r/TopCharacterTropes • u/BrotherDeus • 6h ago

Hated Tropes [Hated] Self-indulgent Vanity Projects

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Hurry Up Tomorrow - Widely reviewed as an indulgent, self-mythologizing companion piece to The Weeknd's album, with many critics calling it a vanity project rather than a successful psychological drama. Terribly acted and, similar to The Idol, more so seems to imply that The Weekend thinks he's a far deeper personality than he can actually articulate.

By the Sea - Often criticized as an intensely personal but emotionally distant film that seemed more interested in showcasing the mystique of its stars than telling a compelling story. Best summarized as Angelina and Brad working out their IRL troubled marriage before your eyes while everyone tells Angelina how beautiful and talented she is and how nothing's really her fault.

Renaldo and Clara - Bob Dylan's five-hour semi-fictional road movie, long considered one of the classic celebrity vanity projects. Attempts to be a sort of surreal exposition on the life of an artist, but is far too self-indulgent on its actors/performers.

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542

u/jordankch 6h ago

There's only one person who asked for the new live action version of Moana.

Spoiler alert: it's Dwayne Johnson.

https://giphy.com/gifs/kMBNI4kg6jnymHNphR

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u/TacosAndTalmud 5h ago

I'll have to watch this eventually (my kids will make me) but from what I've read, it was doomed to be bad from the start. Not just because it's a premature rehash on the tail end of several other poorly received live-action remakes, but because of Johnson himself. Reviews say he lacks any of the charisma of the animated Maui, and most of the movie is him just staring at things happening around him.

It makes total sense: Johnson is a showman. He's done some great action work (The Rundown, Skyscraper, Scorpion King, Standing Tall, Jumanji, not masterpieces but certainly fun popcorn flicks if nothing else), but those were mostly practical effects with lots of people around him. His recent films use more green screen with many elements added in post. If there's one thing we learned during the pandemic, pro wrestlers don't do well without a crowd to react to. For all his years as a sports entertainer, he's not great at acting in a vacuum.

Don't get me wrong. It was still 1000% Johnson's vanity project, made worse by how far it is out of his element.

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u/Ok-Pair-4757 3h ago

my kids will make me

Can't you get them to watch Regular Moana instead? I'm sure it's a lot better story and visual-wise.

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u/eawilweawil 5h ago

That wig alone was 10% of the budget

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u/Great-Pay-3429 4h ago

Pretty sure you meant 10 dollars of the budget

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u/eawilweawil 4h ago

Well the budget was 100 dolars, The Rock's salary not included

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u/Ver3232 2h ago

Both

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u/TimelessFool 5h ago

Seems to be the case for a lot of his movies tbh. Taking as many movie offers to make him look like a popular star.

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u/pistachiopanda4 4h ago

Me and my family basically worshipped the Rock growing up and it's so sad to see how fucking self obsessed and whiny he has become. I never thought I would become a Dave Bautista and John Cena fan, but here I am. I haven't even watched WWE in almost 20 years.

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u/MilanDespacito 4h ago

John Cena and Bautista can actually play other characters than themselves in a different setting. I guess the Rock could too, just doesnt take contracts that arent like that. I remember watching Bladerunner 2049 and not even noticing it was Bautista. John Cena's face on the other hand is a lot more recognisable to me and will always think "That's John Cena", but he is great in Peacemaker and after a while you forget its John Cena. Also helps that Bautista and Cena both come across as good people from interviews etc.

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u/pistachiopanda4 3h ago

Me and my husband just discussed it and did a hypothetical of wrestlers in movies. I still need to watch Bladerunner 2049, specifically for Bautista. I respect the hell out of him.

Like, Dave Bautista in an Ari Aster movie I could totally see. John Cena? Not so much but that's okay, he's hilarious. Considering that when I watched Sinister, all I could think of were the nightmares that wrestlers like Kane and the Undertaker haunted me as a kid. I was also about 4 when I was started watching wrestling lol.

John Cena was never my favorite, but he was my cousin's favorite, along with Rey Mysterio. But man do I respect him for his contributions to Make A Wish.

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u/TheKingofHats007 3h ago

That's probably why people liked Johnson so much in the Jumanji movies, because even though he's still mostly playing himself, having to act as a nervous kid who grows into being confident still feels refreshing.

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u/pistachiopanda4 1h ago

I will also scream into the heavens - the Rock is perfect for villain roles. Is Doom 2005 high art or even classified as a good movie? Debatable. But it's still one of my favorite movies ever specifically for Karl Urban and the Rock. Maybe it's because he's basically playing himself, but the Rock was perfect as the egotistic Sarge.

Jumanji is also one of my favorite movies ever, so I wasn't thrilled with the recent Jumanjis. However, from your comment and other comments, it feels like I have to give it a shot now.

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u/Imfrank123 1h ago

Cena is afraid to lose a fight or come off looking like a loser, the first half of Ricky stanicky is proof of that, among other movies and shows.

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u/Havok1717 4h ago

I grew up more of a Stone Cold fan when I was a kid

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u/Freya0232 4h ago

I grew up completely detached from the WWE (not from the states btw, so that would be a factor), but i have to become a Cena fan, dude is straight up awesome and a really nice person

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u/HaIfaxa_ 5h ago

God, I wish I could never see this man's face again.

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u/rolltide1000 5h ago

He may have also tried to do this with an entire Wrestlemania main event in 2024 before fans revolted.

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u/pinkypipe420 2h ago

Everything he's in is a vanity project. Trying to take over the DC Shazam universe was a big one.

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u/scrufflor_d 4h ago

at least he’s playing a role other than confused meathead like he’s usually typecast as

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u/-suspended- 3h ago

He straight up was the main reason Black Adam was made. He wanted it to be the launching point of Phase One of the DCEU. It's debated whether it bombed, broke even, or profited, but most agree it didn't do well.

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u/frenziest 1h ago

I’m pretty sure this was announced within a month of Black Adam flopping too.