Actor Spotlight: How good is Ryan Reynolds?
Franck Tabouring
Welcome to the very first edition of "Actor Spotlight," one of several new features The Screening Log will be rolling out over the course of this summer. With "Green Lantern" hitting theaters this weekend, we thought it would be the perfect time to discuss the film's leading man, Ryan Reynolds.
As you can read after the jump, TSL's staff members have a lot of interesting things to say about Reynolds and his acting skills, but we also want to hear from you. Do you think he is a solid actor? Feel free to leave your comments and discuss our opinions below. Let's have some fun.
Oh, and just in case you have never heard of him (which is highly unlikely, I might add), his credits include "The Nines," "Definitely, Maybe," "Van Wilder," "The Proposal," "The Amityville Horror" and "Paper Man," among others. Yeah, that guy. Okay, let's get to it for real...
Ryan Reynolds totally delivers the goods:
Danny Alves: I would argue that "screen presence" does equal good acting. Take sports for example. Most athletes only excel at a single sport, but just because they cannot play another one well enough does not make them bad athletes. Ryan Reynolds has a comfort zone of snarky yet adorable, and in those roles, he excels. People want to see him! That is in itself good acting. Ninety percent of working actors have a niche that they work out of; a style that is similer from role to role. That doesn't make them bad actors, just bad "character actors." Now, the thing about Reynold's talents that really helps his cause, is that "snarky yet adorable" can lend itself to genres other than comedy giving action ("Blade Trinity") or adventure ("Green Lantern") that much needed "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" to help keep these films from collapsing under their own seriousness.
It's much like why the original "Star Wars" trilogy was infinitely better than the prequels. Han Solo! That character who was able to express how ridiculous some of this is, and put the audience at ease. The snarky characters are necessary to lend credence to what can be some ridiculous story lines and plot points. "Green Lantern" was decent at best, but if it hadn't been for Reynolds playing this character with such smart-ass panache, the movie would have been absolutely dreadful!Furthermore, in films like "Buried," "Chaos Theory" and even "The Amityville Horror," Reynolds has proven his ability to step outside of that comfort zone and still be commanding as a performer. Reynolds all the way!
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Franck Tabouring: Moving past the fact that Ryan Reynolds is a very charismatic guy who looks good on screen all the time, he's the kind of actor who can turn in a solid performance as long as he gets to work with solid material. Although I don't see Reynolds as someone who can hit all the right notes in every single genre, he sure does a fine job with specific characters. Is that enough to call him a good actor? For me, it sure is. Let's look at some examples. In "Buried," he proved he can take on a lot of responsibility, because truth be told, the movie would not work without a strong and dedicated acting performance. In "Wolverine," he brought a ton of energy to the table. In "The Proposal," he shared a superb chemistry with Sandra Bullock, and in "Adventureland," his performance was both subtle and intriguing.
Reynolds had his share of shitty flicks and less than stellar performances, but as far as I'm concerned, the lack of excellent acting in those cases should be attributed to the fact that he really didn't have much to work with. "Waiting" and "Just Friends" are two prime examples of this. Not making any excuses here, but looking at Reynolds' filmography, I find it easy to point out several films in which he shined. I don't see him reach for an Oscar performance anytime soon, but in specific areas, the dude knows how to get it right in front of the camera.
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Reid Volk: Despite the fact that he has a body that would make David Beckham swoon, Ryan Reynolds has "it." What is "it," you ask? So far, scientists do not know exactly. What they do know is that it is an undefinable quality that enraptures the audience. It is a radiation of charisma and charm that cannot be emulated, unless you happen to be blessed with the quality as well. Brad Pitt has "it," Hitler had "it," and now I am saying that Ryan Reynolds has "it." Ever since I saw him on "Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place," I knew he was special. It is clear that others saw these qualities as well, because he has since become a star. While I cannot excuse what I believe are his absolutely atrocious films like "Just Friends," I can say that I ate up all of the charm that he churned out in mediocre films such as "Van Wilder," "Waiting," and "The Proposal."
My problem is that I think people were so enthralled by his charm and charisma, by his "it" quality if you will, that that is all most studios want from him. He has been given very few chances to showcase his other talents, and when he has been given the chance, I would say he has done it well. I mean "The Amityville Horror" was a dud, but I felt he was solid as the deranged and possessed father George Lutz. On top of this, he gave audiences a taste of a more subdued charm and genuine sweetness in "Definitely, Maybe." Also, even though the politics were a bit heavy-handed, he didn't rely on his charm one bit and was still very good in "Buried." So while I understand why people would be turned off by what they perceive to be a one-trick pony, I would argue that he is a good actor who hasn't been given too many chances to show audiences otherwise. Sadly, I will not be using the "Green Lantern" as an example of his acting prowess as I feel the script was very poor and he was obviously given the role for his abs and his "it." But believe it or not, Ryan Reynolds is a good actor.
