Your favorite movie character(s)

[Fire Marshall Bill]

This is not specifically a top 1, top 5 or top 10. I picked 4 because I couldn't pick a winner between any of them. I couldn't even knock it down to a top 3. Choose as many or as few as you like.

Thread is simple. Who are your favorite movie character(s)? I leave no guidelines specifically designating why. My list has some just because they're cool, others because they're such likeable characters. I leave it to you why you like them so much.

This list is in no particular order:

Predator (Predator): The Predator is just a bad motherfucker. He hunts people for sport, but still lives by a code. He won't kill you if you are unarmed or in a diminished capacity (See: Wayland's one free pass in AVP). He's extremely mysterious (moreso in the first movie - by far the best) as you know very little about him. He's got all these cool weapons, but still likes to challenge his biggest rival in the movie to a straight up fight.

George Jung (Blow): Sure he's a drug dealer. That doesn't change the fact that he's easily one of the most likeable guys ever. I like his character so much that I actually have a hard time watching the 2nd half of the movie because of him getting set up.

Mitch Henessey (The Long Kiss Goodnight): This movie is about Jason Bourne before Jason Bourne. Same premise essentially. Except the amnesiac spy is played by Geena Davis. This movie, without Samuel L. Jackson as Mitch Henessey, is average. But his character is so damn funny I love this movie. He's an ex cop, ex con, now cheap PI. As he's doing work trying to figure out about Geena Davis' life before her amnesia he gets caught up in all the fireworks that ensue. The problem is he's fairly useless (until the end) and he knows it. This part is displayed hilariously as she pushes him out of a vehicle (saying he's useless no less) and he just lays in the middle of the street and lights a cigarette. And I'll always love the "balls hurt" line. If you haven't seen this movie, you should watch it solely for his character. Side note: I've always wondered if that's where our main movies guy John Connor got his old screen name.

Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm St): My love for this character is pretty well documented on here. I've always loved his blend of scary, creepy and humor. He obviously evolved over the series, but I've always enjoyed him. And I still maintain he owns the best last line before a kill ever.

 

[The Butcher]

Cool thread. Also no particular order:

The Joker (The Dark Knight): A favorite character of mine, taken to a new level. The quotations and philosophical stuff aren't even a factor. It's the glances. The smirks. The body language. Heath Ledger embodied the essence of who and what The Joker is.

Morpheus (The Matrix): I'm one of those that eschews the sequels and views The Matrix as a standalone film. It's better to me that way. And Morpheus is better to me that way. He's the kind of stoical, unwavering teacher that I could see myself following, learning in the Socratic method.

Jules Winfield (Pulp Fiction): Because he's a bad mother fucker. One of the great characters in all of the Tarantino-verse, Jules is one of the few in Pulp Fiction that also has a definitive arc. He's cool, he's a thinker, and he's got a sick wallet.

Nada (They Live): Roddy Piper's character in the cult classic was crafted perfectly, not to steal the show, but to allow the viewer to put himself into Nada's shoes. Of course the line, "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum," is iconic, and I love the back alley brawl. A simple character, but a really well executed one.

Roger Murdock (Airplane!): Remember kids, his name is "Roger Murdock" and he's a pilot. And he doesn't slack on the defensive end of the court.

 

[AndThat'sTheBottomLine]

The Joker(The Dark Knight)-My favorite comic book villian ever remade by Heath Ledger. It was his role that made the Dark Knight the best Batman movie ever made in my opinion.

Jason Vorhees(Friday the 13th)-He doesn't say a word but he is one bad motherfucker. You can't kill him no matter what you do. The movies started reaching when he went to Manhattan but Jason remained a badass.

Sherlock Holmes-My favorite detective of all time. Robert Downy Jr. played the part to perfection and is possibly the greatest Sherlock Holmes ever. He does drugs and stays up all hours of the night but still solves crime better than anyone and sees things that no one else sees.

The Predator-Honorable yet mercyless. A badass that hunts humans for sport but will spare you if you're pregnant, unarmed, or sick/disabled. He has a code but doesn't mind killing you if you fuck with him.

 

[Papa Pillman]

I have a wierd thing for psychotic characters who display actions that would be attributed to demented nihilism, yet have a unique level of personality, depth, and/or quirkiness that belies their murderous actions.

Some of the best examples of this to me are:
Mickey Knox (Natural Born Killers)
Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)
Hans Landa (Inglourious Basterds)
Vic Vega/Mr. Blonde (Reservoir Dogs)
Anton Chigurh (No Country For Old Men)

All of these characters are also acted brilliantly by the performers.

