noir sings "Cataclysm!" as he rushes to destroy a giant Christmas tree. The angst of his preceding anti-Christmas musical number doesn't help matters.
- Chris, despite looking no older than 7, is voiced by an adult male voice actor in the English version, and he plays him with such an annoyingly screechy voice.
- Gabriel is supposed to be a renowned fashion designer, but it's hard to take that seriously when the cloak he designed to symbolize Audrey and Andre Bourgeous' "eternal love" in "Heart Hunter" looks like a glorified get-along shirt. Of course, he did specifically make it to piss them off.
Most of this just seems like complaining, honestly. The only ones that seem to count is maybe the second one, though even that one seems at least partly intentional by the nature of the show, but I'm not sure. And the fifth one is arguing with itself.
"Let’s see who’s stronger: someone that has something to protect, or someone that has nothing to lose."
mightymewtron
Angry babby
from New New York
Since: Oct, 2012
Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Angry babby
#388: Sep 28th 2020 at 11:02:10 PM
From House Party:
- Narm: While Katherine being a fan of the Game Grumps is actually somewhat adorable, the way her voice actress delivers the name can be wince-inducing, since she's pronouncing it with a long gap in the middle. The Grumps themselves speculate that the actress had no idea what the show even was when she recorded that line.
MisterApes-a-lot
Since: Mar, 2018
#389: Sep 28th 2020 at 11:11:28 PM
Not dramatic or funny. Cut.
Anddrix
Since: Oct, 2014
#390: Oct 1st 2020 at 12:32:29 AM
Bringing up the following examples from Batman: Three Jokers:
- Narm:
- Batgirl draws and throws a batarang at Red Hood in the time it takes Hood to fire a pistol already drawn. Even sillier, it's implied she intentionally missed, when the art looks like it hit.
- Barbara and Jason kissing in issue 2. No build-up to this moment, and the characters have been in opposition for much of the series.
- In one panel, Batman looks at Alaska on a globe unprompted. The comic immediately cuts to Joker talking to Joe Chill.
#391: Oct 1st 2020 at 1:58:51 AM
The last one sounds like it's intentionally funny.
MisterApes-a-lot
Since: Mar, 2018
#392: Oct 1st 2020 at 4:54:10 PM
I don't think the second two are valid. The middle one is just complaining/"thing falls flat" and the last one is probably just symbolism. At best, it isn't really funny. The first entry strikes me as Fridge Logic/dramatic license.
#393: Oct 2nd 2020 at 9:36:59 AM
The Narm section on Pokémon Dark Rising needs a look. Some of it is genuine considering the game's rather poorly-written nature, but let's determine how much of it is actual examples:
Review
- Narm:
- Some of the spritework is less than appealing. Especially Atem. The fact that Atem cameos in this game at all is silly enough.
- The game is so buggy that there are some broken scripts that can be hilarious to watch.
- Arceus: "Use strategy to overcome him." ...Against a level 50 Tornadus with an unevolved starter.
- Three words: DARK EVIL PETE.
- Light's evil creature of darkness is admittedly scary looking, but its called "Conarp."
- The first encounter with V. He claims that he's taking no chances with the protagonist, but after he is defeated, he says he isn't using his full power.
- The encounter with Amaris:
- "A TAIL SUDDENLY APPEARS ON AMARIS' BODY."
- "Greetings [player]. I AM DARUGIS!! ...Circle"
- The encounter with Amaris:
- After Sakura and Kaiden were petrified...
- "What's happened to him? He's stoned...
- After Sakura and Kaiden were petrified...
- This dialogue right here between the player and V-Rebirth.
- Player: What have you done to KAIDEN and SAKURA? They're your children!
- V-Rebirth: FOOL!!! *battle begins*
- This dialogue right here between the player and V-Rebirth.
- Light challenging you with the Lass encounter theme.
- If you know about My Immortal's existence, then the 4 Knights of Ebony's round table will inspire some stiffed laughs.
- The leader of the knights might've been intimidating, if he wasn't called "boy with yellow hair", and if the protagonist didn't step on the unconscious body of your friendly rival.
- The music in general. Dark Rising is trying to have a serious and dark storyline, which is completely at odds with the soundtrack from Fire Red/Leaf Green, which does not convey this sense of dread in the slightest. The game concludes with Pallet Town music.
- After being portrayed as the unseen satanic archetype to Arceus in Dark Rising 1, we finally get to see Darugis's true form, and... Darugis's trainer sprite in Dark Rising 2 is that of a peppy red haired boy.note
- His Darugis-S and Darugis-X pokemon sprites (yes, Darugis sends out a Mega Evoution of himself, pretty narmy of its own) may be either sprite garbage or a somewhat creepy abomination though.
