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Casting A Shadow
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 16:09 by Glen Ferris in Empire States
 Mark Wahlberg as a science teacher? What’s up with that? Are we really supposed to believe that a man who used to go by the name of Marky Mark has the book smarts to tutor a room full of kids about life, the universe and everything?
No, we can’t, but as befits the themes of M. Night Shyamalan’s hugely disappointing (and very, very silly) eco-horror The Happening, the world has indeed gone all topsy-turvy. Indeed, such a strange casting choice seems almost plausible when you’re talking about a movie that puts the mentalism into environmentalism.
Asking us to believe that Wahlberg has the wherewithal to unravel the mystery behind a world-wide pandemic using only a furrowed brow and some decidedly dodgy dialogue really may be beyond the realms of possibility in most peoples’ books, but it pales into insignificance compared to some of cinema’s worst casting faux pas. Not that we’re excusing what is an abominable waste of time and money, but Wahlberg’s confused-looking turn is just another cock-up in a long line of bum-puckeringly bad performances caused by ill-fitting casting decisions.
Take, for example, the most famous of them all… Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. The decision to cast an American (and one who couldn’t even attempt a facsimile of an English dialect) as an important British icon is, frankly, unforgivable. The fact that it remains a good film is, I think we all know, completely thanks to the venerable presence of Alan Rickman.
Still, dodgy accents aren’t new to movies, for example take Keanu “Dude” Reeves’ hilarious attempt at cut-glass English in Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Harrison Ford’s “Wussian” cadence in K:19 The Widowmaker. And let us not forget the downright offensive “Oirish” offerings from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio in Gangs Of New York, Gerard Butler in P.S. I Love You and Tom Cruise in Far And Away.
You could almost forgive the shocking deficit of vocal prowess were it not for a general lack of suitability to their roles but even those performances seem like gold medal standard compared to the likes of Sofia Coppola in The Godfather: Part III (so bad, she never acted again), Vince Vaughn in Psycho (he wouldn’t even hurt a fly, but he sure as hell damaged Hitchcock’s legacy), Orlando Bloom in Kingdom Of Heaven (the wettest Templar to ever attempt to “rise a knight”) and the double whammy of crappy casting Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert in Highlander (wrong, wrong, stupid and wrong).
More recently we’ve had the likes of Javier Bardem in Love In The Time Of Cholera, Topher Grace in Spider-Man 3 and pretty much everybody in The Golden Compass (barring Sam Elliot because he’s awesome) - the bad choices just keep on coming.
But who’s to blame? The casting directors? The actors? The directors’ madness? Outside interference? Hell, we don’t know but we, the cinema-going public, are the ones who end up suffering.
There’s nothing worse than having your cinematic experience marred by an ill-judged casting decision, so in the name of a legion of satisfied punters, we ask but one favour – cast suitable actors in suitable roles, simple as that, and let the world be a happy place again.
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Comments
| 1 |
slaveone
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 17:18
Am I the only person who reckons Elijah Wood takes an awful lot of the shine off the otherwise phenomenal LOTR trilogy..? He's wet, soft and completely unappealing a character. Yes, yes I know the whole point is that he's completely reluctant to take the ring as it's just too huge a task for a Hobbit, but surely the fact that I don't really give a monkeys about what happens to him is a problem considering he's the main player in the biggest film franchise of all time. Nothing personal against Mr Wood either - I like a lot of his films - but this is a problem I face every time I watch Rings. OK, let the backlash begin... |
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| 2 |
labyrinth4eva
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 17:32
Well casting directors often get it wrong, take Bend it Like Beckham for example, someone auditioned her and thought "this Keira girl is good" and someone, somewhere, keeps thinking that..............the mind boggles |
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seventhrib
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 17:39
I quite liked Topher Grace in Spiderman 3, if primarily for the bit when Spiderman smashes his camera and he goes 'WHAT THE HELL!?' Maybe he was a bit too gay, thinking about it. |
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| 4 |
shanewire
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 17:57
Totally agree with slaveone
Now I'm gonna be much more controversial and say Bruce Willis was shit in almost everything except Die Hards. Nick Nolte shoulda been Hartigan, who cares if he doesn't look like the comic
He even sucked in Die Hard 4. He played it as himself not John McClain |
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| 5 |
Eomer_King
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 18:15
Yet more Kevin Costner nay-saying. Robin Hood is awesome. Not because Alan Rickman manages to save it from Costner (a man whose work is sniggered at far too much) but because it's just, you know, awesome. So they cast an American as Robin Hood. Big deal. Christian Slater speaks with an Australian accent for some reason and Morgan Freeman is doing a rather poor Cornell West impression. Sean Connery meanwhile turns up at the end as Frenchman Richard the Lionheart sounding like he does in every film, and the myriad supporting locals speak with enough of a variety of dialects to make London look like an occluded backwater.
There have been plenty of crap casting decisions in recent years but Costner's Robeen 'Ood ain't one of them. |
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| 6 |
Ricorodrigeuz
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 18:36
Its not long before people start (again) saying that Daniel Craig was a bad choice for Bond when I thought he pulled it off rather well. Why Ridley chose Ordlando for KOH, I don't know. He's good as a supporting actor though. |
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| 7 |
jamesenscene
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 18:44
Watching Marky Mark scowl all the way through The Happening aswell as acting dumb and asking dumb questions was excrutiating. Awful, awful, awful film! |
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joe14c
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 18:46
I liked Topher Grace in Spiderman and Elijah Wood in LOTR.
Totally agree with the Keira point, she has one performance in her and brings it out in every film she's in.
Here's another one, Ashton Kutcher in anything he's ever done. He seems to be cast as the likeable kinda guy who we're all supposed to root for, but anyone I know with any sense would love to give him a slap round the face and tell him to stick to pretending to stitch up his fellow celebs.
And one shocking miscast that comes to mind, Katie Holmes in Thank You For Smoking, |
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| 9 |
sexysam_07
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 19:09
What about Matt Damon as Jason Bourne? He got the dazed and confused thing down pretty well but then seemed to stick with it beyond what was necessary. Or is that just me? |
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| 10 |
Hol5x
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 19:12
Eric Banana as "scientist" Bruce Banner.
Shockingly wrong on every level.
Anyway, Empire, what about Eva Green as Serafina Pekkala in "The Golden Compass"? I thought she played her really well. |
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| 11 |
Kirky
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 20:03
My god, I cant believe some of the stuff said here! Slaveone u ramble on bout Mr Frodo when ur screen name is Slaveone! A ship out of a never ending(never being the kid word)toy advert!
But I have to agree, Kiera's acting is just like the thing shes describe as, a twig,therefore wooden!
And what wrong with Ashton Kutcher! Have u seen the Guardian!
And to critise Willis in Sin City,just wrong!
Biggest casting mistake is having Simon Pegg in ANYTHING! He cant act and he aint funny! |
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| 12 |
eiffey
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 20:12
Kim Bosworth-Lois Lane... |
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| 13 |
YourOtherLeft
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 20:12
RIP Stan Winston
Hope this aint true, but its looking increasingly likely given what AICN are saying. Another cinematic legend takes a bow. Really fucking sad news. Who'll ever forget Terminator, Predator, Jurassic Park and most recently, practical effects work on Iron Man. The bloke was an absolute effects genius and probably gave most of us at least 1 iconic creature image from childhood....mine has to be that T-Rex, nothing has put the shits up me like that did watching JP in the cinema as a young kid.
Thanks for the memories Stan. |
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| 14 |
slaveone
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 20:24
Kirky...I've no idea which advert you're referring to but please feel free to tell me. Have you never seen Star Wars..? And what's your name based on...? Captain Kirky..? |
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| 15 |
Gator MacReady
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 20:30
Simon Pegg in anything. His cameo in M:I 3 was especially annoying since he was clearly trying to ad lib and failing completely. |
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| 16 |
pgtipsp
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 20:38
ah kirky, i was nodding in agreement as if i were neal cassady, then you have to spoil it all by hating on The Pegg
i never bothered with run fatboy run, and the big nothing was a pretty poor film, but to say that the holy trinity (spaced, shaun and hot fuzz) arent funny is like saying "yeah, that scientology stuff makes a lotta sense" - you crazy arse-clown
actually hot fuzz isnt that holy, but still holier than thou
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| 17 |
willchadwick
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 21:03
Tom Hanks in The Ladykillers
Eli Roth in Death Proof
Quentin Tarantino in everything
Julian Sands in anything |
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| 18 |
khac6876
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 21:12
Nicole Kidman was perfect in the Golden Compass (everything else was a mess). |
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mebbetheywasinjuns
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 22:32
You know, one of the things that annoys me as much as anything about these kind of decisions is that the actors do as badly out of it as anybody. Mark Wahlberg is, on occasion, a fine actor. He was great in The Departed and I Heart Huckabees - he just doesn't have the most spectacular range. Nobody asked Jimmy Stewart to play John Wayne roles, 'cause even he would've been rubbish at it.
Also, to get involved with the back and forth bitching (and who doesn't love a bit of back and forth bitching?): Wood is fine in LOTR, and is good casting, it just isn't a very compelling role. Keira is spectacularly underrated; again, she just doesn't have a lot of what you would call range. She's great in Atonement and Pride and Prejudice, and you can hardly blame her for not being that good in Bend it like Beckham or Pirates, when all that is required is that she look hot and pout a little. Which she does rather well.
Furthermore, a pox on all those who would criticise Simon Pegg. He is a fine Comic (if somewhat untested Dramatic) Actor, who shows great potential as a crossover star. Plus, anything in which he stars with Nick Frost (and is directed by Edgar Wright) is awesome. Everything - past, present and future. |
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the ageless stranger
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 22:39
Amen on the DiCaprio in Gangs of New York nomination. As an Irishman, it's a particular irritant to see actors, decent or otherwise, attempting an Irish accent. (It's not THAT hard people!) I'm no fan of DiCaprio at the best of times, but hearing him squeeze out authentic Leperachaunese dialogue like "...now she is a prim looking stargazer!" damn near made me bite my own tongue off in disgust.
