Playing against type is a common method of creating funny characters. It involves a character whose voice or behavior is in extreme opposition to their physical appearance. Here are some examples:
- A sweet little girl has extreme martial arts skills.
- An old granny who is a fantastic acrobat.
- An effeminate homeboy.
- A big muscular guy who worries about breaking a finger nail.
- A Troll who is an effeminate homeboy.
Of course you wouldn’t want to overuse the technique because it would create a world you couldn’t believe in. It’s better to use it sparingly, it’s funnier that way. If you were, for example, to put all those characters in a film together, the results would be a disorienting calamity.
SUCH AS HOODWINKED TWO
Yes, the writers of Hoodwinked 2 try to make nearly every character a contradiction. How can you connect with any of them? The effect is funny at first, but the joke can wear out quickly. The wolf who is just plain stupid isn’t really a contradiction, but he’s… just plain stupid. The troll who is an effeminate homeboy even doubles down on the technique. The only character I find the tiniest bit interesting is the frog, who appears to be the straight man, and it’s because he’s not like the others. It really is best if no more than 1 secondary character plays against his or her type.