5. Give the Audience a Hero They Love
We knew this one already, right? This should really be a no-brainer, as it's a cardinal rule in all of fiction. If a main character isn't likeable as a person, they should at the very least be compelling enough as a protagonist that the audience is invested in their success. In your average action movie, you really need both - the hero needs to be a good guy (or gal) and this must be established as early as possible. Ideally, they're also compelling because of a perspective they must gain, a goal they must accomplish, or a redemption they must earn. Stakes should be clear, established early, and reinforced often, and the easiest way to do this is to create a hero that audiences can relate to. Luke Skywalker manages this in about 5 minutes of screen time, even though we've already met Vader, Leia, and the droids before we meet him. Indiana Jones does this in Raiders of the Lost Ark before the title relic is even mentioned. And Lucas studied the master class for this, pulling from adventure serials that Robin Hood helped shape. In Flynn's film, the very first thing that the audience sees Robin of Locksley do is to save the life of an innocent miller from the hands of clearly-established villains. Robin is both bold and sure in his convictions, but also cavalier about the consequences to himself. This tells the audience that he places more stock in the life of someone he just met than the possible reprisal he could suffer for it. He's also funny. John McClane is introduced to the audience as a down-on-his luck cop, a guy who's afraid of flying, nervous about seeing his wife again, and stuck in the worst situation without even a pair of shoes to rely on. But because he can find the humor in his circumstances, we allow ourselves to laugh with him. Which means feeling other emotions alongside John McClane is that much easier later on.