A countdown by Brooks Rich
A hero is only as good as the villain they are going against. Think of some of your favorite action movies. Chances are they have a memorable villain, a sadistic cunning psychopathy who the hero must match wits with. Sometimes the villain is smarter than the hero and the hero must use their brute strength to win the day. Other times it is a battle of wills. I love the action genre and my favorite films all have fantastically evil villains. Here is a countdown of the top ten villains in action movies. I have excluded superhero films as that is a list for another day. I have also excluded the Bond franchise because Bond villains would take up half this list. Again a list for another day. Also only one film per franchise but I will mention some great sequel villains in the honorable mentions.
10. Cyrus the Virus from Con Air
Con Air is the most over the top film on this list. It's an insane adrenaline filled thrill ride with Nicholas Cage rocking some awesome hair, speaking in a ridiculous southern accent, and trying to survive on a prison plane taken over by sadistic convicts. It is a ton of fun. John Malkovich plays Cyrus the Virus, the leader of the convicts and he brings some gravitas to the film. In other hands Cyrus would have been goofy and over the top, but Malkovich finds the right balance between goofy and sinister.
9. Senator Aaron McComb from Timecop
Controversial choice maybe and spoiler, not the last Jean-Claude Van Damme movie on this list. In this one the Muscles from Brussels fights his way through time, round housing dudes in the face and doing the splits, in order to stop a corrupt senator from stealing money and gold in the past to raise money for a presidential bid. Sure, whatever. The corrupt Senator McComb is played by the immortal and deeply underrated actor Ron Silver, who brings legitimacy to the role. McComb is a snake and of course has to use goons to attack Van Damme. Usually the villains can't match strength with the big action heroes like Van Damme and Stallone. But Silver comes off as a threat due to his line delivery and just the sleazy way he plays McComb. Timecop is a fun ride and Silver is one of the highlights.
8. Howard Payne from Speed
It might be a little controversial to put Speed this low. Keep in mind that I adore all of these films. Speed is so much fun. Everyone has seen Speed, right? Bomb on the bus. If it goes over fifty miles an hour the bomb is armed. Slow to below fifty and the bomb goes off. Keanu Reeves must save the day. The late great Dennis Hopper plays the mad bomber Howard Payne and he is having a ton of fun here. I take some points off because he isn't as involved as the others coming up in this list but Speed is a legendary action film and Howard Payne is a legendary movie villain.
7. William Strannix & Commander Krill from Under Siege
These two are a package deal as neither is really subordinate to the other. Under Siege is one of my favorite Die Hard clones and it's easily my favorite Steven Seagal film. I love Casey Ryback and his first outing is his best. Terrorists seize a battleship in order to gain control of the nuclear warheads on board and it's up to lowly Navy cook Casey Ryback to save the day. Strannix and Krill are played by Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey respectively. These guys are just evil and they seem to relish in the suffering they cause. Jones plays Strannix a little over the top but when he has to be serious Jones delivers. Busey is always great as a villain and he makes Commander Krill properly hatebale. Under Siege might be a Die Hard clone but it's also a fantastic movie on it's own merits.
6. Joshua Voss from Sudden Death
I struggled between the placement of Joshua Voss and the number five and four spot. I love Powers Boothe in this film. He is a despicable villain. The Muscles from Brussels is back and this time trying to save his daughter and the Vice President from the terrorists who have invaded the Igloo in Pittsburgh during Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. This is my favorite Van Damme film. He plays his most likable character and Powers Boothe makes a chilling villain. There is nothing redeeming about this guy. He is just a scumbag. You can't wait for him to get a Van Damme roundhouse to the face. Also this is the film where Van Damme fights the Pittsburgh Penguins mascot Iceburgh.
5. Mitch Leary from In the Line Of Fire
We have our first repeat of an actor as John Malkovich returns, this time playing a wannabe presidential assassin taunting Clint Eastwood's Secret Service agent. There is no humor or goofiness to Malkovich's performance here like in Con Air. Mitch Leary is a sadistic sociopath and Malkovich plays him perfectly. This is my favorite John Malkovich performance and probably the most underrated villain on this list. This is the first villain that is a legit threat to the hero, which happens more with the everyman action heroes. You could see him possibly winning. In the Line of Fire doesn't quite fit in with the other films, it's not big and flashy at all, but Mitch Leary is such a good villain that I had to included him on the list.
