The Lord of the Rings series on Prime Video, The Rings of Power, has upped the ante compared to other screen adaptations in how it portrays the proud mining race of Dwarves. Peter Jackson’s The Midgets trilogies were still adorable, but they came with a silliness that made them hard to take seriously. By comparison, Prince Durin IV and Disa are still funny and charming, but their pride in their race and their great kingdom makes them easy to respect.
It’s a lot more like Tolkien’s Dwarves books. Fans of Jackson’s LotR movies have often complained that Gimli was much clumsier than his book counterpart, which set the tone for the midgets later on. Over time, the concept of bringing a good character back to the meager comic relief role has been referred to by fans on Reddit as “Gimlied,” and they’ve discussed other movie characters who have fallen victim to this character butchering.
Gimli – The Lord of the Rings
As the character who inspired this movie faux pas, Gimli is the king of “Gimlied.” His role was comical in The Fellowship of the Ring movie compared to the book, but he stayed within the confines of a well-rounded character. However, by Two Towers, Gimli has undergone some changes.
“Gimli has gone from being a proud, rugged character with a slightly overly high opinion of dwarfs to this goofy comic book character who falls a lot,” said Redditor ElDinero87. It’s even in starker contrast to his book counterpart Two Towers, who was just as strong and capable as Legolas.
Bruce Banner – MCU
Hulk has been a staple of Marvel Comics for generations, so his inclusion in the 2012 film The Avengers was a must. In it, Bruce Banner is a quiet man, working hard to avoid any triggers. It pretty much matched his character in the comics, but it didn’t last for the other movies.
“The way he acts in Avengers 2012 vs. Infinity War/Endgame is unrecognizable,” ElDinero87 said. As the MCU pivots on its balance between action and comedy, Bruce Banner seems to have taken the brunt of the awkwardness, going from genius scientist to ignorant weakling still struggling to keep up with the plot.
Pintel And Ragetti – Pirates Of The Caribbean
In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pintel and Ragetti are part of the terrifying cursed crew led by Captain Barbossa. Despite being part of the villain team, the two were easily sympathetic to audiences for the dark and subtle comedy they brought to the film.
However, when they returned as mortal men in later episodes, they seemed to have been kicked out of all their wickedness. Redditor Hurdy_Gurdy_Man_42 pointed out that while they’re still a bit silly, “they’re shown killing someone, shooting them at point-blank range.” In later films, however, they were portrayed as barely knowing which end of a gun to aim for.
Ron Weasley-Harry Potter
When asked which characters had been Gimlied, a Reddit user replied that they always called him “characters who had Ron Weasley”. Of the golden trio in the Harry Potter books, Ron definitely had the funniest quotes. However, he was still a smart, brave and, after a point, compassionate character.
The same cannot be said for his character in the Harry Potter films. Fans have long complained that Ron received all the funny book lines from the other characters. It got to the point where no one else was funny at all, while Ron was pushed into being a very monotonous character – mean, fearful, and the center of too many jokes.
Drax – MCU
Dave Bautista’s version of the character was introduced to audiences in the first Guardians of the Galaxy, and Drax’s overly literal quotes and personality were an instant clue. Combining that with the other members of the motley crew created the perfect recipe for comedy, and everyone was eager to see more.
However, by Vol. 2, Redditors like ElDinero87 felt overwhelmed by the character changes. “His quirk was that he didn’t understand metaphors, which then morphed into having absolutely no social skills. Drax is still an easy character to like in many ways, but while the MCU movies continue to showcase his ignorance, his other characteristics seem to fall dangerously by the wayside.
Dr. Marcus Brody – Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones is another franchise that strikes the right balance between action and comedy. In the original film, the humor was split between several characters. But, as seems to be the trend with long-running franchises, a few characters started to take on most of the dopey humor.
Redditor VeilOfTheForce used Dr. Brody as an example. They pointed out that in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Brody was a “proud Indy fan”. He was a mentor who truly understood the protagonist’s passion. However, by Last Crusade, Brody has become an “awkward jester”.
Monsieur Thénardier – Les Miserables
A common favorite number in Les Miserables, one of the darkest musicals, is “Master of the House,” where Monsieur and Madame Thénardier sing about their dodgy business practices. It reveals how terrible they are for Cosette’s Keepers while providing some levity after heartbreaking numbers like “I Dreamed a Dream.”
But in the original 1862 novel, Monsieur Thénardier “was far more ruthless and cruel,” making him a terrifying antagonist compared to his 2012 stage and film counterpart, according to Redditor JMCrown. The film might have needed its silly comedy, but it still lost a super villain in the effort.
Roman Pearce – The Fast and Furious Franchise
Roman Pearce was introduced in the Fast and the Furious sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious, as a sort of replacement for Vin Diesel’s absent Dominic Toretto. Roman was cool, capable, and always ready to pull off a well-directed joke at another character’s expense. Redditor Warrior253 described him as confident or “maybe even arrogant”.
However, when Pearce returned to Fast Five as a secondary member of Toretto’s crew, his whole personality changed. “He’s scared of everything,” this Redditor said, and while he was at his wittiest, he became the butt of everyone’s jokes. This was a significant change, and sadly it continued for all subsequent films.
Finn-Star Wars
The Star Wars franchise returned in 2015 with The Force Awakens, and fans were cautiously optimistic about the introduction of new characters. Among these was the scheming Finn, the first Storm Trooper that audiences would truly know and sympathize with.
Redditor Renediffie said Finn “had a lot of potential in the first movie.” As the first major role for a person of color in the franchise and the gripping story of a Trooper-turned-rogue, Finn had the makings of a character as iconic as the originals. Unfortunately, in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, “most of his screen time was him falling and goofing around” – a big disappointment.
Jack Sparrow – Pirates of the Caribbean
Jack Sparrow is one of Johnny Depp’s best characters, there’s no doubt about it. The balance between Jack’s genius and his eccentricity in Curse of the Black Pearl immediately won over audiences. However, some fans began to feel that as the franchise continued, Jack’s quirkiness took over entirely.
Redditor Beemer17-21 thinks the problem came from the screenwriter’s change from “writing” Jack Sparrow “to writing for Johnny Depp.” Sparrow’s character was originally written as a mischievous but genius pirate, but Depp added physical comedy that brought the role home. Later, particularly in Dead Men Tell No Tales, the writers tried to replicate that, and it took the character a bit too far.
10 Movie Characters Who Were Ruined By Becoming Comic Relief, According To Reddit | Pretty Reel