4. The Training Montage
Another exceptionally lazy plot device to move things forward; if writers can't find a way to realistically show a character's progress within the regular pace of the film, they'll simply speed time up by way of a clunkily constructed montage sequence, showing their improvement in just two or three minutes of screen time, usually accompanied by a cheesy pop song of the moment. While this has charmed in films such as Rocky and The Karate Kid - as well as being ably spoofed in Team America: World Police - it's pretty tiresome if ever undertaken in a serious way nowadays. It generally just smacks of a filmmaker who isn't imaginative enough to find another way to convey progress other than smattering images together like a music video, but it's not likely to be something that's going away anytime soon, because it's so easy to do, and hey, lots of people love montages.
Shaun Munro
Contributor
Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.
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