4. Ivan Korshunov from Air Force One
"Get off my plane." Yeah everyone knows that line from this movie. Harrison Ford is the president and fights Russian terrorists who board Air Force One. Gary Oldman is outstanding here as the terrorist leader Korshunov. He is a chilling presence in the film and shows no remorse for his actions. The scene with the deputy press secretary is legit upsetting, thanks in large part to how calculating and cold Oldman is. There is palpable tension when Ford and Oldman finally come face to face. Give Air Force One a watch if you've never seen it or rewatch it if it's been awhile. It's more than just that one line.
3. Eric Qualen from Cliffhanger
My favorite Stallone film, hands down. Yes, even over Rocky and Rambo. Don't judge me. I love this film and I think Stallone does some of his best work here. John Lithgow plays the evil Eric Qualen, who forces Stallone and Michael Rooker, playing a good guy for a change, to track down three cases of money that have dropped in the Rocky Mountains. Lithgow, like Boothe and Silver, brings legitimacy to the role. He is probably no match physically for Stallone but can match wits with him. Lithgow plays it like he knows audiences will hate him.
2. Mr. Joshua from Lethal Weapon
When was the last time you saw Lethal Weapon? Do people remember how dark this film is? Do people remember Riggs is a lunatic in this film and has a death wish the whole time? Lethal Weapon is a brutal action film and it has Gary Busey doing the best villain work of his career as Mr. Joshua, the right hand man to the head of a gang of drug dealers. Busey is so chilling in this film. He's almost like an unfeeling robot at times. The rest of the series is fun but Lethal Weapon will always be the superior film. It's so dark and the torture scenes are very upsetting. Gary Busey gets a bad rap for being kind of this sad crazed guy. I personally think he's a brilliant actor and Mr. Joshua is his masterpiece.
Honorable mentions:
Before the best action movie villain of all time, here are some villains who just didn't make the cut, either I excluded them due to the sequel rule or they just weren't memorable enough to crack the top ten.
Colonel Stuart from Die Hard 2
I like Die Hard 2, even if it's the first one in an airport. William Sadler's Colonel Stuart is a highly underrated villain and if the sequel rule didn't apply, he'd probably make the main list.
Travis Dane and Marcus Penn from Under Siege 2
Again sequel rule applies. I love the double villains in the Under Siege films and while Eric Bogosian and Everett McGill aren't quite Jones and Busey, they're still great villains. Bogosian as Travis Dane especially is too much fun.
Ty Moncrief from Drop Zone
Oh hell yeah Drop Zone. Busey almost had a hat trick but I gave the edge to Cyrus the Virus. I love Busey in this film, one of my favorite Snipes films, but the character would probably be eh without Busey adding his magic touch to it.
Mola Ram from Temple of Doom
OK Belloq was the villain in the best Indiana Jones film. But ask anyone who grew up watching the Indiana Jones series, what was one of the scariest things you ever saw? That dude getting his fucking heart ripped out in Temple of Doom! I was eight when I saw that for the first time. (yeah I know, the film is super fucking racist.)
And now the best of the best. Come on. Everyone should know who it is by now.
1. Hans Gruber from Die Hard
There's no contest. I could include sequels, superhero films, the Bond franchise, every other franchise, and Hans Gruber would still win. I personally think Die Hard is the greatest action film of all time. It is one of my all time favorite films, it's my favorite Christmas movie, and Hans Gruber is my favorite movie villain. He has all the qualities I've discussed so far plus one I haven't really mentioned. He's charming. We kind of like Hans. Of course a lot of that is due to the amazing performance by the legendary Alan Rickman. He's playing Hans almost like a sleazy Bond villain. Hans is smarter than John but John of course has tenacity and can bounce back from almost anything. Die Hard is a perfect movie with a perfect hero and of course, a perfect villain.
