Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Last night, I saw Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, at the behest of my roommates. I'm not really into the zombie genre, but I humored them. And I was pleasantly surprised.

The movie was cheesy, and hey, full of zombies. However, the proposal scene at the end was actually quite touching. It made the whole movie worth it to me, just for that one scene.

That got me thinking - isn't it often the same with any movie or TV show? We don't keep watching just for those cool fight scenes. We watch for those small moments that really make you connect with the story being told. I began to think about other instances in which this was the case, for me.

This was the best part of the whole movie in my opinion. You see the kind of man Steve is, and why he gets chosen. You see his integrity, his bravery, and his selflessness. You see that it doesn't matter what you look like. Muscles and stature don't give you power. Who you are is much more powerful So good.

Avatar the Last Airbender has so many good moments. Two in particular stand out. Katara saw her mother killed trying to protect her when she was a young girl. Later on, she seeks revenge against the man who killed her. She finds him, and fights him. Just as she is about to kill him, she stops. She decides that revenge is not what she needs, and moves past her consuming hatred.  The second one I thought of was the finale when Aang stands up for his beliefs and what he was taught as an Airbender- peace, forgiveness, kindness. He refuses to kill Ozai (the villian), instead taking away the source of his power. It is a poignant message, and a wonderful moment.

The Hobbit - there were many things wrong with these movies. However, one beautiful part of the story are those few moments between Thorin and Bilbo. The moment when Bilbo says he'll help take back Thorin's home. The moment when Bilbo shows Thorin the acorn, and Thorin softens from his consuming paranoia. And finally, Thorin's death, when he reconciles with Bilbo. Those were short, small moments. And they were my favorite parts of this trilogy. 

One Piece. The world's most popular manga and anime series. Luffy (pictured above) is mostly carefree and easygoing. Often ridiculous. However, when people hurt his friends, he gets very angry. One of the most satisfying moments of the whole series (700+ episodes and counting) is when a powerful character shoots and injures Luffy's friend. The friend begs him not to do anything, because of this man's status and power. However, Luffy goes against his wishes, and, just as the villian is gloating, Luffy breaks all of the status barriers and punches this guy in the face. It made the whole 25+ episode build up, and 20+ fall-out episodes so worth it. 

Marley and Me. This is a wonderfully made movie. It focuses on how much dogs can ruin your life (and possessions). Throughout the movie, scene after scene shows you how much Marley misbehaves and destroys things. However, the moment in the veterinarian's office at the end, when Marley is dying, changes the whole tone of the movie. Owen Wilson strokes Marley and tells him how much they love him, and that he is the world's best dog. And then, when they bury him, Jennifer Aniston reminisces about a necklace that Marley ate, and buries it with him. These two moments show the power of being able to turn bad moments into good memories, and just how much pets can be a part of your family (forgive me, I am a major dog person. If you are not, too bad - it's not your blog)

These are just a few examples. There are so many others. What are some moments that stood out to you in your favorite movies/TV shows? What parts of them really stand out and make you go "wow, this is really good"?