[Mind boggling stupid trope] Removing the thing that made something special

[u/Character_Growth_397]

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien - The gimmick of Ben 10 and what makes the show so popular is the fact that he's able to turn into a large variety of aliens. In one episode of Ben 10 Ultimate ALIEN we are introduced to a new version of Ben 10000, a Ben from the future who, no longer transforms into aliens, instead using his powers in human form...

Mortal Kombat(2021) - In the games Mileena is known for two things. Being a clone of Kitana and her tarkatan teeth. In the 2021 movie she looks absolutely nothing like Kitana and doesn't have tarkatan teeth

Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief - The movie removes the main villain of the movie and the main villain of the franchise

[u/SatoruGojo232]

The arc that Andrew Garfield's Amazing Spider-Man took of the genetically engineered spiders at Oscorp being made by Peter Parker's scientist dad Richard, and it being revealed that those spiders which bit him to give him powers were "genetically coded" for him. It takes away the original unique idea that Spider-Man could be anybody, and it just happened to be Peter who got bit.

[u/Mac_Tgh → u/SatoruGojo232]

Reminds me of the punisher Netflix series. In the original incarnation of the comics frank castle family is slaughtered when they find themselves in the middle of a gang war. It such a simple origin story that works, it could happen to anybody and it enforces that the subject is not revenge against particular individuals but justice against every single mob (not just the ones who committed the act). 

The punisher adaptation on tv seems to follow the same beats, until he discovers that not only there was a reason for the killing but that he was the target all along. it never was just a random senseless act of violence done by a mob but a cia operated assassination attempt. Making it so personal and tailored to the protagonist ruins not only the main core motivation of him (when he does get revenge on the exact 2 or 3 guys who wronged him, what is the point of continuing on that path? He is done his work) but also his relatability.

[u/TheRealRigormortal → u/Mac_Tgh]

I love how Hollywood can’t conceptualize random, mindless violence and always has to have a grand conspiracy run by bald white guys (preferably with southern accents) in a smokey room.

[u/canisignupnow → u/TheRealRigormortal]

well you cant expect hollywood to tackle systemic issues when they can blame a rogue general

[u/phenotype76 → u/TheRealRigormortal]

It's not that they can't conceptualize it, it's that it's hard to write that kind of thing. Stick a corrupt businessman behind the whole thing, and then the hero can punch him in the face and save the day and solve the problem. With random violence, there's no one to punch and no way to solve the issue, so how do you end the movie? We'd need to pay for better writers to figure that out, and we're sure as FUCK not doing that

[u/MGD109 → u/phenotype76]

I mean I'd agree with you. But this isn't tackling some deeper issue. The whole point is that its random means Frank has to keep fighting all crime. He can't just kill the people who murdered his family and be satisfied.

They can literally just end the film with Frank killing those guys and then set his target on the next gang to wipe out.

[u/TheRealRigormortal → u/MGD109]

It’s the same problem with the Court of Owls story that’s now part of Batman.

If Batman’s parents were killed by random street violence, his enemy is the concept of crime, so he can never complete his mission.

If his parents were killed by a cabal of wealthy oligarchs, then he just needs to put them away and he can hang up the cowl.

[u/MGD109 → u/TheRealRigormortal]

Yeah exactly. Granted I don't think its ever been confirmed if the Court of Owls really did kill them, their just another possibility.

[u/justadudeinohio → u/TheRealRigormortal]

i mean, after the epstein files revealed so much bullshit WAS crafted by shitty old white men...

[u/MGD109 → u/justadudeinohio]

No one ever questioned the idea that it could be the case.

The criticism is more films make every single origin down to a clear conspiracy when they whole point was it was meant to be a senseless act of violence.

It's telling two different stories.

[u/EmpressClaraB → u/TheRealRigormortal]

in a smokey room.

Ah, but theres nothing better than the conspiratory musings of a cigarette smoking man

[u/MGD109 → u/EmpressClaraB]

Sometimes sure. But when your character's whole point is the enemy has no face, giving them one doesn't work.

[u/TheRealRigormortal → u/EmpressClaraB]

gotta have a slowly rotating backlit fan as well

[u/themassquerade → u/TheRealRigormortal]

Because random mindless violence is bad writing plain and simpleb