When Movie Stars Become Brands

[@patrickhwillems]

okay who got a Mint Mobile ad before this video

[@CoolScratcher]

Me...

[@SombraCheeks]

poor people

[@frankchavez519]

Almost on cue right after the title sequence. LOL.

[@JCSuperstar777]

Well, we can do both. ;)

[@Cotygeek]

I got one smack in the middle.

[@kaiwilliams141]

I've commented before that Kevin Hart, The Rock, and Ryan Reynolds are all actors that play themselves at this point. Not typecast, but playing themselves because their off screen personas are basically the same as their onscreen personas. And the business/branding makes so much sense as to why this is

[@trouty606]

Very true. It's why I can't stand the Deadpool movies because the character is just Ryan Reynolds with guns and a skin condition. Which sure, if you're really into that idea is great, but after a zillion identical characters in Ryan Reynolds movies I'm just tired of it.

[@Scerttle]

It really does. Pretty easy to avoid bad PR if your public persona is the exact same as your on-screen one.

[@youtubesucks3882]

Honestly, I don't understand why this video has to be so long. The answer is so simple. When your mere image is a brand, why not sell as much as possible with it? Why become multi millionare being just an actor when you can become a billionaire being a walking advertisement for your businesses and use acting as a way to maintain that selling power?

[@Scerttle]

@@youtubesucks3882 I took the video as an explanation for how we got here

[@jliller]

@@youtubesucks3882 Depends what your goal is. Is your goal just making more money? What is being a billionaire going to get you than being a multimillionaire wont?

[@IceGuadian]

this goes hand in hand with how movies are written around actors instead of the actors playing a character for a movie

[@anthonyhu6705]

But sometimes it really works. They made uncut gems particularly with Adam Sandler in mind, and I think he's brilliant in it and elevates the movie significantly

[@IceGuadian]

@@anthonyhu6705 this is true but its rare that it does work out well like that, it also helps that Sandler is a very experienced actor of course

[@bradleye660]

@anthonyhu6705 But Sandler in Uncut Gems was a totally opposite character of anything else he’s ever done, and he knocked it outta the fucking park. That’s why it worked. If they would’ve made a movie and casted Sandler for his typical role, it would’ve been another forgettable movie like Grown Ups.

[@kenm4390]

Movies have been written around actors for a while now. Basically every Tom cruise and Samuel Jackson movie has been written around them. Many Deniro ones as well

[@TheOnlyTaps]

True

[@KorboXD]

Surprised you didn’t mention Ryan Gosling as the obvious comparison to Reynolds. He can (and does in some scenarios) fill the same role as a total pretty boy action star, but seems to love taking really creative and interesting roles instead (Drive, PBtP, Big Short, hell even Barbie).

[@adambanas6365]

I didn't know the Place Beyond the Pines fandom was big enough to warrant an acronym lol. I guess I should toss in LatRG?

[@f.kieranfinney457]

Their only commonality is being Canadian. Gosling is a real actor, not a movie star. He disappears into his roles. His only action movie is probably his worst film. His role in The Grey Man could have gone to Reynolds and made no difference.

[@starkingbiker]

Gosling is an actor/artist and Reynolds is an actor/business mogul

[@lamecasuelas2]

My baby boy Ryan Is The real deal!

[@explanationmark_]

he’s been in/made weirder films than that: lars and the real girl, only god forgives, lost river, song to song

[@fabrizeantonio4425]

Honestly, "hardass ticked off military man hunting down the good guys" becoming "chill and charismatic family man" would probably be really funny character development for someone who _wasn't_ a character played by The Rock

[@jc-meza]

41:19 He is soooo passionate about movies that he calls them "properties" with a monotone voice and an expressionless face.

[@OakViewFilms]

Red Notice is such an enigma to me. Imagine getting arguably two of the biggest movie stars in the world to star in a $200 million action-adventure heist film, and yet it manages to not only be forgettable at best, but it left absolutely zero cultural impact and was forgotten within a week. That shouldn’t even be possible.

