Antagonists in films that actually felt like a real threat

[Mikey]

Ming The Merciless

The entire movie features Flash Gordon just continually being lucky

[thunderbolt]

Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear.

- Ian

This one right here, Bobby D is no slouch in the remake either.

[Hector]

[Hedji]

Lots of good choices. Ming is a good one, but even he has weaknesses, doubts, sometimes hesitation, and ignorance. But at least he's the Boss.

Vader can't make this list because as fearsome a screen presence as he is, he is still middle management, and reports to the Emperor.

When I read "real threat" in the thread title, I have to go back to the first viewing and see if I asked, "How the hell are they going to defeat him? There's no way!"

Thanos is a pretty good one.

Zod is still King.

Kneel.

[EmergencyIan]

This one right here, Bobby D is no slouch in the remake either.

Both very powerful performances. In this case, they aren’t the sexy choices, but Mitchum’s performance in “Cape Fear” was the first one that came to mind.

- Ian

[J.B.]

This one right here, Bobby D is no slouch in the remake either.

De Niro in Cape Fear would be my second choice. I never saw the original (though I should), but I kept putting myself in Nolte's situation, thinking "What could I do to make this monster go away?" Nothing; couldn't come up with an idea. He felt like a real threat.

[EmergencyIan]

De Niro in Cape Fear would be my second choice. I never saw the original (though I should), but I kept putting myself in Nolte's situation, thinking "What could I do to make this monster go away?" Nothing; couldn't come up with an idea. He felt like a real threat.

Both are very convincing in this roll. Whew!

- Ian

[Wee67]

For me, its always the characters that seem to kill with a cold dispassion. They rarely get angry. They simply seem to embrace murder as completely acceptable.

Javier Bardem's Anton Chiguor in No Country for Old Men-


Or its the ones that seem calm, even kind, but then explode into rage. A rage that is always the victim's fault. Forest Whitaker's potrayal of Idi Amin was an amazing, oscar-worthy example-


Speaking of Oscars, Charlize Theron's turn as serial killer Aileen Wurnos was a bit too convincing

[Mikey]

I love The Last King of Scotland !!!

Let's swap shirts

[Allie Fox]

Great thread.

Chiguor is brilliantly scary.

For me though it's Hannibal Lecter. He was the definitive wolf in sheep's clothing (see what I did there?). In Silence of the Lambs he was simply diabolical. While you sensed there was never a threat to Starling, you could tell SHE was terrified just being in his presence. In the scene where he gave the Senator false information about her daughter's kidnapper the whole exchange is chilling. "Oh Senator... Love your suit."
I won't discuss the terrible sequel since it never should be.

[Brazoo]

Out of all the threatening characters from movies General Jack D. Ripper seems the most destructive and the most real.

[Allie Fox]

He got the last chocolate babka ahead of Jerry and Elaine. Diabolical!

[Earth 2 Chris]

Tim Roth in Rob Roy. He was such an evil little...well, I can't use that language here. But he's a great villain. I wanted to reach through the screen and choke him out myself. So satisfying how the movie ends!



Chris

[Mikey]

His movie where he plays John Wayne Gacy is currently on tubi.

[Z-man 307]

These may be off the normal track, but here are a few characters that could fit this bill:

Ray Liotta - Unlawful Entry
Naomi Campbell - Wild Things
Monica Potter - Along Came A Spider

Is it weird that 2 of these 3 are females!