CRAIG'S TOP 100 FILMS - 100-91

100#. WITNESS (1985)

Director: Peter WEIR

Starring: Harrison FORD, Kelly MCGILLIS

WHY?: Kicking off this list is one of the 80's most acclaimed films which proved that Ford could act solidly (gaining an Oscar nod in the process) as John Book; the honest detective trying to help an Amish boy who witnesses two corrupt cops kill a man. However when the bad cops find out about his involvement, Book flees with the boy and his mother Rachel (McGillis) back to their Amish community where he learns about their traditions. A well-shot with the Amish community represented well here.

BEST SCENE: John and Rachel's romantic scene inside the garage with Wonderful World playing in the background. A classic example of romantic tension brought together by a beautifully used song.

 99#. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005)

Director: Ang LEE

Starring: Heath LEDGER, Jake GYLLENHALL, Anne HATHAWAY, Michelle WILLIAMS

WHY?: Ang Lee's heartbreaking film about two cowboys who embark on a risky affair in the wrong time period of American culture, courted controversy upon its release, mostly from homophobic critics. However it earned mass support from more intelligent critics and audiences; mostly down to the admirable story and powerhouse performances from Ledger and Gyllenhall who both proved they weren't just pretty faces. Even though it was wrongfully denied the Best Picture Oscar in 2006, it still represented a changing time for homosexuals who were starting to be treated more equally in modern day society!

BEST MOMENT: The devastating showdown between Ennis and Jack towards the film's ending, hating each other for covering up their affair especially from their own families, ultimately leading on to the next couple of scenes which reveal a tragic conclusion for the male couple.

 98#. MY LEFT FOOT (1989)

Director: Jim SHERIDAN

Starring: Daniel DAY-LEWIS, Brenda FRICKER, Ray MCNALLY

WHY?: A heart-rendering biopic about the Irish writer Christy Brown (Day-Lewis) who struggled to overcome Cerebral Palsy, won the hearts of many including me with a story of hope and a struggle to overcome a dreadful disease but yet finding the courage to make a person of oneself. Of course we see Christy achieve greatness but also heartbreak as you do with a biopic. Day-Lewis won his first Oscar for such a challenging and physical role with Fricker also winning a Supporting gong for her subtle but long-suffering mother who gives her all to help her son.

BEST MOMENT: The scene in the video clip produces a devastating yet joyous moment for the Brown family especially for Christy's mother as he manages to write 'MOTHER' on the family carpet with his foot. A scene that delivers with not a dry eye in the house!

 97#. MUNICH (2005)

Director: Steven SPIELBERG

Starring: Eric BANA, Daniel CRAIG, Geoffrey RUSH

WHY?: One of the toughest films I had to watch but nonetheless, an underrated effort for the legendary Spielberg with his harsh but intelligent thriller about a team of assassins sent across the world to track down the Palestinians terrorists who slaughtered a group of Jewish athletes in the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Everything about it is clinical with Bana giving a subdued performance as Avner and certainly it isn't any surprise that Spielberg does enjoy making serious films after blockbusters. By the end, it leaves you deflated but still wowed by the viciousness of its story hence the lack of a happy ending....

BEST MOMENT: The combined scene of Avner having sex with his wife while thinking about the victims of the Massacre who realise that they won't survive and the cruel fate that they suffer, with John Williams's haunting music making the scene more emotionally charged.

 96#. FORREST GUMP (1994)

Director: Robert ZEMECKIS

Starring: Tom HANKS, Robin WRIGHT, Gary SINISE, Sally FIELD

WHY?: One of the popular films of the 90s though not 100% loved by me though the support for it is understandable. Zemekis's flowing story of an idiotic man who finds himself in bizarre and historical situations such as playing American football, fighting in the Vietnam War, and meeting Kennedy and Nixon all for the love of childhood sweetheart Jenny (Wright), made audiences laugh and cry with its epic approach. But I do like it, there are several classic moments (Run Forrest Run!) and a cracking soundtrack that become more the reason why it still remains hugely admired by many today.

BEST MOMENT: An emotional scene for me, Forrest and Jenny's wedding near the film's end, where we know it'll end in tragedy for Forrest but there is something good to come out of it. Lt. Dan turns up and he can walk again!

 

 

 

 95#. THE STING (1973)

Director: George ROY HILL

Starring: Robert REDFORD, Paul NEWMAN, Robert SHAW

WHY?: One of the underrated Best Picture Oscar winners provided me with a stylish and entertaining film with two huge stars in Newman and Redford as the con-artists who join forces to pull off a major con trick on vicious crime boss Robert Shaw. After the success of Butch Cassidy, the reunion of the new stars along with director George Roy Hill proved that their first collaboration together wasn't a fluke as The Sting has good humour, clever editing and plenty of twists and turns all surrounded by a well-executed production design showing what America was like in the 20s.