[@mateosac3799]

its cultural impact is to be forgetable

[@Gloomdrake]

@@mateosac3799but that niche is already filled by Avatar

[@faiyazabdullah9485]

Just to be consumed by bored netflix audience

[@brandondavis3431]

The Netflix release model really doesn’t help. I never gave it a shot.

[@undermoonstars]

I haven't seen it and doesn't look appealing at all. Usually these big celebrity casts are a huge red flag it will be a dud.

[@christophernelson2423]

The thing that annoys me most about Dwayne's "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" story is that he had a famous family to fall back on after his football career didn't pan out. His first pro wrestling match was in a WWE ring and got opportunities because of his famous family despite not being the best in-ring wrestler. You said that he falls back on the easy thing when something doesn't pan out for him. Well, it seems like something he did even before becoming an actor.

[@cruisinguy6024]

He’s always seemed fake and disingenuous to me, and going back to wrestling it always bothered me how he not only refers to himself in the third person but does so using his a wrestling persona. It’s cringe at times, but the real cringe is how someone with a net worth approaching a BILLION could get on TV asking for donations when he himself made a pretty meager donation based on his wealth. That was the final straw for me.

[@LeviBulger]

I've never had any respect for that guy because of his phony persona. And when he used to go on his lectures about being healthy and exercising, etc. I would just laugh. Like dude, you abused steroids to aid your career.

[@ImGoingSupersonic]

The Rock makes me cringe, all his movies are the same and suck. At least I think so, I don't watch them. I'd rather drag my nuts thru broken glass for 90 minutes than watch a Rock movie

[@JoeMilllionaire]

Your first sentence is a run-on

[@shebjess]

As a wrestling fan who's followed both actors' careers over the years, it's so remarkable to me that with everything Johnson has down for his career, the actors who have the acting career he wants is John Cena and Dave Bautista. Both of them have great range, aren't afraid of playing the heel and aren't afraid of being the butt of the jokes. I'm more excited about their future projects than I am about Johnson's

[@germanleal]

Bautista is an amazing actor, undoubtely the best of the former wrestlers

[@JMarshall17]

@@germanleal Bautista is undoubtedly the best actor of the three, but I do think Cena is a very funny performer, and seemingly very willing to let himself be the butt of the joke, which Johnson never does

[@thevoid99]

exactly. i'm not a fan of john cena but i do give him props for at least trying to do something different in "the suicide squad" while also wanting to diversify himself in something like "blockers" and "tour de pharmacy". he's not taking himself seriously as i'll give him that while i applaud dave bautista for being diverse but also wanting to work with revered auteurs.

[@KarazolaX]

Bautista is good as Drax. The other things I’ve seen him in were kind of embarrassing. John Cena is naturally a way better actor then Dave

[@gabbar51ngh]

​@@JMarshall17Johnson doesn't want to hurt his megastar image while Cena is open to it..

[@seaque.]

>movies that seem almost scientifically engineered to evoperate from your memory as you are still watching them god damn perfect wording.

[@hollandscottthomas]

That comparison between Arnie/Dwayne's role choices really does highlight how much more fun Arnold is as a movie star.

[@earthtoanniex]

arnie understands that he looks like an action figure which is cool in some contexts and funny in others and he acts accordingly. the rock wants to do both at the same time while lacking the self awareness of when to do which.

[@benjacondell2751]

Patrick deserves a lot of credit for researching pro wrestling for this video. The paralles of how the rock started as boring face to a beloced heel to a bland face again is astonishing

[@digitaljanus]

I'm pretty sure Siddhant knew all that off the top of his head. 😂

[@omoyer8009]

@@digitaljanus correct

[@paladro]

he can't act though, they just sell you a shell.

[@Johnny0lovely69]

​@@paladrohe did great in Gridiron Gang

[@jonnanino]

​@@paladrohe strikes me as someone who can eat up the roles he's good for, but he doesn't seem to have much in the way of range.

