MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Villains that were way more interesting ...

Villains that were way more interesting than the hero

posted 5 years ago by ShogunofYonkers (72844)
95 replies | jump to latest

A story is greatly improved by having a big baddie that's intimidating, mysterious, cruel and frighteningly determined...some or all of these qualities NEED to be part of the villain's character to make a good story work

Consider Inglorious Basterds...Instead of being an evil, murderous monster excited by his work Hans Landa is a pudgy low level Nazi Party functionary too lazy to be bothered
He sees Shosanna flee across the field in the opening act, shrugs and thinks 'Meh, I'll just head off to Paris to eat fancy French Food and flirt with Fancy French babes...'

That does not work

Let's chat about villains so perfectly written and performed that they were way more watchable than the hero

[–] sslssg (28990) 5 years ago

I really think that Heath Ledger's Joker was way more interesting that Batman.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72844) 5 years ago

At the least it's a tie...in this case both were total lunatics lol

[–] keybored (2654) 5 years ago

This.

[–] TexasJack (12515) 5 years ago

Darth Vader

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72844) 5 years ago

Easily cooler than the moody farmboy!
Luke got boss level in ROTJ but damn, Vader is one of the coolest villains of all time

[–] sslssg (28990) 5 years ago

I will also add most villains played by Alan Rickman.

Snape was always very interesting. We know that's because he wasn't a villain, but for 7 movies he was.

Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was really the best character in the movie, even though it was over the top. I mean that wasn't hard with Costner's crappy performance, but I would have love to have seen a cousin spin off where Guy of Gisborne and the Sheriff go about being mean to people.

Hans Gruber. That's really all I need to say. :)

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72844) 5 years ago

Excellent choice
Rickman was pure joy in a meaty villain role

RIP, we lost a fine baddie!

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

[deleted]

[–] db20db (16307) 5 years ago

...intimidating, mysterious, cruel and frighteningly determined...

Each of these descriptors applies perfectly to Anton Chigurh of No Country for Old Men.

[–] TexasJack (12515) 5 years ago

I agree, and I've only seen the trailer!

[–] Painekiller (355) 5 years ago

Sean Connery - Captain Marko Aleksandrovich Ramius, Commanding Officer of Red October.

[–] VIDEOSTOREVANDAL (313) 5 years ago

GREAT PERFORMANCE...HE IS NOT A VILLAIN THOUGH.

[–] Painekiller (355) 5 years ago

All Russkies are "villains" so to speak...;-)

But you get defector cred on that one.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72844) 5 years ago

Excellent example
On second thought I should have included 'weird ass haircut' in my list of bad guy attributes lol

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

John Malkovich as Mitch Leary - In the Line of Fire (1993)

Denis Leary in Judgement Night (1993)

Ernest Borgnine in Convoy "There's a bear in the air, c'moan"

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72844) 5 years ago

Malkovich in psycho mode was a thing to behold!

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

When he's at his best 👍

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Alonzo Harris - Training Day

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72844) 5 years ago

Hell Yes!
When I grow up I want to be Alonzo (I'm 46 lolololol)

Total badass, Washington owned that movie

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Emperor Commodus - Gladiator

[–] Painekiller (355) 5 years ago

Cyrus the Virus "Malkovitch" in "Con Air"...

[–] VIDEOSTOREVANDAL (313) 5 years ago

NICE....CON AIR HAS A GRIP OF AWESOME BADDIES.CYRUS IS ETERNAL THOUGH.

[–] Painekiller (355) 5 years ago

:-)

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