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Villains that were way more interesting than the hero

posted 6 years ago by ShogunofYonkers (77996)
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

[–] Wint3rFir3 (7251) 6 years ago

I'm gonna have to throw in Selena Kyle/Catwoman - Batman Returns (1992). But to be fair, Batman's villains overall were all pretty interesting.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77996) 6 years ago

Good one
I liked Julie Newmar's take on the character but what guy didn't?

[–] Wint3rFir3 (7251) 6 years ago

What guy didn't like Julie Newmar as a whole though let's be honest.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77996) 6 years ago

Got that right!

[–] Roguemail (1615) 6 years ago

The three villains in 52 Pick Up.

John Glovers smarmy, annoying character...Clarence William's 3rds scarily silent killer, and Robert Trevor's nervous, edgy wimp.

I thought they made the movie very entertaining.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77996) 6 years ago

I've never seen it, now I need to
Damn good cast!
Thx Roguemail

[–] AndyKing1967 (39073) 6 years ago

Wile-E-Coyote was way more interesting than Roadrunner.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77996) 6 years ago

Never would have thought of this one but you're right

[–] twinA (4921) 6 years ago

Roadrunner only had two words: "MEEP, MEEP!" That's because the animation studious at Warner Bros. had to work on the "CHEAP, CHEAP!"

We always knew that 'wascally coyote was the real star, even though after most of his bird-catching contraptions failed, he was always the one to see them.

~~/o/

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

he was tenacious.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Clancy Brown in Pet Sematary 2.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77996) 6 years ago

Clancy Brown can steal a show
The dude is great, his performances in Bad Boys and The Shawshank Redemption are legend-level and two decades apart...I like him a lot

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Hannibal Lector. Of course he was the main character but also the villain and more interesting than Starling.

The bad mutants in the X men. They were more logical too, why wouldn't you back your own side?

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Jeremy Iron's Scar over Matthew Brodrick's Simba in The Lion King (1994).

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77996) 6 years ago

Good one

[–] tsrt (1169) 6 years ago

Tommy Devito - Goodfellas

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77996) 6 years ago

He really was a funny guy!!
Very amusing

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Robert De Niro’s Al Capone in The Untouchables
Quint in Jaws.. is he a villain? Ok, maybe the shark is the villain.
Any film where you quote the villain but not the hero (i.e., Colonel Jessup in A Few Good Men, Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs)
Agree with the “any villain played by Alan Rickman”.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77996) 6 years ago

Yes
Col. Jessup was a good man
He walked the walls with his guns protecting my sleeping ass!

Very good movie and a great performance