Jeff Stockton here with this season's edition of Casting Grades. In this segment I will dissect the casting of several films from the season - namely adaptations featuring characters that exist in other formats (or reality). Here we go....
SONGBIRD
Taylor Swift as Joni Mitchell
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: She can sing the part and is believable in the music elements. She did a surprisingly decent job in the dramatic moments as well. She's better looking than the real Joni Mitchell but looked the part pretty well as well.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Paul Dano as David Crosby
Appearance: B+
Performance: B
Thoughts: Like most of the supporting players in Songbird, Dano only gets a limited time to make an impact as Crosby, but he does a good job invoking the real man.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Josh O'Connor as Chuck Mitchell
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: O'Connor looks enough like Mitchell to be believable. His performance is fairly one-note but still pretty good.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Anna Camp as Myrtle Anderson
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: A small part, but Camp brought a nice motherly energy to the role.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Jared Keeso as Bill Anderson
Appearance: B-
Performance: B-
Thoughts: Keeso is believable as a Canadian farmer here.
Overall Casting Grade: B-
Tom Hughes as Graham Nash
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Hughes felt a good deal like Nash in this one to me.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Frank Dillane as Jaco Pastorius
Appearance: B
Performance: B-
Thoughts: I don't know much about Jaco in real life, but it did seem like Dillane was a bit out-matched by the other cast.
Overall Casting Grade: B-
Finn Wittrock as James Taylor
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: I don't normally like Wittrock much, but he did a great job capturing James Taylor's vibe.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Leonard Cohen
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: This was a sneakily good casting job.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Victoria Pedretti as Judy Collins
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Pedretti finally found a post Tara's Web role to make good use of her talents.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Carina Battrick as Young Joni
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: Battrick was believable as young Taylor Swift and that's what the role here required.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Overall Film Casting Grade: B+
RED LANTERN CORPS
John Boyega as John Stewart
Appearance: A-
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Boyega has slowly grown into the role of Stewart more over the years, giving his best DC performance yet.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Idris Elba as Atrocitus
Appearance: B
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Elba brings his usual angry gravitas to the role of Atrocitus. He doesn't have the biggest arc, but Elba does what he can.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Luke Evans as Sinestro
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Evans has nailed the role of Sinestro since his first appearance - this time is no different.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Seann William Scott as Guy Gardner
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: One of the bigger, pleasant surprises of the film was SWS's take on Guy Gardner.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Riley Keough as Laira Omoto
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: Laira does a lot of plot and exposition heavy lifting while the other characters get to do a lot of the fun stuff.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Kevin Durand as Kilowog
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Durand continues his great version of Kilowog now in his third appearance.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Thomas Middleditch as Ch'p
Appearance: N/A
Performance: A-
Thoughts: Ch'p and G'Nort unexpectedly were major highlights in this film with their surprisingly badass roles.
Overall Casting Grade: A-
Tony Hale as G'Nort
Appearance: B+
Performance: A
Thoughts: Ch'p and G'Nort unexpectedly were major highlights in this film with their surprisingly badass roles.
Overall Casting Grade: A
Bryan Brown as Tomar-Re
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: Tomar-Re doesn't have a ton to do here other than be an authority figure, but he does the job.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Freddie Fox as Dez Trevius
Appearance: A-
Performance: B-
Thoughts: Fox's performance was okay, but he nailed the look.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Karl Yune as Ampa Nnn
Appearance: B
Performance: C+
Thoughts: Not much to do in this one other than fight some good guys (and lose).
Overall Casting Grade: C+
Richard T. Jones as Ke'Haan
Appearance: B
Performance: C+
Thoughts: I've liked Jones in other stuff, but I wasn't feeling him here.
