Johnny Depp

Dont be at yourself

What are your thoughts on Johnny Depp?

For me, he is a decent actor who is wasting what talent he has in choosing vanity projects like Pirates, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd.

Recently, he's done very little of note and he seems to be living off his reputation garnered in films like Donnie Brasco, Edward Scissorhands and From Hell.

These films show that he can be a good, emotive actor, whereas recently all he's done is put on his grating cockney accent and ham it up - to rave reviews. Am I really the only one disenfranchised with him? Or is it a case of the Emperor's New Clothes?

Perhaps his turn as John Dillinger in the upcoming Michael Mann's Public Enemies can redeem him in my eyes.

So, Johnny Depp. Your thoughts.

Pigman II

He's a real mixed bag. He seems to have Paul Newmans curse when it comes to choosing roles. I love some of the movies he's in and the characters he plays (eg Ed Wood, Finding Neverland) but on the other hand he does pick a lot of roles and movies that I just can't get into and which I generally found him completely irritating in (eg Chocolat, Fear and Loathing, POTC franchise etc).

To answer your question, he has talent but some of his career choices are questionable. There's picking "alternative" roles and then there's just appearing in crap and hamming it up for the sake of it.

johnny_ultimate

Think he pulls off surreal, offbeat performances well - Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas would be a far weaker film without his hypnotic performance as Hunter S. Thompson, and hopefully the upcoming Rum Diaries will be impressive too.

That said, he can often chew the scenery a bit too much - he is unlikable in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (although I think a lot of that is Burton's fault too for making such a cold film), and his hamming got distracting in anything past the first Pirates film (although his role as Jack Sparrow was a triumph that really elevated PotC 1 above the norm).

He is a great actor, and while he has chosen some dodgy films in his day, and the fact that his over-acting can damage a film immensely, when he hits the right chord he is one of the most impressive and unique actors in Hollywood. As long as he continues to appear in some offbeat stuff like Once Upon a Time In Mexico, Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood (fantastic performance / film), I think he shall retain his mostly deserved popularity and respect.

Karl Hungus

Nothing special

I think he's a terrific actor, and while I wouldn't be particularly fond of some of his more recent roles, I wouldn't hold it against him. I think even with something like Sweeney Todd, he's challenging himself, doing something he's not done before, and he's still putting in the effort.

Creature

Nothing special

He's an excellent actor who mostly puts on a great performance even if the film in question doesn't work for me i.e. Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. He slipped up with the Pirates films though where he was entertaining enough but overacted too much. He was great in Ed Wood and Sleepy Hollow.

Running Bing

Good actor, some dodgy performances

If anyone is ever in doubt of Depps ability as an actor they need only watch edward scissorhands, whats eating gilbert grape, ed wood, donnie brasco, fear and loathing in lasvegas, from hell, blow(one of my fav performances by any actor, shows he can really do the emotional stuff) even The ninth gate and secret window and they will see how good he really is.


He made pirates 1 what it was but after that it seems he's just taking all these "zaney" hammy roles and while I loved it at first (I did enjoy him as Willy Wonka) I must say, even as a fan, its starting to grate.

In pirates 2 and 3 he was nothing but a paradoy and although I enjoyed Sweeney Todd I could never get away from the fact I was watching Johnny Depp hamming it up.

I think he really needs to take a step back from fantasy now and as he gets older get back to the more serious, emotional, grounded roles like Donnie Brasco and Blow.


Dont think hs ability as an actor should be questioned, perhaps the direction he has gone in recently should.

zAbbo

Nothing special

In Fear & Loathing, I think he portrays the character really well, having watched interviews with Hunter S. Thomson, I think he carried that role off really well.

Again in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I thought he portrayed Willy Wonka far more accurately that Gene Wilder did in the 70's hamfest

Tusky

Nothing special

I think he needs to stop making movies with Tim Burton for a start. He should also stop picking such alternative, whacky roles. Its getting a bit tiresome. However, he is a fantastic actor.

