Lord of the Rings - original Star Wars parallel?

G

Guden Oden

Senior Member
Legend
It seems we have our next Harrison Ford born in the form of Orlando Bloom methinks - handsome, dashing, daring, but without the stubbled chin it would seem. Weak beard-growth perhaps, what do I know? Or maybe he's too metrosexual(tm) to go for that old adventurous archaeology professor look. :D

As Orlando's star Blooms (bad pun, I know), what about Elijah Wood's? (Bless his huge furry hobbit fee- *cough* huge blue eyes, I meant to say. :oops:) Is he turning into this generation's Mark Hamill?

He hasn't done much in the years since the Ring movies premiered, while Orlando's seems to be in half of the blockbusters released since The Fellowship went up on the big screen.

What do you guys think? Will he fade into obscurity after this great success (despite arguably being a much better actor than Hamill)?
 
Eh?

Elijah Wood was in "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind" with Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, and a few others, just a few months ago. :)

It was a pretty neat little flick. Though consider his role in the LOTR films vs Bloom. Frodo's role was far more intensive overall in terms of lines spoken, screen time, etc. He probably wants to lay low for a while.

Besides, Elijah Wood had a very substantial and successful acting career before LOTR. I don't think he'll become this generation's Mark Hamill. Hamill was a complete newbie, as was Carrie Fisher, when he did Star Wars. Hell so was Harrison Ford. The LOTR guys are seasoned vets.
 
Yeah, Elijah Wood was supposed be the new McCauley Culkin with the movie North back in 1994 even, the movie was (thankfully?)a HUGE dud though.

It was perhaps for the better that it bombed, he bounced back to good serious roles in solid movies like The ice storm and such.
 
North is one of the worst movies i've ever seen.

Orlando Bloom is definitly too metrosexual/feminine to be the new Harrison Ford. A role like that in Troy fits him perfectly. :LOL:
He always speaks in that annoying, whispering sensitive (fake) voice.
 
I was just speculating, I simply posted before bothering to actually do any research... :D

Anyway as for Bloom and his voice, he did sound a bit angry at times in Pirates of the Caribbean. ;)
 
Guden Oden said:
Anyway as for Bloom and his voice, he did sound a bit angry at times in Pirates of the Caribbean. ;)
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Yeah, but angry in a weird, kinda pathetic and petty, pre-pubescent sort of way. Like when you got pissed at you're parents when they took your videogames away because you were failing your classes.

"I practice 3 hours every day! So that when I see a Pirate, I CAN KILL HIM!" -Orlando Bloom, in the cheesiest line from that movie.
 
Elijah Woods also played a major role in Deep Impact. One of the worst movies I've ever seen :)
 
Wasn't nearly as god-awful as Armaggeddon, that's for sure.

...Or that monstrosity that was the American-made Godzilla either I might add. Jesus. And ID4 was pretty fucking bad too, but kind of cool too coz it had bloodthirsty evil aliens in it.
 
It seems to me that ninety percent of all the new "star actors" lack any character and are pretty forgettable altogether. None of them has the subtle charm and presence of someone like Harrison Ford.
 
Nobody measures up to the old geezers of Hollywood when it comes to both power and subtlety. Denis Franz, Gene Hackman, Sean Connery; guys like that. Excellent actors with great faces and incredible voices.

Elijah and Orlando are both very young though, just into their 20s, Sean was over 30 by the time he did the first Bond movie and Harrison was something like that too when he did Star Wars. The young wippersnappers have time to grow up. :)
 
I must say that the approach to acting and to actors now is completely different from what it was when Connery and Ford were at their peak.
Those days, ACTING was important. And actors were just that, actors. Didn't matter how good they looked. Thay had character, they conveyed emotion.
Today it's all about looks, i seriously cannot think of any major male performance i could call "outstanding" lately.
 
Ehh... Connery may not be the best examples of old school "actor" actors...

Sean Connery was a model doing photography and commercials before landing the Bond role, barring bit parts in TV-series, his acting skills were very much put into question at the time(being a pretty boy and all that ;) ). Much because of that he did low-budget "actor's" pics like "The Hill" to bolster his status as an actor.
 
MPI said:
Ehh... Connery may not be the best examples of old school "actor" actors...

Sean Connery was a model doing photography and commercials before landing the Bond role, his acting skills were very much put into question at the time(being a pretty boy and all that ;) ). Much because of that he did low-budget "actor's" pics like "The Hill" to bolster his status as an actor.
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Yeah, i only mentioned him as someone up there mentioned him. I meant "the old ones" in general... Let's say he's a symbol of oldness. ;)
 
I get the drift, no doubt. :)

But I think better examples would be Spencer Tracy, Jimmie Stewart, Bogart, et.c. None of which can be called pretty boys exactly. :)
 
MPI said:
I get the drift, no doubt. :)

But I think better examples would be Spencer Tracy, Jimmie Stewart, Bogart, et.c. None of which can be called pretty boys exactly. :)
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Today i can only think of Kevin Spacey as someone who really hit me in some of his latest movies... Maybe there are more i can't recall right now, but i don't know, it's all so "summer blockbuster" today...
And it seems women are trying a little bit harder today at being "good actresses" than men.
 
london-boy said:
I must say that the approach to acting and to actors now is completely different from what it was when Connery and Ford were at their peak.
Those days, ACTING was important. And actors were just that, actors. Didn't matter how good they looked. Thay had character, they conveyed emotion.
Today it's all about looks, i seriously cannot think of any major male performance i could call "outstanding" lately.
Click to expand...

How long is lately ?
I found Tom Cruise amazing as lestat in "Interview with the Vampire"
 
The problem with ORlando Bloom is that he fits a certain role down to the T. He is an effeminate little thing and lacks any sort of "bruteness" that would be required of a Indiana Jones character. I really don't think any actor can come close to Harrison Ford in this regard. Orlando is best left for the parts that he is playing now.

Elijah Wood is not a terribly crappy actor. He was in a film called "Try Seventeen" that wasn't too bad. He just needs to do a little more growing up and do a more mature role. His role in LotR was awesome and it showed through in spades. I was impressed with both him and Sean Astin.

In the end there really are few actors that carry any sort of versatility to play different roles. I may get flamed for this but it seems like all the new blockbuster stars try way too hard and go for roles they cannot yet play with decency. Tom Cruise is a much better actor than the new young bucks flickering around.

Speaking on that, my favorite actor is Tom Hanks. He is one of the best actors out there IMO. I believe he may be the best ever, he has that plain looking face but his acting ability is incredible.

I hope the new Mark Hamill will be Haydn Christensen, that guy leaves me agonizing. I just hope he is better in the 3rd movie.
 
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