Overall Casting Grade: C+
Terence Stamp as Ganthet
Appearance: B+
Performance: B
Thoughts: A small appearance, but Stamp oozes authority and grandness.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Overall Film Casting Grade: B+
GARGOYLES: A TALE OLD AS TIME
Vin Diesel as Goliath
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Goliath feels tailor-made for Diesel's stoic, gravelly talents.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Elisa
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: She had a better arc in the first film, but she still works well enough as Elisa here.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Zachary Quinto as Xanatos
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: Quinto feels a little more weaselly than the source material, but it works for the most part.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Toby Kebbell as Brooklyn
Appearance: B
Performance: B-
Thoughts: His eyes are dead-on, but Brooklyn feels underdeveloped compared to some of the other gargoyles.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Brian Cox as Hudson
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Cox nails the role, bringing a gruff theatricality necessary.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
John C. Reilly as Broadway
Appearance: B+
Performance: A-
Thoughts: JCR is my favorite of the Gargoyles casting. He looks the part, sounds the part - no issues.
Overall Casting Grade: A-
Evan Peters as Lexington
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: Peters may be ageing out of roles like this at this point, but he brings a fun energy.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Melissa George as Demona
Appearance: B
Performance: C+
Thoughts: Another character that feels like she has less to do this time around, but I still liked her role.
Overall Casting Grade: B-
Josh Pence as Owen
Appearance: B-
Performance: C-
Thoughts: Pence doesn't bring to the role and Owen doesn't bring much to the film either.
Overall Casting Grade: C
Iain Glen as MacBeth
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: MacBeth was a nice addition to the story, and Glen gets no serious complaints as the talent he is.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Overall Film Casting Grade: B
CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER'S END
Glen Powell as Steve Rogers/Captain America
Appearance: A+
Performance: A
Thoughts: One of the better superhero casting decisions in LRF history continues here.
Overall Casting Grade: A+
Willa Fitzgerald as Sharon Carter
Appearance: A-
Performance: B
Thoughts: She is relegated to being a bit of a sidekick in this sequel, but I liked the hints of romance between her and Cap.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Tom Selleck as Tony Stark
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Selleck just seems like a boss - exactly what Stark is in the story here.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Paul Mescal as Winter Soldier
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: Mescal seems a bit outmatched in the action scenes but does well with the drama.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Noah Taylor as Arnim Zola
Appearance: B
Performance: B+
Thoughts: He's in hologram mode now, but still a bit chilling as the Hydra scientist.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Tom Burke as Baron Zemo
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Burke brought lots of gravitas to the role of Baron Zemo.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Alain Moussi as Batroc
Appearance: B
Performance: C+
Thoughts: More about fighting skill than dramatic talent, Moussi works.
Overall Casting Grade: C+
Danny Glover as James Rhodes
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: I really liked Glover's weary take on Rhodes - and his chemistry with Selleck.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Overall Film Casting Grade: B+
ESCAPE
Reese Witherspoon as Carolyn Jessop
Appearance: B+
Performance: A+
Thoughts: Witherspoon nails the role completely - not much else to say.
Overall Casting Grade: A
Harrison Ford as Merril Jessop
Appearance: A-
Performance: A-
Thoughts: Ford doesn't get many chances to test his acting skill, but he delivered.
Overall Casting Grade: A-
Al Pacino as Rulon Jeffs
Appearance: B+
Performance: A-
Thoughts: It's been a long time since Pacino has given a real performance, but Fincher managed to wring a great one out of him.
Overall Casting Grade: A-
Jade Pettyjohn as Betty Jessop
Appearance: A-
Performance: A
Thoughts: Talk about a surprise. Give this young woman a GRA!
Overall Casting Grade: A
Montana Jordan as Mark Jessop
Appearance: B
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Jordan rose above his sitcom resume with his performance here.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Violet McGraw as Emma Jessop
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: McGraw is solid in a small role.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Gabriella Sengos as Sarah Jessop
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: Sengos, like McGraw, doesn't have to do a lot, but the Jessops feel like a lived in family.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Mia Kirshner as Natalie Malonis
Appearance: B
Performance: C+
Thoughts: Kirshner is decent in an exposition heavy role.
