The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 5,700 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 10 years to get that many views.
Epic! Like a super trailer for my favorite trilogy.
That’s right, DARK KNIGHT replaces STAR WARS and/or INDIANA JONES. It’s just so damn well written and interconnected. One of the few trilogies that actually comes full circle.
Never has a comic-book adaptation been treated so seriously. It’s not for kids, it’s some serious shit!
Let’s face it, I loved SKYFALL, you loved SKYFALL, we all loved SKYFALL. It is everyone’s favorite 007 movie. EVERYONES! (Obviously, I am exaggerating… a lot).
But, like Bond, I survived the bloody… er… shock, in this time, so I was stocked to order it!
But the sale was over. TeeSpring is like Kickstarter in that a goal must be reached, in this case in 7 days, and once those 7 have passed, no dice (or in this case no shirt).
I sent a request over to CommanderBond.net and he reopened the sale, this time in sexy Navy blue. Navy, as in “Royal Navy Commander Bond” (his official cover/title).
“chameleon29” has some awesome artwork on deviantArt of favorite heroes and villains from both DC and Marvel comics. Some are even available as prints (and/or magnets and mugs)!
Too bad I have no money…. Damn you, comic addiction!
My personal favorite it Batman, not to say the rest aren’t great. I simply love the interpretation with the extra sharp ridges and lines of the mask, especially around Batman’s eyes.
I do apologize for the deviantArt watermark, but I thought these pieces were so damn cool I’d share them with my fellow geeks anyway. The art may be fairly familiar in pose (especially Iron Man), but the style really grabs me, you know?
(Gross, not in that way! Get your mind out of the gutter, buddy!)
All appear to be the “movie versions” of their character. Bane is obvious, though Spider-Man and Iron Man also sport masks closer to their big-screen design. In Spidey’s case, I think we’re looking at the original Sam Raimi version played by Tobey Maguire.
Check out the two purely comic inspired characters by clicking READ MORE below.
EXTREME SPOILERS AHEAD FOR AVENGERS, DARK KNIGHT RISES, AND SKYFALL.
Possible SPOILERS for any other films referenced.
We’ve finally reached 2012, a year full of great villains! Perhaps the best year for antagonists in this modern age!
Some 2012 Villains spent their time in glass cages…
All of 2012’s “Terrible 3” fit the mold I discussed in previous posts of “A Better Class of Criminal” (Part II, Part III). All 3 deserve to be on the list of 100 greatest villains ever; any other year, each would be the highlight due to less steep competition from the other 2.
Loki (Tom Hiddleson), THE AVENGERS
Only one way to wipe that grin off his face…
Loki is the weakest of the 2012 “Terrible 3,” yet he is still fan-diddily-tastic and miles above most antagonists on the silver screen (technically, billions of miles above, since he is from Asgard…).
Let’s tick the boxes off for the traits we’ve already covered ad nauseum…
1) Loki has a mastermind of a plan. The demi-God is always on step ahead of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, and even his own brother, Thor. More specific, like great villains past (think the Joker), his plan involves being captured in order to destroy the Avengers from the inside. In his case, he wants a shot at the monster S.H.I.E.L.D. brought on their own Hellicarrier, Bruce Banner aka the Hulk.
Like I said, the glass cage is all the rage in 2012!
Even past his capture and escape, Loki is a step ahead of Captain America and team, setting up at Stark Tower before even Tony Stark realizes it.
Loki grins as he “stabs” a man in the eye.
2) Loki loves his work. He smiles so often, with such evil and glee, even when things look there worst for him. My personal favorite is the smile Loki pops off while “removing” a man’s eyeball before he first encounters Captain America in Germany.
He smiles when he arrives on our planet, as Thor threatens him, as he watches Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America clash, as he passes Banner’s lab in cuffs, as he threatens Black Widow, and even when Tony Stark taunts him in the third act. Loki’s having so much fun he can’t contain himself.
Smiles All Around
As a result, so do we! A lot of credit has to go to the actor, Tom Hiddleson, on this one. As written, Loki could be played more seriously, but Hiddleson nails Loki’s playfulness.
3) Speech! Speech! – Loki may not have a unique voice like his predecessor, The Joker, or his successor, Bane, but he can still deliver quite the evil speech.
To the people of Germany:
“Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It’s the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life’s joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel.”
To Black Widow:
“I won’t touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you! Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear! And then he’ll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I’ll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!”
To Hulk:
“Enough! You are, all of you are beneath me! I am a god, you dull creature, and I shall not be bullied by…”
Ok, so not all Loki speeches end so great…
No one fucks with Phil Coulson… except Loki.
4) Loki is unique. Sure, we’ve seen many super-villains over the years, but Loki is a God/Alien. He considers himself a fallen king, driven mad by the power of the Tesseract and envy of Thor. He sees the human race as ants, something very few to no villains mentioned previously feel. After all, even those like Norman Osbourne aka the Green Goblin, who sees himself as above regular people, was human himself before experimentation.