[@killergrooves2438]

Dave Bautista is doing what Rock. A huge wrestling star that jumped into acting and took as many disparate roles as he could. He’s been a Bond henchman, a beloved comic book hero, he’s done comedy, he’s done horror. He seems to be following more closely the Arnold formula. In fact, John Cena (who was Batista’s wrestling rival) seems to be following Bautista’s path more than Rock’s. He took parts in raunchy comedies where he could make fun of himself, action roles, and is now famous for playing a comic book character that kills people indiscriminately. I was a huge Rock fan as a kid and I hated Batista and Cena in wrestling, but their movies are infinitely more entertaining than Rock’s. I’m always excited to see what their next roles are going to be because it’s probably going to be something different. Except for that fireman movie Cena made. That looked straight out of Rock’s 2009 playbook.

[@samuelbarber6177]

I think Bautista seems to be more interested in acting acclaim rather than being a movie star.

[@jonathangibson3609]

+

[@samuelbarber6177]

@lrigsnart6821 You’re right but I would disagree that either Sam Mendes or Denis Villeneuve are the Spielberg of our generation

[@Largentina.]

"Dave Bautista is doing what Rock."

[@yudhabagaskara98]

he can play in smaller budget action as well

[@derheadbanger9039]

Reynolds schtick is becomming so exhausting when he's not Deadpool.

[@CommanderLexaa]

I am quite worried about the Deadpool 3 script. I hope the strikes didnt ...hurt it. I could already see Ryan trying to be too funny in Deadpool 2 compared to the first one. I love them both but...uhh yea

[@seth5143]

Deadpool is hot garbage. Tiktok humor

[@jool5941]

Deadpool is trash

[@GaryOPostle]

@@CommanderLexaa Even that or Reynolds improvised lines during the writers strike, which would make him a scab

[@lemonov3031]

Deadpool sucked ass, what are you on about

[@spagzs]

If you re-dubbed lines from any Reynolds’s movies into the his other characters, you couldn’t tell the difference. I hope someone makes a video on that

[@stelmarta]

I’m going to come in with a small defense of Red Notice. When it came out I watched it over Thanksgiving with my family. This was literally a week after I had been diagnosed with cancer, and I was on a crazy amount of prednisone - meaning I was exhausted, wired, and terrified, and could not sleep through the night. I cooked like half of theThanksgiving sides in a frenzy, on maybe three hours of sleep, having just had my uncle shave my head. And then Red Notice, bless it, put me in the deepest sleep I’d had in ages, there on the couch next to my cousin and my sister-in-law So my thanks to Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds for their soothing performances!

[@joesizzle10]

Underrated comment

[@2beans1cream]

I hope you are doing better now!

[@protips__]

I thought you were going to say you realized there are worse things out there than cancer after watching Red Notice and got better.

[@Tarushnegi]

​@@protips__Lol

[@epelly3]

Plot twist

[@trouty606]

Having Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson's liquor brands get immediate close up pseudo-commercial plugs in Red Notice right after each other has real "fight contract" energy to it. Like how in action movies, the egos of these superstars are so fragile they have contractual demands that fights be "even". So when Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham are fist fighting in a Fast & Furious movie, they have to exchange an equal amount of hits on each other so neither actor's character looks like a loser.

[@johnernest5843]

It makes the most BUSINESS sense, actor wise, to be this polished, reliable, hero type figure that studios can slot in reliably to mediocre scripts. But I imagine, being like that just rots what creative or artistic soul that they may have had as an "actor". I see financially successful actors like RDJ, Pattinson (?), Radcliffe, and Gosling delving into more weird, artistic, or unfamiliar roles from time to time, and even Sandler had his glory in Uncut Gems. I hope that the Rock and Reynolds experiment as well and show off their skills, rather than just being a cookie cutter marionette that studios can easily puppeteer

[@vignesh0208]

Two words: Keanu reeves /john wick. Either works.