Overall Casting Grade: B-
Linda Hamilton as Foneta Jessop
Appearance: B
Performance: A-
Thoughts: I'm not a fan of Hamilton, but she brought a passive-aggressive menace to the role here that was pretty much perfect.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Anja Savcic as Miriam Jessop
Appearance: B-
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Savcic doesn't have a ton to do, but I liked the energy she brought as a younger sister wife.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Overall Film Casting Grade: A-
SCARLET WITCH
Sadie Sink as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
Appearance: B+
Performance: A
Thoughts: Sadie Sink once again nails this role which is tailored to her performance strengths.
Overall Casting Grade: A-
Andrew Lincoln as Doctor Stephen Strange
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: I was surprised by Lincoln's Dr. Strange - in a good way. He brings a different, less jokey, energy than Cumberbatch.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Jet Li as The Ancient One
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Solid casting. He has a few really good scenes to show off his performance.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: I feel like Pietro has a smaller role here, but he played the heartbreak well.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Nina Dobrev as Clea
Appearance: B
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Another surprisingly strong performance. I'm not familiar with her prior work, but she manages to play all the different elements of the character with nuance.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Ben Wang as Wong
Appearance: B+
Performance: B
Thoughts: Interesting take on Wong - WAY different than Disney.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Kate Winslet as Natalya Maximoff
Appearance: B
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Just a cameo, but she brings gravitas.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Loren Dean as Robert Frank
Appearance: B-
Performance: C+
Thoughts: Another cameo - not much of a performance though.
Overall Casting Grade: C+
Betsy Brandt as Madeline Frank
Appearance: B-
Performance: C+
Thoughts: Another cameo - not much of a performance though.
Overall Casting Grade: C+
Overall Film Casting Grade: B+
THE BALLAD OF DWIGHT FRYE
Barry Keoghan as Dwight Frye
Appearance: B
Performance: A-
Thoughts: Keoghan gives a haunting, manic performance that nails the character.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Richard E. Grant as James Whale
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Grant brings his usual skills to the role of Whale, making an impact with a thinly written role.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Makenzie Leigh as Laura Frye
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: More of a reactionary role, but she is solid.
Overall Casting Grade: B
BJ Novak as Carl Laemmle Jr.
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Novak has one of the bigger supporting roles and the studio exec and does a good job.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Overall Film Casting Grade: B+
DEAN
George Clooney as Howard Dean
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: I don't think I learned anything about Howard Dean, but Clooney was his usual charming self which gets him some points.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Jeremy Strong as Joe Trippi
Appearance: B-
Performance: B-
Thoughts: Strong looks a bit like Trippi, but isn't given much to perform.
Overall Casting Grade: B-
Brian D'Arcy James as Terry McAuliffe
Appearance: C-
Performance: B-
Thoughts: James looks nothing like McAuliffe and is saddled with an awkwardly devised role.
Overall Casting Grade: C+
Overall Film Casting Grade: B-
JOKER VS. DEADSHOT
Caleb Landry Jones as The Joker
Appearance: A
Performance: A
Thoughts: CLJ brings his chaotic Joker back with the R-rating allowing him extra room to get creatively.
Overall Casting Grade: A
Walton Goggins as Floyd Lawton/Deadshot
Appearance: A-
Performance: A
Thoughts: Talk about perfect casting.
Overall Casting Grade: A
Julia Garner as Harley Quinn
Appearance: A-
Performance: A-
Thoughts: Garner clearly has some fun with the R-Rating in this one.
Overall Casting Grade: A-
Al Pacino as Lou Maroni
Appearance: B
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Pacino gave his second good performance of the season as a fairly traditional mob boss.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Halle Berry as Amanda Waller
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: Berry has made Waller her own by now.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Vincent Gallo as Sal Maroni
Appearance: B
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Gallo was great as the slimy son of Pacino's mob boss.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Louisa Krause as Susan Lawton
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: Small role but I liked the warmth she brought as Deadshot's wife.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Drew Starkey as Jonny Frost
Appearance: B
Performance: B-
Thoughts: Starkey looks the part, but is mostly a bystander to the story.
Overall Casting Grade: B-
Lea Seydoux as Sasha Bordeaux
Appearance: B
Performance: B-
Thoughts: Same thing as Frost, but on the other side of the law.
