Narrative technique · used in 2 films
Casting the lead as a boastful fool who thinks he is the hero while someone more capable does the real work. The gap between his story and what you see is the joke.
Examples
John Carpenter · 1986
Jack narrates over his CB radio like a legend, but Wang Chi does most of the fighting. Jack mostly makes mistakes and then takes credit. The film works because Kurt Russell plays him with total confidence.
Where to see it: The final battle: Jack accidentally knocks himself out at the start of the fight. Wang meanwhile duels Rain with a sword.
Michel Gondry · 2011
Britt thinks he is the hero, but Kato is the one with the skills, and the film plays that gap for laughs. You watch Britt talk himself up while Kato fixes the problem.
Where to see it: Becoming vigilantes: Britt rehires Kato, a mechanic skilled in martial arts, and the two start fighting crime with Britt using the newspaper to build the Green Hornet persona.
Questions