Also, Marky Mark, as much as I like the guy, has had one mis-step before The Happening, involving a Planet of the Apes. As that film showed, he is not a motivational speaker.
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angie82
Posted on Monday June 16, 2008, 22:42
i agree on most of the article..but no no no in Highlander a big X...come on now Connery and Lambert seems now the best choices. Can u imagine someone else in those roles?
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Drew_231
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 00:21
what is up with the anti-British sentiments so prevalent throughout the forums of a UK based publication?
Basically you all hate Simon Pegg, Kiera Knightly, Guy Ritchie, Jason Stratham, and The Descent???
Anyway, back on topic, the most unbelievable piece of casting has to be Denise Ritchards as a nuclear physicist in 'The world is not enough'
Now I can believe in kids on broomsticks, wookies, magic rings, and even freaking bullet time, but some things are just going too far |
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| 23 |
thegodfathers
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 02:16
Mark Walberg in Planet Of The Apes (2001) James camerons original re-make was gonna have Arnie in it, You do the math. Arnie vs Apes!
Everything in BulletProff Monk
Val Kilmer as Batman
George Clooney as Batman (all is forgiven)
Everything else in Batman and Robin
And not having Frank Welker in Transformers (2007) |
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| 24 |
larstrygve
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 02:38
I'm just happy that someone FINALLY recognises that Keira Knightly CAN'T ACT!!! It's about time people look past that pretty face and see that there's nothing there!
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Cletus Van Damme
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 08:03
anyone know who was supposed to be in KOH in place of Orlando Bloom?
There is the on going story that Scott wanted someone with more gravitas but had Orlando imposed upon him by the studio bigwigs to guarantee bums on seats.
So who did Scott want?
And Kiera KNightly is just plain wrong in virtually everything she has been in. She just can't forget herself enough to act. She is appalling.... |
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| 26 |
Cletus Van Damme
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 08:10
Nothing, larstrygve, nothing at all.
You and I are in complete agreement.
She acts like some kind of icon. Say what you want about Posh, at least she laughs at herself.
Kiera Knightly is the Victoria beckham of modern cinema. People need to STOP CASTING HER...
Poor girl.
I met her once. She was very very frail. She needs to eat something.... |
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| 27 |
tallaght24
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 08:44
I love Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. Also I didn't notice how bad Sofia Coppola was to be honest. But as for Gerard 'THIS IS SPARTA!!!' Butler, fuckin hell....how can a scottish bloke fuck up an Irish accent so badly? I was born in Dublin and frankly find most 'Oirish' accents in movies abysmal. Why does every American think we talk like fuckin leprechaun? "ahhh...top o' the mornin to ya...to be sure..to be sure,ooooh lucky charms are magically delicious." Prats. |
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dvddave
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 09:43
You missed out the worst of all.Mary Poppins,need say more?While we are on it as well,choose any of the oceans films with that terrible Don Cheadle accent.He puts Dick Van Dyke to shame |
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the ageless stranger
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 09:58
Shia LaBeouf in Constantine. Okay, one could argue that his whole role is a mistake, but still, the irritating teenage comic relief in a dark occult thriller just should not be.
Val Kilmer in The Ghost and The Darkness. Another Irish accent massacred.
Ray Winstone as Beo-WOOF, playing him not as a Norse Man-God, but as a London taxidriver.
Also, I was trying to keep away from comic book movies, cos they're too easy, but Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut (bitch). It had to be said. |
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the ageless stranger
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 10:00
Actually, sticking with Constantine for a second, what the hell was the guy from Bush doing playing a demon? I'd say that counts.... |
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Cletus Van Damme
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 10:05
Agree, Stranger
Vinnie Jones ruined X3 along with Shat-ner directing.
Empire said so at the time. I still don't understand why they do stuff like that. Silly bastards. |
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| 32 |
aniki21
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 10:32
How can you mention bad Oirish accents and not bring up Brad Pitt in The Devil's Own? |
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| 33 |
marlo
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 10:44
Alan Ladd as Nevada Smith just ruined The Carpet-baggers for me |
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the ageless stranger
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 10:48
I forgot about Mr.Pitt's contribution, in fact I think I turned it off after half an hour. The only bit I can remember is the line from the trailer: "Are you with me thar luv?" At least his accent in Snatch was actually meant to be funny.
Another one, Katie Holmes in Batman Begins. Just irritating. |
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| 35 |
grucl
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 10:52
4 words :
Hayden
Christensen
Anakin
Skywalker
‘nuff said….
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Kit Fisto
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 10:54
Re. Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. I think Costner's accent's pretty funny to be honest. It changes throughout the film. It's obviously not an artistic masterpiece, but bloody good entertainment. Anyhoo - best accent moment is when Christian Slater goes:
'There was a rich MAN from Notting-HAM,
who tried to cross the river.
What a Joke, he tripped on a rope,
Now look at him shiver!'
Genius. Shakespeare, Milton and Chaucer together couldn't have come up with that.
More casting gaffs...
Matt LeBlanc in Lost In Space. Genius idea. Brilliantly crap execution.
I think a lot of films have suffered from having Will Ferrell playing his stock character recently.
Richard Gere in First Knight...and a lot of other stuff.
Katie Holmes in Batman Begins...possibly the only weak link.
Andie McDowell in 4 Weddings. She actually makes the script incomprehensible in the scene after they first sleep together. Good going.
John Wayne as Genghis Khan.
Michael Gambon in Harry Potter. What an idiot. Hasn't even read the books and thinks that this aids his interpretation of the scripts...sure kids are gonna loe that.
Diaz in Gangs of New York.
Keanu Reeves in The Devil's Advocate
Brando in Guys and Dolls
Gerard Butler in Phantom of the Opera.
Cate Capshaw in Temple of Doom |
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| 37 |
sithpimp
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 11:00
dont hate on capshaw. she did what she was meant to do, which was to be friggin annoying! while on an Indy vibe I thought ray winstone was a waste of time in KOTCS, but again that could be more to do the role itself. |
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InvisibleDuncan
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 11:06
Surely "Alexander" takes the prize for worst-ever casting: Colin Farrel as Alexander the Great, Angelina Jolie as his mum? Madness. |
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Cletus Van Damme
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 11:13
Ditto Andie McD in 4Weddings.
She makes a potentially dislikeable character (aimless, self satisfied, marries a charmless bloke for his money and is basically an American with no personality) even more grating. You are left wondering why Hugh Grant would ever fall for her. He should have bunked off with Kristin Scott Thomas who makes a potentially unlikebale character extremely sexy.
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Kit Fisto
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 11:30
I see your point Sithpimp. I just sometime struggle to work out whether she's an acting genius playing the part perfectly or just a complete idiot. Bit of a paradox. |
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Greg Andrew
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 11:59
For Gangs i think Dicaprio was a bad choice, much like Milk on a hot day. But people always go on about his accent and how bad its irish twang was. Now in the films he does spend alot of time in the boys home where i always felt his accent would have changed to a more American sounding version of irish. |
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| 42 |
dunkah
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 12:39
Richard Gere - The Jackal
Christpher Eccleston - 28 Days Later
Bruce Willis in Sin City (shoulda been Clint)
Brad Pitt in Se7en
Natalie Portman in Pretty much everything except Leon
Tom Hanks in Road To Perdition |
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the ageless stranger
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 12:40
Greg, I've heard that defense of DiCaprio's accent before, and with all due respect, I must disagree. His accent sounds the same as damn near every other mainstream actor's mangling of Irish, it wasn't subtly nuanced Irish with a seasoning of American. It was just bad. |
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waltham1979
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 13:13
cannot believe no one has mentioned Nicholas Cage in anything; especially Con AIR - I know its hardly Shakespear as it is but his awful drawl makes me wish the film was about 2 minutes long !! GOD he sucks !! |
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jcthefirst
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 13:21
Jessica Alba, Fantastic Four - Uh, a scientist. Don't think so love.
I like the Clint for Hartigan suggestion, but I still think Bruce Willis was excellent. |
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debee_bambino
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 13:36
Well continuing with the Kiera Knightly battering has no one mentioned 'Domino'?
This was a character who was supposed to be a real tough cookie and Keira couldnt even say f off with enough wellie behind it to convince me that she wasn't actually saying
"oh yes please vicar that would be lovely!" let alone kick anyones ass!
And heaven forbid dont even get me started on Andie McDowell..."Iiiiis iiittt ssstttiiilll rrrrrrraaaiiinnninnng...iiii hhhaaaddnnntt nnnoootttiiccceeedd!" oh paaaaaaaaalease!!!
She cant even act well enough to make me believe that she's a real person let alone that she's not got wrinkles...how the hell is that cream gonna make a profit?!
Cant we just stick them on an island somewhere?...you know...just as a suggestion!
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keir
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 13:43
dunkah - Each entitled to their own opinion, but I've never in all my days heard anyone have a problem with Brad Pitt in Se7en? Seriously...? But good call on Eccleston in 28 Days - although really that was a flaw in the script that turned a movie with a huge sprawling premise into a weird Evenesence-like music video in a mansion.
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BethN21286
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 13:44
Dear god whoever was responsible for casting Tom Hanks in the Da Vinci code should be shot, dunked, buried, dug up and shot again.
The man has the charisma of a wet fish several months deceased. |
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zephseven
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 14:01
The only problem with Topher Grace in Spiderman was I spent the entire film distracted by the thought of how much better the entire franchise would have been if Topher played Spidey. |
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benthemitchell
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 14:29
Completely agree with Don Cheadle in Ocean's. "We're in Barney!" Completely hysterical for all the wrong reasons.
Also, in Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing, we are expected to believe that Keanu Reeves and Denzel Washington are brothers. I can't be the only one who believes this defies all casting logic!
