As discussed in yesterday’s MS-QOTD, I was fascinated this week to read an analysis of ‘The Lone Ranger’ which discussed whether or not its failure was entirely due to the presence of Johnny Depp in a key role. The basic premise was simple: Johnny Depp is best taken in small doses, and when he’s the focus of the story, as in ‘Charlie and The Chocolate Factory’, audiences are cold, whereas his similar turn in ‘Alice In Wonderland’ was better received. Since we covered the D-Man’s bestest work yesterday (unless you cheated and got all negative before it was time), today it’s time to consider what might NOT have worked, which leads us to today’s (probably mean-spirited) query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) may never forgive the Deppster for what he did to Roald Dahl (and Gene Wilder) with his uber-creepy Willy Wonka, asking: What role do YOU feel is Johnny Depp’s least work?
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Depends on what you mean by “least” work. He wasn’t in very much screen time in Nightmare on Elm Street, for instance. But assuming you mean quality not quantity then I’ll say that, of what I’ve seen him in, I’ll go with Benny and Joon.* I just had no appreciation for its affectations when I watched it.
(*with the caveat that looking through IMDB, there’s a _lot_ of Depp films that I’ve given the skip for various reasons not entirely related to the actor, so I can’t comment that, for instance, Dark Shadows isn’t light years worse.)
-Dan’L
Oddly I think Benny and Joon is one of Depp’s best works. However if taking Depp in small doses was the best recipe is the truth then why is Pirates of the Carribean (All of them really) so good? his least role I would have to go for Tanto in the Lone Ranger movie I guess. he did a famously good Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing, and I loved the Tim Burton take on Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow. actually I rescind my Lone Ranger role and give you The Ninth Gate. I’m not sure if that movie to me was just bad or if Johnny just didn’t bring it to the table but it was actually the worst Depp movie I have seen to date and though I haven’t seen Cry Baby, I have no desire to.
I’ve only seen the first three POTC films, but I’d categorize them as ensemble films, with Cap’n Jack as breakout character.
Cry Baby is surprisingly okay, so long as you remember it’s a parody.
The fourth POTC has too many sins to catalog. Among them are: Too much Depp, Poor writing, and Cruz’s involvement.
The Ninth Gate is a freaking mess.