Doug: Best, favorite, "big kudo for a great performance"... -- you decide how you want to deal with this. And in a week, we'll look at this on the flipside. Save your disappointments for that coming "Who's the Worst...?"
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
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17 comments:
I am Groot.
Doug nailed my one and two with JK Simmons and Tom Hiddleston. I would have to put Hiddleston first only because I was truly shocked SHOCKED when we all that he had died. Hope I didn't spoil that for anyone. Renner comes close behind with his depiction of Clint Barton, but since we haven't seen the "H" have we really seen Hawkeye yet.
The Prowler (once was One and Two in a pie eating contest).
I'd go with Prowler's suggestions of Simmons and Hiddleston.
I'd add Downey as a measured 'best depiction'.. Granted the actor has frankly changed the character in the comics and media (some say good, others not quite so nice...), but you have to give it to Downey as making the character resonate more than some actor with less flair would have. In his own way, he's made Stark his, and has kept him far more engaging and believable than the comic character has been for decades.
Despite faults (and so-so movies..), I'll pick Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards. To me he was the best casting, apart from Chiklis.
Odin - I just wish Anthony Hopkins had worn some kind of Kirbyesque magnificent/ludicrous headgear. I'm looking forward to next week's "worst of" - the only problem is how to choose just one out of a very long list.
Yes, Hiddleston as Loki is quite good. And I agree with David about Downey as IM/Stark for basically the same reasons.
Personally, though, I think the best is Chris Evans as Captain America: he plays the role superbly, and it's probably the closest any of the on-screen characters come to their comic-book counterparts.
Evans is terrific as Cap and was, for my money, the only actor who had his act together in the FF movies.
Chris Evans is great, especially in the first Cap movie. And they Hulk in Avengers is excellent, they finally got the Hulk right in that movie.
Hrmph... If you look at the five featured posts below the main one today, you can see that we've done this before. Lordy, sometimes I cannot remember what I had for breakfast the day before! But whatever -- there were three new Marvel movies this summer, so I'll rationalize it that way.
Hiddleston is great because I never think I can trust his Loki. Just when you think he's finally going to see the light, he reverts to the God of Mischief. He truly nails the character.
RE: Michael Chiklis as the Thing. I have a complaint about the portrayal of "gruff" characters in film and cartoons, and that's the voice that directors/actors think "needs" to be used. I just never "heard" Ben Grimm sound like he has been portrayed in the FF cartoons or by Chiklis whenever I was reading the Lee/Kirby FFs. The same goes for how Wolverine sounded in the 90s X-Men cartoon. I am so glad that Hugh Jackman chose not to go that route in the X-films.
Visually, the special effects and make-up folks flat-out nailed Nightcrawler in X2. Why they never used the character again is a mystery to me.
Doug
It's hard to beat J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. He was so good, and so iconic, that I believe it's the main reason the character didn't appear in the recent Spider-Man reboot.
Speaking of which-- I thought that Andrew Garfield nailed Spider-Man in the latest movie. His Peter Parker, maybe not so much, but when he was in costume he was spot on as the webhead in both look and personality. In fact, I think it's the most faithful portrayal of Spidey we've ever gotten on film. It's just too bad that the rest of the movie was so lackluster in comparison.
Hiddleston's kind of a no-brainer, isn't he? Just completely gets the character and puts it all on screen. A wonderful actor.
I thought Alfred Molina did a great job as Dr. Octopus, a villain I'd never cared for in the comics, but really liked in Spider-Man 2. How true was it to the comics? Maybe not that similar, but it was a terrific performance.
Anthony Hopkins' Odin is also solid, even if he is a little nicer than the Odin in the comics.
Chris Evans was a big surprise. I'd only seen him play jokey roles so I was apprehensive about him playing Cap, but he gets it. He has the proper amount of seriousness without seeming a bore.
JK Simmons was a delight and exactly how I pictured him but then JJJ is pretty over the top.
Patrick Stewart is a terrific Professor X, and both Ian McKellan and the new guy...uh, Michael Fassbender, make fascinating Magnetos.
Fassbender really sold the "Wow -- he's a rough SOB!" aspect of Magneto for me in the last film. Ruthless has a new face.
I went into Guardians knowing zilch about Rocket Raccoon, but he ended up being my favorite character in the film. When they do the stereotypical walk-out before going on the big mission and Rocket does a crotch-grab, the theater just erupted in laughter.
Doug
Michael Fassbinder's Magneto is fascinating. He's the most interesting character in a movie filled with wonderful characters. His range is outstanding, his acting superb.
Rip Off
JK Simmons hands down. I'm yelling this as I'm smoking my cigar and pounding my fist on my desk. Blasted wall-crawling menace!
Honorable mention to Tom Hiddleston.
"When they do the stereotypical walk-out before going on the big mission and Rocket does a crotch-grab, the theater just erupted in laughter."
And did you notice Gamora give a huge yawn?
Gamora's yawn was particularly delightful 'cause it's the kind of moment that your average bombshell-beautiful actress would rather die than put out there. There is nothing-- NOTHING-- more appealing than a woman who will happily and fully commit to schtick on film or on stage.
Say, can we get some love for the Samuel Jackson version of Nick Fury? I guess the "Ultimates" Fury, at least?
HB
Well I gotta pick Hiddleston and Chris Evans as my top picks. Hiddleston is simply a marvelous actor and like Karen I was pleasantly surprised by Evans's performance. JK Simmons was a hoot as Jolly old Jonah.
Doug, I'm with you on the curious omission of Nightcrawler from the X-sequels. Maybe some Fox movie honcho's children are scared of the fuzzy elf. Even the actor who played him Alan Cumming said he was not invited to reprise his role, so he was in the dark like the rest of us.
- Mike 'still waiting for a good Spidey movie' from Trinidad & Tobago.
Prowler, take another look at the end of the movie. Loki lives, he's just wearing someone else's clothes,kink that he is.
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