Great Villains

[Note: I originally titled this as "Best Villains" but then I realized there are just far too many that I won't be able to put in this post. Hence the downgrade in superlatives.]

There's nothing like a good arch nemesis. The revenge business, while often riddled with agony and anger, certainly does provide clear cut goals. Even in the real world, we like to hate on someone (George W. Bush, the Red Sox, Putin, Palin, the list goes on...). Just as love drives humans to great lengths, naturally, hatred can drive us to the ends of the earth and beyond. Love and it's counter point give our hearts reason to beat for at an accelerated pace. So, while watching movies, we can quickly get on board with the protagonist in love or hate (or both). As always with my criteria, there's more to a villain that total malice. A great villain can walk that line where we actually love them. It helps when villains are well versed in clever one liners, agile for long action sequences, or are simply so evil that we cannot avert our eyes.

In no particular order....


The Joker from Batman and The Dark Knight
For nostalgia's sake, I have to include both Jack Nicholson as well as Heath Ledger. Their jokers were two very different men, but both made audiences clap their hands while they put on their orchestrated chaos. My brother and I still quote Nicholson's great line: "Where does he get those wonderful toys??"
The darkness surrounding Ledger's Joker is what has rendered that of Nicholson's as slightly campy. How can Nicholson compete with the ominous fact that Ledger died before The Dark Knight hit theaters? Both bring chaos and havoc to Gotham with that menacing smile on their face. We can't help but smile back.




Commodus from The Gladiator
Joaquin Phoenix's Roman emperor is beyond creepy in this movie. Despite his pathetic whiny personality, he manages to take over the empire and even kill Maximus. The icing on the cake is his infatuation with his own sister. Tucker and I went to see Signs opening night, which starred Phoenix. When we exited the theater, Tucker said: "You know, I thought I hated Joaquin Phoenix because he was so creepy in The Gladiator. But, now I realize he's just a good actor." Tucker was dead on. Phoenix is very likable as Merrill in Signs. Commodus makes your skin crawl.



Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs
This villain pretty much makes this list without saying. Anthony Hopkins broke down the wall in regard to how to make evil drip right off the movie screen. The amazing thing, however, is that Hannibal isn't even the actual villain of the movie. He's not the one who's killing and skinning the innocent girls. Hannibal is educated, sinister, and completely fascinating. He hypnotizes us. We want to go into his cell even though we risk getting chewed up and spat out.






Darth Vader in the Star Wars series
Technically, Hayden Christensen didn't ruin Darth Vader because he was playing Anakin Skywalker, who is not fully Darth Vader. I think we all wish that George Lucus had just left the Star Wars series alone instead of making the first three episodes. So it goes. Darth Vader is perhaps the most iconic villain of all time. I would not be surprised if Hitler and Darth Vader were equally recognizably symbols of evil. Of course, Darth Vader's got a leg up on most cinematic villains as his wadrobe lends itself to disarming people. His face doesn't move and his eyes are plastic. He is, for all intents and purposes, not human, which makes his coldness all the more terrifying. Oh and then there's the whole Jedi strangling tactic. No one is safe!! Not even his son!



Jareth the Goblin King in Labrynth
Anyone who has seen this movie can vouch for Jareth's brilliance. He charms us with his spandex and his musical numbers. Also, look at where Jennifer Connelly's career has gone after this film. It is one of the most underrated movies in the history of cinema.