Stromberg vs Drax

Georgiboy

Who is better? Stromberg of Drax.

I believe that Stromberg is better. Stromberg was in a much better movie but it seemed like Stromberg had more personality.

On the other hand, both of them are very wealthy and have nice living quarters. I think that Atlantis with a shark pool is better than a huge French castle though.

They practically have the same plan but different places. Stromberg has the ocean floor and Drax has space. Both of them are playing God but in their own way.

It seems that Stromberg can actually keep his henchmen in line unlike Drax. Jaws did much better when he worked with Stromberg.

My point is that Stromberg and Drax are equals in almost every way. But it seems that Stromberg is more evil and more diabolical than Drax.

What do you think?

Jarvio

Although I prefer TSWLM as a film, by a long shot, I prefer Drax to Stromberg. Drax just felt so evil and so convincing. Stromberg however just felt like a poor Blofeld clone who just sat on his arse.

ATPrescott

Drax was definitely more evil - Strom was even trying to find an excuse to his activities a la the modern civilization being already destined for destruction. Drax was in contrast just creating a new super-race and wanted to beacome God at God's place.

Napoleon Plural

In a fight, Stromberg could pull Drax's beard.

Dan Same

I love both villains, but IMO Stromberg was superior. Blofeld aside, Stromberg was among the first of the villains who wanted to take over/destroy the world, and was obviously a madman, but was wasn't a 'raving psychotic' like Zorin like Max Zorin. He was casual and elegent, gentlemenly and upper-class, yet had no compulsion in killing millions of people in order to achieve his vision.

I think that Drax was a superb villain, however IMO he was a replicate of sorts of Stromberg; a brilliant replicate but IMO a replicate nonetheless. The other thing that Stromberg arguably has over Drax is that TSWLM was a vastly superior film to MR.

One last thing; IMO the Moore era produced many of the greatest villains of all time, with Stromberg and Drax being IMO two examples of this. Although I liked Sanchez, Alec and Electra, Stromberg and Drax were IMO the last truly great main villains the series has produced thus far.

actonsteve

Dan Same wrote:

. He was casual and elegent, gentlemenly and upper-class, yet had no compulsion in killing millions of people in order to achieve his vision.

Many of the leading Nazis were extrememly cultured. They eologised about Wagner while drawing up plans to send people to the gas chambers.

A calm controlled villain is much more frightening then a gibbering loon (thats why I cant put Zorin in the great villains category). A man who appears rational while he is planning to end the world is most frightening of all.

I have to say Stromberg as the "I wish to conduct my life on my own terms" put meat on the bone to his plan. You believe he would sit out a nuclear holocause from the bottom of the ocean.

Roebuck

Curt Jurgens was a great choice for a Bond villain who should have had more screen time.
Lonsdale had more opportunity to develop his character and sharper dialogue.
For that reason alone, out of two fine actors, Drax gets my vote.

Kirk James Kirk

This is a tough decision, as I love both characters... a lot. Stromberg is in the better film, while Drax has more character development. Drax also has better lines. Stromberg's "tell them the burial was at sea" line is classic Bond.
I have a soft spot for Lonsdale, as he was terrific in Day of the Jackyl and Ronin, but I'll have to give the nod to Stromberg.

ToshTogo

Drax was WAAAAAAAYYYY better. End of discussion

blueman

Both sucked. Not the actors' fault, they had little to do but say silly things. Both were great examples of unrealized potential stuck in cartoon films. What it was back then.

Shady Tree

actonsteve wrote:

Dan Same wrote:

. [Stromberg...] was casual and elegent, gentlemenly and upper-class, yet had no compulsion in killing millions of people in order to achieve his vision.

Many of the leading Nazis were extrememly cultured. They eologised about Wagner while drawing up plans to send people to the gas chambers.

This reminded me of the fact that Curt Jurgens was also brilliantly cast as a cultured and elegant German Ambassador, who is given short shrift by Ralph Richardson in a scene near the beginning of Harry Saltzman's / Guy Hamilton's 'Battle Of Britain'. Jurgens was ideal for these kinds of parts.

As an actor, Michel Lonsdale perhaps has greater versatility. My feelings about Drax's evil were compromised by the fact that I remembered how likeable Lonsdale's equally obsessive but heroic detective character is in 'The Day Of The Jackal'.

Shady Tree