Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

Moriarty Gambles On Zak Penn’s THE GRAND And Sony’s 21!

First! Hooraa! Don't care! by EvilGeek1	Mar 23rd, 2008 06:19:33 AM
So AICN's got a hard-on for 21, eh?
Ya see Moriarty, without a pretty face... by EvilGeek1	Mar 23rd, 2008 06:29:39 AM
the whole thing falls apart. God forbid, they do something different and try shake off the stereotypical eye candy aspect to casting movies like these. They know we want to see the same schlock over and over again from the freshest face off the Hollywood bus. Why mess with success when all you have to lose is the element of surprise and maybe your credibility. And for the record, I like Sturgess, even though I abhored Across The Universe. But he's still a vehicle in this movie.
21 by gregmss	Mar 23rd, 2008 06:36:40 AM
I hated 21, probably the worst film I've seen all year.
Usually love to hate... by Tourist	Mar 23rd, 2008 07:18:54 AM
...But those were some economical, succinct and clear reviews. I've noticed the surrounding hype gathering with Sturges. Don't know why, he must have something. He really wasn't afforded much of a chance to do anything in Across The Universe except be a model in some dull music videos. 21 sounds like of those situations where hewing closer to reality would have brought a more interesting and satisfying story than trying to gloss it up. Sort of like Heat. It would probally be the same problem a studio would bring to an adaptation of King Of Kong.
Why was the Kingpin Black by Internet Thug	Mar 23rd, 2008 07:50:46 AM
in Daredevil? MSJ is a racist! And I have suspicions about Affleck too. What do they have against fat white men? McWeeny get investigating.
Incident at Loch Ness.. by BoggyCreekBeast	Mar 23rd, 2008 08:45:03 AM
That was a terrific movie, and Werner Herzog is back in this one? I'm all over that like chocolate on an Easter bunny!
hey did moriarity just write a review of a movie by Stupendous Man	Mar 23rd, 2008 09:16:17 AM
that is only coming out next week? Normally we get it 2 months later! Well done sir! You're getting better! :)
" I understand the allure of playing the game, but watching some by Windowlicker74	Mar 23rd, 2008 09:50:27 AM
This actually goes for basically every sport out there. I mean, who likes to watch athetics? It just people running in circles or throwing a spear. Or basketball( or every other teamsport. It's fun to do, but boring as hell to watch. IMO watching a poker game is just a little more intriguing than watching your average sports game. ( or the worst of all: NASCAR!!)
caring about the race of the lead character is kinda racist by Rupee88	Mar 23rd, 2008 10:09:43 AM
I mean sure you wouldn't want to change the race of the lead in Malcolm X or Gandhi, but why does it matter here? This is not a story where race is an issue, so why make it one? Obviously, they made the main character caucasian because that is what will attract the most ticket buyers...I doubt there was any insidious intent. If they made this story into a movie in Uganda, the lead would be black. If they made it in Hong Kong, the lead woudl be Asian....not rocket science and not racist in any regard.
and "racist" is a stupid term by Rupee88	Mar 23rd, 2008 10:12:42 AM
It has become so vague and overused by this point...it pretty much means nothing. A strict definition would be hatred based on race, but people use the term for all sorts of other situations where there is no hatred involved (like with this movie).
Where does one review end and the other begin? by JackIsLost	Mar 23rd, 2008 10:16:17 AM
Transitions, Mori... think about it.
Moriarty by Mr. Nice Gaius	Mar 23rd, 2008 10:46:42 AM
Question: looking at the Terminator 4 thread - when did relentless spamming become an acceptable use of the Talkbacks on this site? I know we all like to have fun on/with AICN from time to time. But that stuff hardly promotes discussion and it effectively KILLS threads. I think we have a few people with way too much time on their hands and a callous disregard for bandwidth. (I look forward to the ridiculous insults which are sure to be thrown in my direction for even bringing this up.) Thanks anyway.