BEST MOMENT: The final scene initially leaves us shocked when Hooker and Gondoroff both end up dead during the raid. But after the two bad guys leave the scene, the audience themselves feel stumped, when both heroes end up alive having got the FBI involved to add a fruitful twist which provides sweet revenge on their victim.

 94#. RESERVOIR DOGS (1992)

Director: Quentin TARANTINO

Starring: Harvey KIETEL, Steve BUSCEMI, Michael MADSEN, Tim ROTH

WHY?: Tarantino's first mainstream film shocked many upon release in 1992 with its violent approach but it was spearheaded well by an impressive cast and scorching dialogue with plenty to talk about (even Madonna gets slagged off here!). Seven men take part in a robbery which goes wrong and sees those who survive try to hide out in a warehouse but find themselves paranoiac and keen to find out who ratted them out. A web of intrigue and mystery is unearthed later in the film, and by the end, we are left breathless by the frantic final few minutes of a film which deserves to be longer than 90 mins.

BEST MOMENT: One of those recognisable film scenes with a classic use of music to make it even better as Madsen's Mr Blonde decides to use brutal force to torture a police officer with Stealer's Wheel's "Stuck In The Middle With You" playing in the background. No hard of 'earing for him then?

 93#. THE BLIND SIDE (2009)

Director: John Lee HANCOCK

Starring: Sandra BULLOCK, Tim MCGRAW, Quinton AARON, Kathy BATES

WHY?: Probably one of the most-hated films to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars yet in my opinion, a sweet and uplifting true-life family drama. Bullock gave a career-best role as the brass Memphis housewife who takes pity on a giant African-American teenager, bringing him into her family home and eventually adopting him before giving advice on him becoming an American footballer. Sure it has its shabby moments but there is no denying that it is a real crowd-pleaser which I have no problem with placing on this list (yes even above Gump and Reservoir!).

BEST MOMENT: A guilty-pleasure scene that may be cringe-worthy to some but not to me, when Leigh Ann confronts the ghetto goons who tease her about Michael but her threat of using a gun proves that you don't want mess with this housewife!

 92#. THIS IS ENGLAND (2006)

Director: Shane MEADOWS

Starring: Thomas TURGOOSE, Joe GILGUN, Stephen GRAHAM

WHY?: It seems that British films nowadays are gritty which is probably all down to director Shane Meadows's harsh and brutal depiction of racially-motivated England in the 80s. Youngster Turgoose gives a brilliant debut role as the troubled boy who spends time with a gang of skinheads who aren't nasty only for former member Combo (the superb Graham) to come out of prison and vow to start a racist battle with society to drive other races out of England. It appals us sometimes and maybe the odd laugh here and then, but it really did show a time where England was in suffering with many bitter people finding various reasons to be angry, Sean and Combo being no exception.

BEST MOMENT: One of the more memorable speeches in my film viewing career as Combo delivers his grim verdict on why England is in decline to the rest of the gang pulling no punches about why the country has to change, almost similar to society today!

 

 

 

 91#. CRASH (2004)

Director: Paul HAGGIS

Starring: Don CHEADLE, Sandra BULLOCK, Brendan FRASER, MATT DILLON, Terence HOWARD, THANDIE NEWTON

WHY?: It may be the most controversial film to win Best Picture, but there's no denying the brutal and raw setting the film sets out as a group of people in Los Angeles struggle to overcome their racial and prejudice attitudes, some of them with shocking consequences. Haggis deserves admirable credit for his hard work in writing and directing the film with the superb cast, notably Dillon, giving ferocious performances with a story that isn't likeable for some as many characters are emotionally shallow *cough* Sandra Bullock's character* cough* but it does have powerful moments which make it slightly understanding why it pipped Brokeback Mountain to the Oscar. 

BEST MOMENT: A proper heart-in-your-mouth moment when Daniel is confronted by the store owner who is threatening him with a gun, it then goes off just as Daniel's daughter jumps into her daddy's arms to protect him. We almost cry with sorrow but immediately when she turns out to be alive, we cheer with great relief!

CRAIG'S ALL TIME TOP 100 FILMS - THE BUILD-UP

It has taken such a long time to get this damn list done haha but after planning for what seems like forever, however I am pleased to reveal that I have finally managed to complete a very strong list. I will be the first to admit it's not perfect by any means. There's over 30 films on the list that are from the last decade alone. I left out 32 films which won the Best Picture Oscar including Midnight Cowboy, The Deer Hunter, Gandhi, Platoon, Rain Man, Titanic and No Country For Old Men! Other popular films didn't make the list such as Aladdin, The Matrix, Terminator 2, Casino Royale, Citizen Kane, Dirty Dancing, Edward Scissorhands, The Little Mermaid, Once Upon A Time In America, Pirates of the Caribbean, Raging Bull, Se7en, The Shining, Trainspotting and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

And films that came VERY close to being on the list but were discarded due to whether any of them would be considered better than the classics on the list included Con-Air, Speed, Happy Gilmore, Love Actually and Mike Bassett: England Manager. In another time I probably would have included them but instead I have built up a solid group of films which I hope will be agreed with by you, the viewing public who in the last 14-15 months have taken some time out to read my reviews and lists and I do hope you continue to do so for many years to come yet. I worked hard with this (and the other Film Series lists) so I appreciate as much feedback as possible to keep me going as both a critic and a lover of film. 

