History Film / TheSpecials

''The Specials'' is a 2000 superhero parody film written by Creator/JamesGunn and directed by Craig Mazin.

* EvilIsSexy: Inverted. Deadly Girl comes closest to a skimpy costume, and she's a superhero, but when [[spoiler: the Weevil is seen after "selling out", he]] wears a ridiculous costume with artificial nipples on it.

* BoldInflation: The Strobe

* DidYouJustHaveSex: [[spoiler: Minute Man and Deadly Girl]]
* TheDitz: U.S. Bill
* DominoMask: Nightbird, U.S. Bill, The Weevil

* EvilCostumeSwitch: [[spoiler: The Weevil.]]

** Amok is obviously one of [[Franchise/GreenLantern Guy Gardner]], and visually of Nightcrawler. His powers and ex-villain background also make him one for Gambit. In retrospect, their abrasive JerkWithAHeartOfGold attitude can seem like a rough draft of [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Rocket Raccoon or Yondu]], given the director.

** Minute Man's lack of self-confidence due to his shrinking powers is based on The Atom. The jokes about how the orange shirt that is part of his costume makes him look gay is a nod to [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/Aquaman Aquaman]].

** U.S. Bill may be a nod to Dollar Bill from [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/Watchmen Watchmen]].

* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler: The Weevil]]

* HiveMind: Eight

* KubrickStare: Deadly Girl (natch)
* MerchandiseDriven: Spoofed and PlayedForLaughs at the launch party scene.
* {{Mockumentary}}: "Who Are the Specials?"
* NaiveNewcomer: Nightbird.

* NotWearingTights: Mr. Smart

* TheSmartGuy: Mr. Smart, naturally.
* SmugSuper: The "Great" Strobe
* {{Soaperizing}}

* {{Stripperiffic}}: The closest thing in this movie is [[Creator/JudyGreer Deadly Girl]]'s costume.
* SuperHero
* SuperheroSpeciation: Played straight.

* ThirdPersonPerson: The Strobe on occasion.
* VFormationTeamShot: The final moments of the film.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Alien Orphan's power.
* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: Discussed by Nightbird and Minute Man.

* YouAreNumberSix: Eight.

%%* AdaptationDecay: The line of action figures in the movie.
%%* AllLesbiansWantKids: Power Chick's mothering of Alien Orphan.

%%* AtlasPose: U.S. Bill in the "Who Are the Specials?" mockumentary

%%* BreakTheCutie: Nearly happens to [[spoiler: Nightbird]], but is averted.
%%* BoldInflation: The Strobe

%%* CodeName: The Strobe, Ms Indestructible, Minute Man, Deadly Girl, Amok, Power Chick, U.S. Bill, Night Bird, and so on.

%%* DeadpanSnarker: Deadly Girl

%%* DidYouJustHaveSex: [[spoiler: Minute Man and Deadly Girl]]
%%* TheDitz: U.S. Bill
%%* DominoMask: Nightbird, U.S. Bill, The Weevil

%%* EvilCostumeSwitch: [[spoiler: The Weevil.]]

%%* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler: The Weevil]]

%%* HiveMind: Eight

%%* KubrickStare: Deadly Girl (natch)
%%* MerchandiseDriven: Spoofed and PlayedForLaughs at the launch party scene.

%%* NaiveNewcomer: Nightbird.

%%* NotWearingTights: Mr. Smart

%%* SecretIdentity: Played straight by U.S. Bill to the point of parody.

%%* TheSmartGuy: Mr. Smart, naturally.
%%* SmugSuper: The "Great" Strobe
%%* {{Soaperizing}}

%%* SpontaneousChoreography: The dance on stage at the club.

%%* {{Stripperiffic}}: The closest thing in this movie is [[Creator/JudyGreer Deadly Girl]]'s costume.
%%* SuperHero
%%* SuperheroSpeciation: Played straight.

%%* ThirdPersonPerson: The Strobe on occasion.

%%* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Alien Orphan's power.
%%* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: Discussed by Nightbird and Minute Man.