Regarding televised poker... by Mr. Nice Gaius	Mar 23rd, 2008 10:51:23 AM
...I couldn't agree more. I have quite a few friends who jumped all over the poker fad that started a few years ago. And while I've enjoyed a game or two in my day, poker as a daily routine (televised, online, or otherwise) puts me to frakkin' sleep. I can't think of a worse way to waste one's time. Although, spamming a TB ranks pretty high on the list.
I feel you on the poker Mori by waggy	Mar 23rd, 2008 11:27:19 AM
I had a bunch of friends (including 2 roommates) in college who were obsessed with it, and I can't tell you how many hours of boredom it provided me. They'd watch every night of the World Series of Poker even though it aired months after the tournament was held and they already knew all the results, fer chrissakes. And don't even get me started on the amount of time and money spent playing online poker. Yet I was the "crazy" one for not finding Rounders entertaining.
I don't get the poker culture by messi	Mar 23rd, 2008 11:51:56 AM
like it's a sport or something. fuck that. but if you like it whatever, i rather watch european football.
televised poker by Gungan Slayer	Mar 23rd, 2008 11:54:51 AM
sucks. Big time. It digusts me how "the worldwide leader in sports" espn spends hours and hours of its time slots with this crap on tv. You mean to tell me, that somewhere else in this country, or in the world, there isn't some other sporting event going on that is much more exciting than poker and surely to do better with ratings? I'm sorry, but ESPN should be a channel that I turn to see actual sporting events, not a bunch of fat ass guys, or hip dudes, or guys with sunglasses and rednecks with cowboy hats sitting around a table playing cards. Please. and this comes from someone who loves playing poker and other card games.
Mori it's not just the lead... by BadMrWonka	Mar 23rd, 2008 12:02:31 PM
...that gets the hollywood crap treatment. in reality, the story is MUCH different, and much more interesting. of course hollywood can't help but make it all white, and with a perfect love interest, etc etc
"i rather watch european football" by ikkyu	Mar 23rd, 2008 12:56:18 PM
while i applaud the sentiment, messi, i have to say: there is no such sport as "european football". there is "football" (or, to give it it's full and glorious name: "Association football", sometimes abbreviated to "soccer"), there is "Rugby football" (such as "League" and "Rugby Union") and there is "American football". also, other types exist, including but not limited to "Gaelic football", but there is no such thing as "european football". ask the entire population of the continents of South America and Africa, as well as Europe, if you need clarification. but don't get me wrong: we applaud your good taste.
oops by ikkyu	Mar 23rd, 2008 12:58:06 PM
my bad - correcting a TBer's English usage and making my own grammatical error... "to give it ITS full and glorious name..."
Stop casting Kate Bosworth by Rocklover79	Mar 23rd, 2008 12:58:08 PM
Bland, bland, BLAND excuse for an actress. Sheesh, her line delivery in Singerman Returns was cringe-inducing, and her body is a bag of bones now, so you can't even stick her in a bikini anymore without making people puke.
Rupee88...Asians WERE central to the original story... by Bong	Mar 23rd, 2008 12:58:58 PM
Read the book.
Thesame people who think Sturgess is a movie star... by Dragon Man	Mar 23rd, 2008 01:06:31 PM
Are probably the same people who think Justin Timberlake brought sexy back.
I called the Sturgess as Spider-Man thing first! by IndustryKiller!	Mar 23rd, 2008 01:10:43 PM
Err, well, I said in a talkback a few months ago that I thought he should play Peter Parker. Nonetheless I'm petty and I want the credit for it. I think he's got the exact qualitites the character needs. He'll at the very least be superior to the overly nerdy, unfunny, and one dimensional Tobey Macguire. If Sturgess does get the role I hope he actually plays against the nerdiness. Mori's right though about someone at Sony really liking this kid. The billboards for 21 are all over LA, you can't throw a rock without hitting one. And every one of them features Jim Sturgess's face (or eyes). Now if that's not an endorsement for a guy who isn't quite famous and hasn't headlines a movie before I don't know what is.