In the meantime, LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (2011) - 4 STARS

"Mummy's Little Monster"

Apologies for the lack of reviews recently, been rather busy with other important stuff like a possible job at a cinema which could prove crucial in the long run! In the meantime, my return to the flicks came back with a bang by one of the most compelling and controversial films I've seen in a long time with intense performances and a story that shocks and disgusts those who watch it. The ever-reliable Tilda Swinton who grabbed my attention a few years earlier with her villainous turn in the Chronicles of Narnia franchise continues to deliver fascinating performances and gives perhaps her best yet but is almost overshadowed by the young actors playing her disturbed on-screen son, a modern day Damian who shows no incapability of feeling or guilt as he destroys lives and rips the family unit in the film apart with devastating results....

The film focuses on a mother named Eva (Tilda Swinton) who confronts motherhood across three different time periods. In her current predicament, she struggles to move on with her life following the terrible act that her teenage son Kevin (Erza Miller) committed. She is soon forced to reflect on how this twisted world of hers first happened which stretches back to her relationship with humble Franklin (John C. Reilly) that led to her getting pregnant. But straight away, Eva is suffocated by baby Kevin's constant screaming which gets worse as he gets older. He deliberately causes more trouble towards Eva ranging from throwing food everywhere to vandalising her bedroom. Her fears about his behaviour are dismissed by Franklin who believes she is overreacting but once her second child Celia is born, Kevin becomes more unbearable and at times appalling as he reaches manhood. It is only when he commits his horrific crime that Eva's world is completely destroyed and that all she can think about is how this monster came to be.

Female director Lynne Ramsay creates a harrowing and impulsive film that creates great intensity for its audience, splitting the narrative up in various time zones to show us the trials and tribulations that Eva goes through. No matter what age he is, Kevin will always be a vile and disturbed human being. However that's not to say Eva is any better as a mother particularly when she tries to distance herself from him in one dark humoured moment where she stands next to a group of builders drilling to silence his screaming. It is also swiftly edited switching the story to past and present and cleverly using effective close-up shots to make us see just how crazed Kevin is whether it be cutting up pieces of cereal or preparing to use a bow and arrow for malicious use. Of course one of the strong points of the film comes from the flawless acting. Unsurprisingly Swinton commands the screen as a woman who wanted to go places and yet is compromised by her son's arrival and tries too hard to bond with him, and being the only person to realise how malicious he can and will eventually be. How she missed out on an Oscar nomination is anyone's guess. John C. Reilly continues to contribute well with both comedy and drama and his character finds a purpose in being in conflict with his wife, unaware of the manipulation that his son is planting in trying to makes out that his mother hates him. Finally Kevin might just easily be one of the most evil people you'll see in film this year and it is to great credit that the three young actors who play him, do a brilliant and scary job. It is teenage actor Erza Miller who almost steals the film from Swinton though, as his portrayal of Kevin leaves us appalled by his actions, using his splitting stare to show just how deranged he is despite his handsome and sly appearance. A young star in the making!

Having not read Lionel Shriver's book, I wasn't too aware of how different it would be to the film but those dedicated fans of the book may be left disappointed by missing parts which prove significant in showing more about the character's nature especially Kevin. The subject matter is very hard and that becomes apparent in certain scenes throughout the film but it shouldn't take away the horror of what we see before us and many others will probably disagree with that. By the end, you can't help but feel underwhelmed that Kevin doesn't get his comeuppance properly, after all the hurt he causes throughout but obviously that is down to the writers who felt that they wanted to focus more on how Eva would cope with his crime and what she will do now.

VERDICT: Gripping and haunting, this successful transition to the big-screen is nightmarish to all mothers who don't bond with their children properly and will leave you shocked for days. If you thought Damien and Stewie Griffin were evil kids, you ain't seen nothing yet....

CRAIG'S 100 MOVIE VILLAINS - THE TOP 10!

Not long until my official film lists are finished but I am now relieved to finally finish my Top 10 Villains list. Boo hiss! Like with the Heroes, we've seen 90 contenders come and go but now we finally come to the dreaded Top 10 which contains some real badass men (and women!). Enjoy....

#10. MALEFICENT (ELEANOR AUDLEY)

SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959)

 

"You poor, simple fools. Thinking you could defeat me. *Me*, The Mistress of All Evil! Well, here's your precious princess!"