Earthhorse

He's a light-middleweight actor who chooses interesting, if often shit, films to appear in and refused to plow a more predictable furrow in Holywood. This, and the fact that he is incredibly beautiful, a real Adonis, has won him an unwarranted amount of praise. It's not the acting that's attracting people to his films, it's the films and the man himself - and he is a pretty interesting guy.

Babybing wrote: »

If anyone is ever in doubt of Depps ability as an actor they need only watch edward scissorhands, whats eating gilbert grape, ed wood, donnie brasco, fear and loathing in lasvegas, from hell, blow(one of my fav performances by any actor, shows he can really do the emotional stuff) even The ninth gate and secret window and they will see how good he really is.

I've seen all the movies highlighted in bold there and I've never been won over to the Johnny Depp "Oh My God!" brigade. He hasn't really taken on anything of substance, something that would really stretch his abilities (and I don't doubt he has them). What's he done that's the equivalent of Ed Norton in American History X, Brad Pitt in Fight Club, Denzel Washington in Training Day? He hasn't proven himself to be in the same class as the best performers out there today. That may well be down to the roles that appeal to him but I still think it's true.

faceman

Nothing special

He's a great actor who gets a lot of slack. Not all his choices would be everyone's cup of tea.

Dead Man is one of my favourite performances of his.

Galvasean

Nothing special

He's a very very good actor when he wants to be. Although lately he seems to just go for the 'kooky' roles for the sake of it because its easy money. He doesn't appear to be challenging himself anymore and just sticking to what he's done many times before (kind of like Denzel Washington). I partially blame Tim Burton who casts him in his movies at every opportunity playing similar characters. I fear Depp may be becoming typecast as the quirky but likable weirdo.

Earthhorse

People are talking like Depp appearing in quirky, offbeat films is something new. Let's take a look.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow (2006)
Corpse Bride (2005) (voice) .... Victor Van Dort
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) .... Willy Wonka
The Libertine (2004) .... Rochester
Finding Neverland (2004) .... Sir James Matthew Barrie
Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants (2004) .... L'inconnu
... aka ...And They Lived Happily Ever After (International: English title)
Secret Window (2004) .... Mort Rainey
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) .... Sands
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) .... Jack Sparrow
From Hell (2001) .... Inspector Frederick Abberline
Blow (2001) .... George Jung
Chocolat (2000) .... Roux
Before Night Falls (2000)
The Man Who Cried (2000) .... Cesar
Sleepy Hollow (1999) .... Ichabod Crane
The Astronaut's Wife (1999) .... Commander Spencer Armacost
The Ninth Gate (1999) .... Dean Corso
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) .... Raoul Duke
The Brave (1997) .... Raphael
Donnie Brasco (1997) .... Donnie Brasco / Joseph D. 'Joe' Pistone
Nick of Time (1995) .... Gene Watson
Dead Man (1995) .... William Blake
Don Juan DeMarco (1995) .... Don Juan
Ed Wood (1994) .... Ed Wood
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) .... Gilbert Grape
Benny & Joon (1993) .... Sam
Arizona Dream (1993) .... Axel Blackmar
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) (as Oprah Noodlemantra) .... Guy on TV
Edward Scissorhands

Depp's roles seem to fall into three main categories. The indie, offbeat films on which most of his reputation is based, many of which are collaborations with Tim Burton. Pretty bad sci fi, thriller or horror films, which are basically b-movies with an a-lister in them (highlighted in italics above). And serious "mainstream" films, usually biopics and usually depicting counter culture figures (highlighted in bold above). He's only done five or six of them and they tend to crop up every three or four years.

Maybe people are just pissed because he's been distracted by the POTC franchise in recent years but really it hasn't been much longer than usual for him to star in a "serious" film and Rum Diaries is right around the corner.

Running Bing

Good actor, some dodgy performances

Earthhorse wrote: »

He's a light-middleweight actor who chooses interesting, if often shit, films to appear in and refused to plow a more predictable furrow in Holywood. This, and the fact that he is incredibly beautiful, a real Adonis, has won him an unwarranted amount of praise. It's not the acting that's attracting people to his films, it's the films and the man himself - and he is a pretty interesting guy.



