Underrated/Overrated Villains and Henchmen
MilleniumForce
LondonPosts: 1,214MI6 Agent
I think this one is pretty self explanatory:
Overrated
Dr No - He doesn't really do much and leaves very little effect, like the other Spectre villains, a shame considering he is the title character.
Largo (TB) - Pretty much the same as Dr No. Little menace or threat, seemingly only iconic due to his eyepatch.
Blofeld (Savalas) - Often regarded as the best portrayal of Blofeld, I prefer the menace of Pleasance. Savalas just brings little to the character. Ok villain, but not as good as some other portrayals.
Underrated
Blofeld (Gray) - Is he a good Blofeld? No, but he is a great villain, and really stands out in the film. Rather than menacing or active, Gray plays Blofeld as a released care free villain, whilst also bringing some fun to the character. Again, not a good Blofeld, but a fun villain.
Tee Hee - I don't know if this is as highly rated, but Tee Hee is an excellent villain, despite not doing anything at all. He's just there, but he is both menacing and fun at the same time, and makes an otherwise disposable character memorable.
Kristatos - Probably the most overlooked villain, Kristatos is a pretty good villain for many reasons. He's played by Julian Glover, and the way he frames Colombo creates a nice twist. Lacking any distinctive features like a third nipple or metal hands, Glover does well with a basic character.
Kamal Khan - Neither imposing or threatening, Khan is just a good villain. He has great moments, and plays the part of a posh, smug d**k really well.
General Orlov - Another villain from Octopussy, Orlov is just.....fun. He's over the top and has great prescence, stealing every scene he is in.
Largo (NSNA) - One of the few good things from NSNA, and the only character done better than in Thunderball. I wish Brandauer could have played a villain alongside Moore, though.
Fatima Blush - The other good thing from NSNA, Fatima is rightly known as the best thing from NSNA by many, but still underrated compared to the other female villains of Bond.
Koskov - Pretty much the same as Kristatos, a basic character but with a lot of personality thanks to Krabbe.
Carver - A typical OTT Bond villain, portrayed wonderfully by Pryce who looks like he's having a blast as a villain.
Overrated
Dr No - He doesn't really do much and leaves very little effect, like the other Spectre villains, a shame considering he is the title character.
Largo (TB) - Pretty much the same as Dr No. Little menace or threat, seemingly only iconic due to his eyepatch.
Blofeld (Savalas) - Often regarded as the best portrayal of Blofeld, I prefer the menace of Pleasance. Savalas just brings little to the character. Ok villain, but not as good as some other portrayals.
Underrated
Blofeld (Gray) - Is he a good Blofeld? No, but he is a great villain, and really stands out in the film. Rather than menacing or active, Gray plays Blofeld as a released care free villain, whilst also bringing some fun to the character. Again, not a good Blofeld, but a fun villain.
Tee Hee - I don't know if this is as highly rated, but Tee Hee is an excellent villain, despite not doing anything at all. He's just there, but he is both menacing and fun at the same time, and makes an otherwise disposable character memorable.
Kristatos - Probably the most overlooked villain, Kristatos is a pretty good villain for many reasons. He's played by Julian Glover, and the way he frames Colombo creates a nice twist. Lacking any distinctive features like a third nipple or metal hands, Glover does well with a basic character.
Kamal Khan - Neither imposing or threatening, Khan is just a good villain. He has great moments, and plays the part of a posh, smug d**k really well.
General Orlov - Another villain from Octopussy, Orlov is just.....fun. He's over the top and has great prescence, stealing every scene he is in.
Largo (NSNA) - One of the few good things from NSNA, and the only character done better than in Thunderball. I wish Brandauer could have played a villain alongside Moore, though.
Fatima Blush - The other good thing from NSNA, Fatima is rightly known as the best thing from NSNA by many, but still underrated compared to the other female villains of Bond.
Koskov - Pretty much the same as Kristatos, a basic character but with a lot of personality thanks to Krabbe.
Carver - A typical OTT Bond villain, portrayed wonderfully by Pryce who looks like he's having a blast as a villain.
1.LTK 2.AVTAK 3.OP 4.FYEO 5.TND 6.LALD 7.GE 8.GF 9.TSWLM 10.SPECTRE 11.SF 12.MR 13.YOLT 14.TLD 15.CR (06) 16.TMWTGG 17.TB 18.FRWL 19.TWINE 20.OHMSS 21.DAF 22.DAD 23.QoS 24.NSNA 25.DN 26.CR (67)
Comments
No surprise you put Dr. No on the top of your overrated list but each to their own. I won't carry on as there is already a thread re: Dr. No being overrated.
Apart from your NSNA calls, I mostly agree with yours.
I actually find Whittaker underrated, he's an absolute menace, American war and gun-nut - pretty realistic IMO.
Gustav Graves too, I think he fits into the Carver nutcase and OTT category which is just such a good watch.