- "I am Hoopa. Order is mine." Even funnier as it sounds like "Hooplah."
Since I actually played the first one and watched a playthrough of the second (didn't want to suffer the gameplay because gosh the first one was a nightmare), I might be able to expand the zero context ones, but what do you think otherwise?
—signature not found—
Anddrix
Since: Oct, 2014
#394: Oct 3rd 2020 at 2:13:44 PM
Bringing up the following examples from The Matrix:
- Narm:
- "What is the Matrix? Control. The Matrix is a computer-generated dreamworld, built to keep us under control. In order to change a human being into this." Cue a close-up of Morpheus' face, after which he holds up a Duracell battery.
- "TRINITY! HELP!"
- The ridiculous way that the Sentinels spin around rapidly to throw bombs doesn't quite invoke the same reaction as their other methods of attack.
- When Tank kills Cypher, he "spits" at him, but "spitting" consists of him simply angrily saying the phrase "ptoo!"
- The stilted manner in which Trinity says "God damn you, Cypher!".
- "It means fasten your seatbelt Dorothy, 'cause Kansas is going bye-bye."
- When Mouse tells everyone that "Morpheus is fighting Neo", they all charge towards the door in a comically exaggerated manner.
- Narm Charm: Hugo Weaving's American accent as Agent Smith is a bit over the top, but it just serves to make him all the more sinister.
HighCrate
Since: Mar, 2015
#395: Oct 3rd 2020 at 3:29:14 PM
All ZC Es except for the Narm Charm one.
tropineasily
Currently Suspended
Since: Sep, 2018
Currently Suspended
#396: Oct 4th 2020 at 12:57:30 AM
A recent addition to YMMV.The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes:
- Narm: Plenty of it, as we see the novel from Coriolanus' perspective, who is something of a drama queen and tends to exaggerate small things, making some of his inner monologue unintentionally funny. Examples include:
- When Coriolanus is unenthusiastic about having to eat cabbage:
Coriolanus released the fistful of cabbage into the pot of boiling water and swore one day that it would never pass his lips again. But this was not that day.- Later on, he says, in all seriousness:
When he removed the lid, a mush of congealed, shredded potatoes stared back at him. Had his grandmother finally made good her threat of learning to cook? Was the stuff even edible?- Towards the end, we get this gem, prompted by Coriolanus having to spend a few hours out in nature:
Heavy, dark clouds rolled in, providing some relief from the beating sun but adding to his oppression. This was his life now. Digging for worms and being at the mercy of the weather. Elemental. Like an animal. He knew this would be easier if he wasn’t such an exceptional person. The best and the brightest humanity had to offer. The youngest to pass the officer candidate test. If he’d been useless and stupid, the loss of civilization would not have hollowed out his insides in this manner. He’d have taken it in stride.
#397: Oct 4th 2020 at 1:53:33 PM
I find it hard to believe that anything in a paragraph containing the narrator thinking "this would be easier if he wasn't such an exceptional person" is meant to be taken at face value.
Unoriginalusername3
from Nimmermeer
Since: Apr, 2019
Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
#398: Oct 5th 2020 at 9:05:11 AM
^^ I'm pretty sure the second one is meant to be comedic in a snarky way, especially the sentence about his grandmother making good on her threaths to learn how to cook.
Anddrix
Since: Oct, 2014
#399: Oct 7th 2020 at 2:18:21 PM
Bringing up the following examples from Batman Begins:
- Narm Charm: Shane Rimmer's lines as a water technician as Ra's al Ghul's train hurtles towards him are perhaps the clunkiest and worst-written in the entire franchise. Fans of RiffTrax can almost hear Mike say "got that audience?" in the background. Nevertheless, he puts the required effort into them, and the audience feels happy when he survives.
Old Water Technician: The pressure's coming straight for the main hub under Wayne Tower, and if that pressure reaches us, the whole water supply, right across the city is gonna blow!Old Water Technician: Evacuate the building. We're right on top of the main hub, and it's gonna blow!
- Narm: Victor Zsasz manages to undercut Batman's interrogation of Flass by...well, by imagining that he's at a rave or something.
MisterApes-a-lot
Since: Mar, 2018
#400: Oct 7th 2020 at 7:56:13 PM
The Narm Charm entry is written as "thing kinda works in spite of flaw", not "scene has charm because of the Narm", so I'd say cut it.
Total posts: 2,657
Doesn't explain how it's funny, just "this makes me think of a thing". I say cut it.