So, I'm willing to give this movie a chance, however, one thing i'm worried about is Marsden int Alan Tudyk's role. I think that Tudyk was around 30% of the first films humor, and he was able to pull it off, I don't know if Marsden will be able to as well.
Alan digs deep as an actor. He can be menacing or completely over the top. He's a genius! James is too pretty to be in his league. I cringed during the trailer! It's like asking Britney Spears to fill in at the last minute for Barbara Streisand during a Grammy performance because she swallowed a fly.
shareIdK yet, but he was halarious in Sex Drive.
How can you tell that someones a compulsive liar? I mean assuming that their pants arent on fire.
The fact he's pretty doesn't make him NOT able to pull off a great performance! Did you get the chance to watch Enchanted? and, like Gabriellaella23 said, Sex drive? I did not see the original and I've never seen a movie with Alan Tudyk, so I don't know him as an actor, but I'm sure Jimmy will do a good job. I am so sure!
and btw, the first review of this movie (which is in the news section on Death at a funeral page here on imdb) says he's one the hilights of the movie along with Glover and Morgan
I like him in Enchanted too.
Thats good to know he was good.
How can you tell that someones a compulsive liar? I mean assuming that their pants arent on fire.
Alan Tudyk is funny. He was the voice of Sonny in I, Robot but has played in other roles. More recently the last Transformers.
"If you are what you eat... I could be you by morning."
I too cringed during the trailer. James Marsden has no on-screen presence AT ALL and should stick to pretty boy fluff films. Alan Tudyk took this role and owned it! He pretty much made the original, and I just don't think Marsden has the ability to fill those shoes.
Sorry to the James Marsden fans out there, but you're just gonna have to face facts. Marsden should have known better than to take a role and try to replace someone who has already done it so perfectly.
Career suicide if you ask me.
Not to mention just plain stupid.
Paradise Lost... found it!
stoned angel will be embarrassed to know that the film will probably catapult Marsden as a brilliant comedic actor and his physical comedy and shere brilliant timing in delivery of his lines will afford him the opportunity to turn out most of the many comedy offers that will surely come his way afte the release of the film. But I love how assured your criticism is of a performance in a film which you have not even seen yet. It is actually entertaining. it would seem that your time would be better spent reviewing books that have yet to be written. Go get 'em.
shareOkay there sweetheart...
I was basing my OPINION on a comparison of the trailer and clips I saw of the remake, and the brilliant performances in the original; as well as past performances by Marsden that I've seen. I'm not saying that he is the worst actor in history, I simply haven't seen any performance by him that makes me believe he can play the character as well as Alan Tudyk did. Maybe he will prove me wrong; for his sake I hope he does! In any case, I'm certainly NOT embarrassed, nor do I feel as though I have any reason to be.
You on the other hand...
You really shouldn't insult someone for something you're doing yourself, it just makes you look stupid.
Especially when said person didn't even do the action you're accusing them of.
Oh, and just a little tip... When you're trying to sound smart and make a witty remark, you should at least ATTEMPT to utilize some proper grammar, and do a quick spell check. There are programs to help you with that. It doesn't have to be perfect, but more than one run-on sentence would be a good start. It will help make your argument much clearer. :o)
Go get who btw?
R.I.P. Corey Haim
It's interesting how many of these negative comments are from people who have just seen a trailer and haven't seen the film. The audience I was with and I seemed to think Marsden's performance was hilarious. He was brilliant. More than half of the audience applauded at the film's end....and no, (to the smarties out there) it was not because the film was over. I gave this a 9 and it was better than the original (I gave that one a 7).
shareI couldn't agree more. Watch the movie before you talk about it. I thought James Marsden was the best part of the movie. I laughed at his scenes the most, as did the other people I watched it with. He was hysterical.
You know what they say about assumptions. ;)
I'm saving myself for Jared Leto
Tudyk is way funnier. Its just a matter of fact, people dont like when people are too good looking. Because of Marsden's looks his comedy dosent come off as funny. Alan tudyk on the other hand has a way more likable face and is better suited for comedy.
shareAlan Tudyk is pretty.
What's all this shouting? We'll have no trouble here
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Actually, I think Marsden is a fine actor. He was very good in the second X-Men movie, and Superman Returns. And he has a pretty damn good singing voice in Hairpsray. I really hate A) When an actor's performance is judged from a movie PREVIEW and B) When someone dismisses an actor as a pretty boy. Remember, Johnny Depp started out as a pretty boy. Ditto Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Jude Law. All fine actors, who when first on the scene were dismissed as pretty boys just coasting on their looks.
Water? Don't touch the stuff...fish *beep* in it.