And then we come to Keira. Don't get me wrong, she is stunning, but as wooden as..well, wood. The line that makes me cringe the most is the bit in Love, Actually, where she goes "I actually look quite...pretty." I had to endure that film with the ex-girlfriend anyway, but that really took the piss. |
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sowasred2012
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 14:33
Oi! Who said Brad Pitt was wrong for Mills?! That was spot-on casting!
Personally, I don't like inexplicable stunt casting - e.g. Kevin Smith in Die Hard 4.0. Yeah, I totally buy Kevin Smith as a super nerd, but that's the problem, I'm never less than fully aware that I'm looking at Kevin Smith as opposed to the character he's playing. It takes me right out of it. I like Kevin Smith, I do, but there's a time and a place for him, and it's usually in his own movies.
Pretty much the same goes for Quentin Tarantino, the only difference being that I'm actually somewhat entertained by Kevin Smith, whereas QT irritates the shit out of me. |
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djamesc
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 14:44
Orlando Bloom. In everything. Honestly, he is the worst thing about every single film he has appeared in.
Hayden Christensen As Anakin Skywalker. Actually, the entire cast was rubbish. Well, not rubbish... just given rubbish material with rubbish direction...I would implore studios to stop giving George Lucas money but they've already lost that battle.
Jason Statham in Jet Li's the One. At least that was funny! Definite contender for worst accent ever. Probable Winner.
Edward Furlong in T2. I wanted him to get shot. Not a good start!
Nic Cage in Ghost Rider
Channing Tatum in A Guide to Recognising Your Saints.... he seems to have somewhat learned his trade now so maybe GI Joe won't suck (As much as Van Helsing did anyway... I am not totally cyncical... but people would actually have to TRY to make a film worse than Van Helsing) but his earlier performances were... well, terrible.
And maybe people have been lenient because he's young but really...
Edward Norton, as much as I love him... Down in the Valley... shocking
Freddie Highmore. In anything.... what the hell!?
Matt Damon in The Talented Mr Ripley.
Kevin Spacey in the Shipping News. Only because he was 25 years too old!
Just think, it could be worse. Haley Joel Osment as Harry Potter if rumours are to believed. If Kevin Smith had a say it would be Jason Mewes as Jimmy and Ben Affleck as Superman. Ok, so he was superman but that's a different story. |
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chewynewyork
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 14:54
Wow. That often unforgivable sin of bad casting that is not spoken of enough is brought to light right here. I gotta go with Empire on this one; some casting personnel should be stripped of all credentials. You hit alot of nails on the head. Costner as Robin? Don't get me wrong, I generally enjoy his flicks, even though after over ten years I still pay for the crime of taking my wife to see Waterworld. Yet, you gotta wonder what type of asshole thought he was "whatever" enough to not even need to attempt an accent that children in high school could learn to perfect. The rest of Ferris' examples shine as well. Being from the States I may not appreciate enough how some actors really hack up their accents. Some dialogue should never be recorded, and to hell with suspension of disbelief. Take a refresher class, if ya gotta. And still, accents nonwithstanding, there are other tragedies: Topher Grace absolutely did NOT fit the bill for Venom, (unless you count being an asshole), Dolph Lundgred should have kept stayed beating Italian Stallions instead of destroying the Punisher of my youth, and Halle Berry (as good a shagger as she is, if Monster's Ball is any clue) should not be allowed near anything with the letter 'X' on it.
There could be a bright side, though. Ferris should do a piece on actors with more worthy skill in accents, people who actually take pride in it. Christian Bale, Jodie Foster, Lucy Lawless, Jamie Bamber...start wit them and just work your way down...
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BethN21286
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 14:59
Kit Fisto - Brando in Guys and dolls
Wash you mouth out with soap! That was the first my parents let me watch him in. He was the cool one!
And on Keira Knightley, I really don't see why everyone has such a grudge against the girl. She doesn't have the greatest range in the world but when your sole purpose is to shriek 'try wearing a corset' and look aristocratically pretty, how much depth can you really ask for? I liked her in Pride and Prejudice but then again Domino did make me laugh so hard coke came out my nose. |
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D.J
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 15:07
Colin Farrell in Alexander (biggest miscast of all time surely?)
Colin Farrell in Daredevil (still a complete stinker of a film regardless)
Jennifer Garner in Daredevil
Ben Affleck in Daredevil
Ben Affleck in Paycheck
Uma Thurman in Paycheck
Chow Yun Fat in BulletProof Monk
Everyone except Kurt Russell in Death Proof.
The entire cast of Flinstones: Viva Rock Vegas.
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aka_sammym
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 15:23
Nicolas Cage is pretty shocking in most of his movies. If it wasn't for Raising Arizona, Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation (basically all of his indie movies), the guy's CV would be a tale of woe. Ghost Rider, Next (Jessica Biel as the love interest? Yikes!) and any of his collaberations with Jerry Bruckheimer. Optimistic about Bangkok Dangerous?... Didn't think so.
Other shocking bits of casting for your list....
Ben Affleck in Daredevil
Will Smith in I Am Legend
Sean Connery in Entrapment
Liv Tyler in nearly all of her movies
Halle Berry in Catwoman
Sylvester Stallone in Get Carter
Arnold Schwarzenegger in Batman & Robin
Hayden Christiansen in Star Wars
Robert DeNiro in Frankenstein
And ..... Will Ferrell in Anchorman (Joke!)
On a serious note, I think Orlando Bloom's role in Kingdom of Heaven could have done with someone better. But, it didn't ruin the movie at all, the uncut version in particular is fantastic. |
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debee_bambino
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 15:39
Up until now I've liked Mark Wahlberg in everything I've seen him in but I watched this yesterday and he was so wooden, maybe the lines out of his mouth would have been more convincing if he had included them within a little science rap, or said them whilst doing the windmill, then maybe I would have bought it as him originally being a gangster from the "hhhhooood" gone soft! or something, I actually thought the whole film was dire...'The Happening'...when?! |
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bobthegrinch
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 16:09
Topher Grace was definetly wrong for Venom. Although considering how blatant it was that Sam Raimi didn't want to include Venom and was pretty much forced to include him it wouldn't have been easy for any actor. That said he ruined what little he was given. Apparently the line 'My spider sense is tingling if you know what I mean' was his which just undermined any menace he had and made him a cartoon. I actually like Spider-man 3 except that the inclusion of Venom took away from Sandman screen time so as a result you had two underdeveloped villains and an irritating news reporter. I liked the Peter/Harry stuff.
I agree that Hayden Christensen in Star Wars, Orlando Bloom in everything but LOTR are casting errors. Nicholas Cage in Ghost Rider looked like someone having a mid life crisis in that leather. Also Matthew McConaughey being cast in anything ever is a mistake. |
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| 59 |
keir
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 17:00
Some of you seem to be missing the point about mis-casting. This isn't about movies you hate. It's about people in roles that were just never intended for them. So 56:-aka_sammym who thinks Will Smith was miscast for I am Legend... really? Was he? Maybe you didn't like the movie, but let's be honest, the casting was fine. You have a problem with him because of.... what? You don't think the last man alive should be black? Likewise Halle Berry in Catwoman. Terrible movie. Absolutely awful. But she wasn't mis-cast. The role called for someone slinky, sexy... and A-list. So the casting was fine. The movie just sucked. Same to 55-DJ: Okay, you don't like Paycheck or Daredevil. But the problem wasn't the casting, they were just lousy movies. Hayden Christensen playing the embodiment of all that is evil in the galaxy, or Mark Wahlberg as a science teacher..... that's bad casting. |
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| 60 |
sexysam_07
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 17:11
One of the most incomprehensible decisions was having Billy Conolly (who can't act anyway) doing a sickening Irish accent in a fairly prominant role for The Last Samurai.
Who the shit balls came up with that? |
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| 61 |
stevos
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 17:21
Let's face it, Mark Wahlberg in ANYTHING. |
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| 62 |
keir
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 17:43
Wahlberg was awesome in Departed - watch it again, him and Alec Baldwin steal the show. Maybe it just takes a decent director to get the goods out of him though. |
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| 63 |
olijoy
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 17:46
I've got to laugh at the 'Denise Richards as nuclear scientist' casting. Laughable, although let's be honest, it was surely intended? 'Christmas Jones' for God's sake!
Agree with the poster way upthread who said Elijah Wood isn't much cop in LotR. One of my biggest points of praise for those films is the casting - Gandalf and Aragorn in particular are spot-on, exactly how I for one envisaged them in the books. But one of my biggest points of criticism are Elijah Wood and particularly Sean Astin. Sean Astin hams it up something awful to the point of distraction. Elijah Wood is wet and is nowhere in terms of portraying the conflict Frodo is experiencing. Way off in my opinion.
I agree Hayden Christensen is probably the worst. It should have been a real tour-de-force of a role when we all know what he brought to it. I appreciate that George Lucas for all his success is the not the best director or scriptwriter and this can't have helped, but you only have to check HC's other roles for the woody acting. |
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| 64 |
Experiment 627
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 19:03
Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but disliking Keira Knightly as an actress is not the same as saying she was miscast. Domino - that's miscasting, Pride & Prejudice, Pirates - she played the role as it was supposed to be played.
Elijah Wood and Sean Astin are the beating heart of the whole Rings trilogy - paticularly in Return of the King two moments spring to mind - when Mt. Doom is erupting all around them and Samwise breaks down now the burden of supporting Frodo has been lifted, or when Frodo is overcome by the ring in the last seconds - how can his unblinking eyes and corrupted smile not break your heart? - both of these moments are brilliantly delivered by both of them.
A true piece of miscasting in my opinion is the seldom seen Rocky & Bullwinkle - I truly hope De Niro got paid a fortune to make tarnishing his legacy worth it and the casting agent was beaten and now works as a shelf-stacker. |
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| 65 |
Drew_231
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 19:26
I think Keir has got it right, about missing the point of mis-casting. Its not about what actors you dont like, but about the actors not being right for the part
With regards to Elijah Wood, he was fine in the first two, but I just felt that he went into squealing overdrive in the third film (specifically in the Shelob section), really ruined his performance for me. Sean Astin wasn't particularily good in any of them (in my opinion).
