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Strange Faces -- Action Heroes Played by Unexpected Actors
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Dustin Hoffman in "Outbreak."
Yes, Outbreak was more of a medical thriller, but Dustin Hoffman was out there jumping out of helicopters, fighting with people and racing around in all sorts of army vehickles. In fact, they even milked the pre-release hype as "a change of pace for Hoffman from dramatic roles to Action Films."
The next guy is, to me, a no-brainer to me: Tobey McGuire as Spiderman.
He did a good job with it, even if he was a little "whiny" for Peter Parker. he even "buffed up" for the role, so he had muscles. I also thought he was too short, but, the movie worked. The modern run of Comic Book based movies has been pretty good for the Action/Adventure - Movie fans.
I, Curmudgeon wrote: "Other than Mathew Broderick in Godzilla there are two that come to mind... well right now... give me five minutes and of course, I'll forget my name and spout out two more names.... How about these..."I agree he did a good job as Peter Parker. Although I think I like the newer film more in its portrayal of Spidey...
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I think James Spader was a good action hero in Supernova. I never saw him that way until that movie. Adrian Brody as well in King Kong and Predators.
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I think James Spader was a good action hero in Supernova. I never saw him that way until that movie. Adrian Brody as well in King Kong and Predators."
In his younger days, he also did a good job in "Tough Turf" with Kim Richards (think hard, she was the girl in the original Disney Movie Escape from Witch Mountain) and a young actor struggling to find a place named Robert Downy Jr.
James Spader actually kicked but, there was a "Fame" style moment of spontaneous performance (dance and singing) which I believe was actually Spader (the singing I mean, dance wasn't particularly great from him) and he actually beat the crap out of some bad guys, saved the girl and stuff.
(and there was a funny scene where he and his new friends (from the new school) crashed a party at a Beverly Hills Country Club.
Yeah, he goes on the list.
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I love Godzilla wit..."
John Cusak! Yes, not only Gross Pointe Blank, which is one of my favorite movies, but he was also in 2012, Con-Air with Nicholas Cage (another guy who turned out to be able to do action rolls after a hodge-podge of dramatic and suspence thrillers.)
I'm still sentimental and like "The Sure thing" but, that's not an action Movie. John Cusack... love his work.
Not sure if Ben Affleck would be considered a unexpected action actor. I did enjoy him in both Armageddon and The Sum of All Fears. Can't forget Pearl Harbor.
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Hugh, I have seen Tuff Turf. Just forget about it. That was a good 80s movie.
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And, even though there is nothing modern about these movies, here's a guy that did two major roles with action adventure oriented characters that is usually not on the list of action heroes... and, he's an old guy (and so are the films)
Richard Chamberlin
hew was "Borne" before Mat Damon was Borne, he was Araimis in the Three Musketteers, and the sequel with Michael York and Oliver Reed and before he was a tempted priest in The Thornbirds he was a the star of the famous and very well done (and popular) Shogun!
And if we are going with Chamberlin, we'll have to add Johnny Dep to that list too for Jack Sparrow. Not my favorite character but, the sword fights were believable...even if he did look like a gay, drunk, kieth Richards.
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The Pirate Ghost, Long John Silvers Wanna-be
(last edited Oct 24, 2012 01:25PM)
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Hugh, I have seen Tuff Turf. Just forget about it. That was a good 80s movie."
Yes, Tuff Turf gets a bad wrap. It was lost in a rush of movies that came out inbetween the Outsiders and the rise of the brat pack and the heavy action flicks of the 90's.
It has a good anti-hero, with all sorts of conflict in his life, a right of passage story, faced the idea of dealing with the realities of life in an econimic recession (the late 70s) and the modern hero, in a world of questionable values, morals with a distinct lack of hope, rising above the downward pull of hopelessness and helplessness.
It featured Robert Downy Jr. before anyone knew much about him, and a beautiful, still young Kim Richards (Escape from Witch Mountain) playing a bad girl from the wrong side of the tracks (Take that Disney! You and all your Disney Princess Clones in the Micky Mouse machine!) who also decides to choose love and the side of right (morally right) over anarchy.