It's been many years since I watched the Disney classic Sleeping Beauty but the fact that I'm still able to include the greatest animated villainess in film history on this Top 10 shows just how memorable a villain Maleficent was. Dark, sinister and manipulative, this horny bitch (saying that because of her horns not something else....) proves dastardly when trying to stop Princess Aurora from becoming Queen of the kingdom. Throughout the film she threatens panic, lives in a dark castle with hundreds of minions and a pet companion and even has the ability to transform into a fire-breathing dragon! Vocal actress Eleanor Audley earlier in the decade voiced a more pleasant and popular character, the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, though playing Maleficent was certainly an opposite role for her and provided the viewing public with a woman scorned by a younger beauty and determined to go to extreme lengths in order to get her own way. Since Sleeping Beauty, only Ursula from The Little Mermaid can come anywhere near as sinister a villainess when it comes to bad Disney bitches!

#9. NORMAN BATES (ANTHONY PERKINS)

PSYCHO (1960)

“Uh-uh, Mother-m-mother, uh, what is the phrase? She isn't quite herself today”

Alfred Hitchcock was always a genius when it came to sinister films and without doubt Psycho was his masterpiece. But it wasn't just that which made it his best film but it also gave us one of the great villains in Anthony Perkins's subdued but creepy Norman Bates, who has many surprises up his sleeves. When we first see him, he comes across as shy and reclusive but as the film progresses, his psychotic attitude comes into play especially when covering up his 'mothers' murder of leading woman Marion Crane. Once he gets found out in the final act, the twist (still legendary to this day) leaves us stunned yet fascinated about how messed up he really is, and certainly I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen Psycho....though then again most of you HAVE to watch it. Perkin's film career never really took off after Psycho (though his performance is considered one of the great Oscar snubs in film history), instead he reprised the role in a couple of sequels but never quite hit the heights of his creepy study of a deranged monster. No one who saw Psycho never went near a shower for a good while either....

#8. LORD VOLDEMORT (RALPH FIENNES)

HARRY POTTER SERIES (2005-2011)

"I'm going to kill you, Harry Potter. I'm going to destroy you. After tonight, no one will ever again question my power. After tonight if they speak of you, they'll only speak of how you begged for death. And how I being a merciful Lord... obliged."

It was very close about which Ralph Fiennes villain I admired more. Yes Amon Goeth was a real guy with no compassion for the Jews, but in the end (and rather controversially) I chose Fiennes's more familiar and still hateful villain, Lord Voldemort, the wizard who seeks to kill Harry Potter throughout the popular fantasy franchise. His thirst for evil is confirmed by murdering Harry's parents and stirring up the conflict the young boy wizard must face during his hectic journey. Before Goblet of Fire, Voldemort had appeared as the back of Professor Qurrell's head and as a younger version who tackles Harry, but the involvement of Fiennes in the series proved a real coup for the producers in getting one of Britain's finest actors to play the role for the rest of the series. And it was a success as the darker the films got, the more spellbinding the series became with the recent conclusion Deathly Hallows Part Two allowing us to cheer on Harry one last time as he and his arch-nemesis lock horns in a fierce showdown. Magic!

#7. ANNIE WILKES (KATHY BATES)

MISERY (1990)

"I thought you were good Paul... but you're not good. You're just another lying ol' dirty birdy”

Ahhhh my favourite film bitch. Kathy Bates in Oscar-winning form terrified audiences back in 1990 with her non-sweary but actually crazy book-fan who after rescuing writer Paul Sheldon from a car-crash ends up keeping him bedridden in her house. From then on, Paul's fate is left in an awkward and eventually terrifying position as Annie's obsession with his novels spirals out of control when she discovers his plan to kill off the leading character Misery. She forces him to rewrite the story and ends up drugging him, holding him hostage and when he gets found out regarding a secret bit of investigating, she decides to injure him in quite graphic fashion with a certain sledgehammer....Actress Bates may have looked frumpy when Misery made her a star but it allowed her to become more consistent with various other roles and help her become one of Hollywood's underrated stars. But as for her character Annie Wilkes, she thankfully gets her comeuppance in a quality fight scene that again lets us cheer Paul on, and yes there are times when it is wrong to hit a woman, but considering it's her, we'll make an exception!

#6. SCAR (JEREMY IRONS)

THE LION KING (1994)

“I was first in line, until the little hair ball was born” 

Another all-time favourite villain (this time from the animated category) comes from the cunning and devious lion Scar in Disney's masterpiece The Lion King. Voiced splendidly by Jeremy Irons, Scar is one twisted beast as his jealousy over his nephew Simba being lined up as the king of Pride Rock sees him go to extreme lengths to take the role from him. He evilly tries to have Simba killed on a couple of occasions but eventually does the cruel deed of having his brother, the king of Pride Rock Mufasa, killed and blame the young cub for his death. All this to stand on top of a rock and look like being in authority. Irons like Alan Rickman and Ralph Fiennes has always been associated with playing good villains but it's his animated creature which gets the most boo-hiss jibes from audiences young and old. Echoes of Hamlet are obvious when you compare the characters and the story but thankfully little Simba grows big and gets his chance to avenge Mufasa's death with a fully-charged showdown against his uncle. And yes his own death scene is one to cheer again and again. Long live the king to you Scar....

