# scenes where the hero stands up to the bad guy and says "NO" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 7, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248 "2002-10-07T19:17:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/21 "2002-10-08T13:55:54Z")
_Road Warrior_: “If it’s all the same to you, I’ll drive that tanker” Max decides to fight rather than walk away. **MaxTheVool** , that’s a great example, especially considering what a wimp McFly’s character had been up to that point. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/22 "2002-10-08T13:57:23Z")
_Revenge of the Nerds_, where all the nerds, geeks, whatever, stand up to the jocks at the end. And the nerdy dean(?) tells the football coach that the team will have to give up their frat house to the nerds, since the jocks were the ones who destroyed Lamda house. And _Saving Private Ryan_, where Miller knows he’s dying, and proceeds to fire his pistol at the tank. The tank suddenly explodes, and he looks up and there’s a tank buster plane flying over head. And _Mulan_, where Mulan kills the Mongol on the roof with a fan and a firecracker. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/23 "2002-10-08T14:01:27Z")
“I’m glad you changed your last name, you son of a bitch.” ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/24 "2002-10-08T15:48:40Z")
Oh yeah, from _Wizards_, right Ethil? _Dog Day Afternoon_, where all Pacino runs around telling all the cops to put their guns down and yells “ATTICA! ATTICA!” The first _Porky’s_ movie, where a son tells his abusive father, “If bein’ a real man means bein’ what you are, I’d rather be queer.” _Varsity Blues_, the entire team refuses to go by the head coach’s decision to pump an injured player with adrenaline and they play the second half without him. ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/25 "2002-10-08T17:25:44Z")
Jimmy Stewart’s mild-mannered Ranse Stoddard standing up to the notorious bully, Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), in the classic John Ford oater. ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/26 "2002-10-08T17:28:43Z")
Oh, and how 'bout Clarence standing up to Drexel in _TRUE ROMANCE_? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/27 "2002-10-08T18:06:01Z")
I’m not sure if this is allowed, but the all-time greatest line of this sort was historical. When Alexander was conquering the known world, he sent an emissary to Sparta, saying “You had best surrender now, for if we conquer you, we will burn your fields, plunder your cities, and rape your women.”. The Spartan leader replied “If.”. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/28 "2002-10-08T18:24:55Z")
“Take your filthy paws off me, you damn dirty ape!” ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/29 "2002-10-08T18:28:53Z")
In “Stand By Me” there’s a great line where the kid’s got a gun trained on Eyeball, the town bully, whos is there with his gang. I don’t remember the exact lines, but it’s something to the effect of Kid: “You move and I’ll shoot you.” Eyeball: “You gonna shoot all of us?” Kid: “No, Eyeball. Just you.” It’s a great scene, and Eyeball gets the picture. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/30 "2002-10-08T19:25:56Z")
Man. This thread turned into a nice stroll down memeory lane. A few of my faves listed: Princess Bride (Mandy’s scene), High Noon, and Dead Poet’s Society. The best was Back to the Future. Crispin Glover! (Was anyone else humming a certain song from Twisted Sister while reading this thread?) ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/31 "2002-10-08T21:21:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > \*\*I’m not sure if this is allowed, but the all-time greatest line of this sort was historical. > > When Alexander was conquering the known world, he sent an emissary to Sparta, saying “You had best surrender now, for if we conquer you, we will burn your fields, plunder your cities, and rape your women.”. The Spartan leader replied “If.”. \*\* Sparta was good for catchy lines. I think they were Schwarzenegger’s prototype. My favorite is when 300 Spartans spearheaded an army of about 4000 Greeks blocking the pass at Thermopylae against 600,000 Persians. The Persian emissary told king Leonidas of Sparta, “Our archers are so many that the flight of their arrows will darken the sun.” A Spartan replied “So much the better…we shall fight in the shade.” The emissary then told Leonidas that they were brave for fighting under these ridiculous odds, and that they would be allowed if they would lay down their weapons. Leonidas replied, “[symbol]MWLWN LABE[/symbol]” which means “Come and get them.” Kind of sad that warriors of this caliber are pretty much extinct. And from Tombstone again: After Curly Bill killed Marshall White and all the cowboys came out to threaten Wyatt, he said to Ike Clanton, “You die first. You hear me? Your friends may get me in a rush, but not before I make your head into a canoe.” ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/32 "2002-10-08T21:47:37Z")
**A Bug’s Life**!! (_following Flik’s beating_) Hopper: Let this be a lesson to all you ants. Ideas are very dangerous things. You are mindless, soil-shoving losers, put on this earth to serve us! Flik: You’re wrong, Hopper. Ants are not meant to serve grasshoppers. I’ve seen these ants do great things. And year after year, they somehow manage to pick food for themselves _and_ you. So who is the weaker species? Ants don’t serve grasshoppers! It’s _you_ who need _us_! We’re a lot stronger than you say we are. (_dawning realization_) And you know it, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/33 "2002-10-08T22:20:49Z")
Let’s not forget the classic movie, _Caveman_ when Ringo Starr’s character finally stands up to the big bully caveman. Ringo comes riding in on a drugged dinosaur, leading his rag-tag clan of smart-but-small cavemen against the big stupid guys. Brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/34 "2002-10-08T23:05:34Z")
How about when Christopher Makepeace finally stands up to Matt Dillon in _My Bodyguard_? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2002, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248/35 "2002-10-09T12:20:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\*“I’m glad you changed your last name, you son of a bitch.” \*\* Not enough people give **Wizards** its due. Personally, the scene where Corey Feldmen stands up to his druken gun toating buddy in **Dream a Little Dream** sticks out in my mind. And in **Fight Club** at the end where Jack shoots himself to show Tyler who the real boss is. Great! The entire movie **Dirty Work** is about the little guy stickin’ it to the big guy. Great movie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-where-the-hero-stands-up-to-the-bad-guy-and-says-no/131248.md?page=1)