I like Ryan Reynolds. He seems pretty cool and I think he’s a talented guy with great comic timing.
So, pretty much the opposite of this shit sack.
The thing is, despite the fact he’s in phenomenal shape and has the physicality of a sculpted Greek God, the guy has yet to find that breakthrough big screen role that cements him as a true action hero icon.
It’s like he’s been shrink-wrapped in muscle.
With the news that he’s been officially cast as Connor MacLeod, fans of the original beloved action-fantasy film have reason to be concerned as Reynolds’ action film track record is far from stellar.
Here are 3 reasons Ryan Reynolds getting cast in the Highlander remake is a bad idea:
1. HE’S TOO COMEDIC
Reynolds is a gifted comedic actor. From his early work on TV’s Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place to National Lampoon’s Van Wilder to recently co-starring with Jason Bateman in The Change Up – Reynolds can make comedies funnier than they should be due to his inherent charm and comedic gut instincts.
As opposed to just a comedic gut.
Incredibly, Reynolds is also an extremely talented dramatic actor, as evidenced by his tour-de-force performance in the film Buried, a 94 minute thriller in which he spends the entire time trapped in a coffin struggling to stay alive with only a cell phone to help him escape before the oxygen runs out.
The problem is not when Reynolds stars in a straight comedy or pure drama — the problem is when he plays a role that requires him to strike a delicate balance between the two, like in an action movie.
There’s no balance in Con Air when Nic Cage murders a man over stuffed pink bunny.
A great example is Green Lantern. Intended to kick off a franchise and potentially lay the groundwork for a DC Comics cinematic universe, the film’s lackluster performance already has people talking reboot.
And while there’s no denying Reynolds tried his best to carry the film, and that he didn’t get much help from a weak and flawed script and questionable special effects (like his suit), he still misplayed the role of Hal Jordan at certain times by giving into his comedic instincts and going too hard for the joke.
When it comes to the Highlander franchise, Connor MacLeod is a serious badass. And while he might make the odd sarcastic crack post-combat, the nature of his character will be compromised if Ryan Reynolds’ track record of jazzing up jokes in action flicks continues.
Because the only thing hilarious in Highlander are Sean Connery’s hats.
2. HE WIELDS A SWORD LIKE A PUSSY
As mentioned before, Connor MacLeod is badass. And what kind of weapons does a badass use? Swords. Broadswoards, longswords, katanas — you name it, MacLeod’s used it to slice and dice other immortals.
Ryan Reynolds also previously co-starred in the negatively received movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine as comic book fan favourite Wade Wilson aka Deadpool. In the movie he portrays Wilson as a wise-cracking mercenary with lethal swordsmanship and athleticism.
Unfortunately there’s nothing impressive about holding your
hands in your pockets while wearing a woman’s workout top.
Although his appearance in the film is brief, during the bulk of his time on screen Reynolds sort of just prances about like an acrobat while skillfully but effeminately wielding dual katana swords.
In order to do justice to the role, the actor playing the Highlander should be able to swing a sword with such a testosterone-charged alpha dog brutality that even Ron Swanson would be impressed.
Seriously, he looks like he’s squeezing out a gigantic fart.
3. HE’S COMIC BOOK / FANTASY FRANCHISE POISON
There’s no getting around it — Ryan Reynolds is comic book / fantasy franchise poison.
He was brought in as Hannibal King to re-invigorate the Blade franchise and possibly spin off into his own movie called The Nightstalkers. It didn’t happen and there hasn’t been a Blade movie since.
Maybe it was the weird beard, bulbous deltoids,
bad belt buckle combo.
He took the role of Wade Wilson aka Deadpool in the X-Men franchise with the INTENT to spin off into his own movie. Instead, Deadpool continues to languish in development hell and die hard fans are livid that the portrayal of their beloved merc was butchered so badly.
And finally, despite clearly giving a great effort and treating the character with respect, the combination of Reynold’s Green Lantern performance and the film’s flaws led to a massive disappointment.
But still not as big of a disappointment as this.
Look, I get it — Ryan Reynolds is a talented performer and that’s why people keep placing their bets on his abilities. But I’m sorry, when it comes to beloved fantasy franchises like Blade, X-Men and Green Lantern, three strikes and you’re out.
Both Blade and Green Lantern are all but dead and the only reason the X-Men franchise is limping on is because they made a prequel set during the 60′s and are doing everything in their power to make the new Wolverine movie a stand alone project.
So until Reynolds gets paired up with a filmmaker that will implement stricter direction or he can find a way to reign in his comedic impulses, the guy should not be getting any more fantasy franchises, especially long time beloved ones like Highlander.
Because in the end, there can be only one.