10 Absurdly Contrived Bad Guy Schemes

1. Ra's Al Ghul - Batman Begins

Liam Neeson's sparring with Christian Bale is extremely enjoyable to watch in Batman Begins, but that doesn't mean the plan isn't needlessly contrived beyond belief, with Ra's al Ghul's League of Shadows attempting to restore balance to Gotham City by turning the city's residents insane by way of a microwave emitter that will infect them all with a mind-altering nerve gas. The fact that it has to be transmitted through the water supply itself seems pretty silly anyway; why not just disperse it in airborne form? But that's not even the real issue with their plan; it's that it's so needlessly complicated from the outset. Who needs a nerve gas that turns the residents insane? It's Gotham City; all it would need is a little push to raze it to the ground. How about just burning all the buildings down or blowing them up? Or what about hitting the stock market like Bane went on to do in The Dark Knight Rises? Instead, we get some pretty hokey science - wouldn't a microwave emitter kill everyone because we're all about 80% water anyway? - and a plan that feels designed to seem intelligent and give Batman's quest a little more tension. Still, it is ludicrously fun to watch, as long as you can forget just how telegraphed and needlessly complex it is. Are there any other ridiculous schemes you're amused by? Let us know in the comments below.