Watching a Action
The film is a surefire way to get your adrenaline pumping: car chases, fight scenes, and big theatrical explosions are perfectly timed to make the heroes look as cool and powerful as possible. However, there can be no hero if there is no villain. Over the years, audiences have witnessed evil geniuses, underhanded billionaires, and strong fighters wreak havoc on innocent cities across the world. Some fade into oblivion once they are defeated, but others have stood the test of time.
A-list actors have always expressed that playing the villain is more fun and challenging. To present a compelling villain on screen, it's important to delve into their motivations and find out what makes them tick. When they manage to steal a scene and become the character that most attracts the audience, it becomes clear that they did their dastardly job well.
10
Cyrus Grisson (John Malkovich)
With Air (1997)
Directed by Simon West, Air conditioning is full of villains of various types. Set on a plane carrying a group of prisoners, the criminal passengers stage a coup and take control of the aircraft. With excellent support from Ving Rhames and Steve Buscemi, John Malkovich has created a deplorable character who inspires fear and dread in others whenever he is on screen. As a kidnapping mastermind and longtime criminal, Cyrus Grisson is ruthless at all times.
He has no qualms about letting inmates do terrible things and only spares certain people when Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) works against him from the inside. When he finally finds out about the betrayal, nothing will stop him from defeating his enemy. He is responsible for the death of the guards on board and the plane's near crash into the Strip. The mixture of intelligence, cunning and a very twisted mind makes “The virus“Very memorable indeed.
9
Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith)
Robo Cop (1987)
The classic action movie Robo Cop it's brutal from start to finish, and the villain has no redeeming qualities to speak of. When Alex Murphy is killed in the line of duty by Clarence Boddicker and his criminal gang, he is rebuilt into a human hybrid peacekeeper, RoboCop (Peter Weller). With his memories erased, he is tasked with keeping the streets of a dystopian Chicago safe by any means possible. As he tries to clean up the streets and arrest the crime lord, Boddicker becomes increasingly violent.
Smith chose to play the character as a highly capable but ultimately vile human being. He has a secret alliance with the other villain, CEO Dick Jones (Ronny Cox), while carrying out his illegal bidding. Despicable until the end, when trying to save himself he runs over one of his own henchmen, who melts from exposure to the acid. An unforgettable scene, to say the least.
8
Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman)
Leon: The Professional (1994)
Luc Besson's action thriller Leon: The Professional sees Oscar winner Gary Oldman take on the role of a chaotic and twisted DEA agent. A cruel and corrupt police officer, his unpredictable behavior is made even more erratic by his substance abuse. He sees himself as above the law, abusing it at every turn and hiding behind his shield while committing atrocities. The fact that he is part of the police force is what makes him even scarier.
Every interaction he has is tainted with a smarmy feeling, although he himself probably considers it charm. As he hunts Leon (Jean Reno) and Mathilda (Natalie Portman), becoming increasingly violent, the public comes to fear and dislike him more and more. Oldman delivers a stellar, egomaniacal performance, highlighting the villain's innate narcissism, which contributes to his downfall.
7
Immortan Joe (Hugh Keys-Byrne)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The high-octane wild ride of Mad Max: Fury Road It's further accentuated by its imposing arch-villain, whose behavior is as frightening as his appearance. Tyrant and dictator, Immortan Joe manipulates all of his subjects into submission by controlling the most valuable resource, water. If that wasn't enough, he enslaves and abuses women in the name of legacy and power. He escapes feeling like a villain through his genuinely horrible regime at the Citadel.
He creates an almost cult-like personality that subjugates those who are worse off. As he tries to fight resistance from Furiosa and Mad Max, his violence and lack of humanity gain strength. With his “War Boys,” he tries to maintain the control he so desperately clings to, without giving a second thought to who gets hurt in the process. With his costumes reflecting his declining morals, he represents how an obsessive desire for power can lead to a dystopian war zone with very few rules.
6
Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving)
The Matrix (1999)
Tireless, relentless, and seemingly endless, he kept coming back. As a tangible representation of the oppression within the Matrix, Agent Smith is a constant foil to Keanu Reeves' Neo as he tries to keep order and the simulation going. The most unnerving thing about Smith is his mechanical, methodical approach to everything he does. The audience discovers that he is a machine and Weaving perfectly captures this feeling of soullessness.
