Plunkett and Macleane: Difference between revisions

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{{tropework}}
[[File:Plunkett_N_Macleane.jpg|frame|Buggers with style.]]
{{quote box|Buggers with style.}}
 
''Plunkett & Macleane'' is a historical action comedy, released in 1999. The titular characters are based very, [[Very Loosely Based Onon a True Story|very loosely]] on real life [[The Highwayman|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.
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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 [[Rule of Cool|entertainment]] and [[Rule of Funny|humour]] to take precedent over strict historical accuracy.
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{{tropelist}}
=== Tropes Used: ===
 
* [[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. {{spoiler|Macleane goes back for Rebecca, despite Plunkett's warnings its a trap. In the end it gets him arrested and convicted for murder}}.
* [[Anti -Hero|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
{{quote| '''Macleane''': Still swinging both ways, Rochester?<br />
'''Rochester''': Jamie, I swing ''every way''. }}
* [[Asshole Victim]]: Rooting for the two rather unscrupulous highwaymen -- other than the fact that [[Jerk Withwith a Heart of Gold|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.
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* [[Big Damn Heroes|Big Damn Hero]]: {{spoiler|Plunkett}} has a glorious example of this.
* [[Black Comedy]]: Along side the light humoured stuff, there's some pretty grim humour too.
* [[DancesandDances and Balls]]: A brief but no less elaborate ball is held midway through the movie.
* [[Defiant to Thethe End]]: Despite {{spoiler|the fact Macleane is about to be wrongly sentenced to death for murder}}, he regrets only one thing. And lets the Lords, Ladies and Judge watching know it.
{{quote| {{spoiler|'''Macleane'''}}: I am guilty of one thing for which I am heartily sorry. Namely {{spoiler|cheating my friend and fellow highwayman}}. A man who has more nobility of soul, in his little finger, than any of you bloated bastards have in your entire bodies.}}
* [[Duel to Thethe Death]]: In the form of 'Pistols at Dawn' {{spoiler|subverted in that neither Chance nor Plunkett die. Chance cheats to avoid death whilst Plunkett is only wounded}}.
* [[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 [[Gorgeous Period Dress|contrast]] to the nobility and filthy rich.
* [[Eye Scream]]: Plunkett's dying partner falls victim to this, courtesy of Chance.
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* [[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 {{spoiler|Macleane is hanged}}.
{{quote| '''Chance:''' Open your eyes!}}
* [[Good Times Montage]]: The duo rack up a shitload of heists and money. Unfortunately a darker undercurrent begins to show as {{spoiler|Macleane's pissing it all away on gambling}}.
* [[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, ItsIt's That Guy!]]: We have [[Trainspotting|Begbie & Sickboy]], teaming up to rob people? Makes sense.
* [[The Highwayman|The Highwaymen]]
* [[Historical Domain Character]]: Sort of. Rochester is presumably a reference to [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilmot:John Wilmot,_2nd_Earl_of_Rochester 2nd Earl of Rochester|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 {{spoiler|saves Macleane ''despite'' him bringing his hanging on himself and spending all their money}}. Macleane doesn't share this this sentiment initially {{spoiler|but comes to respect Will and regret his selfish actions later on. Even coming back with Rebecca in the tunnels to save Plunkett from Chance's men}}.
* [[Honor Before Reason]]: Plunkett {{spoiler|when he allows Chance his shot in a duel. Despite having every right to deny him, since the general cheated, simply to show him he was the better man}}. In fact Plunkett's sense of honor causes {{spoiler|the above duel}} 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]]: {{spoiler|Chance is killed with a bullet through the eye whilst trying to gouge out someone else's ''again''. Justified in that Plunkett lured him into the situation and probably shot him there in retribution for his ex-partner}}.
* [[Loveable Rogue]]: Macleane. He's a bit of dick with a gambling problem but he ''still'' comes off as likeable.
* [[Moe Greene Special]]: {{spoiler|How Plunkett finally takes Chance down}}.
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* [[Playing Possum]]: Used to lethal effect by {{spoiler|Plunkett. Who kills Chance when he lets down his guard to try and torture him}}.
* [[Pocket Protector]]: An odd villainous example {{spoiler|Chance survives the duel with Plunkett because he kept a bible over his heart and even declaring ''Thank God'' despite clearly being a cowardly cheat}}.
* [[Pre -Mortem One -Liner]]:
{{quote| {{spoiler|'''Chance'''}}: Does that hurt?<br />
{{spoiler|'''Plunkett'''}}: ''*Grinning*'' Only when I laugh. ''*BANG!*'' }}
* [[Revenge]]: Plunkett swears this on Chance.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Films of the 1990s]]
[[Category:Plunkett Andand Macleane]]
[[Category:TropeFilm]]