Rate the Cast's performance. - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Boromir88 · 01-02-2005, 07:16 PM

Acting was definately one of the strong points in the movies. There were a few weaker roles, but for the most part the actors/actresses had a solid performance, and some went above and beyond. I have an extreme amount of time on my hands, so I'm going in deep depth in rating the casts. You can simply rate your favorite and least favorite actor/actress, if you don't have a lot of time. Feel free if I miss anyone to add to the list, or you may have a lot of time on your hands where you can rate them like myself. Basically, just do whatever floats your boat.

Men:

Sean Bean (Boromir)- 10/10, I love whatever role this guy is in. He always does a nice job, and I think he portrays Boromir's character perfectly. If you haven't seen National Treasure yet, it's worth the price of admission just to hear the dialogue between Bean and Nicolas Cage.

Bernard Hill (Theoden)- 10/10, similar to how I feel about Bean. Whatever movie he's in I love. I especially love Theoden's lines, they are so full of chutzpa, and he says them so well you just want to get up and scream "Death!" with him. I often find myself saying Theoden's lines as my favorite lines from the movies.

John Noble (Denethor)- 10/10, despite the portrayal of Denethor's character, John Noble does a wonderful job of playing a scumbag you want to hate. He gets so into it with the quivering lip, and his deep, slow-low toned voice makes him sound mean, yet crazy.

Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn)- 9.8/10, Viggo put up a strong performance. The reason he's not quite a 10, I would say because some of his lines, but you really can't blame all that on Viggo, never the less, he does a nice job stepping out and replacing whoever was supposed to be the first Aragorn.

Karl Urban (Eomer)- 9.6/10, no doubt the highlight of his performance is the anguish on his face when he sees Eowyn on the battlefield. :wipes eyes: He can even turn some of the more questionable lines like, "I don't doubt his heart, only the reach of his arms," and make them sound good. He says that line in such a tone that makes you chuckle, or atleast made me chuckle.

Brad Dourif (Grima)- 9.1/10, he has experience in playing this kind of role (also does the voice of Chucky, in those series). Just that kind of role where you want to punch him in the face. He says hits the line so wonderfully, its got that vile, degrading sound it. "Lathspell I name you, ill-news as an ill guest."

John Bach (Madril)- 9/10, I love this guy, Faramir's little lieutenant. As a secondary, not to important role, he isn't going to be a 10, but I love his performance, as well as his voice. I feel bad for him when Gothmog shoves a spear through him in ROTK.

David Wenham (Faramir)- 8.4/10, a solid performance by Mr. Wenham, but as discussed in another thread, he just seems like he's searching for pity because of his father. Some things he says sounds a little robotic too, he just stares straight a head, "Then it is forfeit." Still I think he had an good let's say B performance.

(I would include the actors who played Hama and Gamling, I just don't think there are enough lines, or we see them enough to judge them).

Women

Miranda Otto (Eowyn)- 9.1/10, I think she did the best out of the women characters. I love her lines between her and Bernard Hill, it seems like a daughter-father sort of relationship, and with her parents dying when she was young that's how I pictured it.

Cate Blanchett (Galadriel)- 8.2/10, a good performance, and her beauty has some part to play in this. There were sometimes like Faramir though where she just sounded like she had the script in her hands, and was reading it, lacking emotion. But, maybe I interpret this wrong, maybe she isn't supposed to have emotion.

Liv Tyler (Arwen)- 6.8/10, again her beauty has a part to play in her ranking, since she is a beautiful lady. I think she does one of the weaker jobs in all the movies. "If you want him come and claim him," gah.

Elves

Hugo Weaving (Elrond)- 8/10, he is a really good actor in The Matrix series, where he delivers that computerish sounding tone. I think since I love him in those movies (and really the only actor I like in The Matrix), he reminded me a lot of Agent Elrond, where at times I just wanted to shout out "Mr. Baggins, I've had my eye on you for some time now."

