I’m not a huge movie fan. I don’t ask for much when I do see a movie,
it takes a lot for something in a film to really bother me. Product
placement? Whatever. Another thing that doesn’t usually bother me is
casting. For a role to be so horribly miscast even I’ve noticed means
someone somewhere really failed along the way. Once in awhile an odd
casting choice pays off. Who would have imagined how great Michael
Keaton would be as Batman? That was inconceivable when it was first
announced! Who could have pictured Richard Gere in Chicago? Hey it
worked, he was great! Chris Pine as Captain Kirk? Hey he pulled it off.
Kevin Costner in Prince of Thieves? I must have to re-watch this because
I remember him being good, it seems I am in the minority on that one.
But usually odd casting is just that, odd and doesn’t work. Rosie
O’Donnell as Betty Rubble in The Flintstones? No! Ben Affleck in
Daredevil? No! John Wayne as Genghis Khan? WTF???? But those casting
choices were DOA in my opinion, sometimes you have hopes it may
work….and it doesn’t.
Here are five more roles I had hopes for, but were so badly miscast even I couldn’t help but notice!
Pierce Brosnan in Mama Mia
Ugh. Maybe it was because I saw the stage play (on Broadway!) that this
really stood out for me. But was I the only one who could see how wrong
Brosnan was for this? I know I wasn’t but if it was THAT obvious to me…I
hope the casting person lost their job. Even if he could sing, he was
still way out of place. And he couldn’t sing…at all! Actually nearly the
whole cast was miscast. Christine Baransky is cool but was wrong for
that character. The worst was Brosnan though, who couldn’t sing to save
his life. Oh, and speaking of musicals you my wonder what I thought of
Russell Crowe in Les Miserables. I’ve only seen pieces but it’s clear
they hired him for the name appeal, and not because he could sing.
Hayden Christensen in Star Wars
If you told me the person who made the second trilogy didn’t really know
Star Wars, I would believe you. Problem is they were made by George
Lucas! I mean Jar Jar Binks was one thing, Lucas tried something new and
it failed. Cool. But this?? Hayden Christensen is fine, but what was
the thinking casting him? Every list like this I have seen has him one
it. And why not? If you go back to the first Star Wars movie and listen
to the scene where Obi Wan explains what happened to Luke’s father, does
that match at all with the snotty brat we ended up with? He wasn’t
supposed to be an immature kid! Ok to be fair he was pretty good after
he was turned to the dark side, for ten whole minutes, but man before
then….nothing.
Brandon Routh in Superman Returns
Yeah I almost feel bad picking on this guy again, but good lord was
casting him a big mistake. I guess he got the role because he looks like
Christopher Reeve. Ok, but Reeve knew how to play Superman. This guy…I
don’t know what he was doing. Ok he was trying his best, but this just
wasn’t Superman! Forget the fact he looks like a teenager, and is also
way to thin, he comes off a mopy stalker in this movie! Henry Cavill at
least pulled off the role, despite my gripes in Man of Steel he did feel
like Superman. Routh was just awful, and I think he sucks on Arrow too
but that’s getting off subject.
Julia Roberts in Hook
Yeah…no. The funny thing is that the casting in this movie was superb.
Robin Williams as Peter Pan? Hell yes. Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook?
Perfect. Bob Hoskins as Smeed? Fantastic. Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell?
Um, no. I get the feeling even the studio realized this mistake, there
was one point when she dyed her hair blonde for the roll yet she did the
movie in her usual hair color. Why? Tinkerbell is blonde!! She also
isn’t sweet and lovable the way Roberts plays her here. It didn’t ruin
the movie, like these others, but it is a big strike against it. The
movie she did ruin was Mary Reilly. Talk about to much of a stretch, but
I never really saw that one.
George Clooney in Batman and Robin
I went back and forth on this one. I think Joel Schumacher deserves the
most blame for this movie sucking. Could anyone have saved it? I mean
Chris O’Donnell went from being awesome as Robin in Batman Forever to a
whiny pansy in this one. But when you think about, even with a good
script this was a big fail. Michael Keaton owned the roll. Val Kilmer
got it aspects of it right, for the mos part. And Christian Bale was
really good but that voice….ugh. Still I’ll take Bale’s voice over
Clooney clearly not fitting the role at all. I’ve heard it said he
probably knew it was a bomb so didn’t even bother, and that may be.
Thank goodness this didn’t sink his career.
So you may be wondering “What about Halle Berry in Catwoman?”
Nostalgia Critic was right when he said Berry wasn’t the problem here.
“Nicholas Cage in Ghost Rider?” I think Cage did a decent job actually.
“Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man?” No complaints.
What about the villains? Carey was fine as The Riddler I am not sure
why he gets so much hate. Also the villains in Batman and Robin and
Returns were OK. Oh, and what about Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face? That
wasn’t bad casting that was an actor who didn’t give a crap. That’s
another subject entirely my friends. Danny DeVito was fine as Penguin,
Tim Burton ruined that one. And the new movies were cast beautifully, I
have no complaints there. Topher Grace as Venom? Yeah you got me, that
one was bad!!!
Ok my friends, I know lots of choices which could be here that aren’t. So comment and let me know.
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