Overrated? Zorin. I don't find him particularly scary, he just fits into the roles that Walken always plays - himself. Not that it isn't interesting, it's just fairly one-dimensional.
"Better make that two."
Alec from Goldeneye -- For a 00, he doesn't seem to do much 00-ish, and the big final confrontation is a game of tag around a telescope.
Silva from Skyfall -- Basically, a redux of Alec, though with a bad dye job and Joker pretensions.
Elektra King/Renard from The World is Not Enough -- The ideas are good but so marginally used. Think about what could have been done with a villain who doesn't feel pain. Instead, he's pretty much an ordinary thug. And Elektra operates off screen too much. Her actual screen moments are shorthand betrayals.
Stromberg from The Spy Who Loved Me -- Basically Blofeld, but he is played as tired and grumpy by the usually engaging Curt Jurgens.
Drax from Moonraker -- Basically Blofeld, but he is played as cold and affectless by the usually engaging Michael Lonsdale.
Underrated:
Largo and Blush from Never Say Never Again -- Easily the most engaging villains of any of the 1980s Bond films -- loony, calculating, and unpredictable, even though we already know the story.
Blofeld from Diamonds are Forever -- Charles Gray's pompous, bloviating ponce is exactly the sort of mincing gender bender this campy film needs. He also suggests what the Bond books say about Blofeld constantly changing his appearance and reinventing himself.
Stamper from TNDs, granted he's one of many generic muscled blonde henchman in the series but I always loved him as a baddie, particularly during the finale. Him and Bond really go at it with bullets, explosives and fists.
He's fantastic! One of the few reasons why I enjoy TND is him and Carver.
"Better make that two."
http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/45020/is-koskov-the-most-underrated-bond-villain/
http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/44014/who-is-the-the-best-written-acted-villain-in-a-bond-movie/
http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/43783/least-convincing-villain/
http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/41424/which-villain-do-you-respect-the-most/
http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/40836/which-villain-gave-bond-his-toughest-battle/
Doesn't hurt that he has the sweetest pad in the franchise. I want to live in Atlantis so, so bad
Bond: Pierce Brosnan Villain: Hugo Drax Girl: Pam Bouvier
Atlantis is pretty amazing.
I agree with you, "Let them get ashore....and then kill them." Ouch.
"Better make that two."
Great death too. Shot multiple times, before collapsing down dead into his tea. No fancy stuff. Bond knows Atlantis is going to be destroyed by the navy, so he shoots him and leaves.
" I don't listen to hip hop!"
"Better make that two."
1: Brosnan 2: Craig 3: Moore 4: Dalton 5: Connery and 6: Lazenby
Overrated:
Auric Goldfinger - Yeah, while he is a great villain. He just lacks something, and I just can't put my finger on what it is. Maybe lack of a physical threat to Bond.
Scaramanga - While Christopher Lee's performance is terrific, I find the villain's plot to be highly forgettable and the entire cat & mouse cops & robbers thing just didn't turn out that great on screen. The climax is pathetic with his supposedly short-lived plan.
Silva - Yeah, blasphemy I know. He is a great actor and did a hell of a job in SF, but I don't get the big deal with the likes towards him.
Underrated:
Kristatos - Yep, you heard me! This guy pretended to be the good guy and framed Columbo as being the leader of the dove syndicate. That's pretty powerful in my opinion, and he contributed into bringing realism back in James Bond after then 70's. He was also a huge threat to Bond, well at least his henchmen were. When you think of how far those goons went during the car & ski chase, the hockey scene and Lisil's demise, they are tough.
Kamal Khan - Probably a weird choice, but I believe Louis Jordan deserves more credit than what he got. Gobinda was pretty weak but this guy was something serious and of a comedic relief. He did a good job and you get the sense that Bond is definitely threatened. The only problem was his terrible death scene.
Max Zorin - Yeah I've probably exhaused this one to death now, but he's my favourite villain in the series. He's powerful, menacing, evil, obnoxious, crazy and a psychotic. He is one hell of an antagonist and his plot to destroy Silicon Valley and the way he killed the KGB agent and gunned down all his miners, you better not be messin' with him.
Franz Sanchez - Poor fellow. Robert Davi played the part superbly and performed many kills himself and is a giant threat to Bond and the leiters. What mattered to him more than anything was loyalty, and dang, it was hilarious to see how many people betrayed him and his reactions.
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
Agree with your shoutout to Khan, but it seems with the increasing respect that OP is gaining in this forum that he too is becoming better-rated!
"Better make that two."
Renard- He's built up as an indestructable villain who is unable to feel pain and he isn't even the main villain of TWINE! Elektra King is and Renard is her pawn in her plan. His death was underwhelming too.
Dr No- Despite the film being named after him, No doesn't do much. He's one of those villains who sit at a console, barking orders at his goons.