#5. DARTH VADER (DAVID PROWSE)

STAR WARS SERIES (1977-1983)

“If you only knew the power of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father”

*Breathing heavily* The reason that the most iconic film villain in history isn't ranked number 1 is that unlike the other 9 on this list, his character actually does good in the climatic part of George Lucas's money-spinning franchise Star Wars in the final film; Return of the Jedi. But prior to that Darth Vader was complete evil as showcased by his entrance in A New Hope, straight away interrogating a Rebel and strangling him to death. And that voice from James Earl Jones....legendary. How Vader came to be is only mentioned in brief spells during the original trilogy, that is until Mr Lucas decided to focus on the rise to power of Vader through his human counterpart Anakin Skywalker in the prequel trilogy. It is the original films though where his evil dominates as he assists with the Empire's plans to destroy the Rebel Alliance and help rule the galaxy. A New Hope introduced us to him back in 1977 but for me, it's Empire Strikes Back where his nastiness is most clear. He helps the rejuvenated Empire 'strike back' by taking over Hoth, then pursuing the Millennium Falcon across the galaxy before blackmailing Lando Calrissian to betray Han Solo in the final 1/3. All this before his explosive showdown with Luke Skywalker which produces one of THE greatest twists ever....enough said.

#4. HANS GRUBER (ALAN RICKMAN)

DIE HARD (1988)

"I wanted this to be professional, efficient, adult, cooperative. Not a lot to ask. Alas, your Mr. Takagi did not see it that way... so he won't be joining us for the rest of his life"

With the Jeremy Irons and the Ralph Fiennes making themselves established British bad guys, it was a tough call over which of these actors could finished higher, but instead Alan Rickman nipped in and just misses out on the Top 3 for his devious turn as German terrorist Hans Gruber. Like co-star Bruce Willis, Rickman whilst older, was a virtual unknown when he landed the role of the big baddie in Die Hard, a summer release set at Christmas which became one of the most popular films of all time. Gruber is simply a thief but a damn good one who is prepared to stop at nothing to get his way. He leads his henchmen to hold civilians hostage, maliciously kills the owner of the Nakotoma Building and goes toe-to-toe with John McClaine while at the same time showing calmness and patience towards events happening outside. Only Rickman could display such a charming if venomous attitude which translated well into his later villainous roles including the Sheriff of Nottingham and Professor Snape. And yes even his death scene is quality enough though like several villains, it involves him falling off something....

#3. MOLA RAM (AMRISH PURI)

INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984)

“You don't believe me, Dr. Jones? You will, Dr. Jones. You will become a true believer”

Into the Top 3, my earlier memories as a young boy, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was and still IS one of my most memorable films but one of the reasons for that was image and personality of cult villain Mola Ram. He stands out differently to most Jones villains with his bizarre hat with horns, his desire to kidnap children and make them slave away and his thirst for grabbing body parts. He is not a man to mess with. Most horrible of all was his black magic to convert Indy (briefly) into a bad guy and try and get him to almost kill his love interest Willy. All this just to get some sacred stones that may or may not be actually real (though his final moments prove that theory correctly)! Actor Amrish Puri never really became a household name with mainstream audiences apart from his Bollywood career and a small roles in the multi-Oscar winning Gandhi, but his contribution to one of the great franchises certainly made him memorable enough. Yes Balroq had the Nazi's and Donovan nearly killed Indy's dad and Irina Spalko was a mean bitch but Ram is simply scary, and basically a complete cult psycho! Luckily Indy did give him a decent death scene, meeting his god Kali....in hell!

#2. EMPEROR PALPATINE (IAN MCDIAMIRD)

STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983)

"Good, I can feel your anger. I am defenceless. Take your weapon. Strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!"

While everyone loves Darth Vader, they have to remember WHO was actually responsible for the lord becoming what he was. In Return of the Jedi, Emperor Palpatine was revealed to be the man who manipulated Vader to help wipe out the Jedi and lead the Empire during their quest to control the galaxy. He was then prepared to betray his apprentice to allow his son Luke Skywalker to take his place and turn to the dark side but Luke knew better unlike his father in the prequels. Hideous laughs and electric rays sum up the Emperor who really is the TRUE villain of the Star Wars saga, and that evil is only confirmed properly in the prequel trilogy where his rise to becoming Senator throughout, shows a man willing to control both sides of the Clone War for his own greed showing no sympathy for those who suffer. Like with some real-life politicians, Palpatine spins his web of lies fooling many people, as his hidden identity as the Sith Lord continues throughout the series. His cover is blown in Revenge of the Sith but he finally manages to gain power through brainwashing Anakin Skywalker with lies and soon the rise of the Empire becomes a reality. Like with other actors playing villains on this list, actor Ian McDiamird did a tolerable job playing the role in 5 of the 6 films despite never really hitting the heights as a big name, though still showed consistency as a supporting character actor. But even though his evil is unparalleled it isn't enough to make him number one....

