Wednesday, April 30, 2008

My Top 5: Actors Who Are Overrated

C'mon, you've had that feeling too.

Even while you're shelling out $7.50 for the ticket and more than $20 for buttered corn and other concessions, you're suspicious about the movie. Not that you won't have a good time with your date, or because you figure you could be doing something more productive. Nope, you're suspicious of the flick because you know, deep down in your soul, that the movie's star won't live up to your expectations.

Way too many leads these days are overrated. Here's My Top 5: Actors Who Are Overrated.

Tom Hanks: Movies starring Tom Hanks are like a box of chocolates; one never knows what one will get. Although brilliant in Philadelphia, Hanks' everyman shtick comes across as stiff and distant to me in most all of his other roles.

Keanu Reeves: Seriously, why is this guy still working?

Matthew McConaughey: OK, now I understand why Reeves is still working. He's getting the parts that require eye candy looks and the minimal ability to act. The rest of the gigs go to McConaughey.

Jack Nicholson: Any contract with Nicholson must read: "Cock eye-brow, utter vulgarity, tell a younger chick you wanna fuck her, go home." The guys been a stereotype since the late 70s.

John Travolta: Proving year after year that an actor can live off the reputation of one or two great movies in a career.

Who's on your list?

9 comments:

cat said...

Tom Hanks rocked in Big, I thought. But then again, I just loved that movie from every angle.

But John Travolta is one of my faves! He does not belong on this list! Not just because I had a giant crush on Vinnie Barbarino as a kid. I thought he was great in Pulp Fiction, Swordfish, A Civil Action, loved him in Battlefield Earth (all the critics were wrong about that flick), and my newest favorite of his is A Love Song for Bobby Long.

I suspect you're just jealous of his hot scientologist dance moves, FG.

The Film Geek said...

I liked Big too, I suppose, Cat. But it seems with just a handful of exceptions, Hanks plays the same guy over and over again.

Travolta...yep, I'm jealous! :)

Anonymous said...

You won't get much argument from me on your list. I'd even rank McConaughey and Reeves at the top of the list. I really like Travolta, but you're right: He's been phoning it in since his gig in Pulp Fiction.

Nicholson, for me, is like the Bill Clinton of film. Yeah, he's a stereotype, but he's so damn good that he can get away with about anything. As for Hanks, he's just picking crappy roles in even crappier movies. Let's not forget, after all, that this is the same guy who starred in Bachelor Party. (Actually, I'd rather watch that again than that Charlie Wilson's War.

All Click said...

I still like Tom Hanks. But I get the rest of them. Especially Nicholson.

Mentioning Matthew McConaughey reminded me of seeing this last night:

http://gawker.com/5007101/savaging-matthew-mcconaughey-for-fun-and-profit

Kelly said...

Matthew? Quit being a hater!

Buzzardbilly said...

Every time I see Keanu Reeves I wonder how much money has been shelled out for him to have a voice coach and just who shitty that coach must be since he sounds exactly the same in each and every role he plays. Otherwise, I think Keanu is a fairly tragic character in real life.

Buzzardbilly said...

Should've mentioned that's because of him losing his pregnant girlfriend/fiancee and the baby she was caring in an auto accident.

Elvis Drinkmo said...

In my opinion, the number one most overrated actor of all times has got to be Arnold Schwarzenegger. Terminators 1 and 2 were alright and so was Total Recall, but that might be because it was based on a Phillip K. Dick novel.

But I can't be too hard on the guy. If it wasn't for Ahhhnold, we wouldn't have one of the best characters from the Simpsons: McBane.

The Film Geek said...

True dat, Elvis. If he'd made anything I considered a real movie in the last ten years, he'd be on the list for sure.