Craig Parker (Haldir)- 8/10, same rating as Hugo, I think for the most part Mr. Parker did a good job, just doesn't have a big enough role to rate his performance accurately compared to Hugo. Still a nice job, and like Madril, I feel bad when he died.

Martin Czoskas (Celeborn) 7.2/10, he has such an annoying voice I cringe when I hear it. Luckily he doesn't have too many lines, or I would have rated him lower.

Orlando Bloom (Legolas) 7/10, I think, along with Liv, he does one of the weaker jobs in the movies. I will say I like Bloom better in LOTR, then Pirates of the Caribean and Troy, since the monotone voice fits better with Elves then it does with Pirates and Trojan warriors.

Dwarves

John Rhys-davies (Gimli)- 8.5/10, Davies is one of my favorite actors I loved him in Indiana Jones. I think with what he was given, he does a good job of playing as the comic relief. Some of his actions are just so stupid, but can't blame Davies fully for that.

Hobbits

Andy Serkis (Gollum)- 10/10, I was watching what sort of things this guy had to go through while performing and it is amazing. The filmed the scene in TTT, with Gollum bellying down the stream chasing a fish in the winter time. What the team had to do was defrost the frozen river, and snow around it, then Serkis had to go down the river in freezing cold. Also, he had to do it multiple times to get it the way Jackson wanted it. Another comment on Serkis because I love his voice on Gollum. He said he treated Gollum's personality as "a drug addict hooked on marijuana, only he's addicted to the Ring." I whole-heartedly agree and he nailed the role.

Sean Astin (Sam)- 9.7/10, I think does the best job of all the hobbit actors, and he really shines in ROTK. I've been impressed with the movies Astin has been in (The Goonies, Rudy, 50 first dates). I think he's a talented actor that has even better days ahead for him.

Ian Holm (Bilbo)- 9.5/10 I loved him in Brazil, and I loved him again here. I absolutely love how he gets when he is in his hole struggling to give up the ring. He slips off into this gollumishy sounding tone, excellent credit to Jackson and Holm for doing that.

Billy Boyd (Pippin)- 9.3/10, I love the interactions between him and Dom, it really captures the close friendship between these two. I think he does another nice job in ROTK, with the scenes between him and Gandalf, and him and Faramir.

Dom Monaghan (Merry)- 9.3/10, I can't rate one higher then the other, they both do a great job with the dialogue between them. I really love the scene when Gandalf rides off with Pippin, and Merry goes up to the tower to watch him off. :wipes eyes again:

Elijah Wood (Frodo)- 8.3/10, I've seen Elijah do better, example The Faculty, but still another solid B performance. He rolls his eyes too much for my liking.

Wizards

These next two have had years of experience in acting, and arguably do the best performances in these movies. I love how they brought in these two, for they really bring a lot to these movies.

Chris Lee (Saruman)- 10/10, I loved his voice scene in the EE, he nailed it just the way I imagined it. We see all aspects of Saruman's voice, the powerful (pep-talks to Dunlanders and Uruk-hai), the persuasive (Gandalf), and the pitiable, spare me (Voice of Saruman). Lee, understands Tolkien, and understands him well, arguably one of the best actors of currently alive.

Ian Mckellan (Gandalf)- 10/10, another actor who is arguably the best actor alive. I don't really know how to describe Mckellan, because like Chris Lee, he covers all the aspects of Gandalf. We see the more fun-loving Wizard in the beginning, also the angry/punishing wizard, "Fool of a Took!" Then the compassionate wizard, the scene with him and Pippin. I was dissapointed that Gandalf basically cried, and was owned by the WK, but I can't give Ian points knocked off, he just does such a wonderful job.

Overall Grade: 9.4/10

If you don't have time like me, then simply name some of your favorites, rate them, and say why, or some of your least favorites. If you want to, I would love to see you rate the cast like me, and see what others made of the Casts performances.