#1. THE JOKER (HEATH LEDGER)

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

“I believe whatever doesn't kill you, simply makes you... Stranger!”

My number one villain is a character adapted from comic-books who made it onto the big screen and still remained as terrifying as ever whether he be on a page or a film. The Joker scared young readers and when Lou Romero played him on the small screen in the camp Batman series, he still made us shiver. And then the cool man that is Jack Nicholson looked to have gone the distance with making Joker a complete madman who grins the whole time as he lays out destruction and terror amongst Gotham City in Tim Burton's Batman (1988). Nobody thought he could get any better (or more evil for that fact). He did, and boy was it special. Christopher Nolan's gritty sequel The Dark Knight provided the reason why the Joker tops this list without a shadow of a doubt. When handsome Aussie Heath Ledger was cast as the psychotic criminal, many eyebrows (possibly even smiles) were raised over the casting but when the teaser appeared, a lot of minds were changed by how engaging and crazed Ledger made him. Tragically Ledger died a few months before the film was released thus ending a promising career that would have only got better after this performance. Joker is a master-class of pure evil. He does everything with the word 'kill'. Bumping off his henchmen in the opening bank robbery sequence, using a pen to kill someone, killing off Batman's love interest Rachel, brainwashing good guy Harvey Dent and basically killing anyone who he likes. There is no emotion, no guilt from this guy. He is a born psychopath who gets to Batman in many ways and ironically is one of only two villains on the Top 10 to actually survive by the end. While we're appalled by the Joker's actions, we also laud him as an awesome villain whose tricks and deeds do enough to actually cheer him on right to the very end. Mr Ledger's posthumous Oscar-win certainly put smiles on our faces!

Thanks everyone for taking time to read these lists, that's my Heroes/Villains list finished, hope there were some pleased customers. Indiana Jones and The Joker prove enough to win. Now the big one. It's going to be a while for me to comply my Top 100 films of all time but I've got this far and won't give up. Patience is required. Speak to y'all soon!

CRAIG'S 100 MOVIE HEROES - THE TOP 10!

After months of planning, I have finally completed my Heroes list with 90 contenders having come and gone. The Villains list is out soon but for now its the good guys who dominate the post today. We've had various heroes dominating the list with men, women and even children and animals getting mentioned but I am pleased to present the Top 10 Movie Heroes of all time, with an explanation about their inclusion on the Top 10 being explained. Sit back and relax, whether these guys will save you from trouble or inspire you, they are the definitive of how good some people really can be whether fictional or not....

#10. HARRY POTTER (DANIEL RADCLIFFE)

HARRY POTTER SERIES (2001-2011)

 

"C'mon, Tom... let's finish this the way we started it. Together!"

The hero with the most recent film makes it to No. 10 as boy wizard Harry Potter left us spellbound in the popular film adaptations which started way back in 2001 with Philosopher's Stone. It was his final outing in Deathly Hallows Part Two though which allowed us to urge him on as the good guy as his chronicle showdown with Lord Voldemort came to a ferocious conclusion in the last film of the series. Throughout the films though, he provided plenty of wizardry highlights including the clash with Tom Riddle in Chamber of Secrets, his involvement in the Tri-Wizard Tournament in Goblet of Fire and winning his team Gryffindor the House Cup and Quidditch league. Oh and eventually defeating the dark lord. Busy, busy lad although there were plenty of other heroes from the franchise that could have been mentioned on the list from Hagrid and Ron to Hermione and even Neville who proved to be the unsung hero of the final film! But for Harry himself, after surviving throughout the 8 films he certainly was the boy who lived!

#9. JOHN MCLAINE (BRUCE WILLIS)

DIE HARD (1988)

 "Yippee Ki-Yay Motherfucker!"

As a struggling young actor who'd only appeared in a couple of TV shows, the late 80's was to become life-changing for then unknown Bruce Willis when he was cast in the lead role of summer blockbuster Die Hard. Despite the daft idea of a film set on Christmas Eve being released in the warmest month of the film, the film proved to be a mega-hit and launched Willis's Hollywood career which would include the likes of Pulp Fiction and The Sixth Sense. His rogue cop must rescue his estranged wife and other civilians from a group of German terrorists led by notorious Alan Rickman, and so provides one of my favourite film characters, who with his cocky attitude and his no-nonsense tactics manages to save the day despite being bare-footed throughout! His personality continues to get the better of him in the three sequels which followed clashing with fellow cops and sidekicks, and though none of the predecessors were as hugely popular as the first film, Willis's rise in the major cornerstone of film culture was enough to justify him as a big star. He certainly was welcomed to the party!  

