The WordPress/JetPack writing prompt for today is:
Have you ever liked a villain more than the hero? Who and why?
There are many stories, especially Hollywood movies, where the villain is more entertaining than the hero. Heath Ledger’s Joker definitely fits that criteria. Killmonger from Black Panther was a mesmerizing character.
But I want to focus on another great actor who stole an otherwise meh movie. Yes, let’s appreciate Alan Rickman’s turn as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
Let’s be honest, casting Kevin Costner as the titular Robin Hood just made no sense: He’s American, his attempts at a “British” accents are uneven, and he’s too old for the role (and giving him a bad haircut doesn’t fix that).
But Rickman brings a very different, over-the-top tone to the sheriff, and in doing so, changes to tone of the movie. Costner can’t keep up. Rickman’s scenes are the only memorable part of the movie.
Here’s my favourite scene of Alan Rickman in Prince of Thieves:
I could almost make the same argument for Die Hard, Alan Rickman’s breakout role as the villain is definitely a highlight. But I feel that Bruce Willis does hold his own against him.