I've seen all the movies highlighted in bold there and I've never been won over to the Johnny Depp "Oh My God!" brigade. He hasn't really taken on anything of substance, something that would really stretch his abilities (and I don't doubt he has them). What's he done that's the equivalent of Ed Norton in American History X, Brad Pitt in Fight Club, Denzel Washington in Training Day? He hasn't proven himself to be in the same class as the best performers out there today. That may well be down to the roles that appeal to him but I still think it's true.

Donnie Brasco is an incredibly deep performance. Far more layered than Washington in Training Day or Pitt in FC. 99% of actors will go thhrough their whole career and never have a performance like Norton in AHX! Thats just a truly phenomenal performance and I think its unfair to put it up as a yardstick to measure an actors ability.

Blow is easily at the level of Washington in Training Day or Pitt in FC for me.


I get what your saying that he tends to take roles where he has to stretch himself to embody a character rather than roles where he does deep emotional stuff but I dont think there is necesseryily wrong with that. The majority of actors will go there career without putting in performances like Donnie Brasco or George Jung in Blow.

Earthhorse

Babybing wrote: »

Donnie Brasco is an incredibly deep performance. Far more layered than Washington in Training Day or Pitt in FC..

Well, I guess we'll have to disagree about that. It's a reflective, measured performance, I wouldn't call it deep or layered.

Babybing wrote: »

The majority of actors will go there career without putting in performances like Donnie Brasco or George Jung in Blow.

I wouldn't disagree with that. He's a very good actor. Some people are overstating the case, I feel.

Babybing wrote: »

99% of actors will go through their whole career and never have a performance like Norton in AHX! Thats just a truly phenomenal performance and I think its unfair to put it up as a yardstick to measure an actors ability.

I see where you're coming from on this but if people are going to use superlatives to describe him as an actor I feel justified in comparing him with the very best. If he really is fantastic, excellent, great and terrific then he should have more tour de force performances on his CV. The kind of roles where his greatness is stamped on every frame. I don't think he has a film like that.

Frank O. Pinion

Good actor, some dodgy performances

Sorry to bump an old thread, I did think about starting a new one, but thought it'd be interesting to use this one with the poll.

Anyways, why exactly is it so fashionable (especially with critics) to hate on Johnny Depp lately? It's become quite a cliché to say "just another weird Jack Sparrow character", when Depp has a new film out.

I just watched Mortdecai, and after the absolute thrashing the critics gave it, plus its box office earnings, I was expecting something downright terrible. However, I found it hilarious. A fantastic film, the over-the-top performances, his gorgeous moustache, just wonderful.

Looking over his recent career of the last five years, I loved The Lone Ranger, Transcendence, Tusk, and his part in Into The Woods. I enjoyed Alice In Wonderland, Rango, and even the fourth Pirates of The Caribbean film. Not without my own criticism, I did not enjoy The Rum Diary or Dark Shadows, and I have yet to see The Tourist.

Black Mass looks good. I don't see what's the big problem with Depp's career, or professional critics problem with him in general.

JP Liz V1

Nothing special

I like when he plays roles that aren't "Johnny Depp"

Jesus Wept

Sold out a long time ago. Dire

errlloyd

Frank O. Pinion wrote: »

I have yet to see The Tourist.

Probably the funniest thing Gervais did when he hosted the GG was mock how few people saw it. Finishing off with this gem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpRQkmNY8gM

fin12

I used to love Johnny Depp but he seems to just end up playing the same characters over and over again.
And I hate the way he constantly complains about being famous, he has been in this industry for long enough if you dont like it then move to the island that you own and stop making films.

Gorgeous looking man though.

jones

Nothing special

Black mass could be a darker turn for him and one that I think works. I think he is a good actor but has gotten lost in a lot of totally unreal characters. he needs more realistic parts to show off his forgotten talent