5) Loki makes it personal. He attacks the Avengers “where they live” (according to Tony Stark), killing friend of the team Agent Phil Coulson.
Bane as painted by Casey Callende.
Bane (Tom Hardy) , THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
I argue that Bane is an even stronger Nolan Batman baddie than Joker… and most people call me a fool.
Joker may have tested Batman’s one rule… and corrupted Gotham’s White Knight, Harvey Dent… but BANE BROKE THE BAT! And held Gotham hostage for months, keeping the entire US government at bay.
The panel from KNIGHTFALL
My favorite scene in Nolan’s entire DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY is Bane and Batman’s initial fight in the sewers. Not only is the action perfectly brutal, leading to the destruction of Batman – the final moment true to the exact panel from the comic – but every line Bane utters during the fight is gold; instantly classic. Both the writing, and the all important delivery by the extraordinary Tom Hardy make the scene the best of the comic-book-movie crop:
“Not as serious as [your mistake], I fear…
Let’s not stand on ceremony here, Mr. Wayne.
Peace has cost you your strength. Victory has defeated you!
Theatricality and deception. Powerful agents to the uninitiated. But we are initiated, aren’t we Bruce? Members of the League of Shadows. And you betrayed us!…
I am the League of Shadows! I’m here to fulfill Ra’s al Ghul’s destiny!
You fight like a younger man with nothing held back. Admirable, but mistaken.
Oh, you think the darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn’t see the light until I was already a man. By then it was nothing to me but blinding!
The shadows betray you, because they belong to me!
I will show you where I have made my home whilst preparing to bring justice to Gotham… Then I will break you.
Your precious armory, gratefully accepted. We will need it.
Ah yes, I was wondering what would break first… your spirit… or your body?!?!”
CLICK “READ MORE” BELOW FOR MORE BANE GOODNESS! NOW WITH SILVA FROM SKYFALL!
This week saw more arrivals of new Marvel NOW books. Lucky for us this “not a relaunch” looks like its producing some interesting stuff. One of my picks this week comes from the debut of the new Thunderbolts. I love the concept for this book with a team of anti-heroes coming together to be a more brutal Marvel team book. The inclusion of Electra is the only thing that makes me hesitate but as long as there are not too many Electra-focused story lines then this book should have a good run. A book that includes Venom, Deadpool, and Punisher is hard to pass up for me and this issue leaves a promise of a serious ass-kicking run in the future for the Thunderbolts. Of all of the Marvel NOW books this one’s #1 issue has got me the most excited to see where things go.
Which turns me to another Marvel NOW book, one thats got me excited AND giggling, Deadpool #3 continues the ridiculous story of zombie American presidents. What an opening arc it has been, this is exactly what Deadpool should be; Absurd fun with wicked originality. Never have I more enjoyed watching Nixon get punched in the face, which is saying something. Another great bit about the first 3 Deadpool issues so far is the covers, each one looks great and provides the first funny tickle that continue throughout the book. I hope that the level of this book doesn’t drop off at the end of this arc because I can’t wait to see what shenanigans they come up with next to put the merc with a mouth through.
The Last pick this week is Legends of The Dark Knight #3. Currently in the Bat-world, after his long faceless absence in the New 52, the Joker is everywhere thanks to Death of the Family. Legends of the Dark Knight is no different, it is on board with the Joker obsession. Rather than focusing on the Joker, this story uses the Joker as a catalyst to make a point about the good that Batman does for Gotham. I think this is a nice change of pace compared to the usual dark place the Bats books take us. The letters shine a light from the shadows of Gotham on the good that Batman does. He is a symbol of fear for a city that only understands that, but the good in Gotham can see through his disguise. While Batman struggles to get his focus off the darkness of the Joker we are able to take a look at the bright side of Gotham. We don’t see the good in Gotham nearly enough and I’m often inclined to agree with Bane and Ra’s Al Ghul that Gotham deserves whatever it has coming to it. This issue may just make me rethink my position on the people of Gotham. I’d recommend this book to anyone since it is a one and done like the Legends of the Dark Knight books before it, and it’s also not in the New 52 continuity so anyone can pick it up and enjoy, and I advise you to do just that.
First off, let’s dispel the rumor of a young Khan once and for all…
Khan is also Indian… Just sayin’…
1) Khan has NO super powers. He is genetically superior to the average human, altered into a Napoleonic genius with a thirst for conquest, but he’s not psychic; he can’t cause mass destruction without a starship or army. The synopsis for INTO DARKNESS calls the villain a “one-man weapon of mass destruction.” That ain’t Khan. Some of the destruction Cumberbatch creates in the teaser is well outside the abilities of Khan.
2) Khan, at least in the original canon, was from 1999 (I believe), one of the genetic “super-humans” (again, in intellect and strength, NO actual superpowers) marooned in space after attempting to conquer Earth. That was long before Kirk or Starfleet’s time. And Cumberbatch’s character seems to want revenge against both.