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: Minute Man needs to repeatedly point out that his codename is pronounced "My-NEWT man", as in tiny, not "MIH-nitt man," as in sixty seconds.

* YourCheatingHeart: Ms. Indestructible cheats on her husband, The Strobe, with The Weevil.

* {{Achilles Heel}}: [[EyeScream Ms. Indestructible's eyes are not as tough as the rest of her.]]
* {{Adaptation Decay}}: The line of action figures in the movie.
* {{All Lesbians Want Kids}}: Power Chick's mothering of Alien Orphan.
* {{All Love Is Unrequited}}: Minute Man says this is one of the team's rules. [[spoiler: He proves himself wrong when he hooks up with Deadly Girl, finally returning her feelings for him.]]

* {{Atlas Pose}}: U.S. Bill in the "Who Are the Specials?" mockumentary
* {{Badass Normal}}: Mr. Smart's only super power is being the world's smartest man.
* {{Bad Powers Bad People}}: Averted by Deadly Girl, who uses her creepy powers for good; invoked ''and'' averted by Amok, who is a former villain with suitably villainous powers, but is now a hero.
* {{Break The Cutie}}: Nearly happens to [[spoiler: Nightbird]], but is averted.
* {{Bold Inflation}}: The Strobe
* {{Berserk Button}}

* {{Butch Lesbian}}: Power Chick. She was even on the cover of ''Out'' magazine. Somehow Amok managed to miss this, so she has to tell him.
* {{The Cape}}: The Strobe tries to keep up this kind of image. A lot of the rest of the Specials have gotten tired of his "self-righteousness".
* {{Chekhovs Gun}}: Deadly Girl specifically mentions that Ms. Indestructible's power is indestructible skin, and that anyone who wanted to really hurt her should go for her eyes. [[spoiler: When Deadly finds out that Ms. Indestructible is cheating on The Strobe, she sucker-punches Ms. Indestructible in the right eye.]]
* {{Civvie Spandex}}/{{Coat Hat Mask}}: Most of the Specials wear costumes made from the kinds of items you can find in a costume or fabric store. Well, where else would you get a costume?
* {{Chest Insignia}}

* {{Coconut Superpowers}}: The characters' powers are more discussed than demonstrated, although the VFormationTeamShot at the very end (see the photo above) shows some of them in use.
* {{Code Name}}: Played straight.
** The Strobe, Ms Indestructible, Minute Man, Deadly Girl, Amok, Power Chick, U.S. Bill, Night Bird, and so on.
* {{ConspicuousCGI}}: Power Chick during the VFormationTeamShot.
* {{Comes Great Responsibility}}: The Strobe lectures on this at the first meeting.
* {{Cut His Heart Out With A Spoon}}: Inverted. The Strobe actually threatens to kill first, ''then'' mutilate the body. "If I wanted to, I could cut your head off, and then do some intricate welding and slicing with your guts!"
* {{Dark Is Not Evil}}: Amok is a reformed super-villain with blue skin and a nineties-style black leather coat and pants costume. Deadly Girl summons demons and teleports through the netherworld. While they both aren't the ''nicest'' folks, neither of them are evil.
* {{Day In The Life}}: Though not a completely routine day, there are no world saving heroics going on.
* {{Deadpan Snarker}}: Deadly Girl
* {{Death By Origin Story}}
** Stretchie Boy's demise in "Who Are the Specials?" Apparently, the North-Western states of the US, specifically in Takoma, have the right kind of flouridation that stretching powers are one of the most common superpowers. Unfortunately, rubber-bodied superheroes are extremely susceptible to mouth cancer. The rubber-bodied heroes of ''the Specials'', in order, were:
*** Stretchie Boy...who died of mouth-cancer,
*** Captain Elastic...who died of mouth-cancer,
*** Flagpole Lad...who died of mouth-cancer,
*** And Gooey Stan...who died of mouth-cancer.
* {{Did You Just Have Sex}}: [[spoiler: Minute Man and Deadly Girl]]
* {{The Ditz}}: U.S. Bill
* {{Domino Mask}}: Nightbird, U.S. Bill, The Weevil
* {{Dumb Muscle}}: U.S. Bill -- who is not just dumb, but clearly mentally disabled.
* {{Elaborate Underground Base}}: Completely and utterly averted with the Specials' headquarters, which is the suburban home of The Strobe and Ms. Indestructible.
* {{Evil Costume Switch}}: [[spoiler: The Weevil.]]
* {{Evil Is Sexy}}: Inverted. Deadly Girl comes closest to a skimpy costume, and she's a superhero, but when [[spoiler: the Weevil is seen after "selling out", he]] wears a ridiculous costume with artificial nipples on it.