[@obscure.reference]

the best part is that it makes them look like massive losers in real life to bring that shit to a character

[@cwidd1929]

I checked out of that movie the moment they did that wide-angle pan with Aviation on the counter.

[@benwasserman8223]

I really wish Reynolds would do more films like Buried. That was one of the few times he wasn’t allowed to be Ryan Reynolds and it definitely paid off.

[@KevenThePuma]

Admittedly he filmed that movie during a career low, after the disastrous releases of green lantern and ripd he turned back to the indie scene where he flexed his acting chops, with movies like Buriedor The Voices . once Deadpool came out he made a massive comeback and has since mainly followed where the money is. My best guess is he feels he paid his dues already.

[@NBATESdgm]

That is such a hard movie to pull off! He did amazing there, it seems though as studios other than A24 are not giving money to anything not IP related.

[@kevinw712]

I'm a little surprised THE NINES wasn't mentioned. Any time I come across talk of people wanting a little known, underrated recommend, that's one of my most frequent answers given. There is a bit of the "usual Reynolds" in that movie, but it's just one of several elements and there for a purpose. I feel like in general Ryan Reynolds has become a lot more like Adam Sandler. Proven to have some real talent and depth and range, but seems set on mostly staying in his very safe lane.

[@yudhabagaskara98]

Self/Less (or Criminal to some extent) is the last Reynolds film that the audiences can take him seriously

[@TheDreamer2O8]

The Voices is undeniably underrated and I personally think it's his best performance, I genuinely love that movie for as unhinged, tragic and as dark as it is

[@LiamDalley-jd1kc]

This is actually one of my favourite essays on the channel. Celebrities are no longer just a movie star, movies used product placement that celebrities own and actors like Reynolds and The Rock have to become a brand, BTW Nobbles will live in my nightmares for a while

[@vandalg282]

They've always been shills (see Pachinko commercials with Tommy Lee Jones), however, now they control the narrative. They get some would-be director, wrangle him into their marketing and now its a shit movie with shit product placement. The mousey directors who lack balls are also to blame. Hitchcock, Kubrick, and Fincher, would never....and there you have it, neither of these whores will ever work with Nolan, Fincher and Von Trier, they demand something they can't deliver...sacrifice and vulnerability.

[@hezekiahramirez6965]

Nobbles isn't nightmare-inducing! He's a great brand extension that appeals to all four quadrants. He's an exciting addition and I can't wait to see how he helps re-imagine Patrick's content and take his brand to the next level of brand-forward content creation!

[@AdMerIin]

And 2 months later, Rock became a member on the board of the company that owns WWE and inserted himself as the main event at the biggest show, having the person who won that chance give it to him without having him do any work

[@JoeChillton]

I hate him for doing that, hate. Selfish has-been.

[@R1ch4d8]

Something that made the 1st Deadpool connect past Ryan Reynolds' inherent insincerity and "above it all" vibe, is that Wade Wilson's sheer hatred for Francis and his desire for revenge felt totally sincere. You really felt how much Deadpool *loathed* Francis and wanted him dead. At the end when Francis is like "What's my name?" and Deadpool cocks his gun and goes "Who fucking cares?", he said that with real venom and meant every word.

[@morganreese8904]

People keep saying the Rock has charisma but to me he seems like the hype man from a Sandels resort nightclub that inexplicably became famous. Ryan Reynolds is the guy your sister dated in college that everyone in your family basically tolerated but was happy she broke up with sophomore year.

[@almostclintnewton8478]

Thank you! This is so spot on

[@mssarahmr]

Ryan Reynolds was the self announced funny guy in class who would never stfu and was never really stopped by the teacher

[@YouTubeKnight]

We live in an age when Tyler Durden and Patrick Bateman are looked up as heroes. I'm afraid Nobbles will be seen in that same light by many, given the state of things.

[@distinguishedallureproduct879]

Nobbles for president

[@darnokx9277]

Well, they made me hate him within minutes, so technically well done. I just hate that thing is apparently made to stay... but I'm getting old, so maybe it's just that.