THIS WOULD NOT HAVE CHANGED IN THIS NEW TIMELINE. After all, it happened long before Nero and Spock returned from the future, changing the fate of Kirk and his crew.
Looks to me to be misdirection… It’s in the trailer, but why do the same scene from the first “Star Trek 2” aka “Wrath of Khan?” That’s Spock on one side, but who says it is Kirk on the other?
3) J.J. and crew would be fools to touch Khan. It’s like redoing the Joker… but Abrams is NO Christopher Nolan. Just watch the steaming pile of SUPER 8.
Now, more reasons (in addition to the ones in my past blog), why it looks to be Mitchell…
The blond from the INTO DARKNESS trailer looks a lot like Dr. Elizabeth Dehner from “Where No Man Has Gone Before”
1) The girl with the blond hair (Alice Eve). Look at her. Though so-far nameless, she looks an awful like Dr. Elizabeth Dehner, the only other Enterprise crew member to receive psychic powers with Mitchell during the magnetic storm encountered while trying to exit the galaxy in THE ORIGINAL SERIES (TOS) episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before.”
Now, Dr. Dehner was not in the IDW comic version of “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” which is officially canon with the new timeline, so she never received powers herself. But… she has a history with Mitchell… and Bones… regardless and is key to the original episode. The only reason she is not on the ship at the time of the accident in the comic is because Bones is already the Enterprise’s top physician, at the start of the comic, where in TOS she was his predecessor.
The comic also mentions the two have had a romantic past which is why she and Bones were not both assigned to the same starship.
So what does Mitchell want with Dr. Dehner now (assuming it is Dehner)? She’s powerless. Does he love her? Do his powers allow him to somehow remember the other timeline where they were empowered together? Driving him to seek a way to transform her as well so they can be together? Or does he simply sense the minor TK (LOOPER speak for telekinesis) in her already. Either way, she’s totally in peril at some point… and is featured in the teaser more than many classic crew members.
In the uniform and THE chair!
2) Cumberbatch wears a Starfleet uniform and even is sitting in a Captain’s chair in parts of the trailer. Khan was never a part of, nor never wanted to be in Starfleet. Though he did steal the Enterprise and would destroy the rest the fleet with glee, I can’t see him dressing in uniform of his enemy. On the other hand, Mitchell is a former member of Starfleet and a personal rival of Kirk’s.
What glee it would bring Mitchell to prove he is the better Captain after all.
It’s a little worrisome that Bones is only seen on the “red” planet in the teaser. After all, he’s my favorite crew member…
3) Bones said it. On a press junket for DREDD, Karl Urban aka STAR TREK’s Bones said Cumberbatch is “awesome, he’s a great addition, and I think his Gary Mitchell is going to be exemplary.”
Sure, this could be misdirection, but what are the odds he would plant it months ago only to have the trailer seemingly support his claim? That’s too intricate, even for an Abrams secret.
Loose lips sink starships, Bones McCoy!
4) Mitchell’s been in the IDW comic series that is canon. Khan has not (unless he is the focus of the new “Countdown To Darkness” mini-series, in which case my theories are fucked).
Sure, he dies, but he also has powers no one, not even Spock understands. It’s not outside STAR TREK logic to think Mitchell was already unkillable when Kirk thought he did the deed. In which case, how in the world will they defeat him this time?
Maybe it’s neither Mitchell nor Khan.
What if this is what Abrams wants? All this speculation between Khan and Mitchell when it is someone completely different?
After all, how does this quote from the Japanese teaser apply to Mitchell?
“Is there anything you would not do, for your family?”
The line could simply be Mitchell questioning Kirk’s allegiance to his “family” aka crew, though it almost sounds like an explanation for his own actions. Perhaps this character is not Mitchell and is seeking revenge for his own lost family (though that’s a lil’ similiar to Nero’s plight).
I guess we’ll all know soon enough. There will be 9 minutes of INTO DARKNESS on THE HOBBIT Imax Friday, with a real trailer for the film following on the 17th.
I don’t care what they think. I fucking love me a Tom Cruise movie. It doesn’t matter how cheesy or corny the material is, Tom Cruise acts the shit out of everything. He never half-asses it.
“WHO ARE YOU?!?!”
Tom Cruise is basically a human Wall-E, the same kind of everyman we see in WAR OF THE WORLDS.
A man with a New York Yankees cap… and fucking stormtrooper armor.
Then. Shit. Gets. Real.
I just hope it’s better than TRON: LEGACY. Don’t fuck this up, Joseph Kosinski! Tom is bringing gold to the table. Again I say:
The villain of STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS seems to fit the current mold.
Possible SPOILERS follow for any movie mentioned.
Villains are no longer underwritten stereotypes to be trifiled with. They are now the stuff supporting-actor-Oscars are made of.
