Twelve of the Best Comedic Movie Villains
If you’re going to have a main villain in a comedy, he’s got to be outrageous, absurd, and extremely funny without appearing like he’s trying to be. He’s also got to be unlikeable but at the same time someone who is easy to laugh with (or at). Quite often, a villain in a comedy is even funnier than the protagonist, and more likely than not is a helluva lot more fun to play, too. A decent amount of comedic movie villains fit this description, so after the jump, take a look at what I thought were twelve of the best (in no particular order):
Shooter McGavin – Happy Gilmore
Shooter is a prick in every sense of the word. He will do whatever it takes to win and enjoys seeing his opponents suffer. In fact, Shooter bought Happy Gimore’s grandmother’s house just so he could do whatever he wanted with it to spite Happy. Which is a pretty awesome move, actually, if you’re into that sort of thing. If Shooter isn’t the center of attention, he becomes frustrated and lashes out (“I was too busy winning”) and fires caddies as often as he breathes. My favorite Shooter moments in Happy Gilmore are when he dedicates his play in the final tournament to Chubbs (he did call it first, after all) and when he tells Happy that he eats pieces of sh*t for breakfast.
Stan Gable – Revenge of the Nerds
The leader of the Alpha Betas and the president of the Greek Council, Gable is a preppy douchebag with a penchant for picking on the weak. He’ll do jerkish things just for the sake of being a jerk, like pouring a beer on the head of one of his fraternity brothers who was doing push-ups for apparently no reason whatsoever. Still, that’s nothing compared to how Gable tormented the Tri Lambs throughout Revenge of the Nerds: orchestrating the placement of swine in their fraternity house comes to mind. Stan Gable was played by Ted McGinley, who was the tits as Jefferson on Married…with Children. He’s jus terrific at playing a pompous prick.
Dr. Evil – The Austin Powers Movies
Mike Myers must have realized how great Dr. Evil was after the first Austin Powers movie, because the villain’s scenes seem to be doubled in the sequels. Dr. Evil is always good for laughs when he doesn’t understand the world’s modernization (like when he demanded a ransom of a mere one million dollars), but he’s at his best when he’s trying to be cool, using slang or dancing and rapping with Mini-Me. He didn’t go to six years of evil medical school to be called “mister,” thank you very much.
Jacobim Mugatu – Zoolander
Just looking at Mugatu should be enough to evoke a laugh, but practically everything he says in Zoolander is funny. Whether it’s claiming to be a hot little potato, informing someone that Hansel is so hot right now, or telling one of his models to lose five pounds immediately or to get out of his building like now, Mugatu’s look and diva attitude – along with his diabolical scheming – make him one of the best comedic movie villains. I’m definitely in the mood to watch Zoolander right now.
Dean Vernon Wormer – Animal House
If I’m not mistaken, I think the above picture of Deam Wormer is from the ending scene of Animal House where Delta House ruins the town’s parade and Wormer exclaims, “I hate those guys.” And he definitely did hate the Deltas – it wasn’t enough to put them on double secret probation or expell them from school; Wormer went the extra mile and notified the local draft board that they were all eligible for service. Talk about a dick move. Dean Wormer, played by John Vernon (who unfortunately passed in 2005), is the epitome of the villainous dean. Piven was great in Old School, but he’s not even close to the level of assholishness were Dean Wormer resided. Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
Judge Smails – Caddyshack
Of all of Bushwood’s members, Judge Smails is by far the biggest jerk. He’s very rich and – as he’s a comedic movie villain – naturally looks down on others who are less well-off. Smails’ biggest prick move in Caddyshack is tough to identify, but I think it’s probably when he throws his putter in disgust after missing a putt. His putter hits a woman standing on a deck, and Smails has no problem letting Danny Noonan take the blame for his blunder, even chastising Noonan in front of the woman. It’s either that or when he threatens to revoke Danny’s scholarship for playing in place of Al. No matter how you look at it, though, Smails is a dick of the highest magnitude.
great list…i am especially impressed with the “kingpin” choice.
i might add sack from wedding crashers.
Love the list, but I’d have to add Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman) from Blazing Saddles. Classic Role!!
“I want rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists.”
I personally think Lumbergh from Office Space was the biggest dick I ever really hated in a movie. He was just a plain jerk.
The DIK fraternity in Van Wilder. From the eclairs to crapping in the trash can in front of the Doctors. This guy still managed to be a total douche.
Awesome list. Dark helmet was a great choice.
@ Gerardo.
Thanks a lot. He is probably my favorite out of all the guys I listed.
Ben Stiller in Dodgeball! At globo gym, were better than you, and we know it 😉
Ben Stiller in Happy Gilmore! You’re fingers hurt? Now your backs gonna hurt cuz you just pulled landscaping duty. Anybody elses fingers hurt? I didn’t think so.
Jeff Goldblum as Alistair Hennessey in the Life Aquatic is one of my personal favorites.
I was just thinking of a list like this after watching happy Gilmore. I figured soneone had done one…but this list is amazing. When I saw shooter and mugatu I lost it. The rest are great too. Smails…big ern…rooney. Id add the Dukes but it really is a perfect list.
what. no R.J. Fletcher from UHF?