In terms of economic plausibility I'd have to go with Dominic Green from Quantum of Solace. He was essentially trying to take control of Bolivia's water supply for economic/political capital. This is the sort of thing that banks and governments are _already_ doing.

I'm not sure if this is a situation where art imitates life or where life imitates art, but either way it was a Bond film that had a bad guy so plausible that it barely seems outrageous and my commentary has me pondering Marx's base and superstructure.