As discussed in Part II of “A Better Class of Criminal”, the academy award-winning-villains Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) and the Joker (Heath Ledger) were really the catalysts that transformed the average blockbuster movie villain into the eccentric, playful, oh-so-personal, well-spoken masterminds of today.
This post, we will journey up to 2012, wrapping up next time with the likes of Bane, Silvia, and future villains including IRON MAN 3’s Mandarin and STAR TREK INTO THE DARKNESS’s mysterious villain (whom I still assume is Gary Mitchell).
I’ll cover the antagonists who followed 2008’s Joker prior to the current year, including Col. Hans Landa from INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS and A GAME OF SHADOWS’ Moriarty.
2009 – Captain Nero (Eric Bana), STAR TREK
Nero is not a fantastic villain; he shouldn’t necessarily be on this list. Eric Bana disappears into the role, but Nero is pretty one-dimensional, due to the filmmakers’ wise decision to focus on introducing the crew of the USS Enterprise in this origin story.
Deleted Klingon from STAR TREK (2009)
(A fairly long deleted scene features more back-story – and J.J. Abrams’ Klingons! – adding to his character.)
Still, the make-up looks badass (suck it, Darth Maul), and Bana is clearly having a great time chewing the scenery; “Hi, Chris. My name is Nero.” Nero is lots of fun, though in most other ways he is not the prime example of a 21st century antagonist. He’s not all so scary and lacks the intricate plans of most of his modern peers.
Nero isn’t the ultimate baddie, but he does indicate Abrams has the potential to do something special with Cumberbatch’s antagonist in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS.
“James T. Kirk was considered to be a great man. He went on to captain the U.S.S. Enterprise… but that was another life. A life I will deprive you of just like I did your father!”
Gotta’ love the pipe!
– Col Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
Another Best Supporting Academy Award win for a villain actor (following Javier Bardem and Heath Ledger)! Also like Bardem, Christoph Waltz is another foreign actor who seemed to come out of nowhere!
Milk must lead to strong bones… and Oscars
Waltz is simply perfect, injecting quite a bit of fun into a very serious role; after all, his nickname is “the Jew Hunter.” Again, we have a scary man who always has the time to stop and drink a cool glass of milk.
Landa is so scary because he is relaxed and matter-of-fact, hiding a very violent, short-temper underneath (as illustrated when he snaps and strangles Bridget von Hammersmark).
Waltz is the heart of many incredibly acted scenes: Landa calmly smokes from an over-sized pipe (he upstages all opponents in every way, always) as he draws information about hidden Jews from a poor, sweating farmer who doesn’t stand a chance against Landa’s charismatic/terrifying persona. Landa also has quite the chat with Brad Pitt and Ryan from THE OFFICE (B.J. Novak).
Landa is nearly always smiling, enjoying his game.
The game? Ensuring he ends up on the winning side.
Truly a slime-ball of a villain, a man that has no code except ensuring his own survival, only Waltz can pull off Hans Landa, flawlessly switching between more than a few different languages, sounding fluent and poetic in all.
Landa may just be the 2nd best villain on this modern list… behind Anton Chigurh, of course.
“That’s a bingo!”
Actor Mark Strong always pleases.
– Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), SHERLOCK HOLMES
I have a soft spot for Mark Strong. He’s not quite Bardem or Waltz, but he’s still great in nearly everything -KICK-ASS, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, BODY OF LIES, ROCK’N’ROLLA – you name it he’s great in it. (I haven’t seen 2010’s ROBIN HOOD, smart-ass.)
In the first SHERLOCK HOLMES, Blackwood is a decent villain for Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) to cut his teeth on, though he is no Moriarty.
Blackwood ticks nearly every modern villain box; he gives great, menacing speeches, he’s got a sprawling plan that keeps him streets ahead of Holmes, and he’s even got a Bond-villain style deformity (those fucking teeth!). I just wish Blackwood took a little more joy in his scheme. Especially since his plan is great fun, involving “dark magic” and “supernatural powers,” a great challenge for even the world’s greatest detective (of the 19th century – we’ll get to Batman’s baddies again next time…)
I always love exchanges between villains and heroes, especially when the antagonist cockily taunts and foreshadows coming events that the hero cannot comprehend. The interplay between minds like Holmes and Blackwood makes you glad most of today’s villains are “master-minds.”
“Holmes, you must widen your gaze. I’m concerned you underestimate the gravity of coming events. You and I are bound together on a journey that will twist the very fabric of nature. But beneath your mask of logic I sense a fragility. That worries me. Steel your mind, Holmes. I need you.”
Holmes gets to deliver an equally astounding monologue as he “Scooby-Doo’s” Blackwood’s plan, breaking each supernatural trick down, one-by-one.
Lord Blackwood even “cheats death.”
Besides the supernatural elements, Blackwood has a great plan indeed. What’s better than world domination, the old fashioned way?