21 by Freakemovie	Mar 23rd, 2008 01:26:05 PM
I have to take issue with a lot of the 21 review. For one thing you seem oddly ignorant about how studios groom stars. They did it with Heath Ledger and Colin Farrell and a million other people and now they're doing it with Jim Sturgess. They probably decided 21 would be a good project for him because they could surround him with other more famous people. There's really nothing at all racist about it - so the original guy was Asian? Great, this movie's not a documentary. And as for the glossiness and glitz...it's a mainstream Vegas movie. That's what you're going to get. The whole idea is that it's a "ride." By the way, I haven't even seen the film yet. Hope it's good, lol.
vegas movies... by they call it the dip	Mar 23rd, 2008 01:38:29 PM
... in general bore the crap out of me. the whole "don't you get it? vegas is a place of GREED" is about as shallow as "don't you get it? hollywood only wants to chew you up and spit you out". of the two, the grand looks slightly enticing but then more annoying in the way the dark comedies are often very annoying to me. they always seem so conscious of the fact that they're dark comedies. and about the racism thing, jeff ma should've been the lead. he's more interesting than jim sturgess, but i guess that's not very hard.
Poker = Not a game of chance by charteredstreets	Mar 23rd, 2008 01:49:46 PM
Doing well at poker is at least 60% skill, though it varies. Anyway Zak Penn's Incident at Loch Ness was brilliant (if only seen by about 50 people), and I'm looking forward to this one.
Wow, another '21' story. by SkinJob69	Mar 23rd, 2008 02:01:08 PM
I was just thinking- 'hey, we need more 21 coverage on this site'. Cool.
The Chicken and the Egg by Bobo_Vision	Mar 23rd, 2008 02:54:48 PM
The problem is not so much that they chose a white guy to play an Asian, but the fact that there are only a handful of Asian actors who Hollywood has ushered into their world and granted a degree of success. The latter is the more racist, and is the real problem. The result is that when searching for someone to play an actual Asian (like casting a non-Chinese actor to play Bruce Lee) there aren't many to choose from. So the dilemma with this film's casting is merely the outcome of the deeper problem.
freakemovie by necgray	Mar 23rd, 2008 02:55:57 PM
Bong said it himself. This movie is an adaptation of a book that quite interestingly explains why non-caucasian kids were used as the main players on the MIT team. And though I agree with the opinion that the race of the lead character doesn't matter, I ALSO agree that IF it doesn't matter, why not make him true-to-life Asian? The book ALSO takes place in several casinos in several states, not just Vegas. And it delves into the different groups that were playing, not just the central MIT group. I thought the competition between the card-counting teams was a LOT more interesting than a made-up bullshit story about a kid who can't afford med school. Especially since it has nothing to do with the source material. I'm not a fidelity freak when it comes to adaptations, but when there's plenty of fascinating material IN THE SOURCE material and you make shit up? Why? Especially the ridiculous and cliche sexual tension with Bosworth. Who, I totally agree with Rocklover, is bland as lukewarm milk.
0 by mr.brownstone	Mar 23rd, 2008 02:56:42 PM
Interest in 21. Just glad it's finally out so I don't have too see that insufferable trailer ever again. "300,000 for tuition... how am I supposed to pay for that". Worst line delivery ever. That kid makes Paul Walker seem like Bruce Willis.
Mori, it's all about the PocketCam by Abhimanyu	Mar 23rd, 2008 03:41:13 PM
The advent of internet poker is only half the reason for the craze. The other half is the camera that allows you to see what they have when they're playing. You see how they play it, you see what decisions they make, you see how they bluff. It's no fun in a movie, but in the poker stuff, if you like the game, you can see what they're doing and it's al lot of fun. And I think the Kingpin, or Nick Fury, Or Green Lantern all can have certain liberties taken due to the avatar-like nature of superhero comic characters. But if the real story was about an Asian, why make the movie about a Caucasian unless it is to go for a "wider demographic"? Just because an assumption might be true doesn't make it not racist, or does it?