A hero is only as good as the villain they are going against. Think of some of your favorite action movies. Chances are they have a memorable villain, a sadistic cunning psychopathy who the hero must match wits with. Sometimes the villain is smarter than the hero and the hero must use their brute strength to win the day. Other times it is a battle of wills. I love the action genre and my favorite films all have fantastically evil villains. Here is a countdown of the top ten villains in action movies. I have excluded superhero films as that is a list for another day. I have also excluded the Bond franchise because Bond villains would take up half this list. Again a list for another day. Also only one film per franchise but I will mention some great sequel villains in the honorable mentions.
10. Cyrus the Virus from Con Air
Con Air is the most over the top film on this list. It's an insane adrenaline filled thrill ride with Nicholas Cage rocking some awesome hair, speaking in a ridiculous southern accent, and trying to survive on a prison plane taken over by sadistic convicts. It is a ton of fun. John Malkovich plays Cyrus the Virus, the leader of the convicts and he brings some gravitas to the film. In other hands Cyrus would have been goofy and over the top, but Malkovich finds the right balance between goofy and sinister.
9. Senator Aaron McComb from Timecop
Controversial choice maybe and spoiler, not the last Jean-Claude Van Damme movie on this list. In this one the Muscles from Brussels fights his way through time, round housing dudes in the face and doing the splits, in order to stop a corrupt senator from stealing money and gold in the past to raise money for a presidential bid. Sure, whatever. The corrupt Senator McComb is played by the immortal and deeply underrated actor Ron Silver, who brings legitimacy to the role. McComb is a snake and of course has to use goons to attack Van Damme. Usually the villains can't match strength with the big action heroes like Van Damme and Stallone. But Silver comes off as a threat due to his line delivery and just the sleazy way he plays McComb. Timecop is a fun ride and Silver is one of the highlights.
8. Howard Payne from Speed
It might be a little controversial to put Speed this low. Keep in mind that I adore all of these films. Speed is so much fun. Everyone has seen Speed, right? Bomb on the bus. If it goes over fifty miles an hour the bomb is armed. Slow to below fifty and the bomb goes off. Keanu Reeves must save the day. The late great Dennis Hopper plays the mad bomber Howard Payne and he is having a ton of fun here. I take some points off because he isn't as involved as the others coming up in this list but Speed is a legendary action film and Howard Payne is a legendary movie villain.
7. William Strannix & Commander Krill from Under Siege
These two are a package deal as neither is really subordinate to the other. Under Siege is one of my favorite Die Hard clones and it's easily my favorite Steven Seagal film. I love Casey Ryback and his first outing is his best. Terrorists seize a battleship in order to gain control of the nuclear warheads on board and it's up to lowly Navy cook Casey Ryback to save the day. Strannix and Krill are played by Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey respectively. These guys are just evil and they seem to relish in the suffering they cause. Jones plays Strannix a little over the top but when he has to be serious Jones delivers. Busey is always great as a villain and he makes Commander Krill properly hatebale. Under Siege might be a Die Hard clone but it's also a fantastic movie on it's own merits.
6. Joshua Voss from Sudden Death
I struggled between the placement of Joshua Voss and the number five and four spot. I love Powers Boothe in this film. He is a despicable villain. The Muscles from Brussels is back and this time trying to save his daughter and the Vice President from the terrorists who have invaded the Igloo in Pittsburgh during Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. This is my favorite Van Damme film. He plays his most likable character and Powers Boothe makes a chilling villain. There is nothing redeeming about this guy. He is just a scumbag. You can't wait for him to get a Van Damme roundhouse to the face. Also this is the film where Van Damme fights the Pittsburgh Penguins mascot Iceburgh.
5. Mitch Leary from In the Line Of Fire
We have our first repeat of an actor as John Malkovich returns, this time playing a wannabe presidential assassin taunting Clint Eastwood's Secret Service agent. There is no humor or goofiness to Malkovich's performance here like in Con Air. Mitch Leary is a sadistic sociopath and Malkovich plays him perfectly. This is my favorite John Malkovich performance and probably the most underrated villain on this list. This is the first villain that is a legit threat to the hero, which happens more with the everyman action heroes. You could see him possibly winning. In the Line of Fire doesn't quite fit in with the other films, it's not big and flashy at all, but Mitch Leary is such a good villain that I had to included him on the list.
