10 More Awesome Sci-Fi Villains Wasted In Terrible Movies
As bad as these films are, these actors gave it their all.
You know what's harder than creating a great movie villain? Creating a great movie villain... in sci-fi. Science-fiction is littered with baddies hamming it up and spouting over-the-top monologues. We've seen stereotypical villains pontificate about ruling the world or obtaining godlike power so often that audiences have become desensitised to it.
There are exceptions to the rule but the bad far outweighs the good. For every Darth Vader or Roy Batty, there is a dozen... whatever Eddie Redmayne was doing in Jupiter Ascending.
But every once in a while, a resourceful actor plays a terrific villain in a DREADFUL movie. Even when these performers have to spout cheesy dialogue or wear preposterous costumes while surrounded by paper-thin sets, they act their asses off. They can be so entertaining, they don't seem to fit with the rest of the forgettable cast or plot.
What makes these characters stand out can vary tremendously. It could be because of an actor's performance, the special effects, the script, the animation, or a combination of factors.
But make no mistake, these sci-fi villains were the only redeemable feature in these otherwise terrible films.
Note: This article is a sequel to an original top 10 list we published recently.
10. Gediman - Alien: Resurrection
Joss Whedon, who wrote the script for Alien: Resurrection, said one of the reasons the film suffered is because the actors played his tongue-in-cheek dialogue too seriously.
However, Brad Dourif seemed to perfectly nail the dialogue and movie's tone with his performance. His character, Dr. Gediman, is in charge of cloning Ripley as well as the Alien Queen. Because he's worked with these creatures for years, he has grown attached to them and sees himself like a paternal figure to the Xenomorphs.
The character could've been a stereotyped mad scientist but Dourif makes Gediman the most interesting villain in the disappointing sequel (as well as the creepiest). The scene where Gediman trains the Xenomorphs shows Dourif can convey a lot of emotion without saying a word.
Yes, his character is hammy but he's supposed to be. He says lines like, "You're a beautiful, beautiful butterfly" and tries to kiss a Xenomorph through a glass window. Scenes like that can't work if played seriously. But because Gediman's motivation to protect the aliens is made abundantly clear, it stops Dourif's performance from becoming a caricature.