Sorry - by Abhimanyu	Mar 23rd, 2008 03:49:53 PM
How do I do paragraph breaks?
Um, its definately racist... by Tourist	Mar 23rd, 2008 04:00:51 PM
...Not to mention physically impossible. Only Asians can be that good at math. Rupee88 - "If they made this story into a movie in Uganda, the lead would be black"...Or Leonardo DiCaprio. Or a movie about an all black regiment in the civil war starring Matthew Broderick. Hey, how about a fucking Samurai film starring Tom Cruise?
necgray, wanna try that again? And comments on ethnicity in fil by WillowFan2001	Mar 23rd, 2008 04:06:16 PM
"And though I agree with the opinion that the race of the lead character doesn't matter, I ALSO agree that IF it doesn't matter, why not make him true-to-life Asian?" Umm...huh? Well, since you agree that the race of the main character doesn't matter, what do you care whether it's true to life or not? Seriously, this goes for ALL of you who have said it doesn't matter, no matter whether you go on to say "He shoulda been Asian" or "I want to suck some Sturgess man-dick." Here's a novel idea from someone who really doesn't give two shits whether the actor playing Jeff Ma's character could plausibly cringe under Godzilla's feet or not. If the race really doesn't matter, then why not just cast the best actor? That's what I care about most. Unfortunately, I can't bring myself to believe for one moment that Sturgess was the best choice (or if he was, that must have been the shittiest audition session since they put out the casting call for Omega Cop). I mean, why not get a GOOD actor? Masi Oka was too old? Jake Gyllenhall wouldn't return your calls? Couldn't afford Mary Elizabeth Winstead? (Cause let's face it, if all you're trying to do is tell the story of some really smart kids who beat the Vegas system, why the hell should gender really matter much either? Plus, hey guys, Winstead on Bosworth equals uh-huh...) You mean there wasn't anyone better, anyone at all? So I'm already pissed off at the movie, quite apart from ethnicity, and I haven't even sat down to watch it yet.
Tourist, wha-huh? by WillowFan2001	Mar 23rd, 2008 04:12:45 PM
"Or a movie about an all black regiment in the civil war starring Matthew Broderick." Umm, you do know that the incident you're citing is based on history, right? If not, let me set you straight on the fact that all-black regiments in the Civil War were led by teams of all-white commissioned officers. Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (of the Beacon Hill Shaws, no less) was as lily-white as they come. So it's perfectly appropriate to have Broderick starring in that movie. Or it would ahve been if he had been any better than passably adequate.
WillowFan, wanna try that again? by necgray	Mar 23rd, 2008 05:00:48 PM
I don't care if it's true to life. There are plenty of young Asian actor who could have played the Sturgess part well AND been accurately Asian. It doesn't MATTER if it's true to life, but there's no reason for it NOT to be. That's all I was getting at. Not sure why you got all uppity at me, dude, but you can save your attitude for Optimus Prime flame debates.
Re: WillowFan by Gwai Lo	Mar 23rd, 2008 05:47:32 PM
You're missing the point a bit I think, which is that Hollywood is almost completely incapable of making a film without a white protagonist. Glory and the Last Samurai may be fairly historically accurate (AND good films), but let's not kid ourselves. Without that white protagonist in there, you got no Tom Cruise, and then you basically got no movie. Films like Apocalypto are far and few between. It couldn't be any more obvious what they're doing by casting Jim Sturgess and Kate Bosworth instead of, oh I dunno, someone from Better Luck Tomorrow, they're just trying to sell more tickets. And it's probably true that this movie would sell way less of them if it had an all Asian cast, it's just fucked up that it's gotta be that way. There was a practical reason why the real life participants in this story were asian as well, apparently they were less conspicuous. If Jim Sturgess and Kate Bosworth walked into a room they would probably attract a lot of attention.
