10 Movie Villains Impossible To Take Seriously

4. General Terl (Battlefield Earth)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqWK85gJaxc If John Travolta's suspicious motives for starring in a Scientology propaganda piece weren't reason enough not take this film one iota seriously, then his woeful turn as the "villainous" General Terl certainly is. Terl comes from the planet Psychlo (really?), whose race of bizarre-looking aliens have managed to enslave Earth by the year 3000. Travolta spends most of his screen-time trying to make Terl convincing, but resolutely fails; he struts around cracking terrible jokes, and overacting for the cheap seats. Above all else, the get-up he's forced to wear is absolutely absurd; how could anyone think they were making a serious sci-fi picture with those dreadlocks? From conception to the poor delivery to the awful script Travolta's saddled with, there's not even a moment that Terl becomes a viable threat. And to think Travolta once resurrected his career with Pulp Fiction. I'm still not convinced he's actually come back from this one yet...