“My powers and my assets were given to me for one purpose. A magnificent, but simple purpose: to create a new future. A future ruled by us. Tomorrow at noon, we take the first step towards a new chapter in our history. Magic will lead the way. Once the people of England see our newfound power they’ll bow down in fear. Across the Atlantic lies a colony that was once ours. It will be again. Their civil war has made them weak. Their government is as corrupt and as ineffective as ours… so we’ll take it back. We will remake the world. Create the future.”
Don’t Invite Jerry In!
2011 – Jerry (Colin Farrell), FRIGHT NIGHT
Colin Farrell just kills it in a horror/comedy with just the right vibe.
Again, smooth and charming on the surface, yet animalistic and dangerous underneath. Le package totale.
Farrell, like Waltz, has so much fun with the role, and his character takes great pleasure and malice in his work. In this case, it is almost entirely the acting that makes another one-dimensional villain (as written) an absolute joy to watch.
– Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris), SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME SHADOWS
Holmes: Are you familiar with the study of graphology? Moriaty: I have never given it any serious thought. No. Holmes: The psychological analysis of handwriting. The upwards strokes on the p, the j, the m indicate a genius level intellect. The flourishes on the lower zone denote a highly creative yet meticulous nature. But if one observes the overall slant and pressure of the handwriting there is a suggestion of acute narcissism, a complete lack of empathy, and pronounced inclination toward moral insanity.
Perhaps the original criminal mastermind, Sherlock Holmes has been come up against his arch-nemesis time and time again, though we had to wait for 2011’s GAME OF SHADOWS to watch Robert Downey Jr.’s Holmes face off against his intellectual equal (possible better).
Having the two most brilliant men on the planet face off is a recipe for awesome, and Jared Harris’ interpretation of the rotten Professor does not disappoint one bit.
Throughout the film, the two men encounter each-other 3 times. Knowing my love of hero and villain banter, these scenes obviously strike quite a chord with me (the HOLMES franchise is quite good at this, apparently). The fact both men respect each-other’s genius while considering himself the other’s better, makes everything all the more interesting and tense. May the best man win…
The two geniuses meet for the 1st time.
Their 1st encounter comes in Professor Moriarty’s office, involving some damn-delicious dialog, introducing the fish metaphor and setting the rules of their most-dangerous “game.” Moriarty promises he won’t leave Dr. Watson out of “the equation” even though he is on honeymoon, while also revealing to Holmes that he has already murdered his love, Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams). If I didn’t mention it last time with the Joker (who- SPOILER – killed Bruce Wayne’s “main squeeze”), I’ll say it now; personal is always better.
Moriarty has made it very personal.
Holmes is exactly where Moriarty wants him at the Opera
And so, the game is afoot! And what a game it is, with Moriarty appearing to always be one step ahead of Holmes in a way that would make the Joker proud.
While the Joker planned to be caught, Moriarty instead sets up a serious of false clues to lead his rival to the Opera, all while his plan is going off without a hitch across Paris.
Their second encounter gets uglier, with Holmes in Moriarty’s possession. Holmes has figured out Moriarty’s world-wide-scale mastermind plan, but the professor literally has his hook in him. Moriarty is having a great time as he tortures Holmes. And the fish metaphor continues.
“You are…familiar with Shubert’s work? The trout is perhaps my favorite. A fisherman grows weary of trying to catch an elusive fish. So he muddies the water; confuses the fish. It doesn’t realize until too late that it has swum into a trap.”
Finally, the pair play chess.
Here comes the reversal; unlike Batman, Holmes was actually one step ahead of his villain’s plot nearly the entire time. In fact, he’d been scouting Moriarty months before the two officially met.
Check-mate.
Be Careful What You Fish For“Come now, you really think you’re the only one who can play this game? “
Holmes stops the plot, but Moriarty himself is not-so-easily defeated. Just like Holmes, he sees the world a different way; he sees all possible outcomes and knows he actually has the advantage if the two are to fight to the death. Holmes sees it too, which is why he “sacrifices” his own life to defeat the most dangerous man in the world, his intellectual equal but physical superior.
What villain’s better than that? Moriarty’s personal, brilliant, and morally insane. He is Holmes’ equal so much so that Holmes need kill himself to defeat him.
“I wonder, which one of us is the fisherman and which the trout?”
In actuality, there are villains better than Moriarty.
We’ve already discussed three of my favorites thus far – Anton Chigurh, Col. Hans Landa, and Joker, yet some of the best are yet to come next time!
In 2012, we’ve watched three of the greatest villains in cinema, including the aforementioned Bane and Silva (as well as a nice surprise!). They continue the traits we’ve discussed, making them all surprisingly similar while each attempts the erase memory of the last.
Ben Kingsley as IRON MAN 3’s Mandarin
Part IV will also anticipate three upcoming villains including those of IRON MAN 3 and STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, suggesting they will continue the pattern established while bringing something even newer to the table.