Again, necgray... by WillowFan2001	Mar 23rd, 2008 05:48:13 PM
So you don't care if it's true to life. So why bitch about the choice? By definition, if it doesn't matter which of two options you choose, then there's no reason to choose one or the other. Flip a coin, toss a dwarf, whatever, but either way will be fine. So anyone who disagrees with you can just say, "Yeah, but there's no reason that it HAS to be true to life, either," and bippity boppity boo, you're at a stalemate. And I hate seeing the equivalent of backseat fights between little kids on the Internet. "Mommy, he hit me!" "Did not!" "Did too!" "Did not!" "Did too!" Ye gods. (Given that, it's a valid question: why do I come here at all, since that's mostly what takes place in these threads? Question for another day.) Like I said, if it really doesn't matter, then the producers should just hire the best actor. If he's Asian, great. If he's not, great. And as for why I "got all uppity at" you, you just happened to be the lucky prizewinner of having last taken a position on this non-issue as I began to type in my first contribution to the thread. So it's nothing personal. Well, it wasn't until you sullied my medium-good name by implying that I cared one way or the other about Transformers. For that, you must...well, no. Never mind. It's still not personal. I can't really expend the energy to care.
Given that not many Asian actors command a high salary by Gwai Lo	Mar 23rd, 2008 05:53:25 PM
They probably could have gotten the best Asian twenty-something actors in North America to audition for the role in 21, but seeing as how the studio probably wanted a white person they got C-lister white guy Sturgess.
Gwai Lo...nope, got all that by WillowFan2001	Mar 23rd, 2008 06:05:15 PM
Ironically, I think that the ethnicity of the characters matters very much to the book, because of the implication that one of the reasons they were able to succeed so well is because of the good-ol'-fashioned "All Asians look alike to me" brand of racism. By leaving that out of the movie, its makers are missing a neat little subtextual slam at white American attitudes toward people whose features are indicators that their ancestors ain't from 'round here. (Of course, white Americans came from foreign stock too, but that's beside the point, since most of them don't think of themselves that way.) However, most people are gonna come to the movie for the thrill of seeing a group of smart individuals game the system, best the house, stick it to The Man, or whatever other counter-authority slogan you want to put here--and get filthy rich and be swarming with babes in the process. It's pretty much an American dream. And for that film, it really isn't necessary for the characters to be true-to-life. See, I actually think that the ethnicities of whoever is cast in this movie really don't matter. I would just hold open readings and then cast the best talent. But I completely agree with your point...the idea that THE PRODUCERS clearly think it matters very much whose picture is on the poster...and from their box-office-oriented standpoint, it might well be. I don't think that's a good way to approach things, since I believe that (all else being equal) if the art is good, the audience will find you, but it's their money and therefore their call. What I'm responding to are the people who come on saying "Nope, it really doesn't matter, but the guy should have been Asian" or that statement's rough converse, both of which are ridiculous. If it doesn't matter, then leave it alone.
To clarify quickly: by WillowFan2001	Mar 23rd, 2008 06:09:35 PM
If I wanted to make a movie based on the actual events, I would definitely want an mostly-Asian cast of main characters. If I wanted to make an almost surefire box-office hit, then I would follow the lead of the film's producers and cast white leads. If I wanted to make a good movie based on the book's logline and basic plot (which would be my aim), then I would cast the best actors, period. I just get a chuckle out of people who are basically saying, "It doesn't matter, but it does."
the difference to ME personally and to others by necgray	Mar 23rd, 2008 06:21:57 PM
I think what's confusing you, Willowfan, is that I didn't make my position clear enough. I, personally, necgray, don't care if they cast an Asian guy or not. I agree with you that the best actor for the job is the best actor for the job. BUT I also believe that IF there is an Asian actor of equal skill as Burgess, there's no good reason to NOT cast the Asian actor. Hell, two of the other kids on the team in the movie are Asian. Why not cast the guy as the main character? Burgess doesn't have box-office draw of his own yet, so it can't be name recognition. So, again, I PERSONALLY didn't think it mattered. The movie had problems far beyond the race of the lead character. BUT I think Mori's complaint about the race of the character is valid. Is that clearer?
I Loved THE GRAND by hauptman	Mar 23rd, 2008 06:23:33 PM
Seriously, it was hilarious. Really well acted.