#8. JUDAH BEN-HUR (CHARLTON HESTON)

BEN-HUR (1959)

"You may conquer the land; you may slaughter the people. But that is not the end. We will rise again"

In one of cinema's most impressive epics, Charlton Heston gave an Oscar-winning performance as Judah Ben-Hur, the Jewish prince who is betrayed by his former friend Messala and cast off as a slave where he overcomes battles at sea, gains revenge in the ferocious chariot race and tries to help Jesus in his final moments before the crucifixion. The journey he goes though during the colossal 3 and a half hours all comes from his dedication to his family as he vows to be reunited with his mother and sister and he also stands up for his beliefs when it comes to his religion. But despite having to suffer for it throughout the film, he is helped along the way by Jesus with the water thirst scene providing a tear to my eye. He suffers a lot throughout but shows great courage and determination to fulfil his quest and in the film's very satisfying climax, gets his reward for such bravery with his family's illness being swept away allowing them to be together once and for all. Heston's handsome prince became popular with audiences as Ben-Hur set the standard for the swords-sandals epic which would follow on with Spartacus a year later!

#7. ATTICUS FINCH (GREGORY PECK)

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)

"If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."

Not only is Atticus Finch the greatest lawyer in film history but also one of the best father's too as proven by Gregory Peck's courageous performance in the adaptation of the beloved novel. In 1930's America, Atticus shows concern and love to his two children and wants to protect them from the shallowness of the real world, but his decision to defend a black man accused of raping a white girl, only causes problems on that part as most of the town turns on him leading to his kids being exposed to the racial tension around them. Peck's performance comes into full flow properly during the electrifying courtroom scenes as slowly but surely he manages to reveal to the court (and us the audience), the flaws of the case start to prove that the accused man is innocent whereas the woman is not being truthful, but in a racial-motivated society, the wrong verdict is given but the fact that Atticus shows great courage to ignore his critics and help another race proves even more why he's such a great character. Peck deservedly scooped the Oscar for the role and gained extra respect for playing a character with such warmth. Even the American Film Institute named him their greatest Movie Hero!

#6. ROCKY BALBOA (SYLVESTER STALLONE)

ROCKY SERIES (1976-2006)

"But it ain't about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

The first of two boxers to make the Top 10 and controversially I chose to place the most popular sportsman in film lower than my favoured choice. Fact had to triumph over fiction but with regards to the fictional boxer, Sylvester Stallone's Hollywood career was about to be launched by the release of the first film back in 1976 which like the humble hero himself, overcame the odds to scoop a trio of Oscars including Best Picture. Stallone's Rocky Balboa would face the monumental challenge of tackling the Heavyweight Champion of the World Apollo Creed and although he would lose, he still managed to go the distance while getting support from his sweetheart Adrian. The popularity of the first film spawned 5 sequels with II allowing Balboa to reach his glory by beating Creed to become Champion. III and IV saw him overcome tough opponents while losing friends along the way while V (the most disappointing film of the series) saw his career change by him becoming a coach. The last film from '06 was a welcome return to the ring for Stallone as his 60 year old boxer comes out of retirement to face a younger and fitter opponent which like the first film would see him go the distance. Rocky proves his love for boxing throughout the films adding to the loyalty from Adrian and from the harsh setting of the first film to the very end, no matter what obstacles he would face, he would always pull off the impossible and achieve everything he could wish for. He truly is The Italian Stallion!

#5. MARTY MCFLY & DOC. EMMETT BROWN (MICHAEL J. FOX & CHRISTOPHER LLOYD)

BACK TO THE FUTURE TRILOGY (1985-1990)

"Wait a minute, Doc. Ah... Are you telling me that you built a time machine... out of a DeLorean?

"The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?"

In one of the most popular films of all time, contains my favourite duo in film with teenage Marty McFly and eccentric scientist Doc Brown the unlikely pair who would become part of 80s culture on the big screen. Marty gets involved with Doc's time machine which sees him travel back to 1955 leading to mass chaos as he seeks the help of the 1955 Doc to help him travel back home but faces compromise with trying to get his parents in their younger form together. It is to the great credit of director Robert Zemeckis that these two actors would become part of a memorable team with TV star Fox and B-Movie actor Lloyd immersing themselves into their characters with great chemistry and becoming household names. That would later transcend into the two sequels which again weren't as quality as the original but still allowed us to enjoy their scenes together as they faced more perilous situations. That also didn't stop them from sharing various things in common such as phrases, attitudes and even women. Heavy indeed. It was of course sad for Fox though with his Parkinson's Disease effectively ruining his film career and potentially ruling out any chance of a long-awaited sequel Rocky/Rambo/Die Hard style. But it's great to at least be relaxed knowing that surely if anyone did try to remake the film, nothing can beat the great 'scot' partnership between the two leading heroes!

