Favorite Hero / Villain Match-ups

Jcomp · Nov 4, 2009

For some reason I started thinking about how great Die Hard was this morning, and it occurred to me that it's a great example of a movie that created an iconic hero and villain in one fell swoop. Then I got to thinking more about how John McClane and Hans Gruber are an excellent match for one another

McClane was a brilliant combo of Schwarzenegger action hero swagger + Indiana Jones "I have to improvise because I'm in way over my head and don't really know what I'm doing." Gruber was like a classic Bond villain stripped of ridiculous aspirations to rule the world and instead applying his intellect to something slightly more practical.

McClane improvises while Gruber is the master planner, but at different critical points in movie Gruber is forced to improvise and McClane is forced to come up with a master plan to save the day. It all comes together so well between the two.

Anywho, what are your favorite hero / villain match-ups?

maestrowork · Nov 4, 2009

I don't know if this counts, but Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling.

The Terminator and Kyle Reese.

James Bond and Gold Finger.

James81 · Nov 4, 2009

maestrowork said:
The Terminator and Kyle Reese.

I'll second this one. I think the beautiful part of this match up is that in order to fight the machines, Reese had to become a machine in a sense (i.e. disconnecting from pain, fighting his feelings for Sarah away,etc.). That irony was what made that movie so good.

***

And you can't have this thread without the all-time classic:

Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader

Kathleen42 · Nov 4, 2009

Eric Draven and Top Dollar from The Crow.

Tennant's Doctor and Simm's Master from series four of Doctor Who - right up until the Doctor's Tinkerbell moment *sigh*

mscelina · Nov 4, 2009

Oh, there are too many to count. Ummm...let's see...

Valmont vs. Marquie de Mertuiel in Dangerous Liasions mostly because throughout the entire movie, you're not really sure which one to root for and Valmont comes through so fabulously in the end.

Hamlet v Claudius in Hamlet. What could be better?

Oh gosh--Charles Xavier v. Magneto in the X-men. Seriously, though, when a hero and a villian get together to play chess just for the fun of it, that's a pretty outstanding conflict/relationship.

oh. yeah. *grin* The Phantom v. Raoul in Phantom of the Opera. It's not often you can get millions of people rooting for the bad guy in a classic tale of good v. evil. With the Phantom, evil is just so much more fun.

Jcomp · Nov 4, 2009

Great selections.

Also, I am obligated to punch myself in the face for not mentioning Batman vs. The Joker. From Tim Burton's Batman or (especially, imo) The Dark Knight. They are like twisted soul mates of conflict...

maestrowork · Nov 4, 2009

The Count of Monte Cristo/Edmund Dantés and Mondego.

mscelina · Nov 4, 2009

Oh, I like that one too. Seriously. I always thought that was the reason that Batman and the Joker were always in conflict. They're like the same sides of the same dark coin.
I loved Michael Keaton's take on Batman and Nicholson's take on the Joker and quite frankly thought it would impossible to top.

I was wrong. Bale and Ledger took it to a whole new level.

Wayne K · Nov 4, 2009

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Moriarty.

Perks · Nov 4, 2009

Mulder and The Smoking Man

Exir · Nov 4, 2009

Me and Myself.

No, really, I think Harry vs Voldemort is a pretty cool matchup.

Noah Body · Nov 4, 2009

Kirk and Khan! "Khaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnn!"

DavidZahir · Nov 4, 2009

The Bride and Bill from Kill Bill.

Ahab and Moby Dick from the John Huston/Ray Bradbury Moby Dick.

Roy Batty and Deckard from Blade Runner.

Gandalf and Saruman from LOTR.

Flint and Steerpike in Gormenghast.

Mal and The Agent in Serenity.

Kathleen42 · Nov 4, 2009

How the heck did I forget Inigo Montoya and Count Rugen from The Princess Pride?

Celia Cyanide · Nov 4, 2009

Jcomp said:
Great selections.

Also, I am obligated to punch myself in the face for not mentioning Batman vs. The Joker. From Tim Burton's Batman or (especially, imo) The Dark Knight. They are like twisted soul mates of conflict...

Yeah, I was about to punch you in the face for that one.

I think it's the characters. They're great together in everything. They feed off each other, and give each other a reason to be, even though they hate each other and want to destroy each other. I think that Bale was a bit off the DK, and Nicholson, while brilliant, was pretty far off the character itself, but their dynamic was still great in both films. And the animated series.

I just read Kevin Smith's Cacophony. Batman has a conversation with the Joker while he's on anti-psychotics, and asks him what he really thinks of him. It's SO sad!

Kitty Pryde · Nov 4, 2009

Captain Jack and Captain John on Torchwood rock the love/hate thing so so well.

Mikey and Ma Fratelli from the GOONIES!

maestrowork · Nov 4, 2009

Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Kathleen42 · Nov 4, 2009

Kitty Pryde said:
Captain Jack and Captain John on Torchwood rock the love/hate thing so so well.

OMG bar fight scene.

Kitty Pryde · Nov 4, 2009

Kathleen42 said:
OMG bar fight scene.

Precisely.

Noah Body · Nov 4, 2009

Luke and Vader! There is no greater enemy a young man can have than his own pappy.

maestrowork · Nov 4, 2009

Noah Body said:
Luke and Vader! There is no greater enemy a young man can have than his own pappy.

Except I really didn't like Luke as a hero.

Kathleen42 · Nov 4, 2009

maestrowork said:
Except I really didn't like Luke as a hero.

Same (although I also find Vader a little boring as a villain until you get the backstory) . Love love love Star Wars but it didn't even occur to me when I was picking my top hero/villain combos.

maestrowork · Nov 4, 2009

Kathleen42 said:
Same (although I also find Vader a little boring as a villain until you get the backstory) . Love love love Star Wars but it didn't even occur to me when I was picking my top hero/villain combos.

That's the thing, the SW sagas have more to do with just hero vs. villain. In comparison, the whole Luke/Vader conflict is only part of it, and that's why they didn't really jump out at me. There are so many great (or even greater) characters and their own conflicts going on: Han, Leia, Yoda, the Emperor, etc. Even Boba Fett.

JoshEllingson · Nov 4, 2009

Harry Dresden and the White Council.

childeroland · Nov 4, 2009

Batman and Joker from the Nolan series
Atreyu and the Nothing from The NeverEnding Story
Bond and Blofeld
Xena and Callisto
Detective Goren and Nicole Wallace on Law & Order: CI
Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler
Holmes and Moriarty
Ben Linus and Charles Widmore (though, really, who's the villain there?)
Benjamin Sisko and Gul Dukat on Star Trek: Deep Spance Nine
Inuyasha and Naraku

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