Zak Penn is a bad writer by BrowncoatJedi	Mar 23rd, 2008 06:40:27 PM
From Last Action Hero to X-Men 3, he has a lot to apologize for.
Mr. Nice Gaius, the TB tattletale by leobloom	Mar 23rd, 2008 06:46:39 PM
Are you the guy who tells the boss that people are stealing pens and paperclips. I bet you'll get a gold star from the AICN grade-school teachers for telling on those bad people who made up Terminator titles. Shame on them!
leobloom = Threadkiller by Mr. Nice Gaius	Mar 23rd, 2008 06:57:54 PM
Why so serious?
Wasn't Kingpin played by a black guy in DAREDEVIL? by Ye Not Guilty	Mar 23rd, 2008 10:55:45 PM
Was that racist too? Or was MCD the best actor for the part?
Sturgess's American accent by Ye Not Guilty	Mar 23rd, 2008 10:58:16 PM
I wouldn't be surprised if Sturgess is being considered to replace Tobey Maguire in the Spider-Man franchise. Just close your eyes and listen to his American accent in the trailer to 21. He sounds almost just like Tobey Maguire. They share the same geeky earnestness.
Ye Not Guilty by necgray	Mar 23rd, 2008 11:41:01 PM
First, I would never use Daredevil as an example of acting. Second, Kingpin in the comics is a giant wall of muscle mascarading as fat. No human on earth was the best actor for that part. MAYBE Paul Wight, the American professional wrestler. Third, Kingpin is not now nor has ever been based on a real person. Jeff Ma is a real Asian guy. There are plenty of Asian actors of at LEAST equal talent to Sturgess. I don't believe he was the best choice to play that character. John Cho is a charming Asian guy at around the same age with as much if not more talent. Why not cast him? In a contest of who is more boring vanilla, he and Bosworth would be neck and neck.
I blame ESPN. by Rev. Slappy	Mar 23rd, 2008 11:58:04 PM
I am old enough to remember the network when they started and I recall all the ridiculous bullshit they aired (exercise program, professional wrestling, etc.) just to fill up 24 hours a day with sports programming. Now they have contracts with all the major pro and college sports organizations and yet they have come full circle, putting a bunch of bullshit (poker, eating contests) on the air. The worst thing I have ever seen was the ESPN series that showed guys playing Madden on their Playstations.
Two responses to necgray... by WillowFan2001	Mar 24th, 2008 03:52:12 AM
Response #1, to this quote: "I, personally, necgray, don't care if they cast an Asian guy or not. I agree with you that the best actor for the job is the best actor for the job. BUT I also believe that IF there is an Asian actor of equal skill as Burgess, there's no good reason to NOT cast the Asian actor." Thank you. That is much clearer. And I happen to agree. However, I also believe that if you just want to tell the basic story without making it as true-to-life as you possibly can, there's not necessarily a good reason TO CAST an Asian actor, just because he is playing a character based on a real-life agent. As I said, and as you seemed to agree to, if the basic story is what really matters, then let's pick the best actor. Which leads me straight into Response #2, to this quote: "There are plenty of Asian actors of at LEAST equal talent to Sturgess. I don't believe he was the best choice to play that character. John Cho is a charming Asian guy at around the same age with as much if not more talent. Why not cast him?" Amen. As I believe I said earlier, Sturgess was not the best choice to play the main character. Performance-wise, he's more wooden than the Beaverton Dam. And I agree with you that John Cho would have been a much better choice for the role. Would I have cast Cho in the producers' place? Don't know...it depends. If he was the best actor who auditioned for me, yes. Otherwise, no. But one thing we can definitely agree on: if the only two actors up for consideration were Cho and Sturgess, it's no contest which one should have been cast, and the producers fucked up bigtime. (Hell, I'm still putting in that write-in vote for Mary Elizabeth Winstead to play Jeff Ma's character. If you're gonna change things about the guy, after all, why stop at race? Plus, Winstead and Bosworth...oh, they could be a beautiful cinematic couple...)