01-02-2005, 07:16 PM	#1
Boromir88 Laconic Loreman Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: USA Posts: 7,518	Rate the Cast's performance. Acting was definately one of the strong points in the movies. There were a few weaker roles, but for the most part the actors/actresses had a solid performance, and some went above and beyond. I have an extreme amount of time on my hands, so I'm going in deep depth in rating the casts. You can simply rate your favorite and least favorite actor/actress, if you don't have a lot of time. Feel free if I miss anyone to add to the list, or you may have a lot of time on your hands where you can rate them like myself. Basically, just do whatever floats your boat. Men: Sean Bean (Boromir)- 10/10, I love whatever role this guy is in. He always does a nice job, and I think he portrays Boromir's character perfectly. If you haven't seen National Treasure yet, it's worth the price of admission just to hear the dialogue between Bean and Nicolas Cage. Bernard Hill (Theoden)- 10/10, similar to how I feel about Bean. Whatever movie he's in I love. I especially love Theoden's lines, they are so full of chutzpa, and he says them so well you just want to get up and scream "Death!" with him. I often find myself saying Theoden's lines as my favorite lines from the movies. John Noble (Denethor)- 10/10, despite the portrayal of Denethor's character, John Noble does a wonderful job of playing a scumbag you want to hate. He gets so into it with the quivering lip, and his deep, slow-low toned voice makes him sound mean, yet crazy. Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn)- 9.8/10, Viggo put up a strong performance. The reason he's not quite a 10, I would say because some of his lines, but you really can't blame all that on Viggo, never the less, he does a nice job stepping out and replacing whoever was supposed to be the first Aragorn. Karl Urban (Eomer)- 9.6/10, no doubt the highlight of his performance is the anguish on his face when he sees Eowyn on the battlefield. :wipes eyes: He can even turn some of the more questionable lines like, "I don't doubt his heart, only the reach of his arms," and make them sound good. He says that line in such a tone that makes you chuckle, or atleast made me chuckle. Brad Dourif (Grima)- 9.1/10, he has experience in playing this kind of role (also does the voice of Chucky, in those series). Just that kind of role where you want to punch him in the face. He says hits the line so wonderfully, its got that vile, degrading sound it. "Lathspell I name you, ill-news as an ill guest." John Bach (Madril)- 9/10, I love this guy, Faramir's little lieutenant. As a secondary, not to important role, he isn't going to be a 10, but I love his performance, as well as his voice. I feel bad for him when Gothmog shoves a spear through him in ROTK. David Wenham (Faramir)- 8.4/10, a solid performance by Mr. Wenham, but as discussed in another thread, he just seems like he's searching for pity because of his father. Some things he says sounds a little robotic too, he just stares straight a head, "Then it is forfeit." Still I think he had an good let's say B performance. (I would include the actors who played Hama and Gamling, I just don't think there are enough lines, or we see them enough to judge them). Women Miranda Otto (Eowyn)- 9.1/10, I think she did the best out of the women characters. I love her lines between her and Bernard Hill, it seems like a daughter-father sort of relationship, and with her parents dying when she was young that's how I pictured it. Cate Blanchett (Galadriel)- 8.2/10, a good performance, and her beauty has some part to play in this. There were sometimes like Faramir though where she just sounded like she had the script in her hands, and was reading it, lacking emotion. But, maybe I interpret this wrong, maybe she isn't supposed to have emotion. Liv Tyler (Arwen)- 6.8/10, again her beauty has a part to play in her ranking, since she is a beautiful lady. I think she does one of the weaker jobs in all the movies. "If you want him come and claim him," gah. Elves Hugo Weaving (Elrond)- 8/10, he is a really good actor in The Matrix series, where he delivers that computerish sounding tone. I think since I love him in those movies (and really the only actor I