Totally dislikable 'heroes'

[Bored Of Education]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Jah Womble wrote:

Nothing immediately to add by way of other examples Bored, but on the subject of your post I was immediately reminded, reading it, of the picture someone posted in a thread on here a year or two back that showed Stalin to be quite startlingly attractive as a young man. It's not hard to look at this and see how people could have found him engaging, nay even glamorous:

Hate to say this, but the more I look at that, the more I'm getting 'Robbie Savage'...

Hmmm, interesting conundrum. Would be harder to be sympathetic to Stalin as a protagonist or Savage.

[Jah Womble]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

I'm trying to imagine what Stalin might've achieved if he'd had Savage's agent...

[Vulgarian Visigoth]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

...or the confidence boost of his flowing golden locks.

[ian.64]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Before Lazenby, Moore and others were drafted in to soften the legacy of Connery's hard-ass portrayal, James Bond fits into this category for me. A one-liner dispensing killing machine with an urge to shag the ladies every chance he gets. Daniel Craig's portrayal (and the direction of the new Bond films) restored the brutality of the character (haven't read the books, I might add).

[Ginger Yellow]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Guy Profumo wrote: Dick Tracy (TV cartoon version)

Hears about crime

Contacts vigilante using private, non=police issue radio.

Said vigilante proceeds to violently assault felon(s).

Tracy arrives to nab miscreant and claim full credit for "cracking" case.

See also Fletcher Hanks's Stardust, whose punishments were almost always worse than the crimes.

[Vulgarian Visigoth]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

ian.64 wrote: Before Lazenby, Moore and others were drafted in to soften the legacy of Connery's hard-ass portrayal, James Bond fits into this category for me. A one-liner dispensing killing machine with an urge to shag the ladies every chance he gets. Daniel Craig's portrayal (and the direction of the new Bond films) restored the brutality of the character (haven't read the books, I might add).

Fleming's Bond is an even bigger twat than Connery's. Connery's cheeky-chappie persona, the comedy touches and the absence of inner dialogue soften the edges a bit.

[multipleman78]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Walter White is in this category escpecially as he nears the end of his story.

The original Dirty Harry isn't just dirty, he is racist, obnoxious and acting like the badge gives him free reign to do whatever he pleases. I rooted for him all the way.

[3 Colours Red]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

ian.64 wrote: Daniel Craig's portrayal (and the direction of the new Bond films) restored the brutality of the character (haven't read the books, I might add).

Dalton got there first.

[Jah Womble]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

multipleman78 wrote: Walter White is in this category escpecially as he nears the end of his story.

Compared to some of the low-lifes he was up against, Walter White was a shining example to us all...

[Toby Gymshorts]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Patrick Thistle wrote: Judge Dredd

I mean yeah, he's a fascist who makes arbitrary judgments on people, but dislikable?

You've gone wrong.

[Guy Profumo]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Toby Gymshorts wrote:

Judge Dredd

I mean yeah, he's a fascist who makes arbitrary judgments on people, but dislikable?

You've gone wrong.

Isn't the point about him he doesn't make arbitrary judgments?

[Satchmo Distel]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Ray Donovan

John Wayne's characters in The Searchers or The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps

Dexter

[Guy Profumo]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Satchmo Distel wrote: Ray Donovan

John Wayne's characters in The Searchers or The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps

Dexter

Robert Donat, Kenneth More, or Robert Powell?

[evilC]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Guy Profumo wrote:

Judge Dredd

I mean yeah, he's a fascist who makes arbitrary judgments on people, but dislikable?

You've gone wrong.

Isn't the point about him he doesn't make arbitrary judgments?

This is true. He stuck to the letter of the law, but he did so with utterly ruthless efficiency.

However... there was one story* where Dredd actually offed a Perp summarily. This story drew a load of complaints from fans, all pointing out that such an act - however seemingly warranted - would be totally out of character for Dredd.

The thing about Dredd is that he's pretty much the reverse of this thread's title: he's a dislikable who is nonetheless a hero.

(* - Don't ask me which story - I'm not *that* much of a Dredd nerd!)

[Toby Gymshorts]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Guy Profumo wrote:

Judge Dredd

I mean yeah, he's a fascist who makes arbitrary judgments on people, but dislikable?

You've gone wrong.

Isn't the point about him he doesn't make arbitrary judgments?

Actually, yeah. Misuse of the word arbitrary, there.

It's the Iso-Cube for this perp.

[MiserableOldGit]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

The twins in Twin Town. I'd gladly have watched them fall into a car crusher during the first five minutes.

[jeanmid]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Oh Quincy really is a complete shit, who can I forgot when he investigated the death of a young man, only to discover he was killed by punk rock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmJxxnemxmw

[The Inner Light]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

HBO, Sky Atlantic excel at this. I can think of Enoch Thompson, in Boardwalk Empire, Quarry, In well Quarry and nearly everyone in GOT

[Vulgarian Visigoth]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

I think we're mixing two opposite categories here - dislikable heroes and likeable antiheroes.

[3 Colours Red]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Likeable antihero is verging on a tautology.

[Patrick Thistle]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

I have said many times on here that James Bond is a sexual predator bordering on rapist and pathological killer. This is especially true of the Daniel Craig incarnation.

I take the points about Judge Dredd. But he's not meant to be liked, is he. There's no mercy or humanity to him. Doesn't mean he ain't a hero.

Good call on Bruce Wayne. The third Dark Knight film's whole message was 'Let the 1% rule over you, you plebs, or face mob rule and summary justice meted out by thugs.'

[tracteurgarcon]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

In most incarnations I've always thought that Robin Hood was a bit of a prick.

[EIM]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

The Scarlet Pimpernel was 100% bastard.

[Guy Profumo]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

The William Hartnell incarnation of Dr Who could be a bit of a bastard as well.

[3 Colours Red]

Totally dislikable 'heroes'

Zorro - vandalising property with his sword, cutting up ladies' dresses, wearing all black like some mardy teenager. Twat.