1. Paulie’s Robot – Rocky IV (1985)
No list of characters that don’t belong in their own movies would be complete without mentioning the robot in Rocky IV. Often, when movie characters seem out of place, it’s because they don’t quite match the tone of the movie. It’s rarely – if ever – that they quite literally belong in an entirely different genre. However, that’s exactly the case with Paulie’s robot from Rocky IV.
It’s not easy to quantify just how strange it is for this sports drama franchise to feature a literal robot. The automaton’s inclusion is made worse by the fact that it doesn’t serve the film’s story in any real way whatsoever – it’s literally just wheeled in for Paulie’s birthday. It also seemingly acts as his (sort of) girlfriend, which has some very troubling implications.
Why exactly the robot was included is anyone’s guess. Its ridiculousness clashes with the film’s emotionally-driven story and general tone, so it makes for a really weird addition to the franchise. It’s rare that movie characters seem this out of place, which is exactly why Rocky IV‘s weird robot belongs at the top of this list.
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