Thor: The Dark World opens this week in theaters and it features Thor and Loki, an ongoing blood feud that is now in its third movie. The sibling rivalry has been a part of fiction as far back as the Bible and the theme has been the source of some great pairings. Here’s just five of them.
5. Brennan and Dale – Step Brothers
The only brothers not bound by blood on this list, the early relationship between Brennan and Dale is what makes the film so hilarious. It took me a few tries to like Step Brothers, but it eventually grew on me and is now one of my favorite Will Ferrell movies. He has great chemistry with John C. Reilley in this one and the two have never been better together.
4. Thor and Loki – Thor
Thor and Loki are the two that inspired this list and this one time, I’m going to include the inspiration in the 5 For Friday. I make this exception because this brother feud started in the original Thor film and has carried over into The Avengers and now into Thor: The Dark World. It’s a rivalry that is only befitting a couple of verbose Norse Gods prone to grandstanding and split ends. And one weird goddamn poster in China.
3. Baby Jane and Blanche – Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Faded stardom, sister jealousy, and alcohol: that’s what’s behind the film Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? If you’re unfamiliar with it, the movie stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as two faded actresses living together. While one is crippled, the other is crazy and jealous. And drunk. Over time, Jane starts to control most aspects of Blanche’s life and gets crazier and crazier. If you could imagine Misery with two old ladies, that’s basically what you have here.
2. Mufasa and Scar – The Lion King
More or less an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Lion King brought one of the most brutally violent tales of sibling rivalry to the preschool crowd. An entire generation learned about mortality thanks to this mid-90’s masterpiece and the Scar-Mufasa relationship was at dead center. Scar is one of the very best villains in movie history and, if for no other reason, it’s because of the way he does his own brother in. To top it off, he blames his own nephew, all in an effort to wear the crown. Cold. Blooded.
1. Michael and Fredo Corleone – The Godfather Part 2
Michael is the brains. Sonny is the brawn. What does that leave for Fredo? Unfortunately, not much. Played masterfully by the late John Cazale, Fredo’s ability to be a schmuck is evident early on in the epic series. It’s not his fault that his kid brother, Michael, was so good at running the family business, but it also didn’t help that he couldn’t help but fuck up at every turn. It must hurt to get passed over, but let’s face it: even in La Cosa Nostra, you need to earn it. Watching Fredo meet his inescapable fate is heartbreaking, but when you become a hazard like he did, measures need to be taken.
The Main Damie 