Casting Grades

[Critic Jeff Stockton]

In looking at the cast of The Oil Slick, I felt inspired to take a deep dive on the cast and how I feel they captured their real life counterparts (in my opinion, of course). The casting in The Oil Slick runs the casting gamut, with some roles being perfectly cast and some being not-so-perfectly cast. I'll probably also try to do this for other Comic/Game/Cartoon/Whatever to Film articles if I have the time/energy and/or remember to do so (or maybe it's something Admin may want to add on the blog, I don't know).

Here's my take on the cast of The Oil Slick...

James Franco as Kevin Gilbride
Appearance: C+
Performance: C+
Thoughts: I thought Franco was just okay as Gilbride. I'm no expert on Gilbride, but Franco didn't add much with his performance (I've never found him to be a very good straight man) and doesn't look much like Gilbride either.
Overall Casting Grade: C+

Tim Robbins as Buddy Ryan
Appearance: B
Performance: A-
Thoughts: His looks are passable for the character (or at least a more handsome version of Ryan). His performance though, was pretty great. He brought a lot of intensity to the defensive mastermind of the coaching staff.
Overall Casting Grade: B+

Michael Douglas as Bud Adams
Appearance: A-
Performance: A-
Thoughts: Michael Douglas was a solid choice as the arrogant Bud Adams (the de facto villain of the film) bringing a good ol' boy vibe.
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Noah Emmerich as Jack Pardee
Appearance: A
Performance: A
Thoughts: Emmerich was honestly pretty much perfect. The only reason he only got an A instead of an A+ for performance is because he didn't have the most difficult part around, but he did nail the role of the mild-mannered head coach.
Overall Casting Grade: A

Trai Byers as Warren Moon
Appearance: C-
Performance: D
Thoughts: Byers doesn't look much like Moon, and he didn't bring the kind of intensity Moon was known for.
Overall Casting Grade: D+

Kevin Owens as David Williams
Appearance: A-
Performance: B
Thoughts: Owens brought a great physicality to the role. He may be a bit green as an actor though, but that didn't hurt his performance too much in my eyes.
Overall Casting Grade: B+

Cameron Britton as Jeff Alm
Appearance: A+
Performance: A+
Thoughts: Britton was perfect. I cannot imagine anyone playing Alm as well as he did. It must have been hard to find a giant with the dramatic skills to pull off the emotion Alm has to project, but Britton absolutely nailed it.
Overall Casting Grade: A+

Charlie McDermott as Sean Lynch
Appearance: C+
Performance: C-
Thoughts: Lynch isn't a huge role, but McDermott did not strike me as having the type of range or style to fit in in a film like this (or to pull off that certaub important scene).
Overall Casting Grade: C

Brandon Mychal Smith as Ernest Givins
Appearance: B+
Performance: A
Thoughts: BMS brought a nice swagger to Givins, helping an underwritten role stand out (I think he could have played Moon better than Byers as well).
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Justin Hartley as Cody Carlson
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Not the toughest role in the film, but then again Hartley isn't the best actor around. The role and the actor here were a good match of skill levels.
Overall Casting Grade: B+

Alan Ritchson as Joe Montana
Appearance: D
Performance: C-
Thoughts: Joe Montana was not a beheamoth like Ritchson. Ritchson is a good (or okay) actor but he was too big and tough to play Montana (who was never the strongest or the fastest or the biggest player around).
Overall Casting Grade: D+

[Critic Jeff Stockton]

Here's my take on the cast of Booster Gold: Back in Time AND The Producer...

BOOSTER GOLD: BACK IN TIME
Billy Magnussen as Michael Jon Carter / Booster Gold
Appearance: A+
Performance: A+
Thoughts: Magnussen has made Booster Gold by this point. Whatever BG was before has been replaced by Magnussen's perfect take over the course of five films.
Overall Casting Grade: A+

Dan Stevens as Rip Hunter
Appearance: A-
Performance: A
Thoughts: It has taken some time for Stevens to grow on me as Rip Hunter. But this film and his performance in Justice League Unlimited have completely converted me.
Overall Casting Grade: A

Jason Clarke as Vandal Savage
Appearance: A-
Performance: A-
Thoughts: He has moments where he really gets to shine, but then takes a backseat. I can't think of any better choice than Clarke, but I was left wanting more since he was the best Booster Gold villain yet.
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Camila Mendes as Donna Troy
Appearance: A-
Performance: B
Thoughts: Through no fault of her own, she was definitely overmatched by the charisma of the stars.
Overall Casting Grade: B+

Alexandra Daddario as Princess Diana / Wonder Woman
Appearance: A
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Not a lot is asked of her in this one, but Wonder Woman showed Daddario was a great choice and she keeps to that tone.
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Julia Roberts as Queen Hippolyta
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Once again, Roberts doesn't need to do much, but she brings an aura of confidence and power to the role.
Overall Casting Grade: B+