like in The Matrix), he reminded me a lot of Agent Elrond, where at times I just wanted to shout out "Mr. Baggins, I've had my eye on you for some time now." Craig Parker (Haldir)- 8/10, same rating as Hugo, I think for the most part Mr. Parker did a good job, just doesn't have a big enough role to rate his performance accurately compared to Hugo. Still a nice job, and like Madril, I feel bad when he died. Martin Czoskas (Celeborn) 7.2/10, he has such an annoying voice I cringe when I hear it. Luckily he doesn't have too many lines, or I would have rated him lower. Orlando Bloom (Legolas) 7/10, I think, along with Liv, he does one of the weaker jobs in the movies. I will say I like Bloom better in LOTR, then Pirates of the Caribean and Troy, since the monotone voice fits better with Elves then it does with Pirates and Trojan warriors. Dwarves John Rhys-davies (Gimli)- 8.5/10, Davies is one of my favorite actors I loved him in Indiana Jones. I think with what he was given, he does a good job of playing as the comic relief. Some of his actions are just so stupid, but can't blame Davies fully for that. Hobbits Andy Serkis (Gollum)- 10/10, I was watching what sort of things this guy had to go through while performing and it is amazing. The filmed the scene in TTT, with Gollum bellying down the stream chasing a fish in the winter time. What the team had to do was defrost the frozen river, and snow around it, then Serkis had to go down the river in freezing cold. Also, he had to do it multiple times to get it the way Jackson wanted it. Another comment on Serkis because I love his voice on Gollum. He said he treated Gollum's personality as "a drug addict hooked on marijuana, only he's addicted to the Ring." I whole-heartedly agree and he nailed the role. Sean Astin (Sam)- 9.7/10, I think does the best job of all the hobbit actors, and he really shines in ROTK. I've been impressed with the movies Astin has been in (The Goonies, Rudy, 50 first dates). I think he's a talented actor that has even better days ahead for him. Ian Holm (Bilbo)- 9.5/10 I loved him in Brazil, and I loved him again here. I absolutely love how he gets when he is in his hole struggling to give up the ring. He slips off into this gollumishy sounding tone, excellent credit to Jackson and Holm for doing that. Billy Boyd (Pippin)- 9.3/10, I love the interactions between him and Dom, it really captures the close friendship between these two. I think he does another nice job in ROTK, with the scenes between him and Gandalf, and him and Faramir. Dom Monaghan (Merry)- 9.3/10, I can't rate one higher then the other, they both do a great job with the dialogue between them. I really love the scene when Gandalf rides off with Pippin, and Merry goes up to the tower to watch him off. :wipes eyes again: Elijah Wood (Frodo)- 8.3/10, I've seen Elijah do better, example The Faculty, but still another solid B performance. He rolls his eyes too much for my liking. Wizards These next two have had years of experience in acting, and arguably do the best performances in these movies. I love how they brought in these two, for they really bring a lot to these movies. Chris Lee (Saruman)- 10/10, I loved his voice scene in the EE, he nailed it just the way I imagined it. We see all aspects of Saruman's voice, the powerful (pep-talks to Dunlanders and Uruk-hai), the persuasive (Gandalf), and the pitiable, spare me (Voice of Saruman). Lee, understands Tolkien, and understands him well, arguably one of the best actors of currently alive. Ian Mckellan (Gandalf)- 10/10, another actor who is arguably the best actor alive. I don't really know how to describe Mckellan, because like Chris Lee, he covers all the aspects of Gandalf. We see the more fun-loving Wizard in the beginning, also the angry/punishing wizard, "Fool of a Took!" Then the compassionate wizard, the scene with him and Pippin. I was dissapointed that Gandalf basically cried, and was owned by the WK, but I can't give Ian points knocked off, he just does such a wonderful job. Overall Grade: 9.4/10 If you don't have time like me, then simply name some of your favorites, rate them, and say why, or some of your least favorites. If you want to, I would love to see you rate the cast like me, and see what others made of the Casts performances.