I love to read a good mystery or police procedural. When I like an author it makes it even more fun to revisit characters in a series. You can even picture the protagonist in your mind. I am sure this makes it difficult for casting directors when the books become movies.
I just finished Lee Child's latest book in the Jack Reacher series. Now, Jack Reacher is a former Army MP. He is 6 foot 5 inches tall with a 50 inch chest and is 210 pounds. He tends to get into situations where it is up to him to use his brain and his brawn to save the day. There are lots of times he subdues bad guys that vastly out number him, by sheer force.
In the back of the book they mentioned that they are turning one of the books into a movie. Great! Can't wait! I wonder who they will get to play Reacher?
TOM CRUISE.
Are you kidding me??? That short, skinny weirdo? No way. Did the casting director even read the book? Why is name recognition more important than character recognition? I haven't gone to see one of his movies in ages and I heard his last one flopped. So what is their rationale?
Didn't we quit using Italians as Native Americans and letting people use eye prostheses to play Asians? Should we look for movie actors that meet the minimum criteria of the description? I'm not talking hair color, here. Jack Reacher could pick his teeth with Tom Cruise.
When they put Morgan Freeman in a movie as Alex Cross, it ruined even the books for me. Sure, he is a good actor, even a great actor, but no way can he play 30 years younger, taller and built. No one is that good. Now they have Tyler Perry in the role and HIM I can see as Alex Cross.
Surely there is SOMEONE out there other than Tom Cruise. I'm from Southern California. The place is crawling with out of work actors. How about an audition or two before you settle on a skinny little guy that can no way play the part effectively. No matter what special effects they use. Unless they hire everyone else from Shortywood Productions.
While I have not read any of the Reacher series, I agree with your comments about Cruise. The best movie he made was Risky Business and he should have stopped afterwards. Although I have only read one of the Cross series, I read about Tyler replacing Freeman and also that he has slimmed down considerably so it seems a good choice.
ReplyDeleteI felt that way about the Stephanie Plum movie. Completely miscast in almost every respect.
ReplyDelete