The Best and Worst of Ryan Reynolds

Films Starring Ryan Reynolds That I've Seen:
National Lampoon's Van Wilder
Waiting...
Just Friends
Smokin' Aces
Adventureland
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Buried
Green Lantern
The Change-Up
Safe House
The Croods
R.I.P.D.

Best Performance: Buried (2010)
Reynolds regularly gets dumped on by critics and audiences alike for his alleged incompetence as an actor. I strongly believe that anyone who thinks Reynolds can't act hasn't seen his Oscar-worthy performance in the claustrophobic thriller Buried. In Buried- which focuses on a civilian truck driver in Iraq who's been buried alive in a coffin in the middle of the desert by terrorists- Reynolds is the only actor to physically appear on screen and his emotional, tour-de-force performance makes the film a unique and unforgettable viewing experience.

Worst Performance: R.I.P.D (2013)
While the movie itself isn't nearly as bad as its made out to be, Reynolds' performance in R.I.P.D. absolutely is. This is the only time I've ever watched one of Reynolds movies and thought he was the annoying, charisma-less actor he's frequently made out to be. It also doesn't help that his partner in this sci-fi buddy cop flick is played by Jeff Bridges, who carries the movie on his back with his hysterical turn as Civil War-era U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn.


Best Film: Smokin Aces' (2007)
Every once in a while, a film comes along that I adore that is hated by seemingly everyone else on the planet. Joe Carnahan's Tarantino-worshiping action/black comedy flick Smokin' Aces is perhaps the strongest example of this phenomenon. The film's frantic narrative, frequent bloody violence and barrage of insane characters pissed off a lot of audiences, but I found it to be a hilarious and absurdly entertaining piece of beautiful cinematic chaos.

Worst Film: Green Lantern (2011)
For whatever reason, DC Comics has always been firmly behind their rival Marvel in terms of popularity. While Marvel seems to make hit movies out of comics that weren't particularly popular (Ghost Rider, Guardians of the Galaxy), DC can't seem to get a franchise to gain any traction outside of their two heavyweights heroes (Batman and Superman). The quality and lack of financial success of DC's last foray into launching a new franchise, 2011's Green Lantern, may explain why they have been hesitant in trying to get new series adaptations off the ground in recent years (It should be noted that DC is ending that streak of inactivity with the release of Suicide Squad next August). Outside of some impressive effects and a solid turn from Reynolds in the titular role, Green Lantern is an unevenly-scripted and largely poorly-acted affair that serves as a textbook example of what an inoffensive yet wholly forgettable film is.    

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week I'll take a look at the best and worst work of Ant-Man star Paul Rudd.