Top 20 Movie Villains of the Decade (2000-2009)

Well, the decade's finally coming to an end, and as us movie lovers know, each decade has had its own landmarks in cinema. The 1970s were marked by Star Wars, Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, and Rocky. The '80s had Raging Bull, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Platoon, and E.T. And the '90s were best known for Schindler's List, The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, and Saving Private Ryan. And since the beginning of the 21st century, the 2000s have had its fair share of classic (and not-so-classic) movies. So in celebration of the upcoming new decade, I'm going to craft a few lists celebrating the best that the Double Zeros had to offer. So let's start with the nastiest baddies of the last ten years!

20. Saruman (Christopher Lee- The Lord of the Rings trilogy- 2001-2003)

You really can't get any badder than Christopher Lee. One of the all-time great villain actors, from the titular character of Hammer Films' "Dracula" series to Bond villain Scaramanga, Lee can't seem to find a sinister role that he can't sink his teeth into. As the malevolent wizard Saruman in Peter Jackson's epic "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, it's no different. Although he's merely a lackey of his all-seeing master Sauron, it still wouldn't be wise to cross this crusty old man's path. Whether it's conjuring up massive blizzards or manufacturing armies of hideous Uruk-hai, this is one wizard who doesn't mess around... or even brushes his teeth. Now THAT'S a sign of a scary dude.

19. Kim Jong Il (Voiced by Trey Parker- Team America: World Police- 2004)

Usually, a tiny, goofy-looking Korean guy with oversized lady glasses and a stereotypically thick accent wouldn't seem very threatening. Especially if he's a puppet. But thanks an uproariously funny vocal performance by "Team America" director/co-writer Trey Parker, a marionette version of North Korea's real-life dictator proves to be one of the funniest villains in movie history. Just like Parker and co-writer Matt Stone did with an animated Saddam Hussein in 1999's "South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut", Kim Jong Il is treated as a cartoonishly over-the-top megalomaniac (not unlike his real-life counterpart), but with a tinge of melodramatic sympathy (best personified by his hilarious musical solo "I'm So Ronery").


18. Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina- Spider-Man 2- 2004)

Mad scientists have always been a fixture in science-fiction movies, and they've never lost their allure, despite being prevalent in those campy classics from the 1950's. In the superior sequel to Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man", stage and screen veteran Alfred Molina not only brings classic supervillain Doc Ock to life, but breathes fresh life into a great archetype. Molina not only gains sympathy as the good Doctor Otto Octavius, but has a blast embodying the snarling, vicious, arrogant Doc Ock, letting the wild special effects act as merely icing on an already tasty cake.

17. Raven Darkholme/Mystique (Rebecca Romijn- The X-Men trilogy- 2000, 2003, 2006)

Usually in movies, the main villain's henchmen aren't all that interesting, merely serving as cannon fodder against the hero. But with Rebecca Romijn's sultry, deadly mutant shapeshifter Mystique, you couldn't give a rat's ass about the main villain. Clearly meant to make the virginal comic book nerds happy, Mystique nonetheless proves to be a ruthless, mysterious, and somewhat intriguing character (and not just because she's blue and naked, though that's a major factor). Though she doesn't think twice about snapping someone's neck when it serves her purposes, Mystique offers a kind of pathos that's best embodied in "X2": when asked by Nighcrawler (Alan Cumming) why she doesn't use her powers to stay hidden, she simply replies: "Because we shouldn't have to". Now that's deep for a naked blue chick.

16. Sylvia Ganush (Lorna Raver- Drag Me To Hell- 2009)

Ah, horror villains. Once you were great and memorable, like Norman Bates, Michael Myers, and Freddy Krueger. Now you're bland, non-threatening, and ultimately forgettable. Thank God that Sam Raimi decided to return to the horror genre to show the amateurs how it's done. After revolutionizing the horror genre with his sidesplitting "Evil Dead" trilogy, Raimi returns to form with his campy, funhouse-style "Drag Me To Hell". And here we get a truly great horror villain in the form of Sylvia Ganush, played by character actor Lorna Raver. All fury and vengeful resolve, Ganush curses a poor young woman, and doesn't mind laying the gypsy smackdown whenever possible. And she vomits worms. Can't get any more hardcore than that.

15. Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker- The Last King of Scotland- 2006)

Real-life murderers and dictators can be difficult to portray in film (or any kind of media, for that matter), with a tough Catch-22: focus on their inner thoughts and personality and you're accused of sympathizing with them, or keep your distance and be accused of not properly personifying them. With Idi Amin, you don't really need to dig deep to figure out what kind of a barbaric monster he was. Though the story of "The Last King of Scotland" is partially fictionalized, Forest Whitaker expertly captures the man's true viciousness, paranoia, and madness, easily earning Whitaker the Best Actor Oscar.

14. Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson- The Departed- 2006)

Only an actor of true talent can do the menacing Mafia act without delving too deep into the obvious stereotypes (I mean, come on, how many of us use awful Italian accents when imitating gangsters?), so it's fortunate that the King of Mentally-Unstable Typecasting himself, Jack Nicholson, plays Boston crime lord Frank Costello (a character loosely based on real-life mob boss James "Whitey" Bolger). Not having a bone of morality in his body, Costello is a perverse, amoral, and opportunistic devil who always makes sure of having a contingency plan. How evil is he? After shooting a woman point-blank in the back of her head, instead of expressing any sort of regret, he merely thinks that she "fell over kinda funny".

13. Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid- Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith- 2005)

To say that George Lucas' "Star Wars" prequel trilogy was a disappointment is an understatement of epic proportions. Instead of recapturing the sense of awe, angst, and wonder that made the original trilogy so great, the prequels instead manifested as bland, artificial, and downright embarrassing waste of hype. However, if anything was salvaged, it was Ian McDiarmid's wonderfully grandiose performance as the evil Senator-cum-Emperor Palpatine. Waiting 22 years to see Palpatine get all wrinkly and nasty was well worth it, especially in his epic lightsaber duel with Yoda.

12. William Stryker (Brian Cox- X2: X-Men United- 2003)

It says a lot when the X-Men's most dangerous enemy isn't even a mutant, but rather a regular human with no powers. This man is William Stryker, a military scientist and anti-mutant bigot with a serious grudge. Although the William Stryker of the comics was a self-righteous evangelist minister, the venomous hatred remains. Brian Cox does a superb job portraying a man who has no qualms exterminating an entire race, and will do anything to realize that goal.


11. John Kramer/Jigsaw (Tobin Bell- Saw- 2004)

It's not often that horror movies have a message. Usually, scary flicks are meant to, well, just scare you. But the wildly popular "Saw" films did what most of its gory predecessors didn't even dream of doing: it made you think. John Kramer, dying of cancer, is disgusted by how so many people take their lives for granted. As such, Kramer, calling himself "Jigsaw", decides to teach seemingly random people the true value of life. Trapping his victims in horrific traps and mazes, Jigsaw forces his quarry to go to the extremes to save their own lives. Such morality tales are scarce in horror films, but Jigsaw gives a fresh new take on how we view the precious little time we have.

10. Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush- Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl- 2003)

Ever since "Cutthroat Island" tanked spectacularly in 1995, the pirate genre was all but at the bottom of Davy Jones' Locker. Who would have thought that a movie based on a cheesy Disney World attraction would bring it back to life? Not only was "Curse of the Black Pearl" a blast to watch because of its amazing visual effects and tongue-in-cheek screenplay, but it was the performances of its lead actors, Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush, that cemented the film as an instant classic. Rush fully embraced his role as the mutinous and cocky Captain Hector Barbossa, harkening back to the old classic pirate baddies like Blackbeard and Captain Hook. Although he becomes a (sorta) good guy in movie #3, it's Barbossa's portrayal in the first film that adds to the infectious sense of fun and excitement.

9. Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Sir Ian McKellan- The X-Men trilogy- 2000, 2003, 2006)

Here's a good tip: if you ever plan on getting on Eric Lehnsherr's bad side, make sure your blood isn't rich in iron. Otherwise, you may end up getting exsanguinated in the most creative way possible. It's only appropriate that you get one of comic's most classic villains to be played by one of the world's most classic actors, and Shakespearian actor Ian McKellan is no exception. As Holocaust survivor and mutant supremacist Magneto, McKellan captures not only the character's vengeful anger, but also Magneto's vulnerable side, a man who's seen so many horrors, and vows to never let his people be persecuted. McKellan delivers a gleeful, strong, and very fun performance in all three X-films (he's one of the few saving graces in the bloated "X-Men: The Last Stand").

8. Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington- Training Day- 2001)

Typecasting is never a good thing, and though his roles have earned him countless awards and acclaim, Denzel Washington apparently decided to shed his friendly, heroic image and go in a whole other direction in Antoine Fuqua's dark and powerful crime drama "Training Day", and here, Washington shatters his previous image in an Oscar-winning role as Alonzo Harris, a cop who's not too interested in the whole "Serve and Protect" credo. Despite being a highly decorated narcotics officer, Harris has become as corrupt as the thugs he locks up, forcing a rookie cop (Ethan Hawke) to cooperate in his illegal activities. A chilling, brutal tour de force from Washington.

7. Bill (David Carradine- Kill Bill, Vol. 2- 2004)

It's a known fact that postmodern auteur Quentin Tarantino has been known to resurrect (even if for a little while) the careers of actors and actresses whose peaks occurred many years ago. Be it John Travolta, Robert Forster, or Pam Grier, QT is essentially the Ellis Island for forgotten character actors. Though his character was only heard (and briefly seen) in the first part of Tarantino's action extravaganza "Kill Bill", the incomparable David Carradine all but stole the show in the second part. Repulsive and vile yet sly and charming, Bill is a murderous bastard with a soft side: he truly loves his protege Beatrix (Uma Thurman), but after she fakes her death to start a new life with her then-unborn child, Bill eventually finds out the truth, and arranges the brutal massacre of her entire wedding party, and then puts her in a coma with a bullet to the head. Carradine adds a layer of empathy and gentlemanly attitude to an otherwise heartless character.

6. Gollum (Voiced and motion-captured by Andy Serkis- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King- 2002, 2003)

There aren't many truer sayings than "Power corrupts", and the hobbit known as Smeagol is living proof. After murdering his friend when discovering the lost Ring of Power, Smeagol is banished by his people, hiding away in the mountains while making his "precious" ring the all-consuming object of his twisted desire. Becoming an emaciated, cringing little creature with a split personality known as "Gollum", Smeagol loses the Ring, and obsesses over finding and ultimately reuniting with it. After being captured by ring-bearer hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood) and his friend Sam (Sean Astin), the vicious Gollum side overtakes the docile Smeagol, scheming to kill the hobbits and take back his "Precious". Andy Serkis does a marvelous job portraying such an engrossing character in the "Lord of the Rings" movies, not only revolutionizing the trend of motion-capture acting, but emphasizing the tragic nature of the creature's dual personality.

5. Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis- There Will Be Blood- 2007)

"I drink... your milkshake! I drink it UP!" Only method actor Daniel Day-Lewis can utter such a line with total seriousness without sounding like a complete ass, and that's a testament to his amazing talent, especially in regards to his Oscar-winning performance as turn-of-the-century oil baron Daniel Plainview in "There Will Be Blood". Completely amoral and motivated only by greed, Plainview isn't exactly a villain in the traditional sense, but his lack of compunction in regards to putting his fortune before his family cements his place amongst the all-time great bad guys. From adopting a son merely as a means to make his business seem family-friendly and marketable, to murdering more than one person in cold blood, Plainview is Gordon Gekko-meets-Fred C. Dobbs, a truly effective personification of all-consuming greed.

4. Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes- The Harry Potter series, 2005-2009)

You've got to be pretty damn scary if even your own henchmen are afraid of saying your name. Lord Voldemort, a.k.a. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" or "You-Know-Who", never had the happiest of childhoods, having been raised in an orphanage after his mother dies in childbirth and his father abandons him. And even though he's viewed as having great wizardry potential by Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), it also doesn't help that young Tom Riddle is secretly a sadistic, power-hungry monster who derives pleasure from inflicting harm upon others. He also has a tendency to make Harry Potter's life a living hell, from having the boy's parents murdered to systematically destroying Harry's life, piece by piece. Ralph Fiennes, one of Hollywood's go-to guys for nasty villains, is convincingly frightening and dangerous as the Dark Lord.

3. Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem- No Country for Old Men- 2007)

Arnold Schwarzenegger's iconic performance in 1984's "The Terminator" was a classic example of the classic archetype of the unstoppable, non-negotiating killing machine. Of course, the robotic nature of Arnold's character (and his acting) kept the audience from truly connecting with him. Luckily, 23 years later, Javier Bardem took the archetype in a familiar yet fresh direction as the sociopathic hitman Anton Chigurh in the Coen Brothers' dark thriller, "No Country for Old Men". Hired to retrieve a briefcase containing $2 million, Chigurh is pure evil, best personified in two scenes: his ghastly, introductory murder of a sheriff's deputy, and a scene where Chigurh torments an elderly gas station owner with a simple coin toss, all while maintaining his emotionless, stone-faced persona.

2. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds- 2009)

When you hear "Nazi", what immediately comes to mind? Pure, unadulterated evil? Truly, anyone proudly bearing a swastika usually tends to be morally bankrupt in the worst possible way, and cinema has consistently perpetuated that motif. Sometimes, movies make them seem utterly cartoonish and hopeless ("The Great Dictator" and "The Producers" come to mind), but for the most part, Nazi characters serve as a cinematic portal into the worst the human race has to offer. And SS Colonel Hans Landa, also known as "The Jew Hunter", is easily the epitome of evil hiding behind a pleasant face. Essentially a Nazi Sherlock Holmes, Landa is a detective of extraordinary talent, possessing an eerie ability to hunt anyone down. Fluent in four languages (!), Landa is romantic and charming, but merely as a means to get underneath the skin of his prey, and once they're cornered, he strikes with the precision of a cobra. Christoph Waltz gives the performance of a lifetime, one part funny, one part charismatic, and 100% Machiavellian evil.

1. The Joker (Heath Ledger- The Dark Knight- 2008)

"I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve." For all your Magnetos, Lex Luthors, and Green Goblins, no comic book supervillain has had as much impact as Batman's archnemesis, The Joker. Having gone through countless incarnations through the last seven decades via comics, television, and film, the Clown Prince of Crime has been an essential ingredient of the Batman mythos. While some interpretations have emphasized the character's goofy, clownish nature (Cesar Romero's portrayal in the campy '60s "Batman" series is a good example), few non-comic book versions attempted to focus on The Joker's dark, utterly sinister nature. While Jack Nicholson's cackling performance in Tim Burton's 1989 "Batman" was highly entertaining (the same goes for Mark Hamill's commanding vocal performance in the '90s animated "Batman" series), it wasn't until former teen heartthrob Heath Ledger was cast as the famous clown in the sequel to director Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" reboot. Here, all the rules were broken. This time, we don't know The Joker. We don't know his name, we don't know his past. Instead of becoming all pasty-faced via a vat of chemicals, this Joker is merely a scarred sadist with smeared-on makeup. He isn't about the money, but rather about sending a message to the people of Gotham: that everyone is corruptible, even the Caped Crusader (Christian Bale) himself. He goes on to wreak havoc in Gotham, spreading fear like a disease. He eventually matches wits with Batman himself, and nearly drives the Dark Knight mad with his torturous mind games. Ledger mixes Sid Vicious with Alex DeLarge in his portrayal, an anarchist thug with a hard-on for destruction. Behind the white makeup and shaggy green hair is a man with nothing to lose, and absolutely everything to gain: namely, the soul of Gotham City. Despite his untimely passing before the film's release, Ledger made the role his own, never letting go in his intensity and dedication, making his Joker the greatest villain of the last ten years.


And the Top Five WORST Movie Villains of the Decade:
5. Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle- Men in Black II- 2002)

As much as I love scantily-clad women, lingerie and prehensile tentacles does not a great villainess make. And that's all that Boyle has going for her. An ill-advised role in an ill-advised sequel.

4. Howard Saint (John Travolta- The Punisher- 2004)

Before Nicolas Cage, John Travolta was one of the premier hams of Hollywood, and here it's no different in his showboating, embarrassing turn as a ruthless Miami crime boss. Almost every line delivery is unintentionally hilarious.

3. Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone- Basic Instinct 2- 2006)

Seriously, Sharon. You need to fire your agent. Plus, no one wants to see your snatch anymore. Close those legs, and reevaluate your career.

2. Victor von Doom/Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon- Fantastic Four- 2005; Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer- 2007)

As a comic book fan, it was a figurative kick to my balls to see one of the landmark villains of comic books turned from a scary, commanding tyrant to a sneering, metrosexual pussy. Not only was the Doom character ultimately betrayed in terms of staying true to even his most basic elements, but "Nip/Tuck"'s Julian McMahon turns in an absolutely cringe-worthy mockery of a once-great villain.

1. Terl (John Travolta- Battlefield Earth- 2000)

Look at this picture. Need I say more?