YMMV / Local Hero

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Who is the real Local Hero?
• Awesome Music:
  • Given that the (more well known) soundtrack was composed by Mark Knopfler, it should seem natural. Especially the hauntingly ambient parts of the soundtrack done by bandmate Alan Clark.
  • The Ace-Tones (also headed by Clark) play great diagetic music at the Céilidh.
• Crosses the Line Twice: What happens to the rabbit.
• Fridge Brilliance: At the conclusion, Danny chases Marina into the sea, trying to tell her that the marine laboratory is a go. Keep in mind that this is exactly what mermaids in legend did to sailors - coax them into the sea to their doom. Marina does it to Danny both on a metaphorical and literal way. Whether she's his doom remains to be seen.
• Funny Moments: "I'm still here, Happer!"
  Happer: There's a madman on the roof. You'd better call the police to get some marksmen over here. Shoot him down. Shoot to kill.
  • With the following scene of Happer leaving headquarters while a SWAT team arrives.
  • After meeting with the town's priest - who had tried to hide the fact the rest of the town was at his church to discuss ways of fleecing the oil company - Mac and Danny stand alongside the shore to talk about their next move. While Mac is distracted by the beauty of the shoreline, the townspeople are seen sneaking past the two on a far ridge, something only Danny notices but fails to mention as Mac keeps talking.
  • The Running Gag of a motorcyclist always tearing through the town, about to hit Mac or anyone else stepping out of a doorway. Up until the moment where Mac reflexively stops on the awning and puts his arm out to stop Danny before he gets hit. It becomes a Heartwarming moment of a sorts in that Mac is starting to get the feel of the place, as though he's fitting in with the locals.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Norman's idea of unfreezing the Arctic Circle and diverting the Gulf Stream would be something a Bond villain would do for global blackmail, now that global warming is doing just that.
• Heartwarming Moments: The whole film. It's not laugh-a-minute, but it's one of the richest and finest comedies ever made.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • Victor being from the Soviet Union but being a capitalist ("I'm a cash man, Gordon") was probably more shocking in 1983 than it is now. Now, Victor seems more typical of Russians in 1983, now that we know more about what happened behind the Iron Curtain in those days.
  • This was Peter Capaldi's film debut, and at one point his character tries to see how long he can hold his breath underwater. 31 years later, the question of how long one can hold their breath was crucial to "Deep Breath", his first full episode as the Twelfth Doctor. It's probably more of a case of Actor Allusion.
• Ho Yay: Moritz seems to have a fixation with Felix Happer, bordering on Stalker with a Crush levels. Happer ultimately has heavily armed policemen come and deal with Mortiz when he goes too far. Given how strongly Happer and Knox bond, there's an Alternative Character Interpretation there too.
• Memetic Mutation:
  • "I'm still here, Happer! Craphound."
  • "Shoot him down. Shoot to kill."
• Retroactive Recognition: This was Peter Capaldi's first film. He's gone on to play Malcolm Tucker and the Twelfth Doctor.
• Tear Jerker: Everyone got what they wanted except Mac. One particularly touching scene is Mac drunkenly offering to swap lives with Gordon. While humorous, you can tell he's deeply unhappy with his lonely life in Houston.
  Peter: Is that the Yanks in that thing, Edward?
  Edward: Aye, that's him, Peter. That's him away.
  Peter: (sighing) Ah bugger it. I meant to say cheerio.

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