Bad Guys in Superhero movies are...
...well...
BAD!
Crap
Craps a better word
Bad guys are crap. Here's why.
Scarface: "So say goodnight to the bad guy!"
I'm the bad guy!
I mean...I'm Neary
It's nearly impossible to tell a great story without a threat.
Joker: "Hi"
And no just for comic book movies
which I'll focus on,
This is for any genre
any medium.
If all you every shot down was a Womp Rat in your T-16
then you're not going to be remembered.
(Even if they are only 2 metres)
But if you destroy the most powerful weapon in the universe
then suddenly you've got yourself a hero.
(Settle down)
A protagonist is only as good as the obstacle he is up against.
Climbing a dangerous mountain
is more impressive than if you climbed a bookshelf!
(What kind of bookshelf?)
But far too many comic book films are suffering
from what I call "Sequel Sell Anemia".
What you've got is a film,
that knows it's part of a larger universe,
and because of that it knows it's hero will survive.
So the filmmakers put all the focus on making you like the hero.
Just so they can sell the next movie.
Leaving the idea of a villain or antagonist
totally bland and anemic,
until they are diluted down to nothing more
than the threat of death (boring)
and the world ending. (double boring!)
So what does a great villain need?
Glad you asked!
(You're talking to yourself again)
There's 3 top qualities.
Number 1
Near impossible to overcome.
They should be a match for the hero,
but without being a direct opposite,
a 'mirror' version.
Should be at least equal to the hero
but preferably better in some way.
And only defeated through a flaw exposed
by the hero's spirit and daring.
NOT because they were weaker and got out-punched!
If a hero only has to use his(or her!) superpowers
to beat the villain, then that's a pile of shite.
There's no character in there.
No growth.
No lesson.
And it means the film was just delaying the easily solved problem
this entire time.
Numero two
Dangerous enough to cause the hero suffering (like the title below already says :)
If a hero starts off rich, and happy
with a loving partner
and everything is just peachy
before they have a bit of a faff about,
and the movie ends with them the same way
(What a prick)
then you've no reason to give a shit.
Sgt. Nicholas Angle: "*PLLLUBBBPPP*... Jog on!"
No one cares if a hero succeeds
it's a nice bonus
but what the audience really cares about
is their struggle.
Steve Rogers: "I can do this all day."
Life can be shit
A real shit
A real shitty, shitty, messy thing
without acts or lines.
Its improv without the witty banter.
Joker: "And I thought my jokes were bad."
And in this mess...
...we need heroes to show us something better.
Either in the world or in ourselves.
Senor Chang: "HA! Gaaaaaayyyyyy"
So seeing someone who was always winning
and always going to win,
win?
Can you say balls?
Because it's balls. (Bollox even!)
Why should we care?
Why would we care?
It's like watching a millionaire winning the lottery.
Our beautiful villain *obligatory Tom Hiddleston shot*
mustn't be just a world threatening identity. (AKA 'a cloud')
They must get so close to winning, that the hero BARELY makes it.
They hero must be physically or emotionally challenged.
His (or her!) world views questioned.
His very perception of right and wrong put to the test.
If our hero doesn't lose something,
then we gain nothing.
Either the hero has to suffer,
or the audiences enjoyment will.
Number 3
They cannot
I repeat
CANNOT
be evil.
No great villain is 100% twisted.
They have to be either a reflection of the main characters story,
or their contrast.
Two sides of the same coin.
They have to have some personality.
Terminator: "Fuck you asshole."
Even those individuals who are sociopathic
have an element of understanding.
*woman crying* Bill Fisk: "And you never believed in me" *Sounds of belt slapping*
*HAMMER HITS*
Everyone knows Hannibal Lecter is a monster.
A total psychopath.
One of cinemas greatest ever villains.
Yet there's nothing in Silence of the Lambs that turns him into a villain
before the eyes of the audience.
The character's danger is introduced through chilling dialogue alone.
He's cagey but brilliant,
frightening but fascinating,
and, for the most part, harmless.
We see the extreme lenghts everyone goes to
but crucially
We don't SEE him do anything.
Instead he's clever
gracious,
funny,
and kind.
Earning our understanding and affection.
Even when he does commit murder...
...well....well no, we can't empathize with him!
(You psycho)
But, we can understand that desire for freedom.
And appreciate his determination and cunning.
Cleverly, this murder (of an 'innocent') doesn't even happen on screen
so we're not horrified by him, not repulsed.
And even at the end
we understand this...
...as revenge.
Lecter is considered one of the greatest villains
precisely because nothing he does is villainous.
He makes sense.
Even if what he does is awful.
Hannibal: "Thank you"
And the reason it stinks for comic books
is that they've creating fantastic villains since the beginning.
(Almost)
Because of the endless nature of superhero stories,
the soap opera element that prevents a climax,
comics need to stay relatively stagnant.
Which is the basis of their continuity,
and the bane of development.
(RUN BARRY RUN!)
So death can't be permanent
because a ret-con or a reboot is just around the corner when demographics shift.
But the blessing for the medium
was how it forced writers to created villains.
Spider-man and Batman would always be back next month,
that work was done,
so villains needed to breed like megalomaniacal rabbits.
No other medium on the planet has created
the scale, scope, or variety of villainy that comic books have. (And these are only American examples!)
So why are the movies becoming so pathetic and dull?
Why not challenge the hero?
Make him suffer.
(Yeah! Hit him again! HIT HIM AGAIN!)
(Ya big rich prick)
(Ultron was your fault!)
Yes: superhero films have become a long form story.
