Anyone out there ever consider writing a non-traditional antagonist?

I'm kinda sick and tired of the cliche over the top, uber-bad@ss antagonist.
Chucky, Darth Vader, The Joker, Hans Gruber, Hannibal Lechter, blah blah blah

I wanna run up the flag pole a "genuinely likeable antagonist" that is the nicest, most thoughtful, considerate and polite thieving, murderering kitten-kicker there ever was.
Not a cartoon granny shooting the sewing circle and apologizing.
I mean a charming Owen Wilson or spriteful Reece Witherspoon gunning down neighbors and the PTA then pouring anthrax into the local water treatment plant.

Would audiences just be too confused rather than conflicted?

"I wanna like 'em, but d@@@@@@mn... ! That's just too incongruous."

How would that work, exactly? Meaning, what would be their motivation, if they are otherwise geniunely nice people, to murder and pillage?

We already have the prototypes in the mafia movies - the baddies who do what they have to do because of code and because they grew up in the life and they had no other choice, and where family and honor matters to them (trust me, that's a bit of a stretch in real life when it comes to these guys, but the public seems to buy it as drama). Ditto the inner city druglords who also did not have a choice and who run their empires to take care of their families.

Quoted from rayw a "genuinely likeable antagonist" that is the nicest, most thoughtful, considerate and polite thieving, murderering kitten-kicker

Seems like there's been a ton of movies done where the bad guy is really likeable and charming.  Vince Vaughn in 'Clay Pigeons' rings to mind.  So does Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich in some movie that I forget the title to because it kind of sucked.  'A Perfect Getaway', maybe.  I'd look it up on the database to make sure, but I don't want to increase the movie's popularity.

There's one here on SS I just read a week or two ago who had very polite antagonist's (in the beginning) at least.  I'd say what it was, but I don't want to put any spoilers out there.

I don't think it's anything new to make your antagonist as likable as possible, IMO

- Mark

Oceans Eleven was about eleven likeable thieves, robbing casinos.

Jonah Hex was about a bounty hunter.

A lot of the hitmen in Smokin' Aces were very likable.

My OWC from last October had a lovable sociopath in it.

It's been done.


Phil

American Psycho

AJ -
How would that work, exactly? Meaning, what would be their motivation, if they are otherwise geniunely nice people, to murder and pillage?
I'm not real sure what their motivation would be, actually.
Probably the same motivators, just substitute nice guy for bad@ss.

Mark -
Haven't seen Clay Pigeons or Perfect Getaway.
Thank you for the headzup.

Phil -
- Antag on Oceans was Andy Garc?as Terry Benedict, a real d!ck who hired thugs to beat up Danny Ocean in a room without security cameras. Rumor was that he went after a person's family.
- Antag in Jonah was John Malkovich as Quentin Turnbull who forces Jonah to watch as his house is burned down with his wife and son inside.
- Antag in Smokin' Aces was Jeremy Piven as Buddy "Aces" Israel, a coke snorting, manipulative, self-centered, Cosa Nostra wannabe megalomaniac.

I'll hunt down your OCT OWC for some research.

Thank you for the pointer!  

Mike -
Haven't seen AmPsycho.
Looks like more homework. Gracias!

Ray W

It’s in the motivation, baby!

For example, two mild-mannered screenwriters are the best of amigos until they find out one single spaces before slugs and the other double spaces. Die you heathen! Their keyboards bleed out.

What was the question?

Gary

Mark,

Whether you liked it or not, that's still a spoiler!  

Ray,

It's funny that all the villains you mention are from 20 or more years ago.  I think that in the last decade Hollywood has generally trended away from over-the-top, cliche villains in favour of -- if not more like-able -- at least an attempt at more three-dimensional, human villains.  Not saying that that's been successful, and I know that's not quite what you meant, but I think that "like-able" villains, as much as that concept can make sense, is sorta where things have been headed.

http://www.the-numbers.com/dvd/charts/annual/2010.php
1       Avatar - Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang)
2       Toy Story 3 - Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear (simply known as Lotso)
3       The Twilight Saga: New Moon - Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard)
4       The Blind Side     - ??
5       The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard)
6       How to Train Your Dragon - NA
7       Despicable Me     - NA
8       Iron Man 2 -  Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke)
9       The Princess and the Frog - ??
10       The Hangover     - NA
11       Alice in Wonderland (2010) - Red Queen
12       Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - ??
13       Inception      - NA
14       2012 - NA
15       The Karate Kid (2010) - Cheng (Zhenwei Wang)
16       Michael Jackson: This Is It - Michael Jackson
17       Sherlock Holmes - Lord Henry Blackwood (Mark Strong)
18       Shrek Forever After     - Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn)
19       Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs      - ??
20       Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue - ??

Didn't watch all of 'em, but there're still plenty of traditional nasty villains.

The Talented Mr. Ripley. I say read the book as opposed to watch the movie.