Ralph Ineson as Hephaestus
Appearance: A
Performance: B+
Thoughts: A solid choice. Brings a sense of fun to his role.
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Camille Kostek as Epione
Appearance: A+
Performance: C
Thoughts: Obviously not a trained actress like some of her co-stars, she doesn't need to do much. She brings a lot of necessary Amazon beauty thought.
Overall Casting Grade: B-

Julia Fox as Aphrodite
Appearance: B
Performance: C-
Thoughts: She looks the part mostly, but other than that she felt far too modern for her role in my opinion.
Overall Casting Grade: C

Jake Weary as Jason
Appearance: B+
Performance: B
Thoughts: Brought a level of intensity that made his character more memorable than it is on the page.
Overall Casting Grade: B

Natalie Dormer as Michelle Carter / Goldstar
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: It's just a cameo so it is hard to judge the performance too much.
Overall Casting Grade: B+


THE PRODUCER
Bradley Cooper as Roy Radin
Appearance: A
Performance: A+
Thoughts: Sure, Cooper is arguably too handsome for the role, but that's not his fault. That's the only flaw though.
Overall Casting Grade: A+

Shailene Woodley as Karen Greenberger
Appearance: A-
Performance: A
Thoughts: She was great. Might have been a tad young for the role, but she still excelled.
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Matt Dillon as Robert Evans
Appearance: B+
Performance: A-
Thoughts: He gave a great performance even if he has a much stronger build than the real Evans.
Overall Casting Grade: B+

Joe Manganiello as William Mentzer
Appearance: A
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Brought some nice macho-ness to the role of the contract killer. He certainly looked the part.
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Phoebe Dynevor as Melonie Haller
Appearance: B+
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Passable looks-wise. Dynevor seems to be one of the newer actresses who may be pegged for future stardom if she picks the right roles.
Overall Casting Grade: B+

Rob McElhenney as Bobby Lowe
Appearance: C+
Performance: A
Thoughts: He doesn't much look like Lowe, but he gave a really fun and funny performance as the limo driving Lowe.
Overall Casting Grade: B+

Scott Caan as Alex Marti
Appearance: B
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Looks a bit more like his character than McElhenney did. He had great chemistry with his co-stars.
Overall Casting Grade: B+

Karl Glusman as Ron Sisman
Appearance: A
Performance: B+
Thoughts: It's a small role. Glusman looks like the guy and brought a bit of creepiness to the role that it needed.
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Damon Wayans Jr. as Demond Wilson
Appearance: A
Performance: A
Thoughts: What a great choice for Demond Wilson!
Overall Casting Grade: A

Noel Fisher as Dicke Gersch
Appearance: ?
Performance: B+
Thoughts: He has become a good sidekick in LRF. I thought he was funny as Radin's assistant.
Overall Casting Grade: B+

Pitbull as Milan Bellechesses
Appearance: ?
Performance: B
Thoughts: I'm not very familiar with Pitbull as a performer, but he seemed like a decent (though not perfect) choice
Overall Casting Grade: B

[Critic Jeff Stockton]

CASTING GRADES - Luke Cage: Power Man

Omari Hardwick as Luke Cage

Appearance: A-
Performance: A-
Thoughts: Hardwick brought the right aggression and swagger the role of Luke Cage required in this story. There's not a lot to complain about.
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Chris Tucker as Willis Stryker
Appearance: B+
Performance: A
Thoughts: Tucker definitely played the part differently than most would expect based on the character in the comics. I personally liked him going into villain mode even if he isn't super imposing.
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Olivia Munn as Jessica Jones
Appearance: B
Performance: A-
Thoughts: Munn brings toughness and a sense of fun to the character that I really liked. She doesn't look a lot like the character traditionally does, which hurt her grade a tiny bit.
Overall Casting Grade: B+

Nathalie Emmanuel as Misty Knight
Appearance: A
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Her role definitely doesn't have as much meat on it as some others in the film, but Emmanuel does a good job and looks great doing it.
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Sharon Leal as Reva Connors
Appearance: A
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Not a major role, but Leal seems like a natural fit based on what I know about her.
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Fred Williamson as James Lucas
Appearance: A+
Performance: A+
Thoughts: Perfect casting choice to play Cage's father. Still has that tough swagger he had in the 70s. I can see where Cage got it.
Overall Casting Grade: A+

Colman Domingo as Cornell Stokes / Cottonmouth
Appearance: A
Performance: B+
Thoughts: I liked Domingo as Stokes. It seems like he's going to have a bigger, badder presence in the future. In this one though he was imposing and calculating.
Overall Casting Grade: A-

Meagan Good as Claire Temple
Appearance: B+
Performance: B-
Thoughts: Not much acting required in this role, though Good felt like a good fit for the character and the story. She did look the part pretty well.
Overall Casting Grade: B

Martin Short as Dr. Noah Berstein
Appearance: B-
Performance: B+
Thoughts: Doesn't look a ton like the character, but I thought he gave a fun performance clearly chewing up some scenery.
Overall Casting Grade: B