I cannot like Sam Worthington... I tried

The man is definitely a hot commodity, and with all due respect (I swear!) I ask: why? He's got the looks and the build to play the tough guy, that's for certain. He's an okay actor too (although we should look for more than okay), but he's lacking that OMG Next Big Thing! charisma. Or the I really like this guy! charisma. Or the He's so damn cool! charisma. Even fluffy action movies (could Flash Gordon be anything but?) need that winning presence to pull you in and fuel a franchise. Imagine Han Solo and Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford's charm... Or more applicably, the old-school Mel Gibson who led Mad Max and Lethal Weapon. The classics we love are iconic because of that magnetic, irresistible pull the stars possess.


And god, that's a whole different world than Dracula, the one figure whose entire existence rests on an endlessly powerful thrall and magnetism that's damn near impossible to avoid.

This isn't a post meant to just bash the actor. I think there's a lot of possibility there, but it's too much, too soon -- throwing the kid into the deep end after one successful doggie paddle, rather than letting him get the hang of it and sinuously swim into the deep end on his own accord and talents. And having read similar opinions questioning Worthington's charisma, I wonder if this is just the new Hollywood trend aiming to manufacture charismatic action stars (cue Taylor Lautner references), rather than letting the phenomenon happen naturally.