Sunday, April 26, 2015

5 actors who could of played a much better Kyle Reese.

 5 actors who could of played a much better Kyle Reese.

As a child, I wasn't like any of the other typical girls in my class. They all loved Titanic, Spice World, and Dawson's Creek and boy bands. Mind you I enjoyed all those things, but instead of gabbing about the latest Disney film in the first grade, I was obsessed with James Cameron films such as The Terminator, Aliens, and T2. In fact I believe I was the only 7 year old that had a T2 sweatshirt and could quote the movie from start to finish. Certain movies played a huge impact on the sort of films I love today. In my household Fright Night, The Goonies, The Monster Squad, and the Terminator movies were constantly playing on a loop. In my freshmen year of high school I rediscovered these movies and couldn't get enough of them. In fact one of my favorite actors was Michael Biehn better known as Kyle Reese from the first Terminator, and Hicks from Aliens. He was one of my first on screen crushes, and I loved watching such films as Navy Seals, The Abyss, and Tombstone over and over again. In fact I remember was I was thirteen (long before I discovered horror conventions) I sent away for his autograph and was downright thrilled when I got it in the mail. (To this day I have zero idea what happened to that damn thing.) Biehn sorta had a career comeback after Grindhouse and started doing the convention circuit. I've had the pleasure of meeting him twice, both of which were awesome. 

The first was in 2008 when I took my late mother (who was the reason I loved all of these movies to begin with.) I remember legit being completely star struck (this has only happened several times at shows) and having the biggest shit eating grin on my face when we snapped the photo. A few years later in 2012 at HorrorHound they were having an Aliens reunion. Aliens is one of my all time favorite movies so this was beyond epic when I got to meet several members from the cast, of which was again Biehn. I've heard mixed things about meeting him and his wife, but I gotta tell you he was nothing but a complete sweetheart when I met him and humored me by signing my Aliens shirt, and listening to be babble on about what a huge fan I was. My love for the Terminator and Aliens movies goes way back into my childhood so when I heard they were making yet another sequel I was sorta on the fence. 


The first two Terminator films are complete and utter perfection. Cameron as much as I hated Avatar I gotta give you props where props belonged. You knew exactly when to stop. Terminator 3 and 4 were HUGE disappointments not only with the quality, but the casting as well. T2 was a hard film to top, and I honestly feel the series should have ended there. Sadly these films along with a TV series (which I own yet have yet to check out) followed, and this up coming summer, a 5th film. 

Terminator  Genisys.


Eh…

Right from the start I had a mixed reaction towards this film. I don't want to hate on it since it looks like a huge improvement over the last few films, and it seems as if it's being made for fans of the original two movies. I think as confusing as it sounds, the whole returning to 1984 sounds pretty interesting. I mean who knows, I might see it this summer and end up loving it. I seems like a breath of fresh air and the trailer did have it's moments but if I gotta be completely honest, I'm more pumped for the newest Aliens movie which is supposed to have Biehn returning.

With Schwarzenegger returning, and the decent casting choice of Emilia Clarke, I can only hope this won't be a complete shit show. My biggest complaint on why I'm no 100% on board is the casting of Kyle Reese.

I'm sure I'm speaking for many hard core Terminator fans out there that I've deeply missed the Reese character since he was killed off in the original. For those who have the SE of T2 they know a cut and very haunting scene of Biehn coming back in a dream was filmed but never made it into the final film. Which down right kills me since it sorta explains a huge reason why Sarah is the way she is, doing anything it takes to protect her son. The Reese character has returned several times but all of which the casting as been down right terrible.


I mean Anton Yelchin (…), and Jonathan Jackson (which wasn't terrible, but I haven't seen any episodes of the show so I'm taking it he's only shown in flashbacks.) In fact the closest they ever got to sorta linking Biehn's character was in part 3 with the casting of Nick Stahl as John who looks a whole lot like Biehn than any other actor who either played Kyle or John in later films. 


I was thrilled to hear this original idea of a new timeline in 1984 which meant the reese character would return, but BOOM. My heart was broken when I saw the casting.

Jai Courtney.


ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?


I don't wanna rag on the man at all, I know he's from the latest Die Hard movie which I've still yet to see. But just a few weeks ago I showed my sister the trailer (she as well grew up watching these movies) and she pretty much had the same reaction as I did.

The casting for this is all wrong. I mean I'll even give props when they are due. The casting of Sarah isn't half bad at all. She's a dead ringer of how she would sorta look in T2 and I'm very interested to see what she brings to this role. 

But Kyle, really?