Underrated
Gustav Graves- Toby Stephens was excellent! He was great at playing him as an arrogant git. Made sitting through DAD bearable.
" I don't listen to hip hop!"
I wasn't aware that he had many fans.
as with all the clever plot-twists in the Brosnan films this is better in conception than in execution, and I agree they could have done lots more with the "feels no pain" gimmick
Elektra however is very good as the surprise baddie, probably my favourite villain of the later era
Yes, that is a brilliant scene.
100% agree. He's excellent. In other Bond films he may come across as too hammy (IMO at times Carver falls into this category) - but he suits DAD.
"Better make that two."
It is the point that he's lurking the shadows and never amounts to much (despite the final showdown being with him). He's weak on purpose, but I do agree with caractacus potts' assessment that it's better in idea than in reality. He could've been more confusing or more diabolical because overall the relationship between the two and Elektra's role isn't fooling many.
Renard: "She's worth fifty of me."
M: "For once, I agree with you."
"Better make that two."
Good point Matt. Underwhelming is not the same as overrated.
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
Benicio Del Toro as Dario n LTK. Not physically imposing, but one of the most menacing and dangerous henchmen. Also love the way he says, "she had a nice honeymoooon." Not sure why he disappeared for so long in the middle of LTK…perhaps because it would ruin Bond's undercover gig.
Stamper in TND. He's big, he's bad, he's German. He also seems to be dismissed as "too typical" of a henchman like just another strong blonde in the mold of Red Grant, Hans, Erich Kriegler, Necros…. Well, TND excels at being a traditional Bond film so it's fitting to have a quintessential type of henchmen like Stamper. Plus, most of the villains I just mentioned are kinda bland in comparison to Stamper. He's like Red Grant x10 on steroids.
Zao in DAD. This film doesn't get much credit for anything good, but Zao is pretty cool for having diamonds plastered into his face. Plus, his heavily armed green Jaguar paid off with one of my favorite Bond car chases.
Elvis in QoS. Most fans here on AJB seem to hate him. I'm not sure why exactly as he's just a random harmless assistant. I like him for his funny bowl cut and the scene where he gets tripped down the stairs. His boss, Mr. Greene, also deserves more credit for his weird eyes and unhinged demeanor.
Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd in DAF. Victims of a poorly regarded Bond film. Their chemistry with each other is great and it's cute how they finish each others sentences.
Overrated:
Silva in Skyfall. Doesn't appear until way late into the film. Basically a re-tread of 006 in Goldeneye. His escape from the cell was impossible and his master plan was beyond absurd. I would consider him my least favorite villain.
Blofeld in any film. Just like Felix Leiter, the lack of a stable actor to play the role hurt the character. The concept of Bond having an "arch-nemesis" is pretty silly. Ironic, that Fleming purists take the novels so seriously, yet pan the Roger Moore era. Thankfully, the 70s-90s were mostly devoid of this comic goon villain. However, I do love Dr. Evil in Austin Powers!
Red Grant in FRWL. Especially in the novel where he kills a total of 0 people! In the film, it annoys me that he falls for Bond's offer of some gold coins. There was nothing planted earlier about his character that greed was a weakness for him.
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
TWINE is my favourite post-Cubby-produced movie, and I still don't think too highly of Renard.
-{
Overrated
- Gustav Graves. Simply because he is awful. Any praise for him makes him overrated
- Renoir. An interesting idea became truly useless in the movie.
- Elliot Carver. Never felt any menace from him
- Greene. So forgettable this guy. His henchman Elvis was the worst also.
- Cristatos. Another very dull villain.
- Blofeld. For some reason, the ubervillain of Bond never really got a great performance. Savalas was my favorite still.
Underrated
- Largo (TB) based on what I see here. I think he is criminally underrated. He was cool and collected and was not afraid to make his hands dirty. Plus he had a great presence.
- Kamal Khan. Thought he was pretty good
- Drax. The villain with the best oneliners and coolest performance. Plus his plan was the most menacing of all.
- Kananga. Hardly see him, but think he is one of the most iconic villains.
Having reviewed, I feel sorry for Brosnan. His movies never really saw a great villain. My favorite is probably Electra King. Also he never really had an iconic Bond girl at his side. Such a shame, because I think he made a great Bond himself.
1. Connery 2. Craig 3. Brosnan 4. Dalton 5. Lazenby 6. Moore
He was a brilliant painter, one of my all-time favourites. How dare you call him overrated! He's certainly not overrated as a Bond villain, since he was never a Bond villain as far as I know.
Though he did do a good job working on TSWLM.
Agree he is a brilliant painter. But thought he made a rubbish villain. Just like Renard btw.
1. Connery 2. Craig 3. Brosnan 4. Dalton 5. Lazenby 6. Moore
You're correct about Carver, like TND, just fits into the caricature of a good idea.
"Better make that two."