Controversial question time!

[elfs]

Question: how is it consistent to support Marvel Studios in their decision to cast a black actor in the role of Heimdall, Guardian of the Bifrost Bridge for the movie Thor, while castigating M. Night Shyalaman for casting non-Asians in various roles for his movie The Last Airbender?

Comments

[mouser.livejournal.com]

Because The Last Airbender sucked reguardless of casting, and Thor isn't out so MIGHT not be bad?

[hugh-mannity.livejournal.com]

That depends on where you stand with Helen Mirren (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1274300/) as Prospero Prospera I guess.

edit: in other words, if it works with the rest of the movie as a whole, then it's fine. If it makes the movie suck, then not so much.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Well, that then begs the question: Did The Last Airbender suck because Nicola Peltz is a terrible actress, or did it suck because M. Night Shylaman has well and truly shot his creative wad?

[hugh-mannity.livejournal.com]

Of his movies I've only seen Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense, and wasn't particularly impressed by either of them. They were decent but not particularly memorable IMHO. From what I've heard, about The Last Airbender the latter is most likely the case and there was plenty of suck in the movie, regardless of who was doing (or attempting to do) the acting.

I've always thought he was someone who believed his own press releases.

[mouser.livejournal.com]

It sucked with bad scripting and editing.

Acting wasn't exceptional.

It was pretty and the effects were nice, though.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I've seen a semi-amateur production of The Tempest on stage where they swapped Ariel's gender for a wee pixie of a lass with gossamer wings, lowered in from the ceiling... it was fine. (Quite good, as a matter of fact; the kid who played Caliban went on to New York...) I don't think there's much of an issue bending gender here. Besides. C'mon. Shakespeare. The question is, is this director any good? The Academy seems to think so.. not that that means jack... but if she can direct her way out of a wet paper bag, Helen Mirren will do fine; she's been doing Shakespeare since Elf and I were but twinkles in our dads' eyes.

Martin King's Dream comes to mind. I think you have to judge here by content of character, not genetics of actor. If Heimdall turns out to be *well played*, *and* the choice was driven by that fact, then I'm down with it. If the director just wanted a black dude to be the first to get whacked, that's wrong.

(actually peeks at IMDB at this point.)

Oh. This is Branagh. Actually, this is a trope with him - he cast Denzel Washington in Much Ado, and it worked *beautifully*. And being that it's Branagh, and that Straczynski is writing? I gotta put this on the list to see. It Will Not Suck. JMS doesn't write suck, and Branagh doesn't cast suck. Period. Paragraph. End of saga.

As for M. Smelly Knnnnnnnnnnnniggit? I have to agree with your assessment here: It is, in fact, double or nothing. If the actor works for the character, then it's fine. If she sucks? doubly bad.

[hugh-mannity.livejournal.com]

I'd watch Helen Mirren read the phone book. :)

As for Thor -- with Branagh and The Great Maker, it's not likely to contain more than traces of suck.

And Anthony Hopkins as Odin -- I'll buy that piece of casting! Mr Wednesday is a nasty piece of work and Hopkins does nasty very nicely.

[ionotter.livejournal.com]

Because Hemidall dies. I mean, since we're dealing with historical figures, we may as well resurrect a dead trope,right? (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlackDudeDiesFirst)

[hugh-mannity.livejournal.com]

Does that mean he gets to wear a red shirt as well?

Though strictly speaking, he's mythological rather than historical.

[solarbird]

Because RaceFail was so much fun last time? Let's not.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Because Heimdall is a minor character in a minor Marvel comic that no one except a small fanbase cares about, while The Last Airbender changed the races of several major characters in one of Nickelodeon's highly popular flagship series?

[kenshardik]

I'm guessing it has to do with limited roles for non-Caucasian actors in mainstream Hollywood productions in general.

To me, it's like Affirmative Action. I'm against it because I judge people by their character and abilities, not their race, but I've learned that not everyone thinks the way I do, even in this day and age. Race is still an issue today.

[ibsulon.livejournal.com]

Major orchestras believed that women weren't as good as men until they started doing blind auditions. Is it possible that leading roles are based on similar perceptions?

[elgatocurioso.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised that no one has already mentioned that Penny Arcade addressed this in yesterday's commit (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/12/20/), and in much more detail in the associated PATV episode (http://www.penny-arcade.com/patv/pa-the-series/205/).

[elgatocurioso.livejournal.com]

*comic

[caraig.livejournal.com]

This is a worthwhile question to debate, as controversial as it is, and it deserves some good thinkin'.

Personally, though, the conservative council of douchebags who raised this brouhaha are just trying to cash in on RaceFail. If we agree with them, they win; if we disagree, they get to play the 'You're all a bunch of hypocrites!' card, and still win. Nevermind that they espouse racial purity ideology like [redacted to prevent invocation of Godwin's Law], they'll still be trotted out like sane people.