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 (72235)
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

[–] AndyKing1967 (34131) 5 years ago

Nic Cage as Castor Troy in Face-Off.

[–] sslssg (28214) 5 years ago

Shouldn't you include Travolta in that as well?

Haven't seen it in 20 years, but didn't they both play the baddie at one point?

[–] AndyKing1967 (34131) 5 years ago

You are correct, but Castor Troy seemed cooler before Travolta’s character took over and visa versa (I hope this makes sense).

[–] sslssg (28214) 5 years ago

It sure does and I agree. I hated Travolta in that movie. He played it pretty much the same as he did in Broken Arrow. Once was enough.

[–] db20db (16228) 5 years ago

Dalton Russell of Inside Man--smooth, cunning and in control; the viewer just wants him to get away with it.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72235) 5 years ago

I need to find this one
So far you have suggested several winners to me and your last one, A Simple Plan, was really good

[–] db20db (16228) 5 years ago

Yes you do ! I know you will like it.

[–] db20db (16228) 5 years ago

While we're at it, I'll also recommend Blood Ties. Clive Owen was a good baddie in that one as well.

[–] VIDEOSTOREVANDAL (313) 5 years ago

THE SPIKE LEE MOVIE THAT EVEN SPIKE LEE COULDNT SCREW UP.

[–] db20db (16228) 5 years ago

Interesting and surprising point! I didn't recognize his style at all in this.

[–] sslssg (28214) 5 years ago

Don Logan - Sexy Beast

Harry Waters - In Bruges

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72235) 5 years ago

Kingsley was amazing in Sexy Beast (he played Ghandi yet some crazy casting director thought it was a good idea to have him play a total maniac?!?)
The man nailed the role...how he pulled it off is a mystery to me, he honestly appears too sweet and reasonable but damn...Acting!
Excellent movie

I have to catch In Bruges, it's not streaming here at the moment but I'm in when it pops up

[–] db20db (16228) 5 years ago

I recently saw Kingsley in Operation Finale in which he did a very good job of portraying the infamous Adolph Eichmann.

Yeah, you've got to see In Bruges. It's darkly comic and has some wonderfully picturesque cinematography.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72235) 5 years ago

I'm on it

[–] AndyKing1967 (34131) 5 years ago

I’ve been to Bruges a couple of times and have stood on the exact spot where *ooops spoilers*.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72235) 5 years ago

No Spoilers😵lol

Yeah, I've heard things, but I still need to check it out, I dig Gleeson

[–] sslssg (28214) 5 years ago

He's played some good villains over the years. Also some not so good ones. Sexy Beast though was I think his best. I liked him in Sneakers as well, but I liked everyone in that movie.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

good ones

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

The Terminator - The Terminator

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72235) 5 years ago

Good one
Reese was a great hero but the T-800 was the perfect big bad

[–] howgamer (3654) 5 years ago

Spot on!

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Syndrome - The Incredibles.

[–] twinA (4826) 5 years ago

There is something very sad about a character who has a backstory which brings no sympathy to themselves due to their self-absorbed attitude.

It's almost scary thinking about what his unbalanced mental state must have been like during his coming-of-age years, all that pent-up rage and frustration, and all because of an unhealthy fixation on wanting to be the best.

We see from his tech empire that he was successful at building gadgets and could have lived a fulfilling life but threw it all away on ill-conceived revenge, making himself out to be the victim despite what he has done.

~~/o/

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

He is a bit terrifying, not someone you would ever feel comfortable around. Not sure what Mirage ever saw in him. What i can't understand though is why he couldn't invent a machine or a serum or something to give him actual powers, i don't think it would've been impossible for him.

[–] twinA (4826) 5 years ago

I don't think he wanted to be an actual superhero anymore, only as a fake image to sell his tech to everyone to undermine the very thing he once idolized in his youth, Mr. Incredible.

~~/o/

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Guess he could've still sold his inventions in the end but i see your point. Real powers would technically have made him into the same thing he had learned to hate.

[–] twinA (4826) 5 years ago

He tried so hard to be bad, he was just plain sad, meeting his fate by the end of his cape.

~~/o/

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Should put that on his tombstone XD

[–] TexasJack (12515) 5 years ago

This is why the first and last rule of superhero/supervillian costume design is

No capes!

