1) The kids in Akira are all just that...they're KIDS. Like sixteen at most. That includes Tetsuo, the uber-hero Kaneda, and their girlfriends/friends. So they go and hire Garret Hedlund of Tron Legacy to play Kaneda. I'm sorry but he's WAY TOO OLD. Then they hire Kristen Stewart as Kaneda's girlfriend and she's TOO OLD AS WELL.
2) The kids should be Asian. Kristen Stewart and Garret Hedlund ARE NOT ASIAN. They're not even close. This is like old Hollywood hiring Mickey Rooney to play a Chinese man in Breakfast at Tiffany's. I feel insulted.
I think Kristen Stewart gaining the lead female role is the straw that really breaks the camel's back for me. This movie adaptation is going to suck big time. She's like the male version of Keanu Reeves...completely wooden, can't act, is terrible.
I'm feeling so disappointed right now. >,<
For those of you out there that love YA...just so you can relate, this would be like casting Tyra Banks to play Katniss in the Hunger Games. Imagine that and maybe you can sympathize with how I feel.
Didn't they learn anything from that abortion called "The Last Airbender?" There were a lot of people up in arms over the casting on that too. Funny that as far as we've come in terms of equality, there really aren't many Asian stars who are household names except like Jackie Chan.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Kristen Stewart. Your description of her acting is dead on.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this my first thoughts echo'ed Bulldog. I loved the Last Airbender on TV and the movie casting was so screwed up that the movie never had a chance with its fans.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why studios buy a property then rip the very soul out of it in order to try to appeal to a broader audience. If it is good, people will watch -- bad movies lose their steam after the first weekend.
I've heard a lot of outrage about casting choices for this...fans are definitely not happy, and it's not a good trend for Hollywood to keep playing into.
ReplyDeleteThe big Hollywood studios have always been so ethnically challenged they're an embarrassment. So of course they can't even cast the right actors for many of their movies.
ReplyDeleteAs bad as when Keanu Reeves was going to play Akira. All of them are way too old.
ReplyDeleteThis might turn out like Emmerich's Godzilla...
This is one of those "What were they thinking?" moments, isn't it. That's too bad. This type of off-casting happens a lot when they think the ethnicity and age don't matter. Both are crucial to the heart of a good story.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't just terrible casting - it's freaking racist, just like Avatar. Interesting how Hollywood likes to cast race-blind until the character calls for a white person. There are so so many Asian actors not getting juicy roles. You'd think something like Akira would be a good opportunity for Hollywood to make things a little more even, but nope.
ReplyDeleteStay classy Hollywood! I love looking to you to verify that nothing's really changed in fifty years. You never let me down that way.
When I first heard about the casting decisions on this movie, I thought for sure I was reading an Onion article. I mean, seriously? No Asians at all? Can't we even rely on tokenism anymore?
ReplyDeleteI don't take offense from this because I happen to be Asian (vaguely speaking), but more that casting a bunch of twenty-something white actors to play Japanese teens is dumb. It's just dumb.
And I think that the audience will agree with me when the opening crawl comes up saying "Neo-Tokyo 2019" and there are no Japanese people to be seen. This movie will be made of stupid.
I am usually amazed at how well the casting couch works; but sometimes, I wonder what they were thinking. *shakes head*
ReplyDeleteI agree that the wrong casting can ruin a good movie.
....dhole
Hm. I must investigate this tragedy, as soon as I discover who or what Akira is of course.
ReplyDeleteGood analogy with Katniss. It helps us earthbound mortals relate to a crisis of this magnitude.
I can't believe it's 2011 and crap like this is still happening.
ReplyDeleteI saw the (terrible) movie Green Hornet, and I think Jay Chou stole the show. His hotness+charm made the film almost watchable!