4. Ivan Korshunov from Air Force One
"Get off my plane." Yeah everyone knows that line from this movie. Harrison Ford is the president and fights Russian terrorists who board Air Force One. Gary Oldman is outstanding here as the terrorist leader Korshunov. He is a chilling presence in the film and shows no remorse for his actions. The scene with the deputy press secretary is legit upsetting, thanks in large part to how calculating and cold Oldman is. There is palpable tension when Ford and Oldman finally come face to face. Give Air Force One a watch if you've never seen it or rewatch it if it's been awhile. It's more than just that one line.
3. Eric Qualen from Cliffhanger
My favorite Stallone film, hands down. Yes, even over Rocky and Rambo. Don't judge me. I love this film and I think Stallone does some of his best work here. John Lithgow plays the evil Eric Qualen, who forces Stallone and Michael Rooker, playing a good guy for a change, to track down three cases of money that have dropped in the Rocky Mountains. Lithgow, like Boothe and Silver, brings legitimacy to the role. He is probably no match physically for Stallone but can match wits with him. Lithgow plays it like he knows audiences will hate him.
2. Mr. Joshua from Lethal Weapon
When was the last time you saw Lethal Weapon? Do people remember how dark this film is? Do people remember Riggs is a lunatic in this film and has a death wish the whole time? Lethal Weapon is a brutal action film and it has Gary Busey doing the best villain work of his career as Mr. Joshua, the right hand man to the head of a gang of drug dealers. Busey is so chilling in this film. He's almost like an unfeeling robot at times. The rest of the series is fun but Lethal Weapon will always be the superior film. It's so dark and the torture scenes are very upsetting. Gary Busey gets a bad rap for being kind of this sad crazed guy. I personally think he's a brilliant actor and Mr. Joshua is his masterpiece.
Honorable mentions:
Before the best action movie villain of all time, here are some villains who just didn't make the cut, either I excluded them due to the sequel rule or they just weren't memorable enough to crack the top ten.
Colonel Stuart from Die Hard 2
I like Die Hard 2, even if it's the first one in an airport. William Sadler's Colonel Stuart is a highly underrated villain and if the sequel rule didn't apply, he'd probably make the main list.
Travis Dane and Marcus Penn from Under Siege 2
Again sequel rule applies. I love the double villains in the Under Siege films and while Eric Bogosian and Everett McGill aren't quite Jones and Busey, they're still great villains. Bogosian as Travis Dane especially is too much fun.
Ty Moncrief from Drop Zone
Oh hell yeah Drop Zone. Busey almost had a hat trick but I gave the edge to Cyrus the Virus. I love Busey in this film, one of my favorite Snipes films, but the character would probably be eh without Busey adding his magic touch to it.
Mola Ram from Temple of Doom
OK Belloq was the villain in the best Indiana Jones film. But ask anyone who grew up watching the Indiana Jones series, what was one of the scariest things you ever saw? That dude getting his fucking heart ripped out in Temple of Doom! I was eight when I saw that for the first time. (yeah I know, the film is super fucking racist.)
And now the best of the best. Come on. Everyone should know who it is by now.
1. Hans Gruber from Die Hard
There's no contest. I could include sequels, superhero films, the Bond franchise, every other franchise, and Hans Gruber would still win. I personally think Die Hard is the greatest action film of all time. It is one of my all time favorite films, it's my favorite Christmas movie, and Hans Gruber is my favorite movie villain. He has all the qualities I've discussed so far plus one I haven't really mentioned. He's charming. We kind of like Hans. Of course a lot of that is due to the amazing performance by the legendary Alan Rickman. He's playing Hans almost like a sleazy Bond villain. Hans is smarter than John but John of course has tenacity and can bounce back from almost anything. Die Hard is a perfect movie with a perfect hero and of course, a perfect villain.
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