Overall Casting Grade: B-
Overall Film Casting Grade: B+
AMITYVILLE HORROR
Wes Bentley as George Lutz
Appearance: B-
Performance: B+
Thoughts: He doesn't look a ton like the real guy, but he brings a dark edge to the role.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Alice Eve as Kathy Lutz
Appearance: B
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Eve is immediately likable and relatable as the female lead.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Nick Robinson as Butch DeFeo
Appearance: B+
Performance: A-
Thoughts: Robinson returns as Butch, this time giving a different type of performance behind bars.
Overall Casting Grade: A-
Sophie Nelisse as Dawn DeFeo
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Now a spirit in the house, Nelisse is given a tough part but comes off well.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Dean Norris as William Weber
Appearance: B+
Performance: B
Thoughts: He has a couple nice moments, but he's mostly to serve the plot.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Victor Garber as Judge Stark
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: Every courtroom needs a judge. While the role is underwritten, Garber does a decent job.
Overall Casting Grade: B
David Zayas as Father Pecoraro
Appearance: B-
Performance: B-
Thoughts: Zayas seems a bit tough for the role, but he's a good actor and mostly makes it work.
Overall Casting Grade: B-
Winslow Fegley as Daniel Lutz
Appearance: B
Performance: B-
Thoughts: It's hard to judge children in roles. He did what was required - no more, no less.
Overall Casting Grade: B-
Skylar Betteridge as Missy Lutz
Appearance: C+
Performance: B-
Thoughts: She had the more interesting kid role and did a pretty decent job.
Overall Casting Grade: B-
Sean Astin as Gerard Sullivan
Appearance: B
Performance: C+
Thoughts: He looks the part, but I didn't fully buy his performance.
Overall Casting Grade: B-
Overall Film Casting Grade: B+
THE AVENGERS
Keanu Reeves as Norrin Radd/Silver Surfer
Appearance: B+
Performance: A
Thoughts: With Galactus debuting in the first Silver Surfer film, Reeves is left with some heavy-lifting in this film. He nails it though.
Overall Casting Grade: A-
Alden Ehrenreich as Namor
Appearance: B
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Namor doesn't have a ton to do outside of action, but the character has a couple of really good moments.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
John Krasinski as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic
Appearance: A-
Performance: B
Thoughts: Krasinski is saddled with a ton of exposition in this one.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Sarah Gadon as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman
Appearance: A
Performance: B-
Thoughts: Not a ton to do, but she can play Sue in her sleep at this point.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Jason Segel as Ben Grimm/The Thing
Appearance: B+
Performance: B
Thoughts: A couple decent scenes, but definitely sidelined a bit in this one.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Jack Reynor as Johnny Storm/Human Torch
Appearance: B+
Performance: B-
Thoughts: His scenes with Namor sizzle.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Mark Duplass as Bruce Banner/Hulk
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Duplass' Banner gets some of the better dramatic acting early in the film.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Glen Powell as Steve Rogers/Captain America
Appearance: A
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Powell's Cap doesn't have a ton to do in this film, but he delivers.
Overall Casting Grade: A-
Mila Kunis as Natasha Romanov/Black Widow
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: She is sidelined from most of the action, but her chemistry with Selleck's Stark was good.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Orlando Bloom as Victor Von Doom
Appearance: A-
Performance: B
Thoughts: The Marvel Universe's ultimate wildcard, Bloom's Doom has a couple really good scenes in this one.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Tom Selleck as Tony Stark/Iron Man
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Selleck gets a big dramatic moment in the end.
Overall Casting Grade: B+
Bryce Dallas Howard as Betty Ross
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: A small role in this one, but I like her opposite Duplass' Banner.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Arnold Vosloo as Galactus
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: We don't see him in all his glory until the end, but he is Galactus at this point.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Gemma Arterton as Shalla-Bal
Appearance: B
Performance: B
Thoughts: She does a solid job despite being saddled with some extra CGI.
Overall Casting Grade: B
DeObia Oparei as Morg the Executioner
Appearance: B+
Performance: B-
Thoughts: Not a ton to do other than fight a couple good guys, but it works.
Overall Casting Grade: B
Overall Film Casting Grade: B+
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