Ryan Reynolds a good actor? Not so much:
Jonathan Hutchings: There's no doubt that Ryan Reynolds has an unmistakable screen presence and a seemingly endless supply of charisma to boot. This issue at hand, however, isn't about how fun he is to watch; it's about whether he can act. He showed signs of acting prowess in "Buried" (some people may also point to "Blade: Trinity," but I don't recall his character having too much of a dramatic arc to count for anything), but other than that, his resume is chock-full with roles in which he more or less plays himself - which isn't too tough if you're Ryan Reynolds. I don't think I've seen enough to say he's anything but a "presence," which is vastly different than acting.
Then again, I haven't seen anything that suggests he can't act, or that he's unable to (we'll just ignore "Smokin' Aces") either. So basically, it's inconclusive. But because I'm a glass-half-empty kind of guy, I'm going to say that, right now, he is not a good actor, simply because there isn't enough evidence to make that determination. Harsh? Maybe. Unfair? Possibly. Did a little jealousy factor into this analysis? Absolutely.
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Kyle Doerksen: I have a list. On this list are such names as Topher Grace, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Pine. Do I vehemently defend their acting chops? No. Do I want to verbally abuse people that love "That 70’s Show"? No. I just don’t think any of these dudes are worth having an opinion about. Ryan Reynolds is also on this list. When a friend tells me a new Reynolds flick is coming out my response is always, "Oh." Not a negative oh, but also not a positive one. I simply recognize that I heard my friend and continue blending my smoothie. But let’s look at this a little more objectively. He’s been around for a while, starring in dazzling features such as "Van Wilder," "Blade: Trinity" and "The Proposal."
But to counter those blunders he’s also been in "Adventureland," "Buried" and the surprisingly funny "Just Friends." So, he’s been a buff vampire with a weird-ass beard that makes snarky comments, as well as a fat nerd that grows up, and, well, makes snarky comments. So we can deduce one thing that "Green Lantern" is sure to have: snarky comments. I can just see him in that green CGI spandex suit, cracking wise while he easily surmounts insurmountable odds. Ryan, it’s going to take more than brimming self-confidence and a decent agent to get you off my “no opinion” list anytime soon.
Reader Comments (7)
Cool article! I'm not sure where I would fall on this argument. I'm a professional actress, and like what you guys said, he has a good presence but anyone who has "it" and that is comfortable in front of the camera can do that. The ability to transform and effectively "act" with different shades of emotion is something that I don't see from him. Everyone points to Buried, but he was kind of one gear in that one, it was just a different one then we are used to seeing.
I don't know where to fall on this one! But I liked the article!
Ryan Reynolds "The Guy who makes bad movies worth paying $13 for." Here's my problem with Ryan (I'm gonna call him Ryan because I feel that once I see 10 or more movies with an actor I have them on a first name basis). Stand alone he is not a great actor, however when the studios decide what scripts get picked up or not, I am sure that Ryan is the first person they think of to make sure the movie is worth it for the audience. Let's take Wolverine for example. This was a bad movie, and truthfully not worth my time, however what were people talking about the second they left the movie. "How cool was Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool." It's as if the movie goer forgot how bad the movie was, and focused on Ryan Reynolds. Blade: Trinity in my opinion is another terrible movie...that I just so happen to own because I love the first 2, and you can have 2 DVD's in a set, and not the third...like the Mighty Ducks or Karate Kid. Ok I'm getting off track. What is everyone's favorite part about Blade: Trinity, Ryan Reynolds. This list of bad movies made tolerable by Ryan Reynolds cans go on and on. Van Wilder...bad movie but I love Ryan Reynolds. I just think that America has bought into the Ryan Reynolds trap that is... they will pay any amount of money to see a movie him in it. Why is this you ask? Because at the end of the movie no matter how bad it may be they will all be saying the same thing..."Man Ryan Reynolds was great in that movie." Then again I also think Paul Walker is a good actor...so what do I know.
He sucks. Pretty simple.
I love him!! He makes me laugh all the time and he is also entertaining. thats good enough for me, what else do you want from a leading man? I can't believe nobody mentioned how funny he was in harold and kumar! I was rofling!!!
Meh. People like him are movie stars, not actors.
Christian,
For working The Mighty Ducks into a completely unrelated discussion, I hereby grant you one gold star.
Do me a favor -- kick some Hawk butt.
I think Ryan Reynolds really is a great actor. If you've seen Buried or Finder's Fee then you'll know what I'm talking about. A bad actor wouldn't be able to be the only character in a movie trapped in a box, while keeping the audience captivated. A bad actor wouldn't be able to switch his style from sarcastic and jokey to serious and murderous. Although Wolverine was a fairly bad movie, I still get chills down my spine when I see Ryan as Deadpool. He doesn't need to speak for you to tell that he is evil. Just the way he holds his body and the expression in his eyes is enough. Ryan really is a great actor. He can pull off basically any character he wants. I've seen most of his movies, and he plays a wide range of characters. I think it's crazy to call him a bad actor. Anyone can look like a bad actor when they're in romantic comedies and superhero movies. It's Ryan who can mix up his style any way he wants and still be captivating and heart wrenching. That is what makes him a truly great actor.