[@stephenrynerson5530]

Nobbles isn't the hero we deserve, but he's the hero we need.

[@daishoryujin95]

This channel has solidified my suspicion of cute mascots

[@chwenhoou]

Do not say things you can't take back.

[@KyleKnappTenor]

At this point if I see Dwayne Johnson's in something I don't even consider it a movie

[@jvgreendarmok]

That you Marty?

[@goldenlightpictures6223]

@@jvgreendarmokI sure read it in a Martin Scorsese voice! 😆

[@vikingpizza455]

Exactly, that's where I disagree with Patrick saying DJ is an actor & giving good performances, he's not an actor he's just a personality & content creator maybe could call him a movie star but not an actor.

[@shiven513]

@@vikingpizza455 That's where this word "content" makes sense. Stupid garbage given to us as measly rations for deprived movie-goers who pay 2,000 bucks for the theater food alone,

[@thevoid99]

it's really what adam sandler films were for a time. feature-length commercials brought to you by this product and that product and that product. i hate shit like that. that's one of the reasons why i don't watch michael bay movies other than the fact that they're badly edited with no sense of what is happening in a scene and they're xenophobic.

[@patogli]

Ryan has been studying a lot at the Tay-Tay School of Marketing. He references himself and events in his life a lot. And all is interconnected in the RR's Universe, very much like what Taylor does with all the records and releases that she does. If you pay attention at that snippet of The Rock, he actually says "Tay-Tay" so he is following the same classes that Reynolds attended and now they all support each other. In DPII he even wears a sweater with Taylor's kittens in it. Emily Blunt is now part of that same team by Krasinski's push where he is just another iteration of Reynolds... or the other way around? You can even see the connections through Clooney by Matt Damon

[@justinmmartin]

Hey Patrick and Emma, I've been a huge fan for many years, but this is literally the first KZbin comment I've ever made. I'm a minister, and I really enjoy the way you craft your arguments around a larger narrative. It's very much a sermon where the text is in the film nerd sense of the word text and not necessarily some scripture. I love both films and scripture so it's all good to me. I love the video, but I wanted to point out that Ryan Reynolds character in Van Wilder is just Otter from Animal House. The actor who plays Otter in Animal House is even the actor who plays Ryan Reynold's dad in that movie to enforce this even harder. Essentially his character is "what if Otter, but 2002." All the characters that follow from there work on that same formula. What if X but Otter? Green lantern is what if green lantern was Otter? I read a bunch of Deadpool back in the Rob liefield stuff and also later when it turned into funny Deadpool, and the movie version is Deadpool but also kind of Otter. Everything about that character says "Deadpool, damn. Glad to meet you!"

[@budgetcommander4849]

I've never seen someone compare cinema video essays to religious sermons, but you made it make perfect sense.

[@koadtoad]

"Once you are in a high pedestal, you can never seem to get back down to where your humble beginnings started." I do hope both Ryan and Dwayne see how much an impact 'Uncut Gems' was to Adam Sandler for the audience and to his fans; grounded to a point where he's human, finding the high point of his life, and not being his goofy self that his roles have been for a long time. Also choosing really good roles that challenges his acting skills. Could you imagine Shaq advertising his own stuff in a movie? It would take up every second of the movie.

[@ZyxthePest]

To be fair to Sandler, he was already pushing himself with Punch Drunk Love in 2002, as well as Reign Over Me and Spanglish. The problem is that he really only does these movies every once in a while instead of making it like, half of his filmography. The sad truth is that Adam like taking his buddies on vacation all the time and he does these lesser movies to do that. He's a nice guy to a fault.

[@amberbaum4079]

But Sandler owns Happy Madison Productions. So it doesn't matter either if he once in a while actually gives a shit while starring in a good movie.

[@BlyGuy]

I'm a huge Sandler fan, growing up on his comedy albums and then his movies, but walked out of Gems and can't for the life of me see the appeal in 2 hours of shouting, horrible music/soundtrack, odd editing and not a single likable character.

