Tangent 21 - Joker, you crazy dog, you

Posted by
KieranFrost

Posted on
12:19
Jun 02 2002

Joker, you crazy dog, you

Okay, by sheer co-incidence, over the last week I've seen four movies with the Joker in (i.e Batman's arch nemesis)
Batman: Return of the Joker
Batman: Mask of the Phatasm
Batman (Michael Keaton)
Batman (crappy Adam West film)

I never read the comics, so I have no clue which Joker is more 'real' to the comics. In MofP he laughs at his own death, in Batman he's a terrible fighter, the less said about Adam West's film, the better

and in Return of the Joker he's very action orientated.

I'd say I like him best in Return of the Joker, he's very funny in a black comedy way.

Now, on to my actually topic

Villians. Do we love them, hate them, love to hate them? What makes a good villian or what do you hate about villians?

Personally, I like nasty yet classy villians BUT one thing I can't stand, is in Buffy. They always, at some point, describe the Villians as crazy or insane. Come one, so they like pain and murder, doesn't make the crazy, just different, it's a minor point, but it annoys me.

Best ever Villians -
1) Alan Rickman in Die Hard
2) Charles Brance from Last Action Hero
3) Faith
4) Joker, in Return of the Joker
and
5) Esma from Emperor's New Grove

But could someone also answer my querey on Joker, thanks

7 Replies and 2208 Views in Total.

Rae Your imitation of my walk, and the perfect way you talk. It's just a couple of the million things, that i love about you.

I agree with faith and Esma as some of the best villians ever, but would have to add Scorpious from Farscape and Deacon Frost from Blade as personal favs

Not much of a comic reader so can't really answer the joker qu..sorry

Posted: 17:22 Jun 02 2002

Jayjay "I may be scattered / A little shattered / What does it matter / No one has a fit like I do / I'm the only one that fits you"

Joker has been portrayed in many lights, depending on who the writer/artist was, so it's a personal taste thing, really.

And with me being a big Dark Night Returns fan, or of anything by Millar or Morrison, then I'd tell you that the Joker is a sinister character, with a huge intellect and a bitter sense of humour. Adam West era Batman doesn't even come into it. Best version would be in Arkham Asylum.

As for villains in general, part of the attraction is the self-confidence and arrogance, and usually biting sarcasm. And the fact that deep down we know they're going to get what they deserve. They get all the best lines and (in general) aren't as god-awfully cheesy and irony-free as their do-gooder opponents.

Anyway, here's my personal top five movie villains (that I can think of at the mo), in no particular order:

1 Ming the Merciless
2 Dr Evil/Blofeld
3 Darth Vader
4 Sheriff of Nottingham (Rickman)
5 Scar

Posted: 22:45 Jun 02 2002

KieranFrost "In my house, anyone who uses one word when they could have used ten, simply isn't trying hard enough." Bartlet

by Rae
Deacon Frost from Blade as personal favs

Really? I found him to whiny at life, personally. Plus, big fat oracle vampire, kind reminds me of the Buffy 'Bad Girls', with the demon "in desperate need of a stair-master."

by JayJay
5 Scar

Oh yeah, totally forgot Scar, he was so funny and so evil.

Oh and thanks for the Joker answer, damn writers, they should have a map or something. But it's fair to say in Joker's case, he can be classed as 'insane'

Added Scar to list, along with the Duke from the mega-drive game Landskalker. Oh, in the words of Joker (Batman) "they don't make them like they used to!"

Posted: 00:34 Jun 03 2002

Rally We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.

Everyone loves a good villain

Goes back to the whole pantomime thing "He's behind you!"

My two favourite villains are both played by Gary Oldman in Luc Besson films: Stansfield in Leon and Zorg in Fifth Element.

Posted: 02:32 Jun 03 2002

Jango 'Miiiiilk it..!'

I prefer a bad hero

Posted: 10:26 Jun 03 2002

Demona The London Underground is not a political movement.

by KieranFrost
Oh and thanks for the Joker answer, damn writers, they should have a map or something.

Nature of the long-running comic format: different writers can be a great strength if it keeps the comic fresh and evolving. Yes, a side-effect can be inconsistency, but if the writers didn't have a degree of freedom they won't want to write for the comic.

Posted: 11:01 Jun 03 2002

KieranFrost "In my house, anyone who uses one word when they could have used ten, simply isn't trying hard enough." Bartlet

You say that, yet Scott Summers is always portrayed as a complete toss pot

Regardless of the writer!

Posted: 00:18 Jun 04 2002

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