To break the fourth wall

[Saltyk]

The fourth wall is an imaginary wall between the characters on screen (or stage) and the audience. It keeps us separate from the action, but allows us to view it. A lot of comedies like to break the fourth wall as a joke. Sometimes it's a subtle look at the audience, and other times they outright address the audience or reference the show. "Hey, this is a kid's show, buster!"

But I've seen other things do this. Even semi-serious series and video games have broken the fourth wall.

In Metal Gear Solid 2, after Raiden meets up with Snake to get his gear back, they prepare to battle through a huge corridor of guards. Snake tells Raiden that he has ammo if Raiden needs more. Raiden then asks if Snake will have enough for himself. Snake points to his bandana and says "Infinite ammo". It's over so fast, you probably didn't even notice it, but Snake subtly broke the fourth wall.

So what do you all think? Is it funny when characters address the audience? Do they do this too much? Are there any funny moments that you can think of where characters break the fourth wall?

 

[The Procrastinated End]

If its done right breaking the fourth wall can flat out blow my mind, and I haven't noticed a lot of games overdoing it.

 

[Lust]

In Metal Gear Solid 2, after Raiden meets up with Snake to get his gear back, they prepare to battle through a huge corridor of guards. Snake tells Raiden that he has ammo if Raiden needs more. Raiden then asks if Snake will have enough for himself. Snake points to his bandana and says "Infinite ammo". It's over so fast, you probably didn't even notice it, but Snake subtly broke the fourth wall.

I remember that. I was laughing at myself for a while.

But, this will always stay in my mind.


Oh Metal Gear, you always make me feel like you notice me.

 

[latenightapplepie]

When Jerry Espensen pleads for his job back on the TV show Boston Legal, he admits that he loved being at work so much that he even had a little song that he sang to himself.

He is asked to sing it in the interview, and it then forms the opening credits of that week's episode:


Brilliant.

 

[Something Amyss]

MGS breaks the fourth wall a lot.It's cute once or twice, but then it gets irritating.

 

[midget_roxx]

Company of Heroes

 

[MikailCaboose]

"The Emperor's New Groove" did it a bit. I loved it. Then again that movie is just hilarious to begin with.

 

[Mighty Lighty]

Deadpool comics constantly as when someone asks when the met last deadpool will say the number of the comic

also deadpool's argues with his nemesis about deadpool stealing his identity it ends with deadpool saying "it depends on which writer you like best"

 

[Aggressor and Usurper]

I loved that bit in MGS2. However there was another breaking the fourth wall moment that scared the shit out of me a few minutes before.

"Raiden, you've been playing for far too long. You'll damage your eyes. Turn off the console."

Me, 14, having played it all day: O_O
*curls up in a ball*

 

[DeathsHands]

Most of the time, I find it hilarious.

Deadpool. Full stop.

(Although kids cartoons fail at breakage of our beloved fourth wall far too often.)

 

[HK_01]

In SC2 Jim Raynor says something along the lines of "Relax Tychus, this isn't Science Fiction" after Tychus voiced some concerns about the alien artifact.

That's just the most recent example I can think of.

Usually I find it quite irritating when the Fourth Wall is broken. Sometimes it's okay though.

Company of Heroes

Um, could you specify a bit more?

 

[Dags90]

Animaniacs, Malcom in the Middle, Courage the Cowardly Dog, etc. It's a pretty common tool for humor, especially in animated settings. Sometimes it works, sometimes it just disrupts scenes. Usually though, people who can't pull it off avoid it.

 

[Rainboq]

I think it was in Pod People, or whatever that movie was called.

 

[HontooNoNeko]

I love it when games break the fourth wall I was never a big fan of serious games anyways.

One of my favorites was in Atelier Iris appropriately named ESRB

[Sorry its in the atrocious English dub can't find it in Japanese)

 

[Saltyk]

In Metal Gear Solid 2, after Raiden meets up with Snake to get his gear back, they prepare to battle through a huge corridor of guards. Snake tells Raiden that he has ammo if Raiden needs more. Raiden then asks if Snake will have enough for himself. Snake points to his bandana and says "Infinite ammo". It's over so fast, you probably didn't even notice it, but Snake subtly broke the fourth wall.

I remember that. I was laughing at myself for a while.

But, this will always stay in my mind.


Oh Metal Gear, you always make me feel like you notice me.

LMAO. I thought about mentioning that one, too! When the Colonel started telling me that I had been playing too long and should turn off the console, I freaked. I had been playing for like 5 hours and thought the game was programmed to do that after so many hours or something. I quickly realized it was a joke, but still.

 

[Thaius]

I'm not usually a big fan of it in a serious context, but Metal Gear Solid did it fantastically. I loved the stuff they did before the Psycho Mantis battle: done right like that, it can actually seem like it's relating to the player rather than just being ridiculous. And that was pretty freaking awesome.

 

[Secret world leader (shhh)]

I'm not sure if it would count but i really like the line in watchmen (the graphic novel) when...

*WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS*

Spoiler

adrian turns to night owl and rorshach and says "i'm not a comic book villain dan..."

I usually find it funny when the fourth wall gets broken. Even when it's meant to be serious like in the end of assasins creed 2.

 

[Dags90]

I'm not sure if it would count but i really like the line in watchmen (the graphic novel) when...

*WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS*

Spoiler

adrian turns to night owl and rorshach and says "i'm not a comic book villain dan..."

I usually find it funny when the fourth wall gets broken. Even when it's meant to be serious like in the end of assasins creed 2.

That's more lampshade hanging than breaking the fourth wall. He's clearly addressing Night Owl and not the audience.

 

[child of lileth]

The part in SNATCHER where you have to pray for a new option to show up to make it show up always kinda seemed like one of the stupider examples of it to me. I don't mind it every once in a while, but at times, it's just not as funny as they might have intended it to be.

 

[Nazz3]

Ah, Metal Gear. I love the 4th wall jokes