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Also never look back because it distracts from the now.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Mr. Terry Silver.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Hey! Hey, I like that! Oh, I like that

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

How do you know about Mimona?

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Don't worry about it, you just have fun. Go give Mamona and her girlfriend a squeeze for me.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

How do you know about Mimona?

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars prequels! That old queen OWNS this thread! Clever, duplicitous, charismatic, funny, surprising, charming... everything that the heroes and heroine were not. He was deliciously watchable, the best thing about the three movies.

He was the best thing about the prequels. The worst thing about the prequels is they managed to make Darth Vader LESS interesting than he had been in the original films.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72235) 5 years ago

So many things were wrong in the prequels...the whiney Vader 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!' was just the worst:(

[–] VIDEOSTOREVANDAL (313) 5 years ago

HE SHOULD HAVE SAID "GRROOOOOVVVVYYYYY"

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72235) 5 years ago

'EVEN HASTA LA VISTA BABY WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SUITABLE'

[–] twinA (4826) 5 years ago

It's always a bad sign when there has to be an entire expanded universe (Legends and Canon) to explain and fill in the behind the scenes gaps to give more context to events and situations to what were shown in the films.

The lore is full of rich storytelling and world-building though - something that is harder for the Star Trek universe to pull off.

The Emperor could have performed a wicked rap ballad, throwing around delicious word salads edged with his sharp wit to deliver a humor so wry, it would have caused Obi-Wan to blush and we would have all loved it!

~~/o/

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

You're absolutely right! The prequels would have been infinitely better if they'd cut all the love scenes, and given Palpatine some musical numbers instead!

Not rap, though. Sondheim-esque show tunes with subtly clever lyrics would suit him better.

[–] twinA (4826) 5 years ago

What about a cover of "Grease Lightning" by Emperor Palpatine called "Force Lighting" with soldiers from the 501st Stormtrooper legion (Vader's Fist) and subordinates of his personal Royal Red Guard detachment providing back-up vocals and dance choreography?

Darth Sidious: Alas, if only I never encountered Mace "Monday thru Friday to the face" Windu and his wretched woe he plagued my once impeccable singing voice. Now it sounds like a toad getting electrocuted while mating with Jar Jar Binks. What if...

[Sidious appears, ready to belt out a song. Cue music in imperial hangar bay.]

Why this Death Star problematic
It's thermodynamic
It's orbic
Why it's force lightning (force lighting)

We'll get some power converters and get some force sensitive locks
oh yeah
(keep laughing, whoa keep laughing)
A fear-led deadline and terror imposed labor behind, oh yeah
(I'll get the credits, I'll kill to get the credits)
Wookies dying on the floor, our building secrets will be secured
It no it ain't only an order, the dark side of the Force gives a cold shoulder
In Force Lighting
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it!

I am supreme. I'm Emperor Palpatine, by battle station superweapon laser beam
Everyone will scream for mercy!
[Sidious activates force lighting, levitating himself off the ground in menacing display]
Lightning, lightning, lightning
Lightning, lightning, lightning
Lightning yeah

~~/o/

[–] TexasJack (12515) 5 years ago

Nice!

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

Bravo! [clap clap] Brava! Bravi! Whatever is appropriate! [clap clap clap]

If they'd cut out the scene of Anakin and Padme romping in the meadow and put that in instead, the prequels would be considered among the greatest films of all times.

[–] howgamer (3654) 5 years ago

Hannibal Lecter
Annie Wilkes in Misery

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72235) 5 years ago

Perfect example...my thread and I feel like a dummy for not thinking of Lecter lol
Well done

Count Zarloff was way cooler than Rainsford in The Most Dangerous Game

[–] howgamer (3654) 5 years ago

I was also going to say Magneto in Xmen First Class, but I guess he is more of an antihero in that film.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72235) 5 years ago

That could be thread unto itself

[–] snepts (11123) 5 years ago

Dammit ! I read the whole thread hoping no one mentioned Silence Of The Lambs. I want my three minutes back ! (I'm a slow reader.)

[–] ShogunofYonkers (72235) 5 years ago

You need to oil your holster and file down the rough edges on your heater...there are a bunch of fast guns here;)