After all, crime never sleeps. Though masterminds might… (and I do).
Each blockbuster villain these days appears to be trying to erase audiences’ memories of the last great antagonist, by going even more eccentric, unique, and disturbing than the previously established norm. I’ll examine the evolution from simple yet scary baddies like Owen Davian (Philip Seymor Hoffman, M:I:III) to the game-changer that was Heath Ledger’s Joker, as well as all the great villains he inspired including what’s to come in 2013.
Villains today out-banter the hero, are streets ahead with a master plan anticipating the protagonist’s every move, like to be captured (“it’s all according to plan“), live by their own, disturbing yet clear moral code, speak in weird voices, and nearly always enjoy their “work.”
I will not only take us through the most recent gem to grace the screen, SKYFALL’s Silvia (Javier Bardem), but beyond as well, looking ahead to what next summer’s blockbusters IRON MAN 3 and STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS have to offer.
First off, one nostalgic “childhood” favorite I nearly missed in Part 1:
1999 – Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving)
Okay, so he’s technically a computer program, which more-or-less makes him a machine, which eliminates him from this category (see Part 1 rules).
…
But the acting is so memorable…
So, I’m shoehorning the good Agent in.
Smith has a moment that is now the cornerstone of the modern villain; the intriguing yet twisted speech that delivers the character’s “philosophy” in a chilling manner. (Nearly all the villains we are looking at today have a great/creepy speech or monologue.)
It’s all about that virus talk he gives Morpheous:
“I’d like to share a revelation that I’ve had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you’re not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You’re a plague and we are the cure.”
With Weaving’s expert delivery, you can feel the mix of hatred and jealousy oozing out of every line of the chilling speech. Now we know that all we are to this great baddie are annoying germs.
Expert writing like this combined with memorable acting are key ingredients for any worthy villain. Smith has similar exchanges with Neo and Cypher, all oozing a certain amount of evil that is hard to fake (don’t know what that says about Red Skull… I mean Hugo Weaving).
Now for…
Top Villains of the Slightly-Less-Early 21st Century (Modern Era)
I honestly didn’t know PSH had it in him, but goddamn is the man terrifying. Not so eccentric as much as the classic, cold, ruthless boss-type who has his help killed at the drop of a hat (or the stain of a shirt…).
Just. Plain. Scary.
“Who are you? What’s you’re name? Do you have a wife? A girlfriend? Because if you do, I’m gonna find her. I’m gonna hurt her. I’m gonna make her bleed, and cry, and call out your name. And then I’m gonna find you,and kill you right in front of her.”
The above dialogue is so good it’s almost like a reversal of the great TAKEN speech!
Between this threat and the intense interrogation scene of Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), Owen Davian is by far the strongest Mission: Impossible baddie. He is perhaps also the best example of classic “just-plain-scary” villainy in the past decade.
Best Villain of the 21st Century’s 1st decade? Yes. Yes, indeed.
2007 – Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Almost no one in the US knew Javier Bardem before this role, but after seeing the Coen Bros. darkest yet greatest masterpiece (a Best Picture Oscar winner, none-the-less), it is undeniable that Bardem is one of the world’s greatest acting talents.
He made a bowl cut scary. Nuff’ said.
Though I am going to continue saying (writing) things, anyway.
Even Diabolical Foes Know Milk Keeps Bones Strong!
Terrifying like Davian, Anton is not short his share of eccentricities. From the cattle gun, to his coin toss (“friend-o”), to his very precise yet skewed moral code, Bardem really set the mold for the great antagonists of late. His taking the time to drink a glass of milk in the precisely paced movie is just one example of the extra details that make villains like this fun and memorable.
(Anton is not the only villain on this list who enjoys milk…)
Likewise, characters like Chigurh and The Joker are effective because they have a very strict set of rules or a precise yet skewed “moral code.” They stand by it, all their moves are dictated by it, it makes perfect sense to them, but is just off enough to scare the shit out of us.
It’s not about the money for Chigurh, it’s about honor, keeping your word, and getting the job you were paid to do done.
“This is what I’ll offer – you bring me the money and I’ll let her go. Otherwise she’s accountable, same as you. That’s the best deal you’re gonna get. I won’t tell you you can save yourself, because you can’t.”
Bardem’s fresh and scary antagonistic performance was rewarded with an Academy Award for best supporting actor, a trend that would continue for another year.
Always calm, cool, collected, and with a solution for everything, you do not want Chigurh on your tail.
Instead, Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger chose the “grim jester” take on Batman’s arch-nemesis, making the Joker darker than ever before. The killer clown still had plenty of eccentricities, though his enjoyment in his work is curbed in comparison to Joker as seen in 1989’s BATMAN, THE ANIMATED SERIES, or the comics.
Ledger’s Joker builds on the aforementioned evolution of villains in the 21st century, basically defining many of the strongest that follow.