Actually one that comes to mind right now is Bruce Willis in the Bonfire of the Vanaties, top marks for being completely miscast, as well as having the worst accent of the lot
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| 66 |
nathstyles
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 20:22
anthony hopkins - can't remember the name of the film but the one where one of the points of the plot is that hes mixed race!?? |
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| 67 |
amyg
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 20:33
That's so true!!!!keanu reeves-"whaatz in thoise boaxes??" so funny. But Gary Oldman is not only shite in the very same film, but also in Air Force one, when in his "russian" accent shots "shat uup" sounding very much like he comes from basildon. Still love it though : ) |
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| 68 |
Juror No 8
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 20:41
Michael Gambon as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films is just plain wrong. God knows what the Half Blood Prince will be like as a film given that a major plot thread is the relationship between Dumbledore and Harry. As Gambon play him, there's no way that Dumbledore would engender the affection and respect that Harry is supposed to hold him for. I wish they'd replace him with Stephen Fry. He may not look right (I'm sure a good spot of make-up would change that) but listen to the audio books and you'll see he has the character down to a T. |
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| 69 |
everton
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 20:46
OK so when someone, especially a person PAYED to watch films, has troub;e seperating an ACTOR from a previous role or their REAL life, the problem lies with the viewer: Unless the performance is so mind meltingly poor it can't be helped.
Natalie Portman has a degree from Harvard, but I don't realy have a problem accepting her playing shop assistants etc.
I remember reading a review of POTC: Curse of Black Pearl in the Independent, The lady who wrote the review remarked that she couldn't seperate the Pirate with the wooden eye (McKenzie Crook i believe) from his character in the office. At that stage I'd never seen the office, but I have since, and I very easily watch either without being hindered by any baggage. A paid reviewer should be able to do the same.
Sure sometimes people are just wrong for their roles, and it's often painful to watch but an inability to distinguish the past, real or fictional, from a present role is a viewer issue.
I'Oh and this.
benthemitchell
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 14:29
"Also, in Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing, we are expected to believe that Keanu Reeves and Denzel Washington are brothers. I can't be the only one who believes this defies all casting logic!"
totally
missed
the
point! |
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| 70 |
everton
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 20:54
Oh I need to make it clear I think Simon Pegg is a genius. ...........
BUTTTTTTTTTT...............
Am I the only one who thinks Simon Pegg - Scotty from Star Trek.. WTF?
I hope it works but that is some weird casting. Oh and don't get me started on the Any Oriental will do yndrome. John Cho = Korean Sulu = japenese yes? |
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| 71 |
Blyman
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 21:02
Im surprised no one has laid into the bad bad casting of Indy 4. Ray Winstone as the cringeworthy comedy 'alright geezer cor blimey govnor' sidekick, Marcus and sol kicked ass. Shia as the weedy son of hard as nails Indy, great in Transformers but you needed someone beefier and better to bounce off and push Harrison as Connery did, Brad Pitt (who I dont really like) anyone, wouldnt have noticed the age gap as much? Marion as, well Marion, think there's a reason we havent seen her in anything since Raiders. Kate Blanchett, dull. And could anyone take the scene with the Janitor from Scrubs as and FBI guy and Paul Robinson from Neighbours as a General serious?
PS Paltrow in Iron Man??? Cant exactly cast Megan Foxx opposite RDJ but couldnt they do better. |
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| 72 |
everton
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 21:23
Blyman
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 21:02
Oddly enough I think I dissagree with every single one of your choices. Which goes to show it's all about opinions :). Paltrow was very good in Iron Man, perfect casting for Pepper, the way she is in the movie. Shia was hardly Weedy, and Starman, Scrooged? to be fair she has kinda bounced betwen movies and tv drams since Scrooged, and you not being able to tak the scene with the guy from Scrubs seriously makes my point above (post 69) Whose fault is it that you can't see him as an actor rather than the funny guy from Scrubs?
It's all about opinions :) yours and mine are just amussingly opposed. :) |
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| 73 |
drake22
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 00:04
i like topher grace, his whole character was wrong, but he was good at that character. Hrm, i alsways thought nicolas cage in ghost rider was a little miscast, as well as jessica beil in blade trinity (one of many problems in that film). |
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| 74 |
1986eoinb
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 03:18
Excellent, totally agree with you (except about Highlander of course), but you have failed to mention the most unforgiveable case of miscasting in movie history........ Hayden as Darth vader!!!!! |
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| 75 |
thing_2
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 08:24
wat about Katie holmes in Batman Begins? i mean come on ...she just really cant pull off the tough girl act!
Y O Y was gereard butler made to talk in that ridiculous irish accent in P.S I Love You????? i mean hilary swank was allowed to be american (even tho she is actually irish in the novel) i watched half of the film and just couldn't bear any more of it... the only person that saved the film for me was Lisa Kudrow... |
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| 76 |
Lupin 3
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 08:52
I just got back from the average hulk. Edward Norton didn't seem to be playing anyone but Edward Norton. Badly. |
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| 77 |
Mr Grizzly
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 08:59
All very good suggestions...but what about Di Craprio in The Beach? Or anything bar The Depahded (brilliant performances all round in that one)? BTW I haven't seen Basketball diarys.
As watchable as he is, Alan Rickman is too hammy for Snape in Harry Potter, Tim Roth should have taken it as intended. |
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| 78 |
martindean1981
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 10:08
What's wrong with Topher Grace in Spiderman III, Glenn? |
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| 79 |
InvisibleDuncan
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 10:29
If we're picking on Lord of the Rings, I had a huge problem with Liv Tyler being cast as an elf. Elves are supposed to be slim, lithe and beautiful, whereas Liv Tyler is rather, well, chubby - especially in the face. Her acting was atrocious, too - she whispered every line (do you know anyone who always whispers in real life?), and when she was supposed to be speaking Elvish, she spoke... each... word... with... a... long... pause... between - exactly as you would if you were reading some words you didn't understand, but not as if she was speaking a language.
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| 80 |
combourg
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 10:46
Anyfilms with Charlton Heston, Victor Mature, Keanu Reeves and Elvis Presley!! |
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| 81 |
slaveone
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 11:38
Mr Grizzly...
So a few for and againsts re: the casting of Frodo Baggins - everyone has a different opinion and that's what makes these blogs brilliant. I must say though I disagree with those dissing Sean Astin's role - thought he was superb as Sam, the real hero of ROTK, aLthough after battling the Fratellis in '85, Gollum was never gonna be a match for him...
Mr Grizzly...I strongly recommend the Basketball Diaries for a fine example of what Leo can do, and even more so What's Eating Gilbert Grape - if The Departed and Blood Diamond weren't enough. |
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| 82 |
missphoenix
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 11:54
Mr Grizzly - Tim Roth would have been disastrous as Snape, Rickman does it perfectly.
Most people are going on about bad acting rather than bad casting - there is a difference!!
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| 83 |
pgtipsp
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 12:19
speaking of miscasting in blade trinity - i ouldnt really tell you who was miscast or not, because none of the actors gave anything remotely approaching an amusing or convincing performance as the script and direction was so appalling, but i will say this about that film:
parker posey - appalling, retarded
the guy out of prison break - appalling, completely unmenacing
ryan reynolds - wincing, gurning
jessica biel - wooden, boring
kris kristofferson - bored, bored
wesley snipes - bored, tired
i love the first two films, so i just pretend the third one NEVER HAPPENED
the same reason why i never bothered with seeing X3 cause it sounded rubbish (having loved X1, and especially X2) , and the same for the spiderman trilogy
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| 84 |
Pattas
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 13:19
How's about Orlando Bloom in anything where he is supposed to be a tough character, Troy, Kingdom of heaven, Even in Pirates he was a knob.
Although i find it hard to knock anyone in Lord Of the Rings.
Troy is a strange film i hated every character apart from Eric Bana's. Whats strange is for some reason i still like the film |
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| 85 |
Drew_231
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 14:10
Elvis was always cast as himself, even if he wasn't good doesn't mean he was miscast
Theres also Jack Black in King Kong, just didnt think he was really right for the part, but that could also be that it wasn't a particularily good movie |
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| 86 |
robmaytum
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 14:41
23 thegodfathers
Posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008, 02:16
"And not having Frank Welker in Transformers (2007)"
Well Frank Weller was the voice of Optimus Prime, everyone knows that. Do you research will you!!!
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| 87 |
rd93374
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 15:02
On the flip side, how about casting decisions that can't be faulted in any way?
All of the adult casting in the Harry Potter films for example. Gary Oldman as Sirius Black and David Thewlis as Remus Lupin. Spot on.
Viggo Mortenson in LOTR, even it was by accident.
Ian McKellen in LOTR
Hugh Jackman in X-Men
etc...etc... |
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| 88 |
TufnellStHubbins
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 15:03
I never thought i would say this but after The Departed, i can pretty much forgive Mark Wahlberg for everything else he has been in which has been below par (yes, i talking about you Truth about Charlie and Planet Of The Apes. and The Italian Job)...
also, i'm kinda offended by the person who wrote matt damon in the bourne trilogy because from where i sitting, he was perfect... |
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| 89 |
the ageless stranger
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 15:24
"Well Frank Weller was the voice of Optimus Prime, everyone knows that. Do you research will you!!!"
Um, Robmaytum, Peter Cullen was Optimus Prime, Frank Welker was Megatron in the TV show. Y'know, research n'all that..... :)
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| 90 |
jimvh1
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 15:30
I agree whole heartedly with Orlando Bloom in KOH, the guy just isn't go enough to do lead. I said at the time Paul Bettany would have been a much better choice, which was apparently Ridley Scott's first choice but the studio wanted Bloom because he's prettier. |
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| 91 |
BethN21286
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 15:54
Troy is a strange film i hated every character apart from Eric Bana's. Whats strange is for some reason i still like the film.