[@koadtoad]

@@BlyGuy I see where you're coming from, it's not for everyone, and it's the same for Sandler's taste for comedy as well. I loved watching Grown Ups when I was a kid, and rewatching years ago, I don't understand why I liked it in the first place. But the reason why this movie was special is because Sandler struck a cord that us the audience didn't think he had.

[@miguelandresforerodelgadil3059]

Hustle is a pretty good example as well

[@nickasaro8789]

Right on about both of them but especially Reynolds. The insincerity inherent to his persona makes me think he would be good as a con man or a similar type of character. And in a similar vein, Johnson definitely needs to stop being afraid to play villains. I mean Black Adam was probably the best chance he’s gotten in recent years to really get back into a heel persona but he still fell back on making him a misunderstood good guy.

[@ebenezeryubblesworth8717]

That is exactly why Black Adam failed. Johnson would never rip a man in two and claim diplomatic immunity.

[@abloshow91]

​@@ebenezeryubblesworth8717"diplomatic immunity"

[@abloshow91]

I wonder what a quieter role would be like for Reynolds or something where he seriously struggled and shows genuine frustration or loss

[@upa_upa7751]

corrupt cop in some cyberpunk neo noir film.

[@Slavolko]

@@abloshow91 Ryan steps on a lego and is mortally wounded. His loved ones gather from across the world to see his final moments and remember him for all the good times they had together. Then he dies. The end.

[@christianmulligan9719]

Pat my dude you have been hitting it out of the park lately! Every single video has been more interesting than the last, are we in the Patissance?

[@benwasserman8223]

I think we hit that once enough clout was raised to fly Patrick to Italy for a Mission: Impossible screening.

[@rachel_rexxx]

That's it, I think we've hit peak --ssance. I think that port manteau needs to port mandie

[@ianrosenbalm6555]

@@rachel_rexxx Unless it goes through its own cycle of renewal and redefinition. Then we'll have a ssancessance.

[@Largentina.]

Its a Willemaissance. Get it right.

[@SixFingeredAmish]

Post-CHARL glow

[@mscoolchik]

7:56 Emma absolutely fighting for their life trying not to crack up on camera is killing me lol

[@mario98730]

I thoroughly enjoyed the way you connected Rocky Maivia with modern Rock I’ve never thought about that! I think something I would’ve loved to hear you discuss more is the social media effect in all of this. Look at the most popular social media accounts and almost all of them have the “squeaky clean” image you talk about. On instagram alone, Rock has nearly 400M and Reynolds has ab 50M. They both came into the stardom as social media began to really take off so they probably very quickly realized that the best way to maintain their fanbases (and potential customers when their businesses started) is to be inoffensive and maintain a steady consistent presence. Which is valid because both of them have a LOT more reach than even prime Arnold or Cruise bc of social media, and we’re in an era now where everything celebrities say gets criticized, talked about on news channels, which all affects your career and your businesses. Whereas someone like Ryan Gosling or even Dave Bautista have much less of a social media presence (and seemingly less of an interest in utilizing it). You could assume they care less about maintaining a very specific image to the public (and neither have large entrepreneurial ventures) so the public view has less of an influence on the types of projects they choose I would imagine, probably none at all.

[@jKristofor]

My only criticism of Skyscraper is that they didn't have enough duct tape jokes. Two scenes mentioned duct tape, if he had looked up at the skyscraper at the end and said "we're going to need a lot of duct tape" it would have satisfied the rule of threes and been cemented as one of my top fav action movies. Also, I recently watched The Voices (2014) and I think it shows some good range for Ryan Reynolds. He was cute, annoying, vulnerable, and scary at different points.

[@brainsplease1]

I've always felt that Reynolds would work in a Shane Black movie. Black's best scripts have all the nihilistic sarcasm, but then undercut it with genuine feeling in various ways. Reynolds would be up to it I think.