* {{Face Heel Turn}}: [[spoiler: The Weevil]]
* {{Hand Blast}}: The Mighty Strobe has this. Amok has something similar, except his is a whole body field that sometimes comes on during sex.
* {{Heel Face Turn}}: Albeit offscreen and in the BackStory: Amok was a villain before joining the Specials.
* {{Hive Mind}}: Eight

* KubrickStare: Deadly Girl (natch)
* MerchandiseDriven: Spoofed and PlayedForLaughs at the launch party scene.

* {{Naive Newcomer}}: Nightbird.
* {{Moe}}: Nightbird
* {{Non Sequitur}}: The Strobe storms out of the Specials toy-line launch-party, seeming furious. So it's somewhat understandable that, when the Weevil tries to stop him, he implies that he could kill Weevil if he wanted to. But then he starts talking about ''"do some intricate welding and slicing with your guts."'' No-one else knows that Zip-Boy has been trying to recruit him to work as a human replacement for expensive laser machinery.

* {{Not Wearing Tights}}: Mr. Smart

* {{Secret Identity}}: Played straight by U.S. Bill to the point of parody, averted by all the other Specials.
* {{The Smart Guy}}: Mr. Smart, naturally.
* {{Smug Super}}: The "Great" Strobe
* {{Soaperizing}}
* {{Something Person}}: Deadly Girl, Minute Man, Power Chick, Zip Boy.
* {{Spandex Latex Or Leather}}: Averted -- the Specials' costumes are mostly mundane fabrics.
* SpontaneousChoreography: The dance on stage at the club.

* {{Stripperiffic}}: The closest thing in this movie is [[Creator/JudyGreer Deadly Girl]]'s costume.
* SuperHero
* SuperheroSpeciation: Played straight.

* ThirdPersonPerson: The Strobe on occasion.

* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Alien Orphan's power.
* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: Discussed by Nightbird and Minute Man.

A comedy film (2000) about the sixth or seventh greatest superhero team in the world. The film follows the events of several days during which no major world-shaking events occur, instead focusing on the various team members' lives. During the course of the film a new member joins the team, a line of toys based on the Specials is unveiled, and long-festering conflicts within the team come to a head.

No relation to [[Music/TheSpecials the band]] or the third ''Literature/{{Uglies}}'' book.

* [[AscendedFanboy Ascended Fangirl]]: Nightbird was a huge fan of the team before she joined.

* {{Did You Just Have Sex}}:
** [[spoiler: Minute Man and Deadly Girl]]

** {{Evil Is Sexy}}: Inverted. Deadly Girl comes closest to a skimpy costume, and she's a superhero, but when [[spoiler: the Weevil is seen after "selling out", he]] wears a ridiculous costume with artificial nipples on it.
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ExecutiveMeddling/Film Executive Meddling]]: The obvious cause of the... discrepancies between the Specials and their toy counterparts.

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: Minute Man needs to repeatedly point out that his codename is pronounced "My-NEWT man", as in tiny, not "MIH-nitt man", as in sixty seconds.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold:
** Amok is a lewd, crude jerk, but in the end [[spoiler:he is one of the most vocal proponents of keeping the team together.]]

** {{Moe}}: Nightbird

* RaceLift: "He's a Special, [[UnfortunateImplications just for me]]!"

* TakeThat
** [[spoiler: Weevil's be-nippled costume at the end is a swipe at ''Film/BatmanAndRobin''.]] Confirmed by the audio commentary.

