When a downtrodden street-dweller uncovers an underground humanoid-reptilian race’s conspiracy to enslave humanity, he risks his own life to protect that of an innocent little boy.

That's great food for thought.

I pictured the reptilian leader as a huge, mythical snake that's embedded in the deepest chamber of the sewer system - one that's so grotesque and nasty it strikes at its human sacrificial offerings and bites their heads clean off.

This everyday hobo would have to overcome his fear of snakes to kill it.

This idea is much less well-drawn than your own (mirroring the hobo's plight is really great), but seeing an oversized snake bite a human's head off in one go just seems so poetic.

I think I actually stole that from one of Lui Kang's fatalities in Mortal Kombat.

Come to think of it...Reptile is straight out of the MK Universe too. I'm so busted.

I certainly hope you don't make the hobo into the world's saviour.

I like seeing movies about small, personal stories set against the backdrop of insane, world changing events (like Monsters).

You do need a clear antagonist though, and it also makes me think Aliens is a good basis for draw from. They very clearly created a "leader" for the Aliens, someone who Ripley had to beat in order for the story to be over (it works even better that she was a Queen protecting her own young). What if the leader of this group of reptilians was an outcast from his own society, in order to mirror your hobo's plight?

>> as no caring parent would generally let their four or five year old hang out with a hobo

Make the parent(s) tweakers (meth addicts). They'll get uncaring fast.

Thanks for the suggestions y'all.
In my outline, the street-urchin was a victim of child-abuse, so his fixation for protecting an unknown innocent is his path toward absolution.
However, it's hard to tie him and the child together, as no caring parent would generally let their four or five year old hang out with a hobo, no matter how righteous he is.
Happy to be proved wrong, though.

Thanks for the suggestions y'all.
In my outline, the street-urchin was a victim of child-abuse, so his fixation for protecting an unknown innocent is his path toward absolution.
However, it's hard to tie him and the child together, as no caring parent would generally let their four or five year old hang out with a hobo, no matter how righteous he is.
Happy to be proved wrong, though.

Further clarification:

My takeaway is : don't discount the orphan street urchin. Properly played, it's a potent character type. See the book and all the movie adaptations of "Oliver Twist". And "The Kid" -- Charlie Chaplin's 1921 movie, one of his most popular.

In find Jean-Marie's reference to "Aliens" interesting.

In that movie, Ripley adopts the orphaned Newt and fights to save her life. The emotional bond is strengthened by the fact that each has suffered a loss of family: Ripley has lost her daughter (who died on earth while Ripley was drifting through space in hypersleep for decades), and Newt has lost her family to the Aliens.

Subjectively, Ripley needs a daughter to nurture, protect and raise -- the experience she was deprived of because of her career as a space pilot. Newt, of course, needs a new mother.

So while I Richiev's idea of an estranged son is a good one, I would not totally rule out the option that they are unrelated. The trick is to do what James Cameron in writing Aliens and establish a bond between them: they both need each other for subjective, emotional reasons.

It is a good idea to relativize a bit the threat and make the Hero able to solve the whole problem. Otherwise, some Super-Heroes may take the opportunity to make a blockbuster with your idea ;-)

There are many other possible ways
- the reptilians are morons and the limited Hero's action solve the whole problem;
- You can also defeat the hero ....

For drama, you can find useful things in James Cameron's Aliens, for example. For comedy, it's more Tim Burton's Mars Attacks!

Good luck!

I like this attempt, hypnotize children and estranged son give the story more specifics.