How do you feel about the 'classic' villain monologue about their plans?

[Naruzeldamaster]

In some cases, it certainly has a place, superhero shows and whatnot.
But some movies/stories it just doesn't make sense.
My favorite instances are in some Laura Croft games where the villain is talking about their evil plan and Laura just 'happens' to be within earshot.
It makes sense lore wise, because of how Laura Croft runs into her silly adventures.
But as an audience member/game player, I wheeze. It's clear to me that this is happening to inform the player/the audience and not for any real reason otherwise.

I've seen plenty of times when it's done well, and I have seen it done poorly too.

 

[pmmg]

Well, Its a classic for a reason.

It may seem like no one would ever do that, but often, its the chance for the audience to see behind the curtain, and to come to enjoy the fully the story in all its villain anguish, and hero gloy. Justice is a good feeling, and sometimes it needs to be embellished with a good villain dialog.

Also, while the audience may sometimes know the depth of a villains evil, the hero may not, so its good to clue them in.

Arnold line of, 'Yeah, but they were all bad,' feels better if they actually are all bad.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Well, Its a classic for a reason.

It may seem like no one would ever do that, but often, its the chance for the audience to see behind the curtain, and to come to enjoy the fully the story in all its villain anguish, and hero gloy. Justice is a good feeling, and sometimes it needs to be embellished with a good villain dialog.

Also, while the audience may sometimes know the depth of a villains evil, the hero may not, so its good to clue them in.

Arnold line of, 'Yeah, but they were all bad,' feels better if they actually are all bad.

I feel I like it for certain villains more than others.

Obviously the more cartoonish(not actual cartoons like loony toons, Dr Claw from inspector gadget etc) ones it makes sense.

Some of them though even though I like it, it feels goofy.

A 'variant' of this that I like is when the super villain deems the protagonist a 'worthy' opponent and decides to reveal their plans. At that point they're just gloating like they can't be stopped. Happens a ton in video games. 'you know, I kinda respect your gusto so I'm going to tell someone who's probably able to stop me my plans' lol

We have villains like Lex Luthor who ABSOLUTELY would monologue to himself despite his secretary thinking he's a little 'strange'
Then there's some where it doesn't seem to make sense. Unless they're that confident they can win. (Bane in the batman movies for example)

 

[u aspersum]

If I had finally finished my maniacal plan and were sure that there was no way it would go wrong, I would definitely jump on any opportunity to annoy the good guys.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

If I had finally finished my maniacal plan and were sure that there was no way it would go wrong, I would definitely jump on any opportunity to annoy the good guys.

Oh 100% I would too lol But I feel I'd lean more toward the ones that only do so after they're able to 'stop' the good guys a bit.

Though some of them aren't quite as comical as they do it, I tend to like those more.

My favorite one (who realizes that they're doing it) is Syndrome because it's actually an in-universe meme and I love it all the more for that. Inside jokes for the viewer are great, having it be a lore thing in the world is even better.

I'm not confident I could write it any better, being I don't write 'super' villains in my stories.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Found this. Kind of huge.

The Very Complete, Very Extended, Printer Friendly, Evil Overlord List (plus other evil stuff)

 

[A. E. Lowan]

We totally have monologuing baddies. Poor things have no one to talk to about this grand, life altering plan. So much time and energy, but no one gets it. Not a soul.

Until you. You get it. Now shutting him up's the trick.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Found this. Kind of huge.

The Very Complete, Very Extended, Printer Friendly, Evil Overlord List (plus other evil stuff)

bookmarking for later reading lol (I skimmed and it's hilarious)

 

[A. E. Lowan]

bookmarking for later reading lol (I skimmed and it's hilarious)

It's one of my favorite things. lol Tanya Huff has a short story or two that play with the List. Absolutely hysterical. She's who I look to for how to write dialogue.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

It's one of my favorite things. lol Tanya Huff has a short story or two that play with the List. Absolutely hysterical. She's who I look to for how to write dialogue.

I feel like if I did a 'cartoon' mega villain (as in not cartoonishly evil but does all the super villain things)
I'd have that be his super power, like he's able to do what he does because he 'believes' hard enough.
Science Degree: don't need it, just trust the process.
Engineering: what are those, I just kick it a few times and it works.
You know, like bat man, but an evil overloard villain lol

The problem would be coming up with a protagonist able to stop them without dipping into Golden Age superman nonsense.

Video game wise I guess Dr Eggman is what I'd shoot for (The ones that are actually a threat to sonic) but I'd want to go further beyond haha.

 

[The Dark One]

Not the same but similar...

Something that annoyed the crap out of me a few years ago was reading Dan Brown's Inferno. It was a pretty terrible book, frankly, but one of its most annoying characteristics was the bizarre tendency of the evil guy to leave interesting clues for the protagonist to solve.

The evil guy was a deranged and utterly evil chap who wanted to destroy the world. He was quite passionate about his mission to destroy the world, so WHY would he go to the trouble of providing clues that might thwart his mission?

Utterly ridiculous but so much of that book was.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Not the same but similar...

Something that annoyed the crap out of me a few years ago was reading Dan Brown's Inferno. It was a pretty terrible book, frankly, but one of its most annoying characteristics was the bizarre tendency of the evil guy to leave interesting clues for the protagonist to solve.

The evil guy was a deranged and utterly evil chap who wanted to destroy the world. He was quite passionate about his mission to destroy the world, so WHY would he go to the trouble of providing clues that might thwart his mission?

Utterly ridiculous but so much of that book was.

Yeah, I feel that. Of course, I can also hit 'ridiculous' right out of the park.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Yeah, I feel that. Of course, I can also hit 'ridiculous' right out of the park.

I feel like I could nail Ridiculous but only so far as like say, Dr Eggman or Snidly and Smuttly
Maybe doofinshmirtz if the tone was right.

I like my villains to be an actual threat if I can help it, if they're too busy with their presentation to be a threat I feel I'm doing something wrong lol

 

[A. E. Lowan]

I feel like I could nail Ridiculous but only so far as like say, Dr Eggman or Snidly and Smuttly
Maybe doofinshmirtz if the tone was right.

I like my villains to be an actual threat if I can help it, if they're too busy with their presentation to be a threat I feel I'm doing something wrong lol

This popped into my head about our next book and it just keeps making me smile.

~~~
The dragon Char is only about 500 years old and not exactly on anyone's Who's Who list, so he's not really attracting the best of the best to his court in the wilds of Montana.
Jessie: Wait. You mean we're being invaded by dipshit trailer park dragons?
Brian: thinking over what Jessie just said Yeah. Yeah, I think we are.
Jessie: Oh f@ck that. Chuck, turn this thing around. We're going back right now. I'm not getting out-trailer-parked in my own f@cking town!