The INCspotlight

The INCspotlight: Top 15 Favorite Movie Villains More Entertaining than the Heroes

7/15/2019

Way back in the early days of the INCspotlight, I did a blog about movie villains I was disappointed by and wanted a lot more from than I got. I'd always intended to balance that out by highlighting the villains that were the best part - sometimes the only good part - of a film, and today is finally the day!

Back in high school and college, I had aspirations towards becoming an actor, particularly in villain roles. In a lot of action movies I saw in the 1980s and 1990s, the supporting characters and villains were usually more interesting and compelling than the main characters. They had better lines, better costumes, and the actors portraying them seemed to be having a better time, compared to the stoic, tortured heroes. As a result, bad guys were the kinds of roles I'd hoped to get if I ever made it as an actor. Why would I want to play a lead role who was dour and gloomy all the time instead of a role that would actually give me the chance to show some range or emotion, or at the very least have some fun? (Ah, the arrogance of youth...)

This was something I worried a lot about when writing The Brotherhood of the Black Flag. My main antagonist followed in the tradition of the grandiose magnificent bastard type of villain who could easily steal the show, which was fine and all, but I dreaded writing a protagonist who was seen as flat and boring, especially compared to my bad guy. I tried learning from a lot of the examples on this list, in fact, specifically to avoid that, and I'm relieved by any review that describes my main character as interesting and/or likable.

I think this trend is starting to fade somewhat, though. Even when you have a good villain, protagonists in a lot of the action movies I've seen lately are becoming just as interesting and well-developed compared to the villains, if not more so. (Unless they're both boring, which I've seen too.) The Marvel Cinematic Universe has done a great job making their heroes engaging, to the point that even when they're up against strong villains like Loki, Erik Killmonger, The Vulture, and Thanos, the heroes hold their own to the point that they're not overshadowed.

Black Panther (2018)

This list is specifically for protagonists who are overshadowed by the bad guys they go up against, either because the heroes just aren't interesting by comparison, or the bad guy is just that good at stealing the show. It will not include any villains that are the main characters of a movie - for example, James Cagney as Cody Jarrett in White Heat (1949), Sir Ian McKellen as King Richard in Richard III (1995), or any horror movie characters. They were meant to be the main characters and outshine all others, so I don't think it's fair to include them. As always, please keep in mind that this is a list of personal favorites, not "best."

So without further ado, here are my Top 15 Favorite Movie Villains More Entertaining than the Heroes!

15) John Lithgow as Lord John Whorfin, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension (1984)

I don't know what to say about this wacky cult flick that hasn't been said before, but it's worth a watch. Oddly enough, I guess I don't find it bizarre enough, feeling too restrained in some places, especially when it comes to Peter Weller's performance as our hero. (Except for that one line.) However,

14) Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Shang Tsung, Mortal Kombat (1995)

Unlike Street Fighter, which I only saw once, I've actually seen Mortal Kombat a bunch of times, although I'm not as into it as I used to be, One part, however, that remains a highlight is Cary-Hioyuki Tagawa as the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung. Rather than going for full, all-out bombast, Tsung is calm, soft-spoken, and affable, going more for sinister than bombast. He gets a few uber-family line deliveries in places, and he can milk the giant sky cow just as well as some of the other entries on this list, which adds to the sense of goofy fun for this film. Tagawa went on to reprise his role not only in the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2011-2013), but also the 2019 video game Mortal Kombat 11. It'll be interesting to see if he also returns for the upcoming film remake.

13) David Bowie as The Goblin King, Labyrinth (1986)

Prior to seeing Labyrinth, the bad guys I was used to seeing in movies were ominous, scary characters, determined to prove a villain and hate the idle pleasures of these days. I wasn't expecting anything different from a character called The Goblin King, especially after seeing some of his minions. Much to my surprise, he turned out to be an affable, courteous character, even likable. I'd never come across a movie villain that could be charismatic, maybe even a little sympathetic (although that last one has to do with his knack for manipulation). Also, David Bowie gave a much better performance than the at-the-time inexperienced Jennifer Connelly, who unfortunately had a bratty, unlikable character to play. I could have done without some of the musical numbers, although "Magic Dance" was kinda catchy. (And no, I'm not going to make any jokes about his costume - they've all been made before, I'm sure.)