For a slightly different angle on this topic, from a comedic perspective I love the character of Randall Graves. A lot of Kevin Smith's View-Askewniverse charcters have been consistently funny and are not cookie cutter designs of past comedic creations, but Randall is probably the one that most routinely idiosyncratically delivers.

I could also go on a a multiple paragraph tangent about half of the characters from the Star Wars franchise, but I will spare all of you that.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

The first one that came to mind for me is Fast Eddie Felson, played by Paul Newman in The Hustler.

He is such a cocky sonofabitch for the opening third of the film that he just draws you in. When he and his partner have a game in a quiet town, they suck in the spectators who doubt he can pull off a trick shot, which then increases their roll of money. Eddie then tracks down the legendary Minnesota Fats and undergoes an absolute marathon of a match, with Eddie at first marvelling at the skill of his opponent, then surpassing him, but ultimately coming up short.

He battles with his lust for glory throughout the remainder of the film and goes through some wrenching emotional stuff with his partner and then girlfriend, before he decides to have a rematch with Fats.

The one line that encaptures his attitude is in the final scene, "What should I do Bert? Play the percentage shot? Percentage shooters die broke too though don't they Bert? Here we go, fast and loose..."

At times you'll think he's incredibly arrogant, at other times you'll plead him not to make a certain decision and at other times you'll be willing him to win. In short, you're gonna be paying attention to him for the whole dam film.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

The Predator? Pfft. The first Predator film does feature the greatest film character of all time, but it ain't an alien and it certainly isn't Schwarzenegger. It's the one and only Jesse "The Body" Ventura. If a character comes, has the most memorable lines in the film, is the most bad-ass then the film dies on its arse when he dies, then he is quite simply the best character in movie history.

2nd is Robert Muldoon in Jurassic Park. He's the best character in the best film of all time. You really can't argue with those statistics.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Jurassic Park, the best film of all-time? I'm tempted to prop the disc up between two sofa cushions and give it what for with my cock, but I'm not sure even I'd go that far. Besides, Ian Malcolm's the best character in Jurassic Park, and doesn't get killed by such a brilliant ploy as a shaking bush.

Though, going by your criteria, I'd nominate Hicks from Aliens. Well, he isn't the most badass - that's kind of the point - but he has the most memorable lines and the film just isn't that enjoyable after he dies.

Two birds with one stone, a Quentin Tarantino and Sam Jackson character - Stephen from Django Unchained. You know, this grumpy motherfucker:

Put simply, Samuel Jackson not getting an Academy Award for this character when Christoph Waltz got one for playing Hans Landa after a face turn is one in a long list of reasons for why you shouldn't take the Oscars seriously. Stephen is the worst human being on Earth, and pretty much unlike anything Jackson's played before.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Mitch Henessey (The Long Kiss Goodnight): Side note: I've always wondered if that's where our main movies guy John Connor got his old screen name.

Yep. Jackson is the inspiration for my old name. Funny thing is Mitch Henessey is my third favorite Jackson character of all-time. Jules Winfield will ALWAYS be #1, and Stephen from Django is my #2.

Tom Hardy- Bane- The Dark Knight Rises

"And when it's done, and Gotham is in ashes....then you have my permission to die."

Hardy's Bane is my favorite Batman villain, easily. Tom Hardy had the perfect intimidating physical presence, and Bane was an intelligent adversary. I know a lot of people complain about the voice, but it don't bother me too much (the scene where Bane fights Batman in the sewers is my only complaint). And I can't forget about the scene, where Bane gently places his hand on Dagget's shoulder, and says "Do you feel in charge?" Ben Mendelsohn's "I'm about to shit my pants!" reaction is just priceless, and that moment sends chills down my spine. BUT I HATED Bane's death in this film. It was a weak exit for the unstoppable mercenary, and having Miranda Tate/Talia undermine him as the primary antagonist during the usual "surprise! I'm the true mastermind!" twist in Nolan's Batman films made everything worse.

Jack Nicholson- Randle McMurphy- One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Randle McMurphy was a scoundrel and a scumbag, who wanted to have a good time and party, and Jack really earned his Oscar for the lead role in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest. The ending is really bitter sweet. McMurphy was a jackass, but the lost look on his face after the lobotomy was horrifying. You wanted to feel sympathy for him, and the "Chief" turned his dream of escaping into a reality.

