The Most Phoned-In Performances of All Time

[thejon93]

Ford looked like he didn't give a **** in C&A, but he was really good in 42.

I highly disagree, Cowboys & Aliens was a hugely underrated movie. Ford and Daniel Craig were both fantastic, plus it had a great supporting cast with guys like Sam Rockwell and Clancy Brown too. I never understood the hate for Cowboys & Aliens, I always thought it was just a straight-up, fun, action-packed western and sci-fi mash-up.

 

[MrMaooz]

I hate when people say he phoned Crystal Skull in. He was having fun kicking ass again.

 

[thejon93]

I hate when people say he phoned Crystal Skull in. He was having fun kicking ass again.

Everyone was pretty good in that movie, I just didn't like the overuse of CGI and the multiple back-stabbings throughout. But, other then that, it was a good movie (definitely better than those Star Wars prequels combined, thanks to Spielberg and Ford's efforts).

 

[Eddie Dean]

Part time!

 

[Rowsdower!]

I highly disagree, Cowboys & Aliens was a hugely underrated movie. Ford and Daniel Craig were both fantastic, plus it had a great supporting cast with guys like Sam Rockwell and Clancy Brown too. I never understood the hate for Cowboys & Aliens, I always thought it was just a straight-up, fun, action-packed western and sci-fi mash-up.

I just found everything about it so predictable and generic, and even though I like all of the actors in it, I felt like almost none of their characters were interesting. I loved the concept, I just found the execution really poor. To each his own though.

 

[thejon93]

I just found everything about it so predictable and generic, and even though I like all of the actors in it, I felt like almost none of their characters were interesting. I loved the concept, I just found the execution really poor. To each his own though.

I'm not sure if you've seen this version of the film yet or not, but there's an extended cut out (which adds in a solid extra 16 minutes) that gives Ford's sidekick, Nat Colorado, much more character development during a campfire scene in particular which, in turn, elevates Ford's performance as well during what is arguably the film's most emotional scene. I don't blame anyone for not liking it, as you said "to each his own", but I really enjoyed this movie for how straight-forward it was. No BS, just a straight-up western/sci-fi action film that just so happens to feature a fantastic cast and some underrated alien effects. Plus, it has this guy who looks exactly like John Marston from Red Dead Redemption (or at least to me, and it gives me the chills every time I see the movie with his look-a-like in it):

 

[Rowsdower!]

Perhaps I'll give the extended cut a look sometime. I will say that I loved the overall look of the movie.

Also, two more to add to the phoned-in list: Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman in Wanted.

 

[Loki882]

I hate when people say he phoned Crystal Skull in. He was having fun kicking ass again.

Agreed, Ford was more engaged in that movie, and having more fun, than I has seen him have in years. He clearly loves playing Indiana Jones.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Travis Fimmel in Warcraft
Jennifer Lawrence in X-Men: Apocalypse
Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day: Resurgence
Matthew McConaughey in all those bad rom-coms he used to do

 

[OutOfBoose]

Geena Davis in Cutthroat Island.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Omit the "of all time" part, and Christoph Waltz was pretty bored in Spectre.

 

[James]

Omit the "of all time" part, and Christoph Waltz was pretty bored in Spectre.

Probably because he realized too late that the script was garbage, and his talent (along with everyone else's) was being wasted.

I hate that movie

 

[Drizzle]

Spectre isn't the first movie that Waltz looked bored in. There's also The Green Hornet and Horrible Bosses 2. Plus Tarzan. He's another one like Jeremy Irons. Fantastic actor, but it's blatantly obvious when he takes paycheck roles.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Yeah, as soon as someone mentioned Waltz I was going to bring up The Green Hornet. Ironically, even though he was phoning it in, he was still the only entertaining thing about that movie.

 

[James]

I got the impression he was at least having a bit of fun in Green Hornet. Like, he knew it wasn't great but it was a comedy so he goofed around. I definitely agree about Waltz' performance in Tarzan, and I don't even remember him being in Horrible Bosses 2.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

He seemed to at least be having a laugh in GH. In Spectre he seemed to be in permanent I don't give a **** mode.

 

[Roose Bolton]

Mads Mikkelsen in Dr Strange.

Really Mads Mikkelsen in a lot of big budget stuff doesn't seem especially engaged, Casino Royale and Rogue One aside.

 

[Schlosser85]

Pretty much everyone in Assassin's Creed except maybe Fassbender. Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons, definitely. But Jeremy Irons in...most things.

 

[brandeezy89]

Jennifer Lawrence in almost every movie she's in

Denzel in Mag 7.

 

[Lord]

Johny Depp in Transcendence. Unlike with many of the cases mentioned here, he didn't seem to be having any fun or making a performance that even worked in any way. In Transcendence, Depp simply read the words the script asked him to without putting any effort to see if his performance was going to work in favor of the film or not.

 

[scarlet-witch]

Natalie Portman in the Thor movies.

Every actor that was in a post Sixth Sense M Night Shaymalan movie.

I'm sure I'll think of more later.

 

[Drizzle]

Jennifer Lawrence in almost every movie she's in

I thought she was good in Silver Linings Playbook and the Hunger Games movies. She was good in First Class too, but you can tell she stopped caring about that franchise around DOFP. She looked completely bored in Apocalypse. As for American Hustle, I don't think she phoned it in there but to me it seemed like she was trying too hard. I think she was also a little too young for that part.

 

[Rowsdower!]

She was miscast in American Hustle, but I don't think she was phoning it in. She definitely was in Apocalypse though. What a f***ing disappointing movie.

 

[scarlet-witch]

I don't think she phoned American Hustle in either, I'm with Drizzle. She tried too hard, she was completely over the top and her performances didn't mesh well with the other actors who were doing amazing stuff in that movie.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

Yeah, as soon as someone mentioned Waltz I was going to bring up The Green Hornet. Ironically, even though he was phoning it in, he was still the only entertaining thing about that movie.

Talk about Waltz phoning in a performance, The Legend of Tarzan was as bad as it gets even if was just playing a ripoff version of Belloq.