12) Sean Bean as Alec Trevelyan, Goldeneye (1995)

James Bond made a triumphant return to the big screen after an eight year absence, and he was matched against a worthy foe to mark the occasion: Alec Trevelyan, aka 006, now a Russian crime lord operating under the code name "Janus." As both a former 00 and former friend of Bond, he knows what makes 007 tick in a way few enemies have understood. Plus, Trevelyan's younger than the likes of Goldfinger, Blofeld, and Karl Stromberg, and able to take Bond in an even fight without having to rely on underlings. It helps that he's played by the incredibly talented Sean Bean, which is enough to elevate his standing among other Bond foes (and ensure he won't be coming back for a sequel). As good as Brosnan was in his debut as James Bond, Bean's top-rate performance and Trevelyan's grandeur as a villain altogether managed to outshine him just enough to earn a spot on this list. To this day, I think he's one of the best Bond villains in the history of the franchise.

11) Jet Li as Wah Sang Ku, Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

I used to be a huge fan of the Lethal Weapon films, although Mel Gibson's off-screen behavior has made them impossible for me to enjoy anymore. (To be fair, however, I think I was already outgrowing them before Gibson's bigoted rants made headlines.) However, even back when I was really into the series, I thought Jet Li was the best thing about the fourth film, which I otherwise still liked. I hadn't even heard of him before seeing it, and I just couldn't get enough of his character, from his cool demeanor to his impressive martial arts skills. Now that I've seen a lot more of Li's work and have gotten used to him playing righteous, good-natured characters, I'm all the more impressed at how well he played a villain for the first time.

10) Vincent Price as Richelieu, The Three Musketeers (1948)

I think I commented on this when I reviewed this film a few years ago, but the heroes of this film are a mixed bag. Gene Kelly was a solid d'Artagnan, although I think his performance was hampered by the uneven tone of the movie. As for the titular three musketeers, Van Heflin was badly miscast as Athos. and Porthos and Aramis might as well not have even been in the fershlugginah movie, they're that unforgettable. However, to say that Vincent Price was perfectly cast as Prime Minister Richelieu (changed from a cardinal so as not to offend certain religious communities) is probably no surprise to anyone the least bit familiar with Price's career. With Richelieu written as a self-described creature of intellect in a world of would-be action heroes, Price adds a delightful air of malevolence to him, thanks to his silky line delivery. While the truckload of well-choreographed sword fights have kept me coming back to this movie, Price as Richelieu is an excellent bonus.

9) Michael Clarke Duncan as Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin, Daredevil (2003)

While it doesn't hold a candle to the Netflix series, I think the Daredevil movie is better than a lot of people give it credit for (although I'll admit that as a long-time fan of the comic book character, there may be bias at play here). There's definitely room for improvement, don't get me wrong, and while some of the creative choices worked, some didn't, even in the extended director's cut. Casting the late Michael Clarke Duncan as The Kingpin, however, was perfect casting. If I have any complaints about Duncan as the Kingpin, it's that he wasn't given more screen time.

7) Raul Julia as General Bison, Street Fighter (1994)

Yeah, nobody should be the least bit surprised Raul Julia made the list for Street Fighter, which is the only reason he doesn't rank even higher. This was his last theatrically-released film, as he was dying of stomach cancer, and he famously took the role of General Bison for the sake of his kids, who were huge fans of the Street Fighter games. And talk about going out in a blaze of glory! Julia's gloriously hammy performance is still remembered to this day as the best part of this film, and even critics who hated Street Fighter when it came out thought he was the only highlight. Beyond his over-the-top line delivery, Julia put a ton of work into preparing for his role of the evil warlord Bison. He researched various dictators and worked their mannerisms into his performance, and also drew influence from William Shakespeare's Richard III. Julia was also a beloved presence who everybody loved working with, and the film was dedicated to his memory after his death. (Contrary to popular belief, despite the critical drubbing, Street Fighter actually made a decent amount of money at the box office, and it now enjoys cult classic status.)

6) Alan Rickman as The Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

I mentioned before in a different blog how I used to enjoy this movie as a kid but have since outgrown it, just like the Lethal Weapon films. Still, Kevin Costner as Robin Hood was always my least favorite aspect of the movie, from the boring revenge storyline to his glum performance. By contrast, Alan Rickman is reveling in playing a Christmas-cancelling devil-worshiping scenery-chewer in his role as the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham.

5) Eleanor Audley as Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty (1959)

For a long time, Disney villains were the epitome of being more memorable than main characters, so I had to include one of them. There were a lot of serious candidates for this spot - Ursula, Professor Ratigan, and Hades - but ultimately, I went with Maleficent. I actually watched Sleeping Beauty a lot as a kid, mostly on account of the third act where Prince Generic...um, I mean Philip...battles it out with Maleficent's forces armed with the Sword of Truth, and then Maleficent herself transformed into a dragon (although Flora does the real work in striking the final blow). The other reason was all the rest of the scenes where Maleficent shows up. She's the only one who made any kind of lasting impression, radiating not only power, but an imposing dignity as well. Eleanor Audley, who had previously voiced Lady Tremaine in Cinederella (1950), almost passed on the role due to recovery from tuberculosis. Fortunately, she recovered and was able to give one of the best Disney villain performances in history.