Totally agree with you there. Eric Bana was superb casting, the only one who seemed to have two brain cells to rub together.
Brad Pitt was cast because his name looks good in lights, Matthew McConaughey *shudder* could have done better with a southern accent and one hand behind his back. |
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| 92 |
Moosedog
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 17:03
I think invisibleduncan is on crack.... 'liv tyler a bit chubby in the face'... yeah, your right, she's one ugly looking fat chick.... strange. |
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| 93 |
newtonlady
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 17:14
Ok surely it cant all be down to the casting director, thype casting must play major role. I mean take Brendan Fraser, I think he is brill in the Mummy, but then he agrees to films like bedazzled and Loony Toons and I'm reminded the guy cant act. I mean atleast George in the jungle required him to be a complete melon.
Speaking of Bedazzled how has no-one mentiond Liz Hurley?!
I hate her in Austin powers tho I feel she was better cast than Beyonce.
I think LOTR was brilliantly cast.
And I am defo feeling the Kiera angst...the girl just cant act.
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| 94 |
Mr Grizzly
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 17:54
missphoenix - As I said I enjoy Rickman's performance but he's miscast. The pantonmime villain worked fine (and was the best thing) in robin hood, but not all the time in Harry Potter - I just think Roth could have brought some menace and sympathy which is needed for the character, especially later in the stories.
I have to agree about Gambon as Dumbledore - a real shame losing Richard Harris.
BTW - slaveone - I never dissed LOTR! - it's pretty well cast if you ask me. I did recommend James McAvoy as Bilbo for the Hobbit in another blog and got ruined for it, but thats a differnent story!
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| 95 |
Najemikon
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 17:57
John Wayne as Genghis Khan in The Conquerer. I think he was a fantastic, very underrated actor, but this... just awful and so wrong.
What makes it worse is there was a documentary on the other night that suggested John Wayne may have contracted cancer from the location for The Conquerer. Four actors from that same production have all died. Worst role ever gives you cancer? That's not exactly fair. |
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| 96 |
fotofoto
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 19:25
Oi, don't slag off Kevib Costner in RH: PoT, he's amazing (and I'm not being ironic). He's got the spoilt rich boy-turned earnest freedom-fighter thing down pat. A rubbish accent doesn't a rubbish performance make (apart from Heather Graham in From Hell obviously) |
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| 97 |
Sphinx
Posted on Wednesday June 18, 2008, 21:20
Agree with Richard Gere and First Knight, connery made a FANTASTIC arthur.
I'd like to kick the arse of the prat who casted Lee Jones for Blown Away, it was criminal, CRIMINAL I TELL YA!! |
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| 98 |
ROThornhill
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 06:56
In "Much Ado About Nothing", it is made quite clear by Benedick (Kenneth Branagh), that Keanu's character (Don John) is "John the bastard" and could therefore be considered a half-brother to Denzel's character (Don Pedro). |
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| 99 |
keir
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 08:22
Jack Black did indeed ruin King Kong with his spacky histrionics. |
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| 100 |
slaveone
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 08:41
Mr Grizzly...I only intended to refer to you re: what I said about DiCaprio, not the Rings stuff - apologies. I was simply disagreeing with the select few who slammed Sean Astin's performance as Sam.
Must bring up the Kate Bosworth in Superman Returns issue again (as somebody did above)...I LOVED it, even though she.......kinda wrecked it. Who would have been better..? Significantly older/Margot Kidder-esq/fiesty yet sexy - Courteney Cox. |
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| 101 |
the ageless stranger
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 09:22
I reckoned Jack Black was spot on in King Kong. He played the slimy bastard role perfectly without his usually "WHOOO-YEAAAAH!!!" brand of acting.
I was thinking though, Bill Paxton in Tombstone; I realise he's meant to be playing the wussiest of the Earp brothers, but in film full of hard-asses, he just seems like a kid with a glued-on moustache. |
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| 102 |
djamesc
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 09:42
Macy Gray in Training Day. I tried thinking of a way that didn't rhyme and make me sound like a dick but that's their names! She totally threw me out of the film. That's the thing about bad casting. They jar so heavily that the suspended belief you have is just gone because it's just like... Wait, WHAT?!? After that it can be a struggle to get back in to it. |
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| 103 |
Juliette
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 10:55
What exactly is wrong with Sofia Coppola's performance in Godfather 3? I've been hearing that she's terrible in it for years, but I saw the film recently and couldn't see anything particularly wrong with her or her performance... |
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| 104 |
eldritch
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 11:13
Gotta say, I despise the "Laugh at Yank actors who can't do English, Irish or Scot accents" brigade. It's irrelevant, firstly (they're acting, not doing impressions; it's like slagging someone off for not being as tall as the character they are supposed to be playing); secondly - and far worse - it
betrays a solipsistic jingoism. Ewan McGregor does appalling American accents but it doesn't matter, apparently. Gabriel Byrne always knew better than to try, but if he had I doubt he'd have been derided too much.
It should not be a prerequisite for an actor to be able to do different voices. How good are *you* at regional accents?
So enough, please. Judge them on their performance, not their accents. |
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| 105 |
den4444
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 11:25
Hayden Christensen as Anakin has to be the worse casting ever. Thanks to him (and George’s script) the young Vader was more Kevin the Teenager than future Dark Lord of the Sith. |
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| 106 |
djamesc
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 12:15
Eldritch - of course it matters. Acting is about making you believe they are somebody else. It all comes in to it. Of course I would rather people just not try the accent than do it badly. Kevin Costner in Robin Hood, Sean Connery in the Untouchables - that doesn't matter because they are not handicapping themselves with something that makes the character totally unbelievable and cartoonish, ruining the illusion. If a fake accent has to be used it is obviously much better to nail it as it makes the performance much more real and engaging. Otherwise, it is just the office prat doing a 'comedy' Tom Jones impression in the local community panto. |
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| 107 |
hotkeef
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 12:41
Heather Graham in From Hell. Possibly the best looking impoverished Oirish Victorian prostitute ever. |
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| 108 |
Mr Grizzly
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 13:19
I was gonna blame Lucas for his casting choices - jake lloyd and hayden christensen were both woeful, even with script and direction aside - but the man also discovered a star in his carpenter, Harrison Ford.
slaveone - love the courtney cox suggestion for lois lane (though possibly too old opposite routh) -hindsight's a bitch! |
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| 109 |
BethN21286
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 14:08
I totally agree with djamesc if you clearly can't do the accent hire a voice coach or don't try. The number of perfectly good performances ruined by dodgy accents is astronomical. By sticking with a bad one you only draw attention to it further. What makes it worse is when actors have done bad accents before and then get hired for a new project which would require the same accent. Inexcusable. |
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| 110 |
the ageless stranger
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 14:25
Eldritch, for what it's worth, I agree with djamesc's point on this. Acting is about creating an illusion. If you're going to try to do the accent, then do it properly, otherwise, cut your losses and don't bother (one example being the trailer for Valkyrie where apprently no-one has attempted a German accent, and the film appears all the better as a result)
All a failed foreign accent does is remind you you're looking at an actor, (and in the worst cases, make you cringe) where a good performance should make you forget about the actor and just see the character.
Take two examples side-by-side, even: DiCaprio and Day-Lewis in Gangs: Neither one of them using their natural accents, but I've never heard Day-Lewis getting stick about his Noo Yawk accent. (Of course, they're two different caliber actors, but still...) |
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| 111 |
blindfold
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 15:05
Yes Empire are the BIGGEST and BEST of BRITAIN remember - so if they want to be lazy and give the Costners, Van Dammes and Sheens a constant slagging then who are we to tell them what to do.
(Or does everyone else find their TOP 50 lists and Sexiest Stars lists so boring and predictable too????)
Can't blame the Editors... They have the ideas just aren't aloud to use them. |
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| 112 |
Slythy
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 16:49
"Take, for example, the most famous of them all… Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. The decision to cast an American (and one who couldn’t even attempt a facsimile of an English dialect) as an important British icon is, frankly, unforgivable. The fact that it remains a good film is, I think we all know, completely thanks to the venerable presence of Alan Rickman."
Amen to that.
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| 113 |
InvisibleDuncan
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 18:05
Moosedog - I never said Liv Tyler was ugly. My point is that she's hardly waif-like - a prerequisite for playing an elf, I would have thought. |
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| 114 |
benthemitchell
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 18:30
ROThornhill
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 06:56
In "Much Ado About Nothing", it is made quite clear by Benedick (Kenneth Branagh), that Keanu's character (Don John) is "John the bastard" and could therefore be considered a half-brother to Denzel's character (Don Pedro).
Thanks for that. I'm glad someone actually cleared it up for me rather than the twat earlier who just wanted to insult. I'll admit when I'm wrong, so thank you for setting me straight. |
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| 115 |
kissmyswingers
Posted on Thursday June 19, 2008, 19:32
I prefer to see the casting of Highlander as a work of mad genius rather that stupidity. Getting an American born, Swiss raised gurner to play a Scotsman and the world's most famous Scotsman to play an Egyptian who knocks around Japan and has a penchant for Spanish clothing, neither of which do anything that sounds like their native accent, is a sheer masterstroke of casting. The line "Haggis? What is Haggis?" from Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (AKA Sean) is the height of onscreen irony, along with people who claim Roy Walker's catchphrase on Catchphrase was "It's good, but it's not right". |
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| 116 |
iainjames
Posted on Friday June 20, 2008, 01:26
Combourg - Where are you getting this Charlton Heston-bashing nonsense from??
On the accent argument - i think people like Connery or Byrne who can get away with playing it in their own voice can't really be knocked. Connery was cast as The Lionheart simply so the audience could go 'Wow look - it's Sean Connery!' Casting someone like Tommy Lee Jones as a mad IRISH bomber when he can't do the accent is a bit like hiring someone tone deaf to be in a musical (mentioning no ewan mcgregors - i'm kidding, Rouge fans!) There are plenty of actors - irish or otherwise - who could have pulled that off. It's down to sloppy casting pure and simple.