W.C. Fields
Agreed 100%. Just because an actor has a nice face doesn't mean they lack talent.
shareJames Marsden (and, by extension, Zoe Saldana) is the only good part of the remake. He actually brings something a little different to the role, and is no less funny than the brilliant Alan Tudyk. I think James Marsden isn't given a chance because he's pretty, but I've loved him in films like Hairspray and Enchanted. I think he has more to offer than people let him show.
shareWe've come some crazy circle from where an actor could be talented AND handsome AND be respected for both, not denigrated. Nowadays, Marsden is criticized for his good looks. I lived through an era with Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Gary Cooper, Gregory Peck and others, and then Paul Newman and Robert Redford dominating. I was too young to know if any of those gentlemen received the sneering that Marsden has to endure.
Yes, he does have women ga-ga over him (I look at the responses in the Youtube segments with him singing, etc., and women are crazy for him; read their reactions!), & it seems to me that he is also despised for it--his looks and the negative comments about his looks. He really has no control over either, but just keeps plugging away at roles that challenge him. I don't see him --at least publicly-- exploiting his appearance. I enjoy him. I love his voice, his humor, and his stunning handsomeness. I am so glad to have seen him overcome people's trepidation (including my own, I have to admit--even after having seen him in Sugar & Spice, Enchanted & Sex Drive--I don't include Hairspray because I don't see any break-out humor like it do in the other 3) over his being able to handle the "Tudyk" role & be so funny. As a matter of fact, the parts of that role which were scripted identically with Tudyk are not as successful as the ones where his humor and acting were original. In fact, the first gazebo scene was almost cut out of the film--and he broke out of that script.
His next big challenge is Straw Dogs. I expect people to say that he is successful with comedy, but not "deep" enough to do drama. He was somewhat critized for his work in The Box, but I think he did well. Just my opinion.
Seems to me that the only people leaving negatives comments about his looks are male. Now why is that?
Mr Ryan: Who Was Joan Of Arc?
Ted: Noah's Wife?
i love that you have judged marsden's performance before seeing the film. You should know that in a test screening before an audience that was more than two-thirds African American, Marsden scored the highest as most favorable performance in the film. and it was not a close second.
shareVery happy to know that :-)))
and not surprised at all!!!
Btw, can you tell me how big his role is?
shareOk, I didn't even know who Marsden was before this movie, but now I do. He was the best thing in the movie overall! Very funny, not obnoxious. He did very well. And now I see he has comedic talent, and not just a pretty face.
shareHe actually had me crying. That part when he sang to the mother literally had me in tears. He was the best part of the movie and I loved him. He is genius.
EVERYTHING IS SO GREEN!!
So this is what it looks like insid€€e a lime.
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Marsden is only one of two actors in this movie that I think are worth putting in this movie. The other being Danny Glover.
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James Marsden is what made this movie. He had me laughing so hard that I literally had to use my inhaler. He really is the funniest part of the movie. Loved this movie and can't wait to get it on DVD.
shareI am going to see it today. I've heard he is the best part of the movie. I can't wait!
"Give a hand to my band, Sexual Chocolate!" Coming to America
LULZ!!! Anyone who would make a stupid comment like that need not be taken seriously.
So am I to understand that you think the remake of "Death at a Funeral" is a better film than "Amadeus"?
...Or furthermore, that the two are even comparable?
AAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAAHHAHAAHAAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAHAHHAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for that... I needed a good laugh!
When Death at a Funeral wins an Academy Award (or any award for that matter) for best picture, then I will eat my words and wholeheartedly admit defeat!
Cheerio!
P.s. I find it amusing that you had to creep around on my profile and resort to attacking me personally in order to come up with a "witty" remark, and that even after said creepiness you still couldn't come up with something intelligent and/or relevant to add :o)
R.I.P. Corey Haim
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I haven't seen this film or Amadeus (but the original Death at a Funeral is hysterical, "Everything's so @#$% green!"), but just because a film wins an award or is nominated for one does not make it a good movie. Please refer to Exhibits A through F:
Shakespeare in Love won over Saving Private Ryan
Dances With Wolves won over Goodfellas
Forrest Gump won over Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption
The English Patient won over Fargo
Titanic won over As Good As It Gets, Good Will Hunting AND L.A. Confidential
Driving Miss Daisy won over Dead Poets Society
And some very terrible movies have received Best Picture nominations (Babe, Ghost and Avatar immediately come to mind), and some very bad actors have been nominated--and even received--Oscars (Halle Berry, I'm looking at you).
What makes a movie good is 100% subjective. If you like it, it's a good movie. If you don't, then it's not. Simple as that. If you need The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to tell you whether or not a movie is good, then you're nothing but a sheep who can't think for yourself.
Forrest Gump, The English Patient, Titanic and Driving Miss Daisy were all good films.