Sigourney Weaver- Ellen Ripley- Alien Franchise

Weaver is the quintessential action heroine. In Alien, she was a woman, who stood up for herself. In Aliens, she was a fearless and courageous ass-kicking machine, who risked her life to save Newt. In Alien 3, she was a broken and bald woman, who wanted to be put out of her misery. She basically BEGGED Charles S. Dutton's character (I always forget the name of his character) to murder her, and we all remember what happened at the end. In Alien Resurrection...well let's just forget about Resurrection.

Felissa Rose & Pamela Springsteen- Angela Baker- Sleepaway Camp

Sleepaway Camp is one of my favorite slasher series ever. I know I'm in the minority, but Teenage Wasteland is my pick for the best film in the series. With the exception of the final seconds of part one, the original never did anything for me. Rose isn't bad as Angela, but Springsteen is the better fit for the delusional murdering nutcase, IMO. Plus, Springsteen added more a comical side to Angela in the campy Sleepaway films.

Amelia Kinkade & Shannon Elizabeth- Angela Franklin/Angela Feld- Night Of The Demons

Elizabeth's Angela is a popular party girl, but Kinkade's Angela is the creepy outcast. For me, Kinkade is more enjoyable as Angela. Kinkade brought a more devious side to Angela, and she created the blueprint for the Angela character. Shannon wasn't bad, but she's famous for being Nadia from American Pie, not Angela.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

Don Vito Corleone(Godfather)- One of most epic characters around. And Marlon Brando just kills in that role.

Yoda(Star Wars)- As a fan of the serial I always liked Yoda. Epic character with lots of wisdom and strenght. Would have been Vader but dont like Anakin in episode 1,2,3 because I think he acts like little spoiled brat .

Hanibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs)- Another epic character. One of the best bad guys of all time...

Gunnery Seargent Hartman( Full Metal Jacket)- Fact that Lee Ermey improvised this whole scene

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just makes it more epic.

Rhett Butler(Gone with the Wind)- If I ever thought how "The Man" should behave and act properly thats this role and Clarc Gables wonderfull performance in it.

Honorary mentions: John McCane(Die Hard), The Dude(Big Lebowski), Howar Beale(The Network), Phil(Groundhog Day).

Thats all folks.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Noomi Rapace & Rooney Mara- Lisbeth Sandler- The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo-

Troubled, Cold, vicious, vindictive, smart, and crafty. Lisbeth Sandler is fierce woman with a troubled past, but she'll rip your heart, if she has to. Mara's portrayal snagged an Oscar nomination, but Rapace deserves the recognition for being the better Lisbeth. Of course, Rapace had more time and more films to develop the character. Mara has to return for The Girl Who Played With Fire, but I'm not sure about The Hornet's Nest.

Kurt Russell- R.J. MacReady- The Thing 1982

Panic, fear, and desperation. The survivors in Carpenter's 1982 classic were ready to tear each other apart. MacReady tried to maintain his cool as the leader, but one man can only take so much. MacReady had to threaten the lives of everyone to regain control, and Mac came face to face with the alien creature in the final showdown. MacReady is a gutsy man, and this film features my personal favorite Kurt Russell performance ever. Plus, the MacReady character delivered a classic one-liner at the end, and Mac was the catalyst for the funniest moment in this film:

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[Daniel]

Calvin Candie - Django Unchained
Just an incredible villain. He's charming, yet sinister. He can give you the willies or just make you downright angry. I've never seen a Leonardo DiCaprio performance more worthy of an Oscar. But the brilliance goes beyond DiCaprio's performance. The way the Candie was written is so (I'm sorry for using this horribly overused word, but it's completely apt here) nuanced. The fact that he's a Francophile and prefers "Monsieur Candie", the understated yet wholly bizarre relationship with his sister, the stained teeth, the immaculately put together costume - it all works beautifully. Even the name is perfect. Gah. Superb.

Robin Hood - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Stop laughing. I adore this character. Hell, I adore this film. Sure, Kevin Costner plays an English folk hero with an American accent. I couldn't give a fuck. It's a classic story of a band of misfits taking on the machine. And crucially, it's the story of one man's unwavering desire to be a force for good. The Sheriff of Nottingham killed his father, yet revenge doesn't come into for him. I like Robin Hood for the same reason I like Luke Skywalker or John Cena: sometimes I just want to see a good man being good.

Bonus! Here is my favourite Robin Hood moment. The last line legitimately makes me shiver to this day.

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[Wolf Pac]

Alonzo Harris (Training Day) - My favourite role by Denzel and I believe he even said that this was his easiest & best role he ever played. He's one of the coolest yet one of the most ruthless, sinister, dirty movie cops I've ever laid my eyes on. Also he is a quoting machine, if that even makes sense. He has so many awesome lines in the movie like, "King Kong ain't shit on me", "You know I'm surgical with this bitch, Jake", and so many more. And he delivers a fantastic and one of my favourite monologues of all time near the end of the film.

