SPIDER-MAN TRILOGY (2002-2007)
J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons)
Simmons took the iconic cigar-chomping editor of The Daily Bugle straight from the comic book pages and made him literally come to life in a way that pushed any further would be annoying, but is perfectly modulated in the hands of director Sam Raimi. The filmmaker took a few cues from his work on the Coen Brothers’ The Hudsucker Proxy and injected that same anachronistic motormouth screwball dialogue into modern day with a seamlessness that most directors would envy. It also put Simmons (currently earning raves in Whiplash) on the map as a character actor to be reckoned with.
BLADE II (2002)
Reinhardt (Ron Perlman)
Guillermo del Toro cast his favorite actor in the role of vampire warrior Reinhardt in order to convince studio honchos that Perlman had what it took to play Hellboy, so it’s no surprise that the guy walks away with the movie scot-free. The tension between him and Wesley Snipes’ Blade (who has planted a bomb on the back of Reinhardt’s big bald head) is delicious, and you just know that when these two face off the results will be spectacular. And gory. We get both.
Head to page 3 for a couple characters vocalized by two masters of animation…
