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Last weekend I went to see the final instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, The Final Reckoning.
It’s pretty much what you’d expect, with some incredible set pieces, including a nail-biting underwater submarine sequence — but as with many of the M:I movies, it’s bogged down with the first-act exposition required to catch viewers up on the previous films. And at almost three hours, it’s too long, of course.
And while I’m picking nits, I have to say it’s weird to me to cast a raft of biggish-name actors in roles that would be normally handled by one of Hollywood’s many C-listers whose resumés are a proud litany of nameless CEOs, bank managers and two-star generals.
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I feel sorry for the Ron Canadas, the Xander Berkeleys, the long list of balding men with beetling eyebrows and a permanent scowl who thought, “Ooh, they’re casting the two-line role of U.S. Secretary of Defence for the new M:I film. This is my time to shine!” only to find that Nick Offerman had eaten their lunch.
Ron Canada, easily imaginable as mid-ranking authority figure
Xander Berkeley could be a credible-sounding expert of something
This is partially because I have always prided myself on being familiar with these unsung heroes, called upon to provide gravitas or grumpy disagreement (“Madam President, with all due respect, this is a suicidal course of action!”) but not distract anyone with their star power.
These are usually the types of nearly background players where I feel like a casting director says, “Get me James Rebhorn’s agent,” and her assistant says, “Um, I think he’s dead; how about that guy who played the vice-president on Veep?” “Perfect.”
James Rebhorn, man in suit (not in a Godzilla way)
You know this guy. From Veep? Pretty sure
(BTW, I just looked up Rebhorn to make sure he actually is dead, and his New York Times obit has the headline: “James Rebhorn, an Actor Often Playing a Man in a Suit, Dies at 65.” THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, JAMES REBHORN.)
We don’t need Ted Lasso/West End star Hannah Waddingham playing a stern American submarine captain when we have Amy Aquino, a similarly stern perennial portrayer of judges, police lieutenants and doctors who would probably love to meet Tom Cruise.
Amy Aquino: if stern’s your game, this is the dame
We don’t need British actor Mark Gatiss — winner of two Laurence Olivier Awards, a BAFTA TV Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Peabody Award — playing some single-named government functionary when we have… this guy.
When you need a convincing but not memorable government official…
Or this guy! Throw ol’ Kurt Fuller a bone!
Kurt Fuller: not getting enough callbacks for Guy Who Tells Secret Agent, “You can’t do that!”
I felt the same way when animated films almost entirely stopped using voice actors and started using movie stars. Think of the guy auditioning for the new voice role of Optimus Prime in Transformers One — I’m picturing a face-for-radio type with a resonant baritone he’s coddled by swilling lemon-honey tea and never speaking above a whisper — being told “Thanks for coming out, but we’re going to go with Chris Hemsworth.”
You already have it all, Hemsworth! Let a little person with a big voice have his day in the sun!
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