9 Unfairly Underrated Movie Villains From The 21st Century

9. Owen Davian - Mission: Impossible III

For no discernible reason whatsoever, Mission: Impossible III is often disregarded as a damp squib. Which is kind of baffling, given that (until very recently) it was the only entry in the franchise to feature any palpable jeopardy or peril, serving as the first time that the IMF were truly outmatched by their foe.

The scourge responsible for this dynamic shift is Owen Davian, a commanding arms dealer who is supplied ample gravitas by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Although some people will tout Davian as the definitive villain in the series (which is a total no-brainer), this is usually implied to be a rather low bar to clear. And that's fair enough because, generally speaking, the Mission: Impossible antagonists have never been as esteemed as their Bond counterparts.

Yet Davian should be celebrated as more than just ''the best of a bad bunch'', as he could successfully hold his own against any member of 007's rogues gallery. This is partly down to his icy demeanour - which is accentuated by a permanently vacant gaze and eerily aloof speech - as well as his avoidance of cliche theatrics. As a matter of fact, he is oddly unassuming, with no fighting prowess, no eccentric behaviours and a conspicuous lack of verbose monologues.

Instead, he simply projects the idea that he's above all that and looks chillingly disinterested for the majority of the film. That's because Owen is too reserved and self-possessed to ever betray a sign of emotion or weakness. You soon realise that it's hard not to fear a man with that kind of poise.