Before we delve into the films themselves, we have to establish a set of criteria that ensures that all the aspects of the films plots share the same characteristics. Films usually have a three-act structure and, following the Freytag Pyramid, usually have exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and dénouement. The following six films, however, have taken this to the extreme and established their very own rigid structure that matches up with each other so well that its frightening. The following films on this list feature the following plot structure in the exact same order: Every story needs one. The all around good guy that the audience connects with. He is the fearless leader of our group of protagonists. The story usually starts with him getting thrown into the dire scenario one way or another, and the only way for him to beat the bad guy is to put together a team to do what no one else can. Also, in all likelihood, he is a war vet. The story not only needs a singular bad guy to represent the opposing force, said bad guy has to be menacing, scene stealing, and at times, cheesy. This guy is usually the charismatic second in command that occasionally butts heads with our traditional hero because of his ego. He is usually a more interesting character than the hero and as such, an appealing actor is cast in this role. In this rigid blueprint, this is the character that always gets the girl for some reason. This is the entire set up, where the objective is set and the circumstances surrounding it are established. This is usually an incredible situation that the normal authorities cannot solve, so they call upon our group of misfits. The stakes are very high, and in the beginning of the movie we often wonder how such a group of main characters can even begin to cultivate a victory against the main antagonist. Getting the Crew Together - This is usually edited as a montage of the traditional hero going off and gathering his prospective team. This serves as an introduction to each of the more minor characters that make up the rest of the team. You can bet that each of them will have their own quirks, special skills, and unique sense of morality. Now that the team is put together, time to put their teamwork to the test. This is the first time they go after the main villain and make their presence known. This usually constitutes an action sequence where the stakes arent that high, but its exciting to watch nonetheless. Every story needs a bump, a conflict that breaks down our lovable group of rogue heroes and seemingly puts them at a disadvantage, almost to a point where it seems that the bad guy wins. This is usually the same mission where the opposition hits close to home, usually the very home of our heroes getting attacked by the bad guy himself. At times, this can also involve the heroes turning against each other. This is the pivotal moment for the heroes. The marker that says things just got serious. Someone close to them or even part of their team is tragically killed as a result of the failure mission. Our heroes sulk in defeat at this loss, but this gives them a reason to fight. This characters death shall not be in vain, the traditional hero would say. They remaining heroes then gear up and head into.. This is the big climax, where a majority of the spectacular action takes place. By this time our group of misfits has learned to fully work together, and after an incredibly epic battle against the bad guys forces, they emerge victorious. The scene chewing bad guy is defeated and the day is saved. The plot is defined as the events that make up a story in a certain order or pattern. As youll see with these films, they all follow the pattern listed above in that order. This is by no means condemning these films for not being original. Each is very entertaining in their own right with the different themes they explore. Its just interesting to see that many of the films released today share the exact same plot. Lets take a look shall we?
6. Red Dawn
A group of teenagers must band together and fight back against North Korean forces that have taken over their hometown in order to help save America. -
The Traditional Hero Jed Eckert (Chris Hemsworth) -
The Scene Chewing Villain Captain Cho (Will Yun Lee) -
The Foil Matt Eckert (Josh Peck) -
Dire scenario North Korea has taken over America and has threatened their city with violence. Many residents are taken into prisoner camps and Marshall Law is established. The only hope rides on a bunch of teenagers that were able to hideout in the woods. -
Getting the Crew Together Each of the motley crew of youngsters get a brief introduction in their everyday lives before they are thrown into the chaos of war in the frontlines. -
The First Victory The Wolverines, as they come to call themselves, hit several North Korean outposts through successful guerilla warfare and improvised bombs. This severely cripples the foothold of the soldiers and also lowers their morale. The Wolverines celebrate with a well earned meal from Subway. -
The Failure Mission The assassination attempt on Captain Cho/ Matt saving Erica. Everything seemed to go wrong with this mission. Captain Cho finds the bomb meant for him and disarms it before Jed can trigger it, Matt leaves his position to go on a rogue rescue mission of Erica, the resulting fight kills one of the Wolverines, and Jed is wounded in their hasty escape. At least they got Erica back. -
The Sacrificial Lamb Danny and Julie. The North Koreans find the location of the Wolverines hideout and, just to be safe, bomb the entire area. The group wakes up and manages to escape, except for Danny and Julie, who are caught in the blast. Now without a place for shelter and on the run, the Wolverines are running out of options. That is, until three marines come to their aid. -
The Final Battle The attack on the police station. With three marines now on their side, the Wolverines have one objective: to obtain the electronic device that the North Koreans use to communicate on a secure channel. To do this, they must infiltrate their base of operations, which is the towns police station. The mission is very action heavy, intense, and brings Jed and Captain Cho face to face. Jed wins.