Other smudges so far failed to be bleached on this blog that i would include are:
Johnathan Pryce as Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies. Great actor but camp, damp and Stamper's biatch. Casting anyone more like Robert Maxwell would have perhaps been a little obvious but he ruined an otherwise strong follow-up to Goldeneye.
Pete Postlethwaite as Kobayashi in Usual Suspects - ok a fairly incidental character in an otherwise impeccably cast film (even Steven Baldwin was a cracking choice) but it just felt a bit odd - especially as he was, well, cosmetically darkened, shall we say...
Most of Eddie Izzard's roles (save The Cat's Meeow) - god love him, he's a comedy genius but who could believe for a second that he's a techno whizz (Ocean's 12) or a gun-toting murderous disco king (Mystery Men - a little twist on the yanks being poor brits - his american accent was appalling) Someone also mentioned Billy Connolly in The Last Samurai - he is also starring in the new X-Files film - oh dear...
Any role The Rock has done that doesn't require him to be 'The Rock'
And is Paul Walker actually classed as an actor? Or does his CV state his career as "eye candy for women"? |
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| 117 |
iainjames
Posted on Friday June 20, 2008, 01:41
Oh and regarding Rocky and Bullwinkle - i think the head of casting should have been rewarded! I bet the writers were sitting around joking about how great it might be to have DeNiro as the baddie never in a million years thinking they would! Blame his agent, not the casting guy.
And to add my own choices for inspired, spot-on casting, how about:
Ben Kingsley (Sexy Beast)
Val Kilmer (Tombstone)
George Clooney (O Brother, Where Art Though?)
Johnny Depp in most things but SO right as Jack Sparrow
Pretty much everyone - even Danny DeVito - in LA Confidential. |
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| 118 |
nathan1208
Posted on Friday June 20, 2008, 01:57
All makes very interesting reading.
Worst Accents: Jonathan Pryce and Natasha McElhone in Ronin.
Worst Casting: Has to be old Hayden doesn't it? Tried to think of someone more original, but can't top that guy.
Oh oh oh! Mos Def as Ford Prefect in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! Was gonna try and find a reason other than "he's black" but kinda can't. Sure, he's from Beetleguese and therefore isn't even strictly human, but it's just such a clash with what you imagine in the books that it's too hard to play along with.
Oh and the usually brilliant Tim Blake Nelson was a bit shite in The Slightly Incredible Hulk last night. Disappointed. And poor old Mr Orange was reduced to saying "pissed" and "bitch" a few times before sprouting giant invertabrae. |
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| 119 |
chirklass
Posted on Friday June 20, 2008, 09:11
A lot of katie holmes in batman begins bashing going on here so i'd just like to add to it. It's not just batman begins...it's EVERYTHING. She was terrible in Wonderboys which makes me curse her name because without her that film would have been perfect. Has she ever turned in a good performance??? If anyone can think of one i'm quite willing to be proved wrong... |
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| 120 |
the ageless stranger
Posted on Friday June 20, 2008, 09:30
Dune. Sting. Leather underpants.
That film screwed many things up, but I like to think casting was the one thing they mostly got right. Apart from Sting.
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| 121 |
paulchilds
Posted on Friday June 20, 2008, 14:38
Has everyone forgotten the cameos fo Ricky Gervais in Night at the Museum and Stardust.
I love him in The Office and Extras, but in these films he is absolutely dire! |
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| 122 |
pgtipsp
Posted on Friday June 20, 2008, 14:47
@iainjames - the fact that postlethwaite didnt fit was the whole point - a british actor playing a pakistani lawyer with a japanese name - its meant to be a bizarre character, just as everything once they arrive in LA is strange and outlandish - note that they meet redfoot by that korean bell thing, the downtown architecture etc - its totally deliberate |
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| 123 |
paulbyrne
Posted on Friday June 20, 2008, 15:33
Chirklass, Katie Holmes was good in the gift, or maybe that was just because she got murdered. Otherwise you're right she's a blot on all her movies. Thank god she's not in the Dark Knight. |
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| 124 |
whitemouse
Posted on Friday June 20, 2008, 15:55
Adding to DeNiro in Rocky and Bullwinkle. He cast himself, he WANTED the role and was Exec Producer...this was something he wanted to do...so that gets bonus points on miscasting.
my list :
Tom Hanks in Charlie Wilson's War
Arnold Schwarzenneger, Alicia Silverstone in Batman & Robin (Clooney was good casting, the script and direction were awful and Arnie and Alicia should have been removed)
Sean Connery in The Hunt For The Red October (he'sh a Russhian Shumbmarine Commander)
but the absolute NUMBER 1 spot is Mel Gibson - Braveheart.... |
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| 125 |
The Carpet Monster
Posted on Friday June 20, 2008, 19:15
I thought that Clive Owen and Keira Knightley in "King Arthur" were two shockingly bad examples of casting that completely ruined what could otherwise have been a great movie.
Clive Owen completely redefines the term "wooden acting", and Knightley's casting - with that "frightfully, frightfully" posh English Home Counties accent of hers - was just a joke.
She should stick to playing willowy maidens in period costume dramas - because as a wild barbarian princess she was simply terrible. |
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| 126 |
GregB
Posted on Friday June 20, 2008, 20:22
Alicia Silverstone - Batman and Robin
Jessica Alba - Fantastic 4
Halle Berry - X-Men/Catwoman
Elijah Wood/Orlando Bloom - LOTR
Sean Connery - League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Jessica Biel - Balde Trinity
Emma Watson - Harry Potter
Brad Pitt - Troy
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| 127 |
kat209
Posted on Friday June 20, 2008, 20:45
I have to agree with alot of the people posted here, I'd say pretty much the entire Harry Potter cast were mis-cast with perhaps the exceptions of Robbie Coltrane and Alan Rickman, who I completley agree saves every single film he is! I reckon Ewan Mcgregor in the Island was a big mistake, as much as I love him, he CAN NOT do an American accent! Orlando Bloom is another one who pretty much gets mis-cast in almost everything, and his American accent is awful, thank god he was only in Black Hawk Down for a few minutes.
Im glad not to many people have been slateing Daniel Craig as Bond, thats one decision I think was the right one! |
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| 128 |
Barraluke
Posted on Saturday June 21, 2008, 11:48
Get this right.
Elijah Wood+Lord Of The Rings=Amazing Trilogy.
Frodo was believable, i mean have you read the books. If you have, you should know that Wood delivered a perfect performance of the hobbit.
And Keira Knightley? Do you know anything? POTC, Domino, The Edge of Love, ATONEMENT...
The list goes on....
Grow up kids, and leave Kevin Costner alone. Yeh hes a yank, but he was the best actor to play the role. Who else woud you have had. Some crap englishman whod rather make a cup of tea then defend Nottingham? |
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| 129 |
Eva226
Posted on Saturday June 21, 2008, 11:53
What was totally off the mark in "Charlie Wilson's War" was Julia Roberts not Tom Hanks...
I'd go for Colin Farrell as "Alexander"... It was simply an idiotic choice...
Matthew *shudder* McConaughey would be soooo much better... not to mention that with his blond locks and all he kind of bares a physical resemblance to Alexander... He is my dream choice for the part for Alexander for 16 years now... (acting, I hear you ask?? well, nevermind...) |
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| 130 |
slaveone
Posted on Saturday June 21, 2008, 12:21
Barraluke...Isn't Frodo significantly older and far meatier in the books though..? Maybe Elijah did do the best job possible, I don't think people are disputing that in this blog to be fair - but because of his age/general appearance people believe Frodo could've been better cast. I'm a Star Wars person, always have been and always will be, as my name suggets...but Rings is almost flawless throughout - far less so than Star Wars - yet Frodo just doesn't grip me in these films in the same way as every single other character does.
Totally agree with you re: Costner...big Prince of Thieves fan, even enjoyed The Guardian (!) |
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| 131 |
Tex Hex
Posted on Saturday June 21, 2008, 17:58
I dont think Topher Grace was a problem in Spiderman...in revamping the character of Eddie Brock he was a good opposite yet equal counterpart to Peter Parker...my biggest problem was that he would have made a better Parker than Tobey Maguire...seriously look at Eric Forman and you have a Parker who is infinatly geekier yet distinctly glib and smart mouthed as the way Spidey was supposed to be.
I have to say the list is lacking Kate Bosworths Lois Lane...truly awful idea. should have gone to someone like Selma Blair cos at least she looked the part.As a counterpart though Empire shouuld do a list of unexpected moments of casting genius..such as Harrison Ford as Han Solo or more recently Heath Ledgers Joker. As a huuge Bat-fan he was literally the last person I wanted for that role and when he was cas I groaned for many a month...but from what we've seen since he was perfect. An unexpected casting monet turned out to be sheer genius. |
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| 132 |
Barraluke
Posted on Saturday June 21, 2008, 18:24
True slaveone, he is older, far older in fact but could they have seriuosly cast someone his own age who looks as young as he did due to the "power of the ring". The compromise would have been a middle aged actor but I think Peter Jackson went with young hobbits to show their innocence and naivety when brought into the big wide world.
I agree with you on the realism fact though... I didn't think about that. |
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| 133 |
GregB
Posted on Sunday June 22, 2008, 21:11
"my name is domino harvey. i am a bounty hunter".
somewhere on earth a ventriloquist is missing his dummy and Keira Knightleys wood needs a varnish. |
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| 134 |
Experiment 627
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 01:20
iainjames - comment 117 - fair point re: De Niro in Rocky & Bullwinkle. I'm still stunned by whitemouse - comment 124, but I suppose even the great ones make mistakes.
