The Simpsons: 10 Best Villains Ever

Russ Cargill, Head of the EPA, is another Albert Brooks voiced villain, one that just edges Scorpio by virtue of the fact that he’s actually an out and out villain all the way through.

While Scorpio saw him pushing the extremes of sheer surrealism with the sugar and cream unpackaged in his pocket and the hammock district, Brooks’ work with Cargill is much more manipulative and unhinged.

The way in which he coaxes President Schwarzenegger into picking the option he wants - to blow up the Springfield dome - is hilariously over the top, but isn’t too far from the truth when legislators and lobbyists whisper in politician’s ears.

It’s this biting satire, a throwback to show’s early days, that makes Cargill so genius. Yes, he’s a maniacal supervillain, but he’s a caricature of very real people we see today.

The pacing of the movie is brilliant, with the gags and characters reinvigorated by some of the earlier writers and producers returning to work on the script. That said, it’s a shame we didn’t get too much of Homer and Cargill bouncing off each other, as that’s the one thing that might have made this already brilliant villain a bit more memorable.