#4. LUKE SKYWALKER (MARK HAMMILL)

STAR WARS ORIGINAL TRILOGY (1977-1983)

"Chewie, I'll be waiting for your signal. Take care, you two. May the force be with you"

We have another hero who could easily have been snubbed in favour of other heroes from that particular franchise. However Luke Skywalker justifies his positioning on the list ahead of other popular characters from the Star Wars series including Han Solo, Princess Leia and Obi-Wan Kenobi with the journey he goes through from being a farm boy in the beginning of A New Hope to earning his rightful title of a Jedi in the ending of Return of the Jedi. He saves the day in the first film by blasting the Death Star into smithereens and follows that up in Empire by learning the ways of becoming a warrior before facing a epic duel with Darth Vader that leads to one of the great twists in film history. But that doesn't stop Luke from following in his father's footsteps of becoming the Jedi he was set out to be, as he and the Rebel Alliance make one final mission to wipe out the Empire once and for all. This ultimately means having to face his father in a last showdown which could change the fate of the galaxy forever. Though Mark Hammill never reached the heights of other Hollywood roles, Luke Skywalker still remains as popular with fans as ever and goes through many challenges but manages to save the day and provide one of cinema's iconic heroes.

#3. JAMES BRADDOCK (RUSSELL CROWE)

CINDERELLA MAN (2005)

 "I have to believe that when things are bad I can change them"

Into the Top 3 we go, and as I revealed before, this was a tough decision to place Braddock above Rocky but you can't take away the fact that as much as Rocky can overcome great obstacles by defeating heavyweight champs and Russians, what Braddock did was real, a true story from the 1930s. Yes Rocky came from a tough, poor neighbourhood but what Braddock and his family went through was all real. Ron Howard's boxing masterpiece Cinderella Man was considered a disappointment by some but Russell Crowe, who despite his notorious reputation, put in a humble and gentle role as the boxer whose career seemed over after the Great Depression occurred, leaving him and his family on the verge of falling apart. However thanks to the solid support from coach Joe Gould (Paul Giamatti), Braddock was to turn his life round through a one shot chance by defeating heavyweight contenders, and if that wasn't enough, was to face the Rocky challenge of trying to beat the Heavyweight Champion of the World Max Baer in a titanic duel. Like Balboa, Braddock goes through a lot of tough obstacles but manages to earn the support and love of his family by preparing to get them out of financial trouble and rebuild their lives through his success in the ring. He does human things that make him more likeable whether it be triumphing against the odds or doing something small but grateful like offering his daughter his piece of spam. However his comeback in the ring fully justified his tag as the 'Cinderella Man' going for his 'fairytale' ending!

#2. ARAGORN (VIGGO MORTENSEN)

LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING (2003)

"My friends. You bow to no one. "

Missing out on the number one spot, I'm not going to deny how close this was as I knew that SOMEONE from the Lord of the Rings films would have to make the list but that wouldn't be enough to squeeze whoever it was into top spot. Originally Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) was on my drafted list but although he is the unsung hero of the final film, I felt it should go to a character who has demonstrated overall heroics in the trilogy hence why Aragorn got the nod. Frodo whilst the leading character almost destroyed the fate of Middle-Earth by being corrupted by the ring whilst Gandalf has similar parallels to Obi-Wan Kenobi. When we first saw Aragorn in Fellowship Of The Ring, he was seen as this rogue ranger with dark influences but from the moment he rescues the hobbits from the Naz-Guls half-way in the film, you know he is one bad-ass hero. He proves to be a natural leader throughout the trilogy whether it be to lead the Fellowship on their quest or to help defend Helm's Deep in The Two Towers AND for me his finest hour in Return of the King to lead a small army of men on a last mission to distract Mordor from the sight of Frodo and Sam edging towards destroying the Ring. His honour in the film's climax was a fitting reward for a men dedicated to saving Middle-Earth with Viggo Mortensen's average CV in Hollywood getting a much needed boost.

#1. INDIANA JONES (HARRISON FORD)

INDIANA JONES SERIES (1981-2008)

"Mola Ram! Prepare to meet Kali... in Hell!"

A scholar, an archaeologist, a lover, a warrior....and sometimes a complete git. Having made his name as Han Solo in the Star Wars series, it was initially feared that Harrison Ford wouldn't take the role of Indiana Jones because of his working relationship with George Lucas but fortunately he and director Steven Spielberg managed to convince Ford to join up. And boy did it work out. From the first moment we see his rugged appearance in Raiders of the Lost Ark, we know that Indiana Jones is going to be one tough nut to crack after 10 minutes we already love him for his cocky attitude, sense of humour and his athleticism plus his hatred of snakes. Hell he's even good at dodging giant boulders! From then on we become more intrigued by what Jones will do next as over the course of 4 films, we see him battle Nazi's, Asian gangsters, an Indiana cult, Nazi's again, Russians, animals and yes the occasional woman and even his own father. He loves the women but loves the artefacts that he pursues just as much. As a hero, he is a real character, not a superhero, he gets hurt but always manages to get back up and fight back no matter what predicament he finds himself in. He shows compassion as well and tries to overcome his troubled childhood to prove that. One of the best castings made and makes us wonder, would Tom Selleck really had been a better casting? I don't think so. Ford's character is the true embodiment of what a hero should be which is why he deservedly wins this list. Is he the greatest hero in film overall? Yes.