What's all this shouting? We'll have no trouble here
Forrest Gump was decent, but certainly not better than Pulp Fiction or Shawshank Redemption. The English Patient and Titanic were crap and certainly no better than the other films I mentioned. And Driving Miss Daisy, while decent, can't hold a candle to Dead Poets Society.
shareAlan Tudyk was much better in the role. Although to be fair the characters he was working with in the original were much better developed by those actors. The remake just seems to work on setting up for a joke rather than the humour seeming more fluid and less in your face.
Yes James Marsden was funny, but his interpretation of the role is nothing compared to Alan Tudyk.
Also, kind of funny how Shepherd book is in the remake... well, i thought so.
Tudyk >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Marsden
Lightyears apart. Seriously.
Tudyk carried like half of the original, the sequel is just a lot of noise. It's not like I never laughed, I just kept being reminded of how muhc better the original was.
Might also be because Martin Lawrence just isn't funny. Never was. Sad to see Rock wasted like this.
But whatever, the original didn't suddenly go bad, and we can all still enjoy Tudyk.
Marsden overdid it. It was obvious.
I've seed Tudyk in several films and with Death at a funeral he got to me!
Also, saying Marsden is just a pretty boy is a bit much, but he really was miscast in here - doesn't fit the role.
That pretty boy comment is a null and void argument. Are you also saying Brad Pitt has no acting chops because he was considered a pretty boy? Or Robert Redford? To make a legitimate claim it must have some backing.
PS has anyone seen the film 24th Day staring Marsden? He acted his ass off in the film.
He has the chops but I feel he gets offered certain roles because of his looks. I guess that's just the way the cookie crumbles.
"See the English is Stupid!" -Angel
I've been watching this board for months. I saw the 2007 version some time last winter, and loved Alan Tudyk's take on Simon, the accidentally drugged fiance.
Then I read that James Marsden had been given that role, and frankly, I was nervous. Marsden is my favorite young actor, and I've been following him & his career for a few years. I read every board and message unit, and saw quite a bit of prejudice, hatred, & racism. I also saw personal attacks on people who contribute to the various boards--as well as attacks on actors & films. If you want to see something quite different, see the boards on films like "Persuasion," or "Pride and Prejudice," and other literary masterpieces set to film.
Okay, so now I venture to say some things about Marsden's character, now named Oscar. The difference between Tudyk & Marsden for me is this: Tudyk verges on the hysterical & nervous. I refer in particular to the scene where he hallucinates that the casket is moving--his delivery is shrill. Simon seems to be a troubled individual whose drug experience brings out these traits.
Oscar, OTOH, is caring, loving, & his personality borders on the innocent. He is nervous about his upcoming meeting with Elaine's father, but he has moments of sheer joy & delight. Tudyk was very funny petting the wire animals, but Marsden's sitting with the little stone flute & lute players is nothing short of charming. His delight in flowers & leaves is infectious.
Tudyk was great. I really liked him. His bathroom scene is hilarious. But Marsden's bathroom scene started with a hair dryer which indeed looked like a weapon & when he menaced Zoe Saldana with that dryer & told her he would blow her head off & to get her hands up was genius.
I just saw the remake, and its not as bad as it could have been. Mardsen's performance was one of the reasons for my opinion
sharedon't hold his "pretty boy" looks against him: he did as good a job in the part as Alan Tudyk. Overal I preferred the original, because it was less over the top, the Brits are better at dialing it back a bit even when they do over the top, whereas US actors get too hysterical and loud.
shareYeah, the US remake may have been over the top, but there's something else I want to say about Marsden's hilarious performance, particularly with regard to all this nonsense about his good looks-- and he IS beautiful:
He seems to make his face rubbery. In the first gazebo scene, when he says to Saldana, "Elaine, I love this game," his face and eyes are hysterical, almost like a delighted child's.
Earlier, in the house when Saldana and Short are looking for him, they see him standing in a doorway with a huge magnifying glass in front of his mouth, accentuating his already large teeth, and he mouths "I love you" through the glass, with an enormous smile.
Then again, he's up in the bathroom, with his face pressed up against the window. He pushes his face up and down: his nose and mouth are distorted, and he has a dreamy look--or some kind of silly look-- in his eyes. He owes nothing to Jim Carrey with his tour-de-force here.
And did you notice? They had some sort of theme background music playing each time they showed him doing something ridiculous-- and when the music could be heard first, I knew I was in for another view of his comedy. I think he has a touch of genius in him. I would love to see him go to drama classes or school, so he wouldn't have to keep proving how good he is-- he would have the diploma or certificate so people would respect him more.
Just my opinion, again.
Haven't seen the original, and don't know Alan Tudyk in... anything that I'm aware of. Either way, I saw this on TBS late night movie once and hated most of it. I absolutely loved James Marsden in this film though. He was completely hilarious!
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