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Tony Montana (Scarface) - Pretty much for the same reasons I put down for Alonzo. The "Say Good Night To The Bad Guy" monologue is another one of my favourites of all time.

Zeus (Die Hard With A Vengeance) - The banter and arguments between Zeus and John McClane in the film are just absolutely hilarious and are pretty much why Die Hard With A Vengeance is my favourite film from the entire series. I don't know how many times I've seen With A Vengeance, but I never get sick of it because of that. Two of my favourite scenes are the one in the taxi cab about 5 mins into the film where McClane keeps getting his name wrong, calling him "Jesus".

Zeus: Why do you keep calling me 'Jesus'? Do I look Puerto Rican to you?

John McClane: Guy back there called you 'Jesus'.

Zeus: He didn't say 'Jesus'. He said, "Hey, Zeus!" My name is Zeus.

John McClane: Zeus?

Zeus: Yeah, Zeus. As in father of Apollo? Mt. Olympus? Don't fuck with me or I'll shove a lightning bolt up your ass? Zeus! You got a problem with that?

And the one at the elephant fountain in the park where they have to disarm a briefcase bomb and they fight over how to pour the right gallons of water into the jugs.

John McClane: You can't do it that way you dumb, motherfucking...

Zeus: Say it! Say it!

John McClane: Say what?

Zeus: You were going to call me a ******, weren't you?

John McClane: No I wasn't!

Zeus: Yes you were! What were you gonna call me?

John McClane: Asshole! How's that, asshole!

My other favourite movie characters are:

Doc Holliday (Tombstone)
Doughboy (Boyz 'n' The Hood)
Smokey (Friday)
Snake Plissken (Escape From New York)
The Joker (The Dark Knight)
Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
Norman Bates (Psycho)
Jay & Silent Bob (from the Askewniverse)

 

[Slice]

For a slightly different angle on this topic, from a comedic perspective I love the character of Randall Graves. A lot of Kevin Smith's View-Askewniverse charcters have been consistently funny and are not cookie cutter designs of past comedic creations, but Randall is probably the one that most routinely idiosyncratically delivers.

THIS! Also, I like the Elias character because it's so well-played and all the small details he adds makes it 10x funnier.

I like the main character in The Man from Earth, and, though it isn't from a movie, Psych's main characters are just amazing xD

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Almost ashamed of myself for not mentioning this guy the first few times....

Michael Myers is evil incarnate, and it's as simple as that. And because of this, a lot of Halloween fans didn't like Rob Zombie's approach to explaining Myers' origins and "how it all happened" in his Halloween remakes, because Zombie supposedly killed the "mystique" for Myers' character. I can understand these complaints, but Zombie didn't kill Myers for me (although I STRONGLY disagree with his decision to unmask Myers in the unrated cut of H2 (2009), revealing Myers as a dirty and hairy homeless man, but that's another long rant for another time). Remember, we saw a tear stream down his face in Halloween 5, and Laurie DID kiss him before she fell to her death in the awful Halloween resurrection.

John Givings, Jr.

I caught my first glimpse of him in 8 Mile, but Michael Shannon really blew me away in Revolutionary Road. He was just outstanding, and he really earned his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Think about all the hype and expectations for the on-screen reunion with Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Shannon was able to steal the show. That's an impressive feat, and you can't deny it. John was someone, who you could feel for, but he could also be an antagonistic asshole during his fits of rage. Just watch:

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Ash- Evil Dead

Bruce Campbell was always good for laughs in the Evil Dead films, but I really admired the transformations for his character, as the series progressed. In Evil Dead, he was a panicked young man, who had to fight his way out of a hellish situation. In Evil Dead II, Ash, surviving near death experiences in the original, went a little bit nuts, and he was willing to do anything to fight and survive the attacks from the evil spirits (i.e. cutting off his arm). In Army Of Darkness, the transformation came full circle, as Ash became the quintessential bad-ass and manly action hero with a cocky sense of arrogance:

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[Dirk]

Lazarus Vance in Black Snake Moan is one of my all-time faves. He's an old dude, but he's badass. He's dealing with so much shit, but he's helping this young girl with her nympho shit as well. I also loved the way his character played the guitar.

Marv from Sin City has a good heart, but he's still a psychopath. He has a totally strange sense of morality, but it still makes sense.

