I was thinking a few days ago, that in a lot of movies the good guys get the best lines. Certainly much of the movie quoting that goes on is focussed on lines delivered by the heroes or the good guys. However, there are times when the bad guys get the good lines, and I thought I’d put together a random list, for my own entertainment. Some of them are no-brainers (the ones at the top of the list!) but maybe a few will make you want to go back and watch the film again and there’s bound to be some which I include only because I remember and quote them but they don’t count as truly cool. Stick any more you can think of in the comments.
- The Terminator – “I’ll be back” (The Terminator)
- RoboCop – “Can you fly, Bobby?” (Clarence Boddicker)
- Die Hard – “Alas, your Mr. Takagi did not see it that way… so he won’t be joining us for the rest of his life.” (Hans Gruber)
- Die Hard – “I’m going to count to three, there will not be a four.” (Hans Gruber)
- The Shining – “Heeere’s Johnny!” (Jack Torrance) ((Suggested by Sue))
- Highlander – “I have something to say! It’s better to burn out than to fade away!” (Kurgan)
- Highlander – “Father! Forgive me , I am a worm!” (Kurgan)
- Highlander – “Happy Hallowe’en, ladies! Nuns. No sense of humour.” (Kurgan)
- Highlander – “I am in disguise!” (Kurgan)
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi – “Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station!” (The Emperor) ((Suggested by Sue))
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi – “This bounty hunter is my kind of scum” (Jabba the Hutt)
- Star Wars Episode IV : A New Hope – “I have you now” (Darth Vader)
- Star Wars Episode IV : A New Hope – “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” (Darth Vader)
- Star Wars Episode IV : A New Hope – “When I left you, I was but the learner, now I am the master.” (Darth Vader)
- Star Wars Episode IV : A New Hope – “The Force is strong with this one.” (Darth Vader)
- Star Wars Episode IV : A New Hope – “Your powers are weak, old man.” (Darth Vader)
- Star Wars Episode V : The Empire Strikes Back – “All too easy.” (Darth Vader)
- Superman II – “Come and kneel before Zod!” (General Zod) ((Suggested by Sue))
- Ghost Busters – “There is no Dana, only Zuul!” (Zuul via Dana) ((Suggested by Sue))
- Ghost Busters – “Are you a God? …… Then Die!” (Gozer)
- Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl – “You best start believing in ghost stories Miss Turner. You’re in one.” (Captain Barbossa) ((Suggested by Sue))
- Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl – “… the code is more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.” (Captain Barbossa)
That’ll do for now, I’ll maybe come back and add more later.
Au contraire, I think the bad guys usually get the best lines. Heck, 1978’s Superman is basically one long Luthor marquee moment. “We all have our little faults. Mine’s in California.”
Or the Joker in Batman (1989) – “Where does he get such wonderful toys?”
Khan. Kruge.
The Princess Bride!
“Never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha!” (Vizzini)
“Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work, but I’ve got my country’s 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it; I’m swamped. ” (Humperdinck)
The SW prequels didn’t have any good bad-guy lines, but then, they didn’t really have good lines period…
I au contraire your au contraire, I think there are some notable exceptions where bad guys get good lines, hence me putting the list together, but I also think that the good guys get far more good lines. It usually depends on how charismatic both the bad guy and the actor playing them are IME. To some extent, how much of a part they play in the story as well.
And I agree about the SW Prequels, sadly there’s only one line that springs to mind at the moment and it makes my ears burn.