Movie Protagonists You Dislike

[Myrnalene]

I HATE Grandpa Joe from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. First there is his highly suspect "miracle" recovery when Charlie finds the ticket. You couldn't get off your ass for 20 years to support your family but you can dance around for chocolate? And quit singing "I've Got a Golden Ticket", bitch. You've got nothing, that's Charlie's ticket. Then there is his serpent-in-Eden temptation to Charlie to steal the Fizzy Lifting Drinks, Charlie's only sin in the entire movie. Finally, after being told by Wonka that Charlie has lost, he storms off in a huff and tells Charlie to engage in what amounts to industrial espionage with Wonka's rival Slugworth. If it weren't for Charlie's sense of morality, Grandpa Joe would be flat on his back again leeching off of his poor daughter (in-law?) who has been busting her ass in that.....place where she stirs things with giant spoons or whatever it is to support his worthless carcass.

Plus, I think he was lying about being stuck in that bed anyway.

Who are you expected to root for that just sets your teeth on edge?

[Skald the Rhymer]

Myrna, I fear I must inform you that Grandpa Joe is not the antagonist of Willa Wonka, as he is not acting in opposition to either Charlie (the protagonist) or Willie W. (the title character). I would go on and on in a long-winded explanation referencing Babylonian myth, JRR Tolkien, and the Godfather trilogy, but I have not had enough coffee.

[Myrnalene]

Oh noes! My rage at Grandpa Joe has confounded my brain! Could a passing mod change Antagonist to Protagonist? Thanks!

[Exy]

I think she's working in a laundry maybe?

[Skald the Rhymer]

Now that the thread title is what Moony meant it to be, I will nominate the Chris Pine Kirk from the latest Trek movie. I actively hated him. When he got stranded on Trek!Hoth and was being chased by the two giant carnivores, I actually screamed out "Kill him! Kill him right now!" in the middle of the theater.

[OtakuLoki]

How's about Oedipus? Even before you find out he's a pure motherfucker, he's a motherfucker.

Sure he's the brave motherfucker who dealt with the Thracian Sphinx (a probably endangered species, I'd like to point out!) - being a motherfucker doesn't mean one is also a coward. He's also the motherfucker who decided that the appropriate way to deal with a dispute of the right of way was to fight and kill the geezer he met. And then go and take over the geezer's house take his wife willshenilshe, and start ruling the roost - all because he's got a case of road rage.

Motherfucker.

[Myrnalene]

Oh well, if you are going to go into Mythology, most protagonists are right fuckers. Theseus, Odysseus, Heracles, Jason, all assholes in one way or another. I have heard it argued that Perseus is the only one of the big Greek heroes that wasn't a dick and even he was at the least no great feminist what with the way he claimed Andromeda to be his wife.

[OtakuLoki]

There were a couple .

[OneCentStamp]

Harry Potter. I don't hate the books, but I hate me some Harry. For a kid who grew up under the stairs wearing hand-me-downs, it sure didn't take him long to become an arrogant jackass.

Michael Corleone. What an unmitigated evil bastard.

[Oliveloaf]

I really hate Gene Hackman in Heist.

Of course, all Mamet protagonists are detestable. That's the point, I suppose.

Oh! If anyone has seen American Buffalo, both the Hoffman and Franz characters are suckwads. Franz is sort of a likable suckwad, but still kinda scummy.

The Dustin Hoffman character is one of the biggest jerks in cinema history.

Wait...American Buffalo is Mamet, too.

Damn play writers.

[Myrnalene]

Harry Potter. I don't hate the books, but I hate me some Harry. For a kid who grew up under the stairs wearing hand-me-downs, it sure didn't take him long to become an arrogant jackass.

Harry Potter in Goblet of Fire. I have only seen the movie once so forgive me if it's not quite the same as the book, but what an undeserving punkass. The whole story goes like this:

Harry is given a clue.
Harry blows it off for weeks.
At the last minute, someone else gives Harry the answer or at least a big hint because hay, he's Harry Potter and he always has to win!
Rinse and repeat.

The guy barely does anything for himself the whole time, and he's the damn hero. The fact that he got smacked with a PTSD-inducing shitstorm at the end does not make up for his laziness throughout.

ETA: Oh, and Hagrid? There are children in your care. Grow the fuck up.

[Zuul]

Harry Potter in Goblet of Fire. I have only seen the movie once so forgive me if it's not quite the same as the book, but what an undeserving punkass. The whole story goes like this:

Harry is given a clue.
Harry blows it off for weeks.
At the last minute, someone else gives Harry the answer or at least a big hint because hay, he's Harry Potter and he always has to win!
Rinse and repeat.

The guy barely does anything for himself the whole time, and he's the damn hero. The fact that he got smacked with a PTSD-inducing shitstorm at the end does not make up for his laziness throughout.

ETA: Oh, and Hagrid? There are children in your care. Grow the fuck up.

The movie was pretty accurate about Harry's undeserving lazy assness and Hagrid's stupidity. Yeah, yeah, he's a dumb teenager, I know. It's still hard to root for the little punk.

[Feirefiz]

ETA: Oh, and Hagrid? There are children in your care. Grow the fuck up.

The way I read it this one was acknowledged in the story. When the protagonists were ten Hagrid seemed like the greatest guy ever. When they grew up they realized that he was good-natured moron and their affection was based on sentimentality and a perceived obligation.

[What Exit?]

Harry Potter. I don't hate the books, but I hate me some Harry. For a kid who grew up under the stairs wearing hand-me-downs, it sure didn't take him long to become an arrogant jackass.

Michael Corleone. What an unmitigated evil bastard.

Can't argue with the first, Harry could be annoying and not easy to like at times. Dumbledore himself was infuriating at times too.

As to Michael Corleone, he was not suppose to be likable, the old man Vito Corleone was likable despite what he did but Michael was ruthless and cruel at times and power hungry despite having far more opportunity and he was not 1/10th the man his father was.

I never perceived him as a likable character. Vito and even Fat Clemenza were likable despite being killers. They both had a strong sense of honor and what was right. Michael was not as bad as Sonny but he had little honor.