Biehn was perfect as the role since he was lanky, had a thin face, and those huge big green eyes. Instead we have a complete meat head playing him and I feel down right nothing seeing the Kyle and Sarah characters together again. So enough rambling on, here are 5 actors that I feel would have been a much better choice as Reese for the movie. Who knows, maybe if those picked one of these guys I would have been a tiny bit more excited. 

"Sigh…"

1) Sam Clafin
This is my #1 pick for Kyle. I first noticed Sam in the Hunger Games sequel Catching fire which he completely stole the show. He's a dead ringer for Biehn and I think would have brought much more to the role of Reese. I mean throw a trench coat on him and bang, there's Kyle.

2) Max Thieriot 
Not a huge fan of this guy since I've only seen him in Bates Motel and Wes Craven's My Soul To Take, but from what I have seen he's a decent actor and even tho he doesn't exactly have the Reese look down, I feel he has that sorta "scruff" look that maybe would have been perfect. Not as tall as Biehn, but nevertheless would do a decent job.

3) Jensen Ackles
Hey when it's right, it's right. We all know him as Dean from Supernatural, or as TJ from the My Bloody Valentine remake. I don't think Ackles gets the credit where credit is deserved. Sure he's a little more fit than Biehn was in 84 and maybe a few years earlier would have worked better, but I think with the right look Jensen would have played a perfect Kyle.

4) Billy Miller
Zero idea what this guy is from, I guess a soap opera? But I saw how much he looks like Biehn. Legit spike the hair up, green trench coat, sawed off shot gun…would have been scary how much he looked like him. In fact I think this one is one of the most spot on. 

5) Dan Stevens 
I'm sure I'm not the only person who thought last year's The Guest was one hell of a movie. The shinning star of it was Dan Stevens. Even tho he doesn't exactly have the look down, I feel he could have pulled this part off like a pro. Plus, the man does look good with a gun. Is that weird?

So thoughts? Agree? disagree? Who could fill Reese's Nike shoes?




15 comments:

  1. Still entranced by Michael Biehn's exquisite performance in T1. Casting such a different actor seems to be throwing that away. And this is supported by claims that Jai is indeed having a different take on the character. For Genisys, I would have appreciated if they had stuck to at least a remotely similar choice in actor and character! I mean, if you're going to do that with Sarah Connor, you should do it with Kyle Reese! They were the heart of T1! I think the Hollywood powers that be wanted an actor with a "name" and I understand some A-listers turned down the role. I heard elsewhere that Genisys is going to incorporate romance but Jai as the romantic lead/Reese just doesn't seem right. My only consolation is that the reboot storyline is so cleverly innovative and well-crafted that things will somehow jive. But I really wish they would not have changed Reese. He is one of the very reasons T1 was so successful, dammit. He was the perfect combination of a strong, sensitive, understated hero. F*ck Hollywood!

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    2. Btw, Sam Claflin is an excellent choice!

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  3. Btw, your list of alternate choices for Reese is excellent! Sam Claflin would have been amazing!

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  4. Still entranced by Michael Biehn's exquisite performance in T1. Casting such a different actor seems to be throwing that away. And this is supported by claims that Jai is indeed having a different take on the character. For Genisys, I would have appreciated if they had stuck to at least a remotely similar choice in actor and character! I mean, if you're going to do that with Sarah Connor, you should do it with Kyle Reese! They were the heart of T1! I think the Hollywood powers that be wanted an actor with a "name" and I understand some A-listers turned down the role. I heard elsewhere that Genisys is going to incorporate romance but Jai as the romantic lead/Reese just doesn't seem right. My only consolation is that the reboot storyline is so cleverly innovative and well-crafted that things will somehow jive. But I really wish they would not have changed Reese. He is one of the very reasons T1 was so successful, dammit. He was the perfect combination of a strong, sensitive, understated hero. F*ck Hollywood!

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  5. Aaron Paul who played Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad would have been the perfect choice. F*ck Hollywood for sure!!

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  6. And all this time I thought it was only me feeling this way about Kyle Reese and Michael Biehn.

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  7. Sam Clafin is the perfect choice- first moment I saw him in Hunger Games I Googled him to see if he was in fact Michael Biehn's son. Thank you all so much for posting this and giving me a chance to reveal this obsession

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  8. Jasper Pääkkönen. Young Michael Biehn's identical twin.

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  9. 100% agreed! I honestly was thinking I might be the only one who saw this casting choice!

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  10. Aaron Paul is the only modern actor imo that could pull off Kyle Reese!

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  11. Billy Miller currently portrays Drew Cain on General Hospital, and before that, he was Billy Abbott on The Young and the Restless, so you were right, he's from a soap opera!

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  12. Jensen Ackles is Wright but also Sebastian Stan, and Joel Kinnaman.

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