Whenever people try to connect over a film, one of the most common questions to ask is: "Who's your favorite character?" Let's be honest... chances are you're going to say the same characters. Everyone likes Han Solo from Star Wars. Everyone likes Jules from Pulp Fiction. Not to diminish the quality of these creations, but most of the time it's easy to like characters who are intended to be badass or cool - especially when they're played by actors who naturally inhabit these traits. But what about the characters who don't immediately register as cool? Don't they serve as much of a function as the other guys? Let's examine a few "misunderstood" roles - 10 underrated movie characters that the fans hate, in fact, who might deserve a bit more credit...
10. Fredo Corleone - The Godfather
Why's he hated? When your Dad is a mob boss, your older brother is a tough guy womanizer, and your younger brother is a war hero and heir, you have a greatly increased likelihood of looking like a p*ssy. Fredo unfortunately falls into this category. One of his most memorable scenes is reacting to his father's shooting, too late to do anything useful. He just cries impotently in the street. Atta boy. He's also completely locked out of the mafioso information loop. It's telling that, despite being older than Michael, no-one ever questions why Fredo wasn't considered to be an acting Godfather or even a counsel. His only meaningful contribution to the plot is selling out Michael in the second film, leaving his brother no choice but to take him out on an impromptu "fishing trip."
Why he's underrated? The Godfather trilogy unfolds like a Shakespearean drama: a "good king" falls, leaving his dutiful son to take over his kingdom with the weight of the crown bringing him lower than he's ever sunk. That's really beautiful, except that the Corleones are actually a very real crime family. The inherent romance of the setting tends to make viewers forget just how base the mafia community is. Nothing allows that hit home more than the pathos of Fredo. Not getting the memo about the tone of the films, he acts how a bitter brother would react in this situation, constantly complaining about Michael's fortunes. He doesn't have the Machiavellian planning of Hyman Roth in his betrayal - he sloppily acts out of pure envy and greed. He's not a worthy opponent to Michael, he's his simpering "little" brother who never had a chance for respect. If he were to be a bit smarter or more ruthless, his death wouldn't have nearly the same impact. He'd just be another criminal for Michael to defeat. Having to kill Fredo communicates just how low criminal underworld can sink.