How about Colm Meaney in Con Air - Chief O'Brien is no hardarse DEA agent. Maybe this is my problem, not being able to disassociate the actor from a previous character, but I still can't watch that without thinking it should've been someone else. |
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| 135 |
baileyforcethree
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 03:50
only two comments for kate bosworth in superman returns?? crikey - she ruined the film for me. lois lane is gutsy - she looked as if i could give her a light slapping and she'd fall to the floor and cry her eyes out. throughout the whole film, i sat there thinking this should have gone to rachel mcadams. only situation wherein i've sat through a film and recast it as i watched it....
and why has no one mentioned mary steenburgen as maid marian? not sure why she just didn't fit the role for me. maybe it was the brillo pad hair. |
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| 136 |
slaveone
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 10:01
To refer back to what started this popular debate in the first place...Wahlberg in The Happening. Saw it over the weekend - how was this the same guy who put in such a fine, Oscar nominated performance in The Departed - looking in no way out of his depth alongside DiCap, Damon and Nicholson..!?
Maybe it's just the film itself I can't get over - a whole blog should be devoted to this film alone - straight into my Top 5 Worst cinema experiences OF ALL TIME. I was looking forward to it some time ago and when Empire gave it 2 stars I was a little dissapointed...but after seeing it, I will never in all my life know how this 85 minutes of utter, utter, laughable, embarrassing tripe managed such a respectable rating. It has to be seen to be believed... |
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| 137 |
pleakhouse
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 11:47
I've got to say, concerning Kevin Costner in Robin Hood; historically speaking nobody knows how we spoke back then. In fact in georgian england from studying texts back then it can be seen that they spoke with more of an american accent then and english, australian and american accents developed independently since then. Doubtless that was Costner's rationale, not just he's an arrogant american prick. |
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| 138 |
djamesc
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 12:16
It still really surprises me that people go to see an M. Night. Shyamalan film and still expect it to be worth watching. I digress...
The problem with Kate Bosworth is not that she is a bad actress (She was very good in Wonderland) but that she was just too young for the part. Surely someone pointed that out. I mean Peter Jackson is forever getting rid of people for being too young for the part. Ryan Gosling & Stuart Townsend. Though Stuart Townsend as Aragorn would be just plain bad casting. They say it was because they were too young... unless... they were lying... in Hollywood! Surely not!
I would have cast Selma Blair. Or maybe even Rosario Dawson... I know she is young too but I would buy the ballsy hard done by journalist. Just a thought....! |
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| 139 |
slaveone
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 12:47
The Sixth Sense (very good), Signs (watchable) and Unbreakable (watchable/interesting) are just 3 reasons why I thought and yes, expected Shyamalans latest to be at least 'watchable'.
t's a crying shame Bosworth was cast as Lois Lane...she has absolutely none of the charisma of Margot Kidder - she almost had a nervous breakdown when she dropped her handbag for flip's sake, major weak point in anotherwise great film. I still say Courteney Cox could have done Lois very well, granted she's maybe 10 years too old. I do hope Singer & co do another. |
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| 140 |
coljohnmatrix
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 13:18
It's already been mentioned, but Jessica Alba as a world-leading scientist in The Fantastic Four was awful.
Still, at least I can pretend in my mind that science faculties were full of stunning, intelligent, uber-nerd hotties like in that movie.... |
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| 141 |
djamesc
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 13:20
Slaveone - I didn't say all his films were bad. By your own argument you agree that he is getting worse, to the point where The Village and Lady in the Water don't even get a mention. Let's face it, with each film (and I would put Unbreakable higher than Signs) he has gotten worse - more pretentious and convinced of his own genius. I read somewhere that he said that if people don't 'Get' his films it is because what is happening is so awesome and spectacular that the viewer is the one who is not understanding it because it is beyond their comprehension. So basically, 'If you don't like my films it is because you are an idiot'. Sorry, but I don't like having my intelligence insulted by someone who makes a pretty looking but very dull movie and then throws in an increasingly obvious twist and is like... 'LOOK, SEE WHAT I DID!!! I AM AWESOME!!! WHOOOO YEAH GO ME!!'.
I don't want this to turn in to a slanging match, I am too nice for that so we have to disagree about this. He has made some pretty good films and now he is making really bad films. Like William Friedkin without the shotgun. |
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| 142 |
slaveone
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 13:42
We don't have to disagree about anything...I deliberately didn't mention The Village and LITW because they were indeed awful (it hurt me to see the great Paul Giamatti give his all in that one, which again, had potential)
I was hoping he'd return to form with his latest and the trailer suggested that he might have. My wife and I couldn't believe what was 'happening' on the screen in front of us, it really was that bad. I've heard him in interviews say similar things to what you said and you're right - he thinks he's far, far cleverer than he is. |
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| 143 |
djamesc
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 14:12
Slaveone - I stand corrected :) |
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| 144 |
Karl Crutchley
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 16:45
Keanu Reeves in Constantine.
Had the filmmakers even read the comics it was supposed to be based on?
Yes he smoked a bit, but there the similarity ended...... |
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| 145 |
Macscape
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 17:13
...I agree with Experiment 627, and I have to comment that this comments forum has just turned into a "actors I dislike" post, rather than what it is meant to be: miscasting errors, and no one has really attempted to answer the question of causes of a miscast...
...The worst miscast I have seen in my time, that I remember when watching the film in the cinema "wow, that was seriously miscast!": Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane (sorry Kate, just wasn't your role)...
...too much hating going on in this forum...stick to discussing the actual miscast of the roles!
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| 146 |
Graham C
Posted on Monday June 23, 2008, 17:29
Mark Wahlberg was such let down, i was expecting him to freak out an tear mother nature a new asshole but instead he tried to out run the wind...come on! its nearly as bad as Mel Gibsons dying wife's final wish...swing out!!! Joacquin Phoenix would have been a much better lead than Wahlberg and what the fuck was the dialogue all about, Shyamalan what was he thinking about! The man doesnt do dialogue, he does monolgues (Unbreakable) and he surely doesnt do comedy (what was that little attempt at humour when Wahlberg was trying to make his wife guilty with the idea of flirting with a shop assistant.?) Was it supposed to be unintentionally funny as the audience i saw it with burst their balls laughing!!
Anyway...bad casting was the least of Nights worries! |
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| 147 |
fuzzywobs
Posted on Tuesday June 24, 2008, 01:47
Hey Nicole Kidman and Sam Elliot were the best thing about the awful TGC! pretty much agree with everyone else except the gigantic oversight of shia labeouf's character in constantine, indy (crappola) 4 |
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| 148 |
jimoakley666
Posted on Tuesday June 24, 2008, 10:32
The casting for Northern Lights (I still refuse to call it The Golden Compass) was spot on. It was the screenplay that was abysmal.
As for bad casting...
Roger Moore as James Bond
Cosnter as Robin Hood was terrible!!!
Halle Berry as Storm
Arnie as Mr Freeze
Dick Van Dyke as Caracticus Potts
Dick Van Dyke as Burt from Mary Poppins
Denise Richards as Dr (Ha ha ha ha) Christmas Jones
Heather Graham in From Hell
Robin Williams as Peter Pan
Jeremy Sumpter as Peter Pan
Jennifer Garner as (the Greek! assassin) Electra
Hayden blah blah as Darth friggin Vader!?!?
Mark Whalberg as Charlie Croker (shoulda swapped and had Strath play Croker!)
Patrick Swayze as Alan Quatermain
Keanu Reeves as John (fucking scouser in the comics) Constantine!!!!!!!
Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut
Don Cheadle in Oceans 11/12/13
In fact, any American as a British Character |
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| 149 |
benthemitchell
Posted on Tuesday June 24, 2008, 12:08
jimoakley666
Posted on Tuesday June 24, 2008, 10:32
The casting for Northern Lights (I still refuse to call it The Golden Compass) was spot on. It was the screenplay that was abysmal.
I've not seen The Golden Compass or read the books, but I completely agree that sometimes, the actors can be perfectly cast but it is entirely down to the script to ruin the film. Other examples I can think of include:
Sam Elliott in Hulk - yes, the film is shocking, and yes, William Hurt has made a great replacement, but I don't think you can fault Sam Elliott's performance.
Ben Kingsley in Thunderbirds - I grew up with Thunderbirds, and the news that Sir Ben was to play the Hood was, in my opinion, a masterstroke in casting. It's such a shame that the film was so unbelievably terrible.
And then there are people cast and completely wasted, like the brilliant John Hurt in Indy 4. I'm still at a loss to the relevance of his character at all. Such a waste of phenomenal acting talent.
But back to the actual topic in question, I was never convinced by Will Smith in I, Robot. It seemed quite blatant that he had been cast purely to sell the film, not for his personality fitting the character. |
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| 150 |
Mr Grizzly
Posted on Tuesday June 24, 2008, 13:24
I'm probably throwing a spanner in the works here but I'm sure I read (in Empire or possibly the late Hotdog) that Costner wanted to do the English accent and even hire a dialect coach but Kevin reynolds told him to "play it as Kevin Costner!"
Anyone else read/hear that?
Probably still would have been shite though... |
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| 151 |
suds
Posted on Tuesday June 24, 2008, 16:29
Stallone in Judge Dredd...should have been Clint.
Lori Petty in Tank Girl although both films were probably irredeemable stinkers.
Keanu Reeves in everything.....the moment in Matrix when he's thinking about going out of the window whilst on the phone to Morpheus is painful in the extreme. Elijah Wood had an impossible job having to share the screen with the far more likeable character of Samwise and the best CG'd character yet...Serkis was robbed at the Oscars. As for Robin Hood far more worrying than Costers accent is the suggestion that it's a morning stroll from the coast to Nottingham. As for Simon Peggs cameo in Mi3 he's just about the best thing in the film...and a comic of rare quality; unlike the multi-million per movie ,mugging, one dimensional irritant that is Jim Carrey....the only man alive to be out-performed by a slinky.