4) All the villains in the Matrix sequels

I have mixed feelings about the original Matrix, but it's a decent movie with quite a bit to offer. The sequels, however, have only two highlights - the martial arts sequences and the villains. While it may have worked in the original, the flat, lifeless performances from our leads in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions quickly became tedious to put up with. The actors playing the villains - Hugo Weaving as ex-Agent Smith, Lambert Wilson as The Merovingian, and Helmut Bakaitis as The Architect - were the only ones who seemed to have any energy or spark to them. Weaving not only adds some deadpan snark to Smith, but with his new abilities, I had no idea how Neo could possibly beat him. (I found the results...underwhelming.) Wilson just lights up the screen as the smarmy crime lord and influence peddler. Bakaitis is a one-scene wonder with his chillingly malevolent line delivery, conveying menace and antagonism without so much as raising his voice. (Although I can't help wondering what Connery could have brought to the role, if only he'd accepted it.) Smith sidelines the other two in the third film, and as hilariously ridiculous as he can be in Revolutions, I'd liked to have gotten more of the Merovingian and the Architect.

3) Nicolas Cage and John Travolta as Castor Troy, Face/Off (1997)

Well, this is something of a novelty - two actors sharing an entry for playing the same villain in the same film. But that's what you get in this awesome action thriller about an FBI agent (John Travolta) who transforms into his arch-enemy (Nicolas Cage) to stop a terrorist plot, only for said enemy to transform into him and take over his life. It's a great acting showcase for both Travolta and Cage, although both actors are at their best in this film when they're playing terrorist-for-hire Nicolas Cage, instead of the dour, revenge-obsessed lawman Sean Archer. (As a character, I find Sean Archer to be the most interesting when Cage is playing Archer-pretending-to-be-Troy - a hard job to do convincingly.) I think this movie, more than any other, was the one that solidified my view that bad guys were more fun to play than good guys.

2) Wesley Snipes as Simon Phoenix, Demolition Man (1995)

I never became much of a Sylvester Stallone fan, but I'll say this for the guy - he made Snipes work for his spot on this list, which is one reason Phoenix ranks so high on this list. Stallone actually had a pretty good character to work with as John Spartan in this film, and he took advantage of it. Plus, I really enjoy Sandra Bullock's performance in Demolition Man (and almost everything else I've seen her in). However, there was no way in hell they had any chance of outdoing Snipes's performance. In fact, I can't think of anybody who could. Snipes is clearly having the time of his life as Simon Phoenix, Spartan's arch-nemesis, and it carries through every second he's on film. Spartan may be the one with the rep for demolition, but Snipes gives him competition with his unrestrained scenery-chewing. However, behind the clowning, Phoenix is a dangerous opponent - cunning, highly skilled, and with a chilling death glare when he's truly pissed, he's one of the more formidable action movie bad guys I've seen. Demolition Man has a lot to offer, and I appreciate it more even now than I used to, but Snipes is the top reason I've seen this multiple times.

And coming in at number one...

1) Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as Count Rupert of Hentzau, The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

Nobody worked harder to earn their spot on this list than my all-time favorite villain, the antagonist of one of my all-time favorite movies as depicted by Douglas Fairbanks Jr.. Fairbanks was playing against a first-class cast, all of whom were bringing their A-game to their performances. To top it off, the main character of Rudolf Rassendyll was well-written and well-developed, as were the supporting characters, making them likable and easy to invest in. The main villain of my literary debut, The Brotherhood of the Black Flag, owes a lot to Rupert of Hentzau - at least the way Douglas Fairbanks portrays him. (James Mason was good in the remake, but lacked that devilish spark that Fairbanks brought to the role.)

HONORABLE MENTION

Charles Middleton as Emperor Ming the Merciless, the Flash Gordon serials

The three Flash Gordon serials aren't my favorite, compared to other serials such as The Adventures of Captain Marvel or Spy Smasher, but there's no denying the quality of their production. The biggest weak spot is Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon himself, a dull block of wood as an actor - at least in Flash Gordon. The acting quality, however, is elevated considerably by Charles Middleton as the malevolent Ming. Yes, he's a Yellow Peril villain in every way, and yes, it probably qualifies as a yellowface performance, there's no getting around that. But the cold menace Middleton brings to the role of Ming is a standout compared to what I usually see in serials.

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