Plunkett and Macleane



Plunkett & Macleane is a historical action comedy, released in 1999. The titular characters are based very, very loosely on real life highway men William Plunkett and James Macleane. The story itself pretty much nothing to do with them.

Set in 1748, when highwaymen are plaguing the wealthy along England's roads, the film a revolves around the criminal partnership of the titular characters. Macleane witnesses a robbery gone wrong when Plunkett's young partner is killed by Thief Taker General Chance. Desperate to clear his debts Macleane attempts to retrieve a valuable ruby the deceased partner swallowed before his death. Unfortunately at the cemetery he's confronted at gunpoint by Plunkett. Things take a bad turn for both parties when Chances men arrive to arrest them forcing Plunkett to swallow the ruby before their capture.

Realising Macleane's higher social status will allow him the means to bribe them both out of prison with the jewel, Plunkett proposes a new partnership. Macleane begins living among the rich, gaining inside knowledge so Plunkett can figure out how to rob them blind. Beginning a lucrative and highly risky business venture together. As their notoriety spreads, General Chance grows more eager to catch them in the act and Macleane begins to complicate things further by falling for one Lady Rebecca Gibson.

As a whole the film is your classic tale of unlikely partners becoming friends that just happen to be criminals in the 18th century. Expect entertainment and humour to take precedent over strict historical accuracy.

Tropes Used:
"Macleane: Still swinging both ways, Rochester? Rochester: Jamie, I swing every way."
 * Absurdly Spacious Sewer: Used to escape on several occassions by the highwaymen.
 * All Girls Want Bad Boys: Lady Rebecca, of course. One woman in the middle of being robbed no less, was enjoying things a little too much...
 * Always Save the Girl: Subverted..
 * Anti Heroes: Plunkett & Macleane, despite being thieves come off very heroic, especially given the evil Chance is hunting them and the people they steal from are mostly elitist snobs.
 * Anything That Moves: Rochester

": I am guilty of one thing for which I am heartily sorry. Namely . A man who has more nobility of soul, in his little finger, than any of you bloated bastards have in your entire bodies."
 * Asshole Victim: Rooting for the two rather unscrupulous highwaymen -- other than the fact that they both turn out to be not quite so unscrupulous after all -- is certainly made a lot easier by the fact that the people who they steal from are pretty much uniformly complete and utter dickwads.
 * Badass: Will Plunkett.
 * Becoming the Mask: Macleane's love of excess and playing the rich boy start to get the better of him.
 * Big Bad: Thief Taker General Chance.
 * Big Damn Hero:  has a glorious example of this.
 * Black Comedy: Along side the light humoured stuff, there's some pretty grim humour too.
 * Dances and Balls: A brief but no less elaborate ball is held midway through the movie.
 * Defiant to the End: Despite, he regrets only one thing. And lets the Lords, Ladies and Judge watching know it.

"Chance: Open your eyes!"
 * Duel to the Death: In the form of 'Pistols at Dawn'.
 * The Dung Ages: The peasantry are shown to live in some pretty flithy and harsh conditions, which is likely accurate for the very poor of the time. In deliberate contrast to the nobility and filthy rich.
 * Eye Scream: Plunkett's dying partner falls victim to this, courtesy of Chance.
 * Fatal Flaw: Macleane loves women and gambling. You'll never guess what gets him in trouble.
 * Forced to Watch: As if we didn't have enough motivation to hate Chance, he forces Rebecca to watch as.
 * Forced to Watch: As if we didn't have enough motivation to hate Chance, he forces Rebecca to watch as.

": Does that hurt?
 * Good Times Montage: The duo rack up a shitload of heists and money. Unfortunately a darker undercurrent begins to show as.
 * Gorgeous Period Dress: It is the 18th Century nobels being robbed after all.
 * Grave Robbing: James tries this to obtain the ruby at the cemetary, Will's having none of it.
 * Guns Akimbo: Hell yes. Complete with Badass posing.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: We have Begbie & Sickboy, teaming up to rob people? Makes sense.
 * The Highwaymen
 * Historical Domain Character: Sort of. Rochester is presumably a reference to John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, who was likewise an Anything That Moves kind of guy, although that Rochester lived around a century before the setting of the film. Likewise, Plunkett and Macleane themselves are inspired by actual highwaymen.
 * Honor Among Thieves: Plunkett swears revenge for his partners death early on and then . Macleane doesn't share this this sentiment initially.
 * Honor Before Reason: Plunkett . In fact Plunkett's sense of honor causes   in the first place.
 * I Have You Now, My Pretty: Chance acts this way towards Rebecca, who is digusted by his very presence.
 * Kick Them While They Are Down: Chance is very fond of this.
 * Laser-Guided Karma:.
 * Loveable Rogue: Macleane. He's a bit of dick with a gambling problem but he still comes off as likeable.
 * Moe Greene Special:.
 * Estrogen Brigade Bait: Macleane obviously. However Plunkett has his a different appeal. Rochester calls him a "delicious bit of rough," and after Plunkett's honourable performance during, news of his bravery (and his visible injury) lead to some marked interest from a few of the ladies in Macleane's acquaintance.
 * Playing Possum: Used to lethal effect by.
 * Pocket Protector: An odd villainous example.
 * Pre-Mortem One-Liner:
 * *Grinning* Only when I laugh. *BANG!*"


 * Revenge: Plunkett swears this on Chance.
 * Royal Brat: A lot of the rich victims are nothing more than vain spoilt brats.
 * Sociopathic Hero: Plunkett has elements of this.
 * Sociopathic Hero: Plunkett has elements of this.