Errata by WillowFan2001	Mar 24th, 2008 03:54:37 AM
Sigh. For "agent" above, read "Asian." Of for the more PC of you, "Asian-American." Or for the less PC among you, fill in the ethnic insult of your choice--just don't hold me responsible. Must not post late at night, when I need sleep...
Jeff Ma is in 21 by Internet Thug	Mar 24th, 2008 08:18:12 AM
so if he doesn't care why should you?
Did Cho audition for 21? by Ye Not Guilty	Mar 24th, 2008 11:45:25 AM
Did Cho even audition for 21? I'm asking because I don't know. But if he didn't audition, then how could he have been cast? Also, I haven't read the book, but from Wikipedia it appears that the character in the book that is based on the real-life Jeff Ma is named "Kevin Lewis." So they gave Ma an anglicised name even in the book. Also, necgray, I'm afraid I didn't understand your point on casting a black actor to play the Kingpin in DAREDEVIL. All I really got is that you hate DAREDEVIL, and therefore it is OK to cast a black actor to play a character who is supposed to be white, because you hate the film so much.
Ye Not Guilty: by WillowFan2001	Mar 24th, 2008 01:33:39 PM
Couple of things. #1: Neither necgray nor I know whether Cho auditioned. But I don't think that's relevant to what we're saying, whcih is simply that Cho would have been a better choice for the role. Didn't you ever look at a movie or TV show and think "Man, I really wish (fill in name) had been cast as (fill in part) instead, because s/he would have been so much better"? When you do, do you limit your fantasy casting to people who actually auditioned? #2: Though Ma's name was Anglicized in "Bringing Down the House," it was only done to protect his identity, and the author (Ben Mezrich) still makes a heavy point of Ma's Asian ethnicity. There is also, by the by, a big difference between giving a person of Asian descent a European alias...and casting an actor of European descent to play a character based on someone of Asian extract. Especially considering that some people don't bear names relating to part of their ethnic heritage. Example: Couldn't you imagine an Asian with a European name in real life? Maybe someone with a Caucasian father and an Oriental mother? (Or what about those cases where very different cultures happen to have similar surnames? "Linda Park" sounds pretty Anglo to me, but given that Park is a common Korean surname, it's no surprise to see the name belonging to an Asian-American actress. It was, however, vaguely surprising to see her playing someone who was Japanese. All Asians look alike, I guess...)
ye not guilty re: cho and Kingpin by necgray	Mar 24th, 2008 10:37:17 PM
As WillowFan said, I don't know if he auditioned. It's beside the point, Cho was just an example. But if you want to talk about the actual movie and actual choices, I DO know that one of the ancillary characters is played by an Asian actor. Who seemed just as talented as Burgess. Or just as not untalented, to be more specific. So why not just cast that kid as the main character? The cynical answer is that white protagonists are easier to sell. As for my point on Michael Clark Duncan in the Kingpin role, I was implying that no human being alive should play him because he's not conceivably playable. The Hulk is CG now because we've learned from Lou Ferrigno that casting an actor in that kind of superhuman role looks a little silly. Wilson Fisk is a giant bald dude who looks morbidly obese but is really all muscle. And the only white guy big enough to play that with any kind of realism is wrestler Paul Wight. Who I'm sure was not on anyone's list of possible actors to play Kingpin. But not even Wight would do Kingpin justice. It's got dick-all to do with the fact that he's a black guy. Furthermore, the parallel isn't even vaguely apt because Fisk's race doesn't affect his character one iota. It's never been shown in Daredevil that Fisk being a white man is to his character's advantage. WHEREAS in Bringing Down the House they make a point of telling the reader that non-Caucasian kids got caught less because the casinos are more suspicious of rich white kids than rich non-white kids. So the protagonist's race DID affect his character and DID affect the story.

Talkbacks

Moriarty Gambles On Zak Penn’s THE GRAND And Sony’s 21!

User login

Quick Talkback

Talkbacks