His disdain for humanity can be felt in every monologue, and viewers can tell he doesn't enjoy his job at all. But it's this constant need to keep going that leaves everyone trying to catch their breath. Smith appears when least expected and never stops protecting the goal. His mastery of the system is evident in the way he fights, which allows for some of the most iconic hand-to-hand combat scenes in cinema.
5
Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
A pseudo-eco-warrior is the main villain in the gentle yet violent action adventure Kingsman: The Secret Serviceplayed by a legendary actor who elevates the underrated film even further. Richmond Valentine is a billionaire who believes he knows what is best and tries to slaughter a large part of the human race through the use of technology. That alone seems frighteningly plausible, and Jackson plays the character like a genius clown.
Valentine's plan is to protect the rich and famous and repopulate using all of his resources and connections. While his intentions may (in some ways) seem to have some merit, it's the disrespect for those who are “less than” that makes this character so deplorable. He is an elitist, ego-maniac with a very distorted view of the world, but his own aversion to violence and gore is an ironic twist for the eccentric character.
4
Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper)
Speed (1994)
Speed is a film with a villain who harbors a straightforward revenge motivation, with a sense of entitlement and a feeling of undervaluation fueling this particular antagonist. Howard Payne served as a police officer for years and felt that his skills and contributions were never properly rewarded. When he uses his masterful knowledge of strategic planning and bomb-making to finally get what he thinks he deserves, he recklessly endangers the lives of many innocent civilians.
His greed and lack of respect for human life are what makes him a villain, but his history with an unjust system makes him, in some ways, relatable. A petty and malicious man, Payne fixates on Jack Traven (Keany Reeves) and creates an elaborate game of cat and mouse to torture him personally, with the last straw being killing the lovable Harry (Jeff Daniels).
3
Blofeld (Christoph Waltz)
Spectrum (2015)
SPECTER's enigmatic and evil boss has been portrayed on screen by many different actors during the long-running James Bond franchise. More recently, and perhaps more ominously, Blofeld was played by double Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, who brought his own brand of villainy to this iconic role. Its list of atrocities is very long, with biological, technological and real warfare being part of its vast evil resume. He operates in the shadows, creating a ghostly personality that seems impossible to capture.
With unlimited resources and a brilliant mind, he is a petrifying agent of chaos with a personal vendetta against Bond (Daniel Craig). Blofeld's modus operandi is to always get what he wants and he manages to recruit a series of highly qualified and intelligent followers who help him bring his evil visions to life. With so many recognizable features, from his scar to his Persian cat, he will live on as one of the most iconic supervillains in the James Bond universe — even if it was considered a poor plot twist in Spectrum.
2
Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage and John Travolta)
Face/Out (1997)
The far-fetched and biologically impossible concept of Face/Off That's what makes it extremely fun. Having the villain played by two very different actors was a bold move on John Woo's part, but the payoff is worth it. Castor Troy is a vile criminal with a taste for destruction; chaos and annihilation are what he desires, and he executes his plans with extravagant flair. When Nicolas Cage plays Castor Troy, he is in his element. He has a frightening look and an arrogance that cannot be matched.
In the hands of John Travolta, he must subdue his murderous tendencies to adapt to his new life, but when he reveals this, the audience knows exactly what they are dealing with. He's another egomaniac for whoever he's played, and his greed and sadism are the most terrifying parts of his personality. The fact that he killed a child without remorse is a true reflection of his cruel character.
1
Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)
Die Hard (1988)
Calm, cunning and with his eyes fixed on the prize, Die HardHans Gruber is about as memorable as a villain can be. A sophisticated criminal, he hatches his plan to steal a highly protected safe in the Nakatomi building. When examining each separate part of Gruber's plan, it becomes clear that the goal was always to kill all of the hostages. He's more than happy to humor them and use his presence to his advantage, but if it weren't for the heroics of Bruce Willis' John McClane, they would all have died in the rooftop explosion.
Gruber's disrespect for his own henchmen is also obvious, as he clearly doesn't care when any of them are eliminated. However, his ability to react to unexpected situations shows that there is much more to this intelligent villain. He instructs his guys to shoot through the glass, shoots two people at point-blank range without hesitation, and nearly pulls Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) from the abyss. With a film so beloved and frequently rewatched, even more fascinating aspects of this character come to light, and he remains one of the most watchable bad guys of all time.