Everything about Joker was unique, from the way he talked to the way he walked. To the way he licked and smacked his lips. Even non-Batman fans were quoting the trailer months prior to release; “And here… we… go!”
“You’re just a freak in a mask… like me!”
Joker is a “better class of criminal” because his plans are always two to three steps ahead; something now common in today’s action films. His plans were so diabolical that they were never what they seemed, usually accounting for how Batman would respond to each play.
This included allowing himself to be captured, a “plan” used by many of the following villains on this list.
(Davian was even captured, and though it did not appear to be part of his plan, he escaped without much difficulty, giving him access to Ethan’s identity and wife. Anton is also in custody at the beginning of NO COUNTRY, though I can’t remember if there is any indication as to whether this was intentional or not.)
Despite my earlier criticism about his enjoyment with inducing mayhem, Ledger’s Joker does manage to have a fairly decent time: “I like this job! I like it!” The scenes were the Joker lightens up a bit (Why So Serious, Heath?) are the best, setting the standard for memorable villains to follow. Now, I was going to finish this blog here and now, but it has grown far too long as I write it. So, like Peter Jackson and his HOBBIT, I have decided to make the “Better Class Of Criminal” series into 3 parts.
The 3rd post should be out later today or tomorrow, covering all the great villains that follow 2008’s Joker, many sharing quite a lot in common with the grim jester and each-other. I’ll continue onward to three upcoming villains whose trailers suggest they follow this modern design of the antagonist (Mandarin from IRON MAN 3, anyone?).
Especially with the cute short-haired blond, and the first officer threads worn by Kirk in STAR TREK (2009). He’s back to wreak havoc on all the puny mortals, for now, Mitchell is a God.
Kirk reacting to the return of an old college? Or the death of a friend (very little Bones in the trailer, which worries me).
Do you ever find yourself needing to express your deepest most thoughts on that latest episode of Psych? Or perhaps you must tell everyone how the latest issue of Batman shook you to your core? Or you feel the world at large must know how the new La Dispute album makes you feel and how it should make them feel? Yes? Well I say let that power flow through you like a rising tide of unflushed filth in your mind.
Or so I plan to do as your friendly neighborhood media monster. Why media monster? Because silly, I consume all that which is put in front of me. I let not the world of whats hot and whats not stop me, I will fully geek out on Louis and Lane: The New Adventures of Superman and I will tell you about it and you will listen damn-it!
So from one man breaking what is geek to you dear reader, I introduce myself, I am Media Monster, hear me bitch, moan, praise, and dissect that which I consume.
I want to start by apologizing if this subject has already been written to death. I’m not all-too-present on the internet these days, but light research suggests very few similar articles/blogs have the same confidence and evidence that Gary Mitchell is the villain in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS.
“When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.
With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.
As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.”
STAR TREK ONGOING COMIC BOOK/THE ORIGINAL SERIES SPOILERS AHEAD!
People have suggested this synopsis confirms Gary Mitchell or Khan as the film’s villain, but I think the former is the only serious candidate.
GM as he appeared in TOS
Based on this synopsis, Benedict Cumberbatch (the actor playing the villain) has got to be Gary Mitchell! He’s from their own organization, the federation, and is a “one-man weapon of mass destruction” following his mutation at the edge of the galaxy. Khan matches neither characteristic (unless he is drastically changed… which is possible…).
Both possible villains do have a very personal score to settle.
In the comic series that INTO DARKNESS writer/producer Orci is a consultant on (Orci promised the books would set up characters we would see in the film), Kirk did “kill” Gary Mitchell before he would become too powerful, as Spock feared. So what if Mitchell died in the comic? What if he was actually, already too powerful to kill?
Gary Mitchell as he appears in Orci’s comic.
What if Mitchell returns to Earth, hailed as a first officer feared dead and given a promotion? Kirk, off “going where no man has ever gone before” can’t warn anyone as Mitchell is welcomed back, only to destroy the fleet with his even more evolved powers. The same powers Spock feared may manifest (like in TOS and the comic!).
As previously stated, Orci said the villain and other characters from the sequel would be introduced in the IDW ongoing STAR TREK comic. Gary Mitchell was the subject of issues #1 & #2, just as he was the center of the story in STAR TREK TOS’s second “1st” episode.
Nuff’ Said!
…
The only real doubt the synopsis suggests comes in its final line;
“…sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.”
I thought Kirk’s mother and (half?… step?) brother were still alive? She was simply “off planet” in the first film.
James T. Kirk and “brother.”James T. Kirks’ Pop (AND Thor!)
Will Kirk’s family play into the film, or am I simply reading into it too much?
After all, it could just be a sentimental reminder of the continuing “teamwork/family” theme of STAR TREK. And a reference to Kirk’s dad being dead in this timeline.
OR
Kirk’s family could fall victim first to Mitchell, leaving the Captain only the “real” friends of the Enterprise bridge crew (after all, “real” friends don’t kill other friend’s families and colleges, Gary!).
