Some movie characters are no more than punch-lines, their fates tied to a disposable pay-off, either in comedic terms or as a lesson to other main characters, and you really have to feel sorry them. Theirs is a thankless existence - as is the case with every character who exists only to advance the plot - and there is special consideration for those who end up in body bags with great big "I Told You So" messages slathered over them. Despite the vibrant market for twists and turns and shocking revelations that exists in movies, even the most original of movies rely in some way on the traditional visual and tropic language of Hollywood. Every film adheres to certain expectations - in character types, or story directions - and there are inevitably a number of definitive Dos and Don'ts in the film universe. Just as you should never say "I'll Be Right Back" or have sex in a horror movie, there are a set of Cliche Commandments that govern every other film genre, and film-makers reinforce them by systematically creating and killing off characters whose very existence defies those commandments. Are you on one last mission? Do you carry around a picture of a sweetheart back home and talk of her fondly in gaps between battles? Is your shirt red, or do you find yourself offering helpful advice to a younger, more handsome person who is clearly a more important character than you? Bad news, buddy, you're probably not going to last. This one goes out to every Dead Meat Thompson in cinema history, because there have been a lot. Warning: There are some serious spoilers upcoming. Obviously.
