No matter how gripping and immersive the story is, movies with poorly written (or performed) characters don’t tend to do very well. Interestingly enough, mediocre films with brilliantly written and performed characters can captivate audiences purely on the merit of that performance alone.
This trend is particularly noticeable in multiple entry and extended franchises, but even some standalone films are carried by the performance or writing of a single character. Whether it’s the lack of nuance in the plot or a larger-than-life performance, something about average movies with big characters only keeps audiences glued to the screens.
ten Joe Brody – Godzilla
Fresh out of the success that was Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston was probably drowning in role deals for big budget movies. One of those films was Godzilla (2014), which, perhaps not unexpectedly, did not generate too much critical acclaim or box office success.
One thing the film’s critics and disappointed audiences certainly appreciated was Cranston’s performance as nuclear scientist Joe Brody. The depth and tragedy of Brody’s well-written backstory certainly helped pull off a great performance in an otherwise shallow plot, but Cranston himself added a much needed class to Godzilla and certainly deserved more screen time than he got in this movie.
9 Harley Quinn – Suicide Squad
There is a lot to be said for Margot Robbie’s acting prowess and the unique appeal she brings to any role she takes on. Since it was announced that she would take on the role of Harley Quinn in 2016 Suicide squad, DC fans were thrilled. As it turned out, the The wolf of Wall Street and Focus the star suited the character perfectly.
The quality of the first live-action Suicide Squad certainly helped bring the character of Harley Quinn to the forefront in that the film was a pretty underwhelming watch, and it was clear that the writers had put the most effort into fleshing out Joker’s troubled henchman, and Robbie made the most of it, making perfect use of his comedic talent to bring Harley Quinn to life.
8 Magneto – Black Phoenix
It has to be argued that Michael Fassbender is an actor deliberately chosen to bring up poorly written scripts and downright mediocre films. His performances in films like Assassin’s Creed Where Prometheus are frequently cited as the only reasons these films are even worth seeing in the first place.
This is also the case in Dark phoenix, where Fassbender’s powerful presence as Magneto arguably carried the film. While that doesn’t give it as much room to show off its lineup as other films in the X Men prequel trilogy, Fassbender’s performance in Dark phoenix caused fans to fall in love with the iconic villain again, rekindling the debate over whether or not he should finally get a solo movie.
seven Quicksilver – X-Men: Apocalypse
Despite its epic ambitions and larger-than-life storyline, 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse turned out to be a pretty middling conclusion to the otherwise decent previous trilogy. There were a few bright spots here and there, and perhaps the brightest of all was Evan Peters’ Quicksilver. Funny and quick-witted, he was the comedic relief the film desperately needed.
Although the american horror story the star certainly injected a lot of her boyish charm into the character, Quicksilver’s appearance in apocalypse Much will be remembered for the epic streak in which he saves everyone from the burning X-Mansion to the sounds of Eurythmics’ iconic “Sweet Dreams”.
6 Wonder Woman – Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
Most of Zack Snyder’s DC movies feature a certain “grain” that many comic book fans didn’t really like (with the exception of the excellent Justice League by Zack Snyder). This was certainly the case with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which many fans considered long and, frankly, boring.
Despite the film’s unnecessarily serious tone, it’s still worth seeing, mainly thanks to Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman introduction to the DC Extended Universe. Although Dawn of justice It was also Ben Affleck’s first outing as Bruce Wayne, it’s Diana Prince who steals the show.
5 Eddie Brock – Venom
The casting of Topher Grace as Eddie Brock in Sam Raimi’s Spider-man 3 has left many fans of the iconic villain with a terrible aftertaste. So much so that Sony didn’t attempt to reintroduce the character to the big screen until 2018. Venom, with Tom Hardy assuming the role of Brock.
It turned out to be a perfect choice. As witnessed Spider-Man 3, it’s not too difficult to oversimplify Eddie Brock’s character to the point of making him sound like almost a caricature. Hardy didn’t make the same mistake and put his own spin on the antihero, with fans so fond of his portrayal to justify a 2021 sequel. Let there be carnage.
4 Lando Calrissian – Solo: A Star Wars Story
It seems like everything Donald Glover touches turns to gold. Highly successful in hip-hop as Childish Gambino, he has also proven to be a talented actor and screenwriter with his own comedy-drama FX, Atlanta. Although he didn’t exactly manage to save the painfully predictable Solo: A Star Wars Story, his portrayal of young Lando Calrissian exuded confidence and sheer pleasure.
Aside from Glover’s talent for comedy and witty dialogue, his perfect capture of the essence of Calrissian was also aided by the actor’s extensive consultations with Billy Dee Wiliams, who played Lando in the ‘original. Star wars movies.
3 Sandman – Spider-Man 3
After the masterpiece that was Spider-Man 2, everyone knew it would be extremely difficult for the next one Spider Man film lived up to the hype generated by die-hard fans of the franchise. As expected, the conclusion to the Sam Raimi trilogy ended up being a decent, but underwhelming, film.
Much of this was due to the lack of focus caused by the glut of villains, with Harry Osborne, Eddie Brock, and the Sandman all making appearances in Spider-Man 3. The latter, played by Thomas Haden Church, however, has proven to be a worthy villain, in part thanks to believable portrayal and in part because of the character’s complex background with ties to Spider-Man’s origin story. .
2 Shaggy – Scooby-Doo
The 2002 Scooby doo the film was doomed from the start. As many fans of the cartoon have claimed even before the film’s release, it was simply impossible to grasp what made the series so unique in the live-action format. They haven’t been proven to be wrong. With a flat story, terrible CGIs, and a disappointing cast, it was surprising that a sequel to the film was lit.
The decision to make a follow-up film could have been prompted by Matthew Lillard’s hilarious and eerily believable portrayal of Shaggy Rogers. The performance was so memorable that it justified a cult meme trend well over a decade after the film’s release.
1 Darth Maul – Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
More Star wars fans will agree that The phantom menace is for the most part a movie to be forgotten. From Jar-Jar Binks, to the questionable introduction of Midichlorians as an explanation for the Force, to the awkward pace of the entire film, the film was an almost total failure. There were, however, a few characters that kept him from being completely ashamed.
Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn is a good example, but it was Sith Lord Darth Maul who stole the show with his ominous presence and the emotional impact his actions had on some of the main characters. He sparked interest from the fandom, which led to his character developing in Clone Wars. Also, a video game centered on Maul almost saw the light of day. Finally, a character who barely says anything in a movie filled with poorly written dialogue is a quality in itself.
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