Beast in X3 was great. I always enjoyed Beast, but Kelsey Grammer really made his style, intelligence and strength come alive in the film, much more than the last guy from First Class.

Victor Creed in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, another mutant. Why they didn't get Liev for X1, I don't know. Probably money. He was a great sadistic bastard. And those teeth they did for him were great!

Kirk Lazarus as Sgt Osiris in Tropic Thunder - a dude playing another dude who don't know what dude he is. His (slightly racist) portrayal of a black man was hilarious and he had some of the best lines in the movie.

 

[Wally Dangerously]

I'll just stick with ONE of my favorite movie characters for now....


Doc Holiday (Val Kilmer) - Tombstone


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This may be my favorite Val Kilmer performance. Everything he does with Doc's character is golden. He has so many great one-liners I probably couldn't list them all off of the top of my head, but three of my favorites would be:

"I'm your Huckleberry."

"Say when."

"I have not yet begun to defile myself."


I also like how Doc is the superior gunslinger in the film, and you can sense that from the beginning of the film. This is confirmed when Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), upon discussing his upcoming duel with Johnny Ringo admits to Doc, "I can't beat him, can I?"

So, Doc kills Ringo instead. I could watch this scene over and over again.

 

[HBsam31]

I got a lot, but will try to keep it to three

Bill "The Butcher" Gangs of New York. One of my favorite Daniel Day Lewis characters ever. Absolutely Brutal, and fighting for a cause that he thought was right.

Micheal Corleone The Godfather part 2. Just an incredible heartless character. When Kay tells him she got an abortion Pacino's facial expression is better than any acting performance put on today.

John Creese The Karate Kid - So well played and is an advocate of brutally injuring teenagers via karate. It doesn't get any better than that. Sweep the leg.

I have tons more I am sure, but these were the first three that popped in my mind.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Fright Night- remake & original- Jerry Dandrige- Collin Farrell & Chris Sarandon

In the original, Chris Sarandon's Jerry Dandrige is a vampire, but he's also a smooth Casanova, who knows how to hit you where it hurts. Two prime example would be Jerry turning Charley's girlfriend into a vampire, and Jerry coming into Charley's home to spend some time with his mom. Farrell's Jerry had the same mannerisms as Sarandon's Jerry, but Farrell was a bigger asshole. He was more ruthless, devious, and he had a better sense of dark humor. A prime example of this would be Farrell's Jerry ripping the gas line to Charley's house out of the ground, and using it to blow up Charley's house, so he wouldn't need an invitation to come in.

Fright Night II- Regine Dandridge

Character wise, she's the female counterpart for her brother. Julie Carmen was the perfect sultry vixen, and she has the better dance scene:

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[Rellim]

Joker (Dark Knight) - Of course, who doesn't love the Joker? Amazing acting by Heath Ledger.

Tony Montana (Scarface) - I absolutely love mob movies, and this is one of the movies that got me into them.

"Noodles" (Once Upon a time in America) - Once Upon a time in America was a very explicit portrayal of a man's live as a mobster. Noodles was hard character to like at first, but in the end, you really begin to understand him.

Carl (Up) - Love this movie, mostly because of Carl's character.

Dumbledore (Harry Potter) Come on, he's Dumbledore.

And I'm probably forgetting a lot here.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

Great topic. Here's mine:

Darth Vader - Stars - A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi

The bad ass in the series. He had me when he used the force to choke out that guy in the meeting room. 'I find your lacak of faith .. most disturbing.'

The Joker- the Dark Knight

Wish I thought of it first, but I have no problem agreeing. What Heath Ledger did with this film made al the difference. He stole the whole damn show.


Mr Smith - The Matrix I, II, and III

He was a perfect contrast to Neo's blandness. He was calculating, focused, with one goal in mind to rule everything and destroy any opposition.

Honourable Mention: Morpheus in Matrix I


Loki - Thor, the Avengers

Not too shabby a performance. Hungry for power and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it. Betraying the father who raised him and the brother he is forever in the shadow of.

I'll have more later.

 

[miz2676]

Dr. Loomis (Halloween)[\B]- I am a huge Halloween fan and he is a crucial part of that series every one loved Jamie lee Curtis as the scream queen but he was the unsung hero of that movie his quotes are what made the movie as that being one of my favorite movies he is my favorite character hands down

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Verbal Kint/Kaiser Soze, The Usual Suspects - There's nothing more that really needs to be said. If you've seen the movie, then you understand, if you haven't, I just spoiled it for you... Sorry. He did the ultimate mindfuck to everyone and then strolled right out of the police station, unscathed. He is my all-time favorite movie character.