Do you need to relate to the characters to enjoy a movie?

No, violent psychopaths like Michael Corleone and Henry Hill probably aren't going to be relatable to most people

Like already mentioned... No.

I think that really goes without saying.

No. Not usually if the story remains interesting.

It does help I must admit but I can either take it or leave it as long as there's a sense of danger involved.

I'm sane, so "yes", I have to relate in some way. Otherwise, the movie is just a plodding pile of rubbish like what we get in Leone's rotten spaghetti or the Godfather stupidity.


Sure, there are people like that, but they're boring people. They have no motivation other than sheer sadistic pleasure. 


That is when there are characters. There are movies that just show scenery. Those are tough to fully enjoy without characters. But they're tolerable. 

Dull characters make even the best scenery intolerable. 

Dull stories are worse of course. Hollywood has long been a breeding ground for the Nazi party, and most of the posts from people on IMDB are from sheep who are out of control and totally possessed by that propaganda. They've no idea what "Nature" is, because they've been brainwashed since birth, and that's evident from the number of people who are even willing to claim they enjoy being masochists.


Not us sane people, though.

THE EDIT: Now, when I speak of "relate to characters", I mean "relate to motivation", which is what I base this on. There simply is no credible "natural" motivation for most characters in most movies. Their only motivation is "Oh, I'm a movie character, and I need to do this to be evil, or to be a thug, or to be a hero, or to be this character". And that does happen in real life, sure. Most people in the first world today think they're movie characters. Go ahead and admit it, or look like a fool. It's a tough feeling to fight off.
But that motivation isn't "natural", and it makes for dull characters. We don't believe it is "greed" or "power" motivating these characters to kill, maim, rob, and destroy the lives of people, because it's quite obvious that these characters would get more riches or power by simply allowing the minor characters to work for them. So, the villains, and almost all heroes (since Hollywood heroes are almost always thugs and gang members who decide to go straight), don't have any interesting motivation. It's the "same old, same old".

And we have proof this is the real cliché, because if you want the real cliché, you look at the top rated movies, the IMDB top 250, and the other highly ranked ones, and there you get the real clichés of the ignorant masses.

And about half of IMDB's top 250 are dull movies about mostly dull characters. They just aren't interesting, because there's no way to relate to their motivation. Not for those of us who aren't spoiled rich kids who think they're movie characters.

Would you say violent psychopaths like Michael Corleone, Tony Soprano, and Walter White have likeable traits? I would say the only likeable traits about them is they're family men and they justifiy their criminal activity by trying to provide for their families.

Not necessarily.

Likeable traits? No.

However, those despicable traits can make them interesting which is more important than being likeable.

That said, in order for me to love a movie or show, there has to be a likeable or pitiable something about at least one of the characters, not necessarily the lead.

In Breaking Bad, Walter is a great character, but I loved the show because of Jesse Pinkman.

For Godfather, It's Vito.