Aw man, I'm half-way through reading this series (and it is freakin' awesome!) and now I have to again boycott what should have been a really cool movie.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't seen the tragedy that is The Last Airbender. Though I LOVE the show. GRRR! (speaking of which, ever see the comic strip Gene Luen Yang did on his thoughts on that movie? Really funny: http://www.humblecomics.com/blog/comments.php?y=10&m=05&entry=entry100524-195255)
I hate it when Hollywood miscasts movies. And not using Asian kids! No wonder you are mad. I mean, westerns with white Indians painted dark is sooo lame. Remember 'Kung Fu' with David Carridine playing an Asian? When I watched it as a teen I thought, "Is he supposed to be Asian?" I couldn't figure out why they used him. They were originally going to use Bruce Lee but didn't. How stupid.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading a book by Isaac Asimov. The story was so exciting and interesting. Some movie was made of it and it came on TV. I didn't even recognize the story. It wasn't the story! I was so disappointed. Same thing with a book by Henry James. The changed the ending! The ending! Screwed the whole thing up. Made an opposite statement than the one he intended.
As you can see- I can get emotional about Hollywood ruining good books.
Tyra Banks? Ugh! That is a horrible image for Hunger Games. :( I am disappointed in Snow White, but still want to see it.
ReplyDeleteThis is terrible and not the least bit surprising. I hate having to keep my expectations in check just to avoid disappointment, though to be fair it's not like they would have ever done the original justice. Hollywood just doesn't work that way.
ReplyDeleteThen again, maybe it'll earn its keep by scarring a whole new generation of children somehow.
I thought I read somewhere they'd moved it to New York of the future. In any case, it will be horrible. There's a whole host of cool Japanese stuff Hollywood hasn't ruined, so there's that to look forward to.
ReplyDeletemood
Moody Writing
@mooderino
The Funnily Enough
Sometimes I think Hollywood screws everything up.
ReplyDeleteAkira was the first Anime movie I ever saw. It blew my mind. I've secretly hoped they would never turn it into a big budget movie because there is no way they can improve it. It will disappoint, it has to.
ReplyDeleteMan, I haven't watched that in a dog's age. I'm going to have to figure out where it's packed and dig it out.
ReplyDeleteAnd that makes me want to watch Cowboy Bebop, too.
You suck!
I'd like to say this shocks and surprises me. Yeah, no.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree Michael. And the Tyra Banks casting. Uh yeah. I hate miscasting (Is that even a word? maybe I coined one.) It ruins the world I am going into. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteagreed, mike... they SHOULD be ASIAN KIDS... if they can find brit kids for the potter tales, the can find asian kids for asian tales! GRRRRRR
ReplyDeleteseems to me thy think stewart will draw interest in the flick... WRONG!
akira, by itself, is draw enough!
with those yahoos in it, like you, i'll boycott it!
hollyweird... YOU STILL SUCK!
'they' can find... and: 'they' think...
ReplyDeleteseems 'they' are out to get me! :P lol
Hollywood screws up most of the stuff they try to remake. Part of me wishes they would stop trying but every once in a blue moon they get one right and it's amazing.This doesn't sound like of those amazing ones though. I have to agree that Kristen Stewart is a bit lacking in the acting department. Meh.
ReplyDeleteim getting nostalgic... i lived in japan for three years!! never read akira but this stuff was everywhere!!
ReplyDeleteoh guys, honestly, your talking is quite a bother to me. let see... the main problem why you don't like it is because THE ACTOR/ACTRESS IS NOT ASIAN. well well. first, it's hollywood, man! they're not from asian and most actors and actresses not from there, and im sure the point of making this movie is for giving a new sensation for an old japanese manga. Who cares if they're not asian? if it's japanese producer who remake it, then it must be asian. but we're talking about hollywood, man! its rather weird if they took so much asians for their remake movie. reaaally. and second, you're not talking about asian, you're talking about japanese. There're a lot country in asian and our faces in each country are really different. So, you said they should change the actor from asia. that's just the same with those hollywood actors. different. Japanese are Asians, but ASIANS ARE NOT JAPANESE. Got it? it insults me since im an asian and most people always look asian as japan or korea. Im not a racist but it's suck! and then the third, Garett Hedlund is my fav actor, duh! you just break me in the heart (okay forget this). But really, personally, I think asians're interested with out of asian like american or europan. And in my survey, my friends who are akira fans don't really mind if it's not japanese producer who remake akira. And now im also thinking that maybe you guys only thought that the only people who gonna watch it is having same prespective and taste just like you all. aggghhh. stop it already, im sick of it.
ReplyDeleteI actually love Kristen but she can't play this role. I'm disappointed in this plan for an Akira movie was well.
ReplyDelete