The soundtrack had some frightening songs that really got one's attention. In fact, after Tough Turf, I was shocked to see spader in roles like the one he played in Maniquin but, thanks to "Pretty in Pink" I had already come to expect him in dramatic roles like True Colours (Richard Widmark's last movie (I think) and also staring John Cusack as the villain.
Here's two songs, the love song (not actually sung by Spader, but it's not hard to think he is and, one by the Jim Caroll band that was written to be a memorial to friends that had passed on, but I found it as startling, scary, edgy and ...good... without seeing the connecion (fit the movie, but more a statement on the uglyness and senslessness of violence and death.)
Jim Carrol Band - People who died (Shocking lyrics, be prepared if you read them, or listen to them).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt5OZJ...
Jim Carrol was in the movie as well, and, I believe he has also passed away, but I am not sure of the details of that.
and
I Walk the Night - Johnathan Elias (but spader plays the moment well enough for us to believe).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGg3b7...
And yes, lots of action, fighting car chasing and, the humor that marks and decorates most of the 80s "coming of age" movies.
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Speaking about this thread there are even those actors like Mat Damon which are probably best known for being action film actors but have done such a variety of roles. I recently watched We Bought a Zoo and he was terrific in that. Or Robert Downey Jnr again has done a lot of roles but has been known more for action now. Same with Russell Crowe or Hugh Jackman. They're recognised for their action roles but they have also done terrific dramatic and voice acting roles as well.
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It's still a violent 80s high school movie, but it's not as bad as others from the time...I liked it..
and I forgot another iconic group from the mobie (sound track) ...
Fat Mack and the Heart Attack - She's lookin good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc0Fa...
Featuring Disney Princess and Mickey Mouse Club Fembot gone wild "Kim Richards" cutting loose. (Lots of cartwheels anyway.)
Nicholas Hoult as Beast in X-men First Class. He was also in Clash of the Titans.And now here he is in: Jack the Giant Killer
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I definitely prefer diverse talent in actors rather than actors who can only do one role. I mean I saw David Tennant do Shakespeare's Hamlet (not live unfortunately but the DVD was still good) so the guy can act really well. I really like Mat Damon's diversity too as mentioned above...
S.L.J. wrote: "Nicholas Hoult as Beast in X-men First Class. He was also in Clash of the Titans.And now here he is in: Jack the Giant Killer"
That does look good.
I find it interesting that everyone mentioned so far has only been men. We certainly need more women in leading action rolls.So I thought of Angelina Jolie has done some good action movies.
Eileen wrote: "S.L.J. wrote: "Nicholas Hoult as Beast in X-men First Class. He was also in Clash of the Titans.And now here he is in: Jack the Giant Killer"
That does look good."
It's been re-named Jack the Giant Slayer. :P
I would have said K-Stew from Breaking Dawn Part 2 but in all the trailers I've seen she just looks stupid when she tries to be tough.
Her angry face makes it look like shes pooping.
That's a good one, SLJ! I'm not a big fan of Stewarts, even though she did a decent job in her last movie, Snow White.
Nora wrote: "The newer remake (and adaptation of a comic) Dredd had an actress do surprisingly well as Anderson. From the trailer, I wasn't too sure if she would be able to pull off the character, because she'..."DREDD was amazing! And Olivia was a great opposite to Urban's Judge Dredd. He was just plain awesome. The unstoppable law man.
For some reason it made me think about Dimitri from the Vampire Academy series. He loved westens and saw himself as a sort of law man but Dredd, Dredd would eat him alive.
Nothing stops Dredd.
"Mama is not the law...I am the law."
Nora wrote: "I loved how Dredd was portrayed and how the movie didn't spiral off into a chick flick with the main characters swapping sob stories (and yes, too many action flicks have too many chick flick momen..."He managed to say more with a shrug or grunt than most YA characters say with a monologue. DREDD RULES!
Yet, Mathew Broderick, usually a comedic actor, isn't the kind of guy we usually see in an action movie (Go Go Gadget's not counting for me right now).
Who else is there that, you never thought of in an Action Hero role, that turned out to handle it better than you expected.
Even if the movie flopped.