OR
This character could not be Gary Mitchell, and instead a different villain we’re all overlooking or have never heard of… perhaps a family member?
I suppose whatever is not revealed tomorrow in the trailer will be revealed in the STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS prelude comic from IDW.
Watch it now by clicking here!
I do apologize for the deviantArt watermark, but I thought these pieces were so damn cool I’d share them with my fellow geeks anyway. The art may be fairly familiar in pose (especially Iron Man), but the style really grabs me, you know?
Let’s not stand on ceremony here, Mr. Wayne.
The shadows betray you, because they belong to me!
Which turns me to another Marvel NOW book, one thats got me excited AND giggling, Deadpool #3 continues the ridiculous story of zombie American presidents. What an opening arc it has been, this is exactly what Deadpool should be; Absurd fun with wicked originality. Never have I more enjoyed watching Nixon get punched in the face, which is saying something. Another great bit about the first 3 Deadpool issues so far is the covers, each one looks great and provides the first funny tickle that continue throughout the book. I hope that the level of this book doesn’t drop off at the end of this arc because I can’t wait to see what shenanigans they come up with next to put the merc with a mouth through.
The Last pick this week is Legends of The Dark Knight #3. Currently in the Bat-world, after his long faceless absence in the New 52, the Joker is everywhere thanks to Death of the Family. Legends of the Dark Knight is no different, it is on board with the Joker obsession. Rather than focusing on the Joker, this story uses the Joker as a catalyst to make a point about the good that Batman does for Gotham. I think this is a nice change of pace compared to the usual dark place the Bats books take us. The letters shine a light from the shadows of Gotham on the good that Batman does. He is a symbol of fear for a city that only understands that, but the good in Gotham can see through his disguise. While Batman struggles to get his focus off the darkness of the Joker we are able to take a look at the bright side of Gotham. We don’t see the good in Gotham nearly enough and I’m often inclined to agree with Bane and Ra’s Al Ghul that Gotham deserves whatever it has coming to it. This issue may just make me rethink my position on the people of Gotham. I’d recommend this book to anyone since it is a one and done like the Legends of the Dark Knight books before it, and it’s also not in the New 52 continuity so anyone can pick it up and enjoy, and I advise you to do just that.
Now, Dr. Dehner was not in the IDW comic version of “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” which is officially canon with the new timeline, so she never received powers herself. But… she has a history with Mitchell… and Bones… regardless and is key to the original episode. The only reason she is not on the ship at the time of the accident in the comic is because Bones is already the Enterprise’s top physician, at the start of the comic, where in TOS she was his predecessor.
So what does Mitchell want with Dr. Dehner now (assuming it is Dehner)? She’s powerless. Does he love her? Do his powers allow him to somehow remember the other timeline where they were empowered together? Driving him to seek a way to transform her as well so they can be together? Or does he simply sense the minor TK (LOOPER speak for telekinesis) in her already. Either way, she’s totally in peril at some point… and is featured in the teaser more than many classic crew members.
4) Mitchell’s been in the IDW comic series that is canon. Khan has not (unless he is the focus of the new “Countdown To Darkness” mini-series, in which case my theories are fucked).
I guess we’ll all know soon enough. There will be 9 minutes of INTO DARKNESS on THE HOBBIT Imax Friday, with a real trailer for the film following on the 17th.
Tom Cruise is basically a human Wall-E, the same kind of everyman we see in WAR OF THE WORLDS.
2009 – Captain Nero (Eric Bana), STAR TREK
– Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris), SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME SHADOWS
Villains today out-banter the hero, are streets ahead with a master plan anticipating the protagonist’s every move, like to be captured (“it’s all according to plan“), live by their own, disturbing yet clear moral code, speak in weird voices, and nearly always enjoy their “work.”
1999 – Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving)
With Weaving’s expert delivery, you can feel the mix of hatred and jealousy oozing out of every line of the chilling speech. Now we know that all we are to this great baddie are annoying germs.
2006 – Owen Davian (Philip Seymor Hoffman), M:I:III
Bardem’s fresh and scary antagonistic performance was rewarded with an Academy Award for best supporting actor, a trend that would continue for another year.
With a lot to live up to, due to the already classic Jack Nicholson portrayal of the joker (included on my “Top Classic Bad Guys” list from the previous blog), fan-boys were certain pretty-boy Ledger could not pull off the “crown prince of crime.”
Despite my earlier criticism about his enjoyment with inducing mayhem, Ledger’s Joker does manage to have a fairly decent time: “I like this job! I like it!” The scenes were the Joker lightens up a bit (Why So Serious, Heath?) are the best, setting the standard for memorable villains to follow.
Now, I was going to finish this blog here and now, but it has grown far too long as I write it. So, like Peter Jackson and his HOBBIT, I have decided to make the “Better Class Of Criminal” series into 3 parts.
“When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.
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