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| 152 |
ChesterCopperpot
Posted on Tuesday June 24, 2008, 19:51
Aren't we forgetting Michael Madsen in Die Another Day? And Julianne Moore in Hannibal? What about Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan? And Richard Pryor in Superman 3? And speaking of superhero flicks, what about Tobey Maguire AND Willem Defoe in Spiderman? Surely Heath Ledger would have made a better Spidey? Surely Chris Tucker in Rush Hour? And if not then surely in The Fifth Element? Bill Paxton as Jeff Tracy for sure. Although I suspect he was cast cos Burt Reynolds refused to lose the tache. Kenneth Branagh in Wild Wild West. Lets face it, with or without him that film never stood a chance. Utter cocksplosh. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny de Vito in Twins. It might be a joke. It's just not funny. Nick Stahl in T3. As Bernard Manning once said when describing Cake, it's a fuckin' disgrace.
And finally...the all-time champion of miscasts.......
Marlon Brando in Mutiny on The Bounty. WHAT. THE. FUCK. WERE. THEY. THINKING?! |
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| 153 |
Daftlikejack
Posted on Tuesday June 24, 2008, 20:02
Now, because there are so many gosh darn comments, I have neither the time, attention span or oreo supply to read them all, and so I apologise if I am but repeating what other's have said.
I will start with saying to suds, you wish you had half the talent Jim Carrey has. He's a really great actor and a genuinely funny, nice guy. So lay off.
Anyway, I'm so happy to see that so many people share my hatred of Keira Knightley's "acting". She's so crap in absolutely everything, she must annotate her script so that it says in big red letters next to her part, 'POUT'. Made me chuckle on Dead Man's Chest when she throws herself at Jack and someone shouts " land ho!". Had me in stitches that one did.
Then of course there's the whole Angelina Jolie posing as Colin Farrell's mum, I mean, what the hell?
And Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury? I mean, the original character isn't even black! I'm probably being so very unpolitically correct but, to be honest, I give not a crap. I've probably forgotten loads, but I'm sure I've offended enough fans to send a sufficient amount of keyboards hurtling in my direction, so
Adieu |
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| 154 |
doghouse.reilly
Posted on Tuesday June 24, 2008, 22:33
I don't mean to start waxing all sanctimonious about a transgretion of faith in the adaptation of a comic book to celluloid (or digi junk) but for me casting Michael Clark Duncan as the Kingpin in Daredevil was enough to inspire fits of blathering, expectoration.
However something which dances me out of this diatribe, and which is actually one of the funniest things I've ever seen in a video shop, is the photographic evidence of third worst casting decision ever made: Pierce Brosnan as the eponymous Archie Grey Owl. I'm looking at the front cover at this very moment and it is paralysingly amusing.
That and John Voight's portrayal of Paul Sarone in Anaconda are two of my personal favourite shocking lapsus castae. I have to agree with the mention Keanu Reeves as Johnatan Harker in Bram Stokers Dracula.
However the absolute unocron of bad casting decisions has to be Hugh Grant in Extreme Measures. What in the name of Django Rheinhardt is he doing in that film? |
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| 155 |
doghouse.reilly
Posted on Tuesday June 24, 2008, 22:34
Again...Hugh Grant in Extreme Measures...if any one can top that I'll eat my own feet. |
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| 156 |
GregB
Posted on Wednesday June 25, 2008, 08:11
Halle Berry in X-MEN 3, "give storm a bigger part or i wont do the movie", ok brett "hack" ratner bows down to a VERY poor actress, gives her more screen time and fucks up the movie, x 1 & 2 were great movies because they focused more on the TEAM (and wolverine !) PEOPLE GO TO SEE THE X-MEN MOVIE BECAUSE IS A FUCKING X-MEN MOVIE, NOT A STORM MOVIE !!!!
Rant over. |
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| 157 |
wee_retty
Posted on Wednesday June 25, 2008, 09:15
Pretty much everyone in the Harry Potter movies is wrong wrong wrong. Jason Isaacs is perhaps the one piece of perfect casting throughout the 5 movies. |
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| 158 |
UTB
Posted on Wednesday June 25, 2008, 12:06
Wahlberg in any role requires a stretch of the imagination. As does Jessica Alba.
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| 159 |
BethN21286
Posted on Wednesday June 25, 2008, 14:14
GregB
Posted on Wednesday June 25, 2008, 08:11
Halle Berry in X-MEN 3, "give storm a bigger part or i wont do the movie", ok brett "hack" ratner bows down to a VERY poor actress, gives her more screen time and fucks up the movie, x 1 & 2 were great movies because they focused more on the TEAM (and wolverine !) PEOPLE GO TO SEE THE X-MEN MOVIE BECAUSE IS A FUCKING X-MEN MOVIE, NOT A STORM MOVIE !!!!
Seriously who the heck else would you get to play storm? How many actresses can hold their own with thesps like Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart, be all cool like hugh Jackman and not pale in comparison with Famke Janssen, all while decked out in a boring white wig?
As for the Storm-heaviness of X-3 that's not really a casting issue now is it. If they were daft enough to bow to her demands that's Ratner and the studios fault. |
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| 160 |
ROThornhill
Posted on Wednesday June 25, 2008, 18:31
Daftlikejack:
In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Nick Fury is black! More to the point, his appearance is based on Samuel L. Jackson (with his permission). Therefore his casting was perfect!!
Also, what does 'unpoliitically correct' mean? Is that supposed to be Orwellian Newspeak?? |
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| 161 |
Spengler
Posted on Wednesday June 25, 2008, 19:32
I wouldn't say Costner was particularly miscast in Prince Of Thieves, he just did the wrong accent. It's still a solid film. Much the same as Gangs Of New York. How about, though, The Other Boleyn Girl - 3 central characters, all British, played by 2 Yanks and an Aussie? Give me a break. |
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| 162 |
moviemaniac-7
Posted on Wednesday June 25, 2008, 21:17
I thought that the actors were well cast in the Golden Compass (I prefer Northern Lights, still...). The main problem with that movie was SCRIPT, SCRIPT, SCRIPT. A watered down version of the book without the ending! Given a good script the actors would've been perfectly fit to their roles. Imagine LOTS with weak scripts. Even McKellen would be boring in those movies! |
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| 163 |
possum
Posted on Thursday June 26, 2008, 17:09
Will smith was amazing in I am Legend. |
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| 164 |
PETEYD
Posted on Thursday June 26, 2008, 17:10
OH GOD! what are you on about?! what is the deal with everyone slagging off M.knights films? just because he dosen't do everything by the book, oh my god there was some humour in 'The happening' NO! you are not allowed to do that!!!!!! it has to be deadly serious all the way through and make perfect sense other wise we will all be confused and we don't like that, everything HAS to make sense ALL the time and everything has to be explained, things can't just be weird for the sake of it, no not allowed! oooh mark whalberg, how can he POSSIBLY play a teacher he was a pop star! what absolute drivel. he's an actor for the love of god! you know someone playing different parts, you get the idea?! i'm sure Empire think that only actors who wear glasses and tweed jackets with leather patches on them can play teachers?! how you morons actually get jobs writing about films is beyond me! |
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| 165 |
slaveone
Posted on Thursday June 26, 2008, 20:23
PETEYD, have you seen The Happening? Did you think it was a good film..!? I have every respect for M Night Shyamalamalamalan and some of his ideas over the years have been great but on this occasion - the storyline, the characters, the dialogue - everything from the dull, horribly outdated opening credits in his was unbelievably dire. I have never felt so embarrassed sitting through a film in all my life - there was an eerie awkardness echoing throughout the entire audience that reflected what was happening on screen. I've just no idea what Night's intention was with this film. |
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| 166 |
Geosolus
Posted on Friday June 27, 2008, 08:13
Well someone said Katie Holmes in Batman begins and I must say: DAMN RIGHT! I was hoping the bat wouldn't make it on time when she was up for muggings and murder.
Also, casting Tom Hanks is always going to be a mistake, he should write his surname with a W instead of an H.
However I would like to see a film doc about ultimate fighting with Posh Spice in the cage and maybe a hungry Bengal Tiger.
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| 167 |
Mr Grizzly
Posted on Sunday June 29, 2008, 17:35
I forgot about Hanks in Da Vinci Code!!! In the book his character is described as athletic and a handsome bachelor or something - Yeah... really makes me think of ol' Hunky Hanks (complete with mullet wig) when thinking of who could fill those shoes.... |
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| 168 |
Indiana James
Posted on Monday July 7, 2008, 21:38
In my opinion some of the best casting decisions have been:
Will Smith in I Robot
Ian McKellen in Lord of the Rings & X Men
Christopher Lee in LOTR & Star Wars
Johnny Depp in Pirates and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
Ellen Page in Juno! |
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| 169 |
instantlypoetic
Posted on Thursday July 10, 2008, 18:16
Yeah whole heartedly agree with the Keanu Reeves Brit Accent in Dracula for me that is the number one miscasting of all time.
Also the young Anakin in Phantom Menace - terrible acting.
Natalie Portman in all 3 starwars prequels, great actress but so terrible and ordinary just so fake in all these movies.
Although I liked the latest Hulk movie, I didn't feel that Edward Norton was quite right for the role I hate that feeling when the movie is good but you can't help but think of a different actor in the role, I would have gone for Thomas Jane or Dermort Mulroney or perhaps even Nathan Fillion, mind you Eric Bana was a good choice for the first Hulk movie it just turned out a disappointment. I guess partly because Bill Bixby made the part of Bruce Banner so symphathetic and vulnerable in the original tv series (it didn't matter that the hulk - i.e Lou Ferringo was so cheesy) he sold the hold torment thing.
Other miscastings I think Tom Cruise in Last Samurai (I thought Viggo Mortenson would have been perfect). |
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| 170 |
instantlypoetic
Posted on Thursday July 10, 2008, 18:24
Oh Yeah also forgot to mention Nic Cage in Ghost Rider, I knew from the moment they cast him he was wrong. For starters he should be at least 10years younger and not so dreary as a rebel with anger. Who to cast yeah thats a hard one, Scott Caan is the only likely candidate that springs to mind.
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bentherock
Posted on Tuesday July 29, 2008, 09:49
Absolutely anything involving that wooden twat orelando bloom!!!! |
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