New Delhi: Heath Ledger's performance as Joker did wonders for 'The Dark Knight' but it did no good to Christain Bale as the film became Joker's story forever. Hollywood saw such a nuanced and fantastic villain after a long time and this charismatic baddie started a trend of profoundly written roles for antagonists.
Hollywood has always given interesting dimensions to a bad guy's character despite being very predictable about the final outcome of the film. The Hindi film industry mostly looks out for a menacingly terrifying villain than a motivated one unlike Hollywood where the writers constantly try to focus on the surprisingly human side of the rogues. Heath Ledger's characterisation inspired filmmakers to realise that the hero is not the only person in a battle and a well crafted villain can make a hero look more effective even if the final result is obvious.
The year 2012 alone gave the audience a chance to witness at least five awesome baddies who were no lesser than a hero, in fact, they soon emerged as the chief attraction of the film.
Loki (The Avengers): Tom Hiddleston might not look like an overpowering villain to some but his mannerism was just perfect to suit a character who was there to fight an army of superheroes. Joss Whedon didn't have the luxury of spending much time on the evolution of a character but he took his chances and Hiddlestone supported him with an open heart. Did you find Loki anything other than a really confused brother when Thor convinces him about the futility of his acts? Similarly, his interaction with Black Widow will be remembered for his poker faced bluffs.
Dr Curt Connors aka The Lizard (The Amazing Spider-Man): It's true that Andrew Garfield took the concept of Spiderman to a new level but Ifans' contribution can't be ignored. Remember the scenes where he is forced by his inner demons to transform into a might lizard. From limping to stammering, he does everything correct as far as method acting is concerned. The CGI used in the film was thriving on Rhys Ifans' actual emotions, so you can just imagine the amount of hard work he put to bring his character to life. The actor's emotions were super-imposed on the Lizard's face with the help of advanced gadgets.
Bane (The Dark Knight Rises): Tom Hardy's bulky body and digitally mastered voice were not his only assets. With a pinch of personal machismo, Bane represented the idea of anarchism in its purest form. His presence on the screen was not liberating for anyone including his followers. He reminded the viewers of not only physical limitations but also of their lack of conviction for a cause. The backstory given to Bane was logical and it confused the viewers about their loyalty as many of them thought that Bane's childhood and struggle are the reasons behind his current ideas.
Raoul Silva (Skyfall): Who would have thought of seeing Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) of 'No Country For Old Men' in such an avatar? Bardem looked volatile but disturbed in the introductory sequence but very soon the audience realised that he is one of the toughest souls under the sun. He displayed the philosophies of a troubled person with such ease that it became Raoul Silva's justification for all his bad deeds. He appeared like a person who had to become a bad guy in order to save his skin.
Mandarin (Iron Man 3): Ben Kingsley doesn't need any certificate of being a good actor but this man's excellence lies in the fact that he can still surprise you with sudden transitions of emotions. Mandarin is a mixture of many Marvel villains but amalgamating all the cues in one character must not have been an easy deal. The two entirely different sides of a person's identity couldn't be conveyed in a better manner.
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