But piling on new challenges,
showing greater bravery
and renewed commitment to moral strenght
would only serve to increase a hero's appeal.
Yes: Batman only has one Joker.
But you could challenge his mind,
his morals
his humanity,
with so many of his other villains (See 'Heart of Ice' - Batman:TAS)
Films are more than the sum of their parts
but if you improve any part
you're going to make a better film.
*WHACK!*
At the end of the day,
with 'Sequel Sell Anemia'
movies are hurting themselves
because a better villain raises the hero
which raises the story
which raises the entertainment.
I know, I sound crazy.
Ultimately superhero films today
are so diseased with making us like the hero,
(goddamn)
it screws us out of a satisfying story.
Selling a sequel waters down what filmmakers will risk.
If someone has only one film
they'll put everything they've got into making it and more.
And that passion and commitment
will be 110%.
(That's not a real number)
Translated onto the screen
it creates a story with layers
moments
scenes
strong characters
and a well of feeling to transmit to the audience.
If there's any one element that villains need improvement on
it's making them understandable.
Make your villain appealing,
even sympathetic.
Commodus: "I would butcher the whole world, if you would only love me..."
They had lots of chances to a great villain with Zod.
But don't chicken out!
If someone has a good motivation
don't turn him into a villain to make the hero look good by the end.
Don't have him mindlessly evil.
The hero
will look better
if he does the right thing
DESPITE how hard it is.
Zod has motivation,
but not logic behind his actions.
Why threaten Superman's home before trying to kill everyone?
Why not convert him?
Why not slap this machine elsewhere?
Why not attack him as a unit? (Like soldiers are trained to do)
There's dozens of men on that ship that could take him down easily. (at least 11)
He's not understandable.
He wanted to restore Krypton
yet that mutates into hating Earth.
And telling the guy who has lived there his entire life
his plan beforehand?
(How is he a military general?!)
And he's not appealing
and he's not sympathetic.
He's NEARLY a physical match for the hero,
but for all intents he's weaker.
He's had less time with his powers.
And he doesn't make Superman suffer.
There was no connection to Zod
so no believability in Clark's grief at having killed him.
And as for the hero
did he suffer?
Superman finished the fight and got kindness,
a new girlfriend
and a cycle ride down glistening Metropolis streets.
His life is BETTER
after Zod arrived than before.
*SPLASH*
He personally lost nothing.
So the key was making Zod sympathetic.
Which creates the best villains.
The most dangerous type of villain.
The one we understand.
*OMINOUS MUSIC RISING*
What if Zod had showcased the murders
the wars, the famines
and all the horrors on Earth?
Show Zod seeing the worst in humanity.
But justifiably so
from his perspective of loving Krypton.
We would have understood this because,
hard as it is to admit
(Not that hard)
we can agree with his perspective
(KNEEL before Zod!)
And that's terrifying and fantastic
it's why we tell the stories we do.
We don't want to see nice and easy
we have a need as people to see something difficult solved.
The mountain most men wouldn't risk finally overcome,
and to see a hero learn a lesson,
and inspire us to do better ourselves.
The best villains are not memorable because of their power levels
because of their cruelty or mad schemes
It doesn't matter what the level of danger is
or how much jeopardy they represent.
It's not even because of their admirable qualities or their cool looks.
It's because the best villains are dark,
very, very dark.
BANE: "I'm necessary evil"
The best villains
make us see our terrifying true selves.
Our darkest aspects.
The failures in our hearts.
Our drive for power.
Our lust of cruelty.
How easy it would be to just take over,
and do things 'right'.
The truly great villain
is dangerous because we understand them and,
as hard as it is to admit,
we agree with them.
And in that bleak moment of hopelessness
when we worry how dark we can be,
fear how hard it is to do the right thing,
when we question humanity *Music rises*
THAT'S when we need our heroes
*Music of hope*
Not to punch things right
or walk away perfect.
We need them to show us compassion.
And ignite hope
teach us strenght
and the will to do the right thing...
...no matter how hard it might be.
THAT'S why good villains matter to great stories.
If Zod showed us the worst in humanity
then the natural response would have been
for Clark to see our best.
*defeated music plays*
Zod talks about a second chance for Krypton
because humanity is so cruel.
And then, when we can almost agree with him,
when we're almost ashamed how easy his reasoning is to follow...
how simple we could all turn into him
follow him
become him
in that DARKEST moment...
*Superman theme*
Jor-el: "Even though you've been raised as a human being, you are not one of them..."
Superman
who was feeling the exact same thing as us
Jor-el:" They can be a great people Kal-el, they wish to be..."
Finds a way to keep beleiving.
Keep hoping.
Jor-el: "They only lack the light to show the way..."
To hold onto something the rest of us almost lost
in the dark charm of the villains beliefs.
Jor-el: "For this reason above all, their capacity for good..."
Maybe that rescued child
Jor-el: "...I have sent them you..."
That strange alien from another world
Jor-el: "...my only son."
Would teach us that
everyone deserves a chance.
Because in the end
heroes don't save us from the villain...
...they save us from ourselves.
Another month another rant over.
Thanks so much for watching guys, I hope you really enjoyed this video.
Leave your comments below about some of your favourite villains
or maybe the best examples you have of being heroes.
And if you want to share us around
or let your friends now this video exists
you go ahead and do that, that would be great.
And if you want to give us a like, or a dislike, or pretty much do anything
you go ahead
be free to do what you want.
You can also check us out at the rant and bollox podcast
But thanks again for watching guys
have a great day!
Erik: "I will bring you hope, old friend."
"And I ask only one thing in return..."
"Don't get in my way."
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