A Powerful Jones
So, Fantastic Four. There's a film nobody liked, right? Almost universally derided as mindlessly conceived, poorly written and totally lacking in everything that ever made the comics fun, with the only stand-out moment being Michael Chiklis annihilating a bus just by standing in its way.
Bam!So what's with the fuss over the sequel? Comics fans are going nuts in anticipation and the billboard posters flood most open American spaces. Is it that they just forgot the first one? Is it that they think the franchise's glowing screen history is going to save it from seemingly inevitable failure? Is it this man?
Bam!Of course it's not! It's this guy, this god among mortals I'm about to show you right here:
BAM!
Hellboy! No, wait - Doug Jones!
This unassuming actor worked his arse off for over ten years in thankless roles in cheesy monster costumes for cheesy monster movies and to no acclaim, until finally Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy movie shot him to silent, latex-caked, David-Hyde-Pierce-voiced-over fame as comics' coolest second-string character ever: Abe Sapien. So okay, the film was a little corny and very little like the comics it was based on, but it was fun and the characters were excellently well-realised, due in no small part to the actors behind the costumes. Even though Jones' performance was physical only, he really held his own (even acting beside veteran character actor Ron Perlman) and gave Abe the awkwardly alien yet still human mannerisms the character needed.
Jones' performance was so professional that despite having made numerous effects movies featuring numerous costume actors, Del Toro snapped him up for his next movie. Even though it was a Mexican production, and Jones didn't speak a word of Spanish. The movie, Pan's Labyrinth (or El Laberinto del fauno if you want to get all Spanglophonic), featured Jones in two equally memorable roles, and also perhaps the most brilliance-per-minute of any film released last year. And those roles took some dedication - reportedly, the faun's ear and eye mechanisms were so loud that they made it impossible for Jones to hear his co-star Ivana Baguero's lines. As such, poor Doug had to memorise all the lines phonetically - partly for lip-syncing purposes, and partly so he knew when to speak at all!
(Of course, part of Jones' roles' greatness was down to Del Toro himself, who had a large say in the prosthetic costumes' construction, drawing from his years of experience as a makeup artist. Would you believe, watching Pan, that the faun's character was not treated with any CGI at all? I was certain the legs were animated, but in fact the costume includes a mechanism which allows the actor's legs to puppeteer the fake goat legs. Canny, right?)
So Pan goes on to be a huge success, garnering it a nomination for Best Foreign Language film and wins for Best Art Direction and Best Achievement in Makeup, among other things. But you know what's the real Best Achievement in Makeup?
Jones' performance was so professional that despite having made numerous effects movies featuring numerous costume actors, Del Toro snapped him up for his next movie. Even though it was a Mexican production, and Jones didn't speak a word of Spanish. The movie, Pan's Labyrinth (or El Laberinto del fauno if you want to get all Spanglophonic), featured Jones in two equally memorable roles, and also perhaps the most brilliance-per-minute of any film released last year. And those roles took some dedication - reportedly, the faun's ear and eye mechanisms were so loud that they made it impossible for Jones to hear his co-star Ivana Baguero's lines. As such, poor Doug had to memorise all the lines phonetically - partly for lip-syncing purposes, and partly so he knew when to speak at all!
(Of course, part of Jones' roles' greatness was down to Del Toro himself, who had a large say in the prosthetic costumes' construction, drawing from his years of experience as a makeup artist. Would you believe, watching Pan, that the faun's character was not treated with any CGI at all? I was certain the legs were animated, but in fact the costume includes a mechanism which allows the actor's legs to puppeteer the fake goat legs. Canny, right?)
So Pan goes on to be a huge success, garnering it a nomination for Best Foreign Language film and wins for Best Art Direction and Best Achievement in Makeup, among other things. But you know what's the real Best Achievement in Makeup?
Yeah. That's the boy. I mean, it wasn't exactly likely to be Michael Jai White or Hugo Weaving, was it?
So now Doug's getting some cred. He's lined up for a couple of headlining, make-upless roles in small-time movies (In one of which he gets to french some teenage goth. Rock.), as well as a huge-budget Hollywood production, which brings me back to my original point. Why does anyone give the faintest toss about Fantastic Four 2? Here's why:
So now Doug's getting some cred. He's lined up for a couple of headlining, make-upless roles in small-time movies (In one of which he gets to french some teenage goth. Rock.), as well as a huge-budget Hollywood production, which brings me back to my original point. Why does anyone give the faintest toss about Fantastic Four 2? Here's why:
...who is, of course...
Yes, my people, Dougie Jones is playing Norrin Radd. Kirby's gleaming galactic beach bum. Well, I guess Stan Lee's as well. ("Hey, Jack, I got this kinda idea about a big guy that eats planets." "Okay." "Beautiful, see you in three weeks.") And I expect it to be the best mo-capped performance ever. Except maybe Andy Serkis as King Kong. That was excellent.
Mister Doug Jones has a website here, which is a nicely duded-up site, even including preview stills from his movies and a Silver Surfer comics biography. Good show. Go on for yourself, Mister Jones, because there just aren't enough people in funny masks these days. Still probably won't be seeing Fantastic Four 2, though. I mean, did you just forget the first one?
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'Beat' Nick never even saw Fantastic Four, don't listen to him.
Mister Doug Jones has a website here, which is a nicely duded-up site, even including preview stills from his movies and a Silver Surfer comics biography. Good show. Go on for yourself, Mister Jones, because there just aren't enough people in funny masks these days. Still probably won't be seeing Fantastic Four 2, though. I mean, did you just forget the first one?
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'Beat' Nick never even saw Fantastic Four, don't listen to him.
2 comments:
I don't know why I'm posting a comment on a blog that, you know, I actually contribute to. Perhaps I've had a bit too much cider. This seems probable. However, I'd like to say: awesome article.
I mean, I've seen the first film, dude. Its a load of utter rubbish. Absolute tosh from start to finish. The Thing is the only good/well acted character.
But your article has actually convinced me that a sequel may not be an entirely bad thing. Thats some feat.
I am entirely behind the too-much-cider approach to running blogs.
And this article is fun indeed. Particularly because it bigs up Pan's Labyrinth. Good on you my man.
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