* WelcomeEpisode: The beginning of the film is spent introducing Nightbird (and the audience) to the Specials. Subverted in that there isn't all that much to see which is really spectacular, and the tour is given by U.S. Bill, who is clearly mentally handicapped.

* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: Subverted. The Specials' HQ is an ordinary suburban home with all that implies about its furnishings, and only acquires a wide-screen HD TV in the final minutes of the movie.
** There is the matter of Mr. Smart. While he probably builds his inventions himself, one wonders where he gets the materials.

** Amok is obviously one of [[GreenLantern Guy Gardner]], and visually of Nightcrawler. His powers and ex-villain background also make him one for Gambit. In retrospect, their abrasive JerkWithAHeartOfGold attitude can seem like a rough draft of [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Rocket Raccoon or Yondu]], given the director.

* {{Non Sequitur}}
** The Strobe storms out of the Specials toy-line launch-party, seeming furious. So it's somewhat understandable that, when the Weevil tries to stop him, he implies that he could kill Weevil if he wanted to. But then he starts talking about ''"do some intricate welding and slicing with your guts."'' No-one else knows that Zip-Boy has been trying to recruit him to work as a human replacement for expensive laser machinery.

** Amok is obviously one of [[GreenLantern Guy Gardner]], and visually of Nightcrawler. His powers and ex-villain background also make him one for Gambit. In retrospect, their abrasive JerkWithAHeartOfGold attitude (and the director) can seem like a rough draft of [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Rocket Raccoon or Yondu]].

** Amok is obviously one of [[GreenLantern Guy Gardner]], and visually of Nightcrawler. His powers and ex-villain background also make him one for Gambit. In retrospect, it's hard not to see a little [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Rocket Racoon]] in there, given the director.

** Amok is obviously one of [[GreenLantern Guy Gardner]], and visually of Nightcrawler. His powers and ex-villain background also make him one for Gambit.

* {{All Love Is Unrequited}}: Minute Man says this is one of the team's rules [[spoiler: He proves himself wrong when he hooks up with Deadly Girl, finally returning her feelings for him.]]

** Minute Man lack of self-confidence due to his shrinking powers is based on The Atom. The jokes about how the orange shirt that is part of his costume makes him look gay is a nod to [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/Aquaman Aquaman]].

** U.S. Bill may be a nod to Dollar Bill from [[Watchmen]].

** U.S. Bill may be a nod to Dollar Bill from ComicBook/Watchmen.

** Minute Man lack of self-confidence due to his shrinking powers is based on The Atom. The jokes about how the orange shirt that is part of his costume makes him look gay is a nod to [[Aquaman]].

** Minute Man lack of self-confidence due to his shrinking powers is based on The Atom. The jokes about how the orange shirt that is part of his costume makes him look gay is a nod to ComicBook/Aquaman.

** The Strobe is clearly based on Cyclops from ComicBook/XMen, with his laser-powers and pompous attitude.

* The Strobe is clearly based on Cyclops from ComicBook/XMen, with his laser-powers and pompous attitude.
* Minute Man lack of self-confidence due to his shrinking powers is based on The Atom.
* Mr. Smart, like Mister Terrific, doesn't have any power but being smart.
** The jokes about how the orange shirt that is part of his costume makes him look gay is a nod to ComicBook/Aquaman.

** Amok is obviously one of [[GreenLantern Guy Gardner]], and visually of Nightcrawler.

No relation to [[Music/TheSpecials the band]] or the third ''{{Uglies}}'' book.

* {{All Love Is Unrequited}}: Minute Man says this is one of the team's rules [[spoiler: He proves himself wrong.]]

* {{Ascended Fanboy}}: Nightbird was a huge fan of the team before she joined.

* {{Break The Cutie}}: Nearly happens to [[spoiler: Nightbird]], but is mostly averted.

* {{Berserk Button}}: Minute Man is somewhat sensitive to the proper pronunciation of his codename.

* {{Butch Lesbian}}
** Power Chick. She was even on the cover of ''Out'' magazine. Somehow Amok managed to miss this, so she has to tell him.
* {{The Cape}}: The Strobe. A lot of the rest of the Specials have gotten tired of his "self-righteousness".