[@guyknights]

Honestly, if Black ever gets to make Nice Guys 2, Reynolds could make a pretty good villain.

[@Kevin_Street]

@@guyknights It would be interesting to see Ryan Gosling and Ryan Reynolds in the same movie.

[@schmecklin377]

​@@guyknightsa nice guys esque film would be great for Reynolds

[@stickershock66]

@@Kevin_Street And they might as well make impersonating each other a part of the plot.

[@Kevin_Street]

@@stickershock66 And neither one should see any resemblance, even if other people do. "This guy looks nothing like me!"

[@rinfinity930]

Reynolds and Director Tim Miller were big reasons why Deadpool 1 was so successful, which honestly is a great R-rated action movie made on a small budget and when it was time to decide franchise's direction Reynolds took creative control forcing Miller to exit the project. This seems like the main moment from where on Reynolds decided not to work on something where he wouldn't have a huge creative control.

[@thegermaniclanguagebranch1117]

deadpool 2 is definitely a david leitch movie tho, for better or worse

[@thevoid99]

and this is why deadpool 3 will suck as shawn levy is not a filmmaker with any sense of risk as he's willing to play ball with reynolds.

[@ThePrinceofHisOwnKingdom]

I agree with the guy saying DP3 will suck, but I think DP2 is way better than the 1st one.

[@alexanderwindh4830]

Deadpool 2 wast Definetly a... Movie. It lost all charm, finesse and quality. It became a superhero Adam Sandler movie.

[@wgnd1614]

@@alexanderwindh4830 it definitely didn't but whatever

[@tailbonecrush13]

Ryan Reynolds in The Voices was also fantastic because of his evil masked by his vulnerability and shallow desires. Even his voice acting in that film was phenomenal.

[@Missjunebugfreak]

I concur. It's Ryan's best role imo. I really wish he would do more films like that instead of the lazy action comedy stuff he does these days.

[@aweeeeh5255]

this guy have an anime opening for his video essay, that's awesome

[@KusaPants]

While the lack of sexuality in Johnson's movies is pretty weird when he has a love interest, I do want to defend Rampage because as an ace guy who loves terrible monster movies, that was an absolute gift for me specifically.

[@baosia]

It's amazing how weirdly shot (almost) every Nobbles appearance is... Like... you could totally cut them out and put the Nobble-free episodes on Nebula as a feature, without harming the pace of the episode at all.

[@arempy5836]

But then you'd miss Nobbles. And we all love Nobbles. He gobbles up all the content, yum yum yum

[@bradbennett1420]

A real pizza pie

[@digitaldazzle5836]

He wasn't that bad.

[@kestrel5895]

Patrick free episodes*

[@wstine79]

Patrick H. Willems is a brand I can trust.

[@brianadams8136]

I am new to this channel, as of just today, but after a few hours and getting lost down the rabbit hole with a number of videos, I'm convinced that the overall quality from Patrick and his team - is like watching a high quality serious National Geographic documentary veering into an engaging comedy drama. I see and appreciate the Nebula production influence and formula. And approve. I love it. As to video length, I don't feel the productions are dragging or too long - with the segmented format broken up by a comedic segue. I even see the need for Dave, the pedantic numbers and content guy, always quoting focus groups, audience engagement and wacky content ideas without a hope in hell of making it into production. Except Nobbles who swings from being an uncultured ass to educated film nerd in almost the same sentence! Damn, Patrick and his team could patent this formula to a lot of KZbin content creators to make their 'interesting' videos more engaging and memorable. You have a new channel member, maybe even Patreon subscriber as of today.

[@josephjasem7926]

Ryan Reynolds knows his talents’ limitations and stays mainly in his lane. RR is a smartass, and Nobody likes a smartass.

[@LakeParkerYT]

I really thought Patrick was gonna kill Nobbles with a hammer at the end of this video

[@st2udent_650]

See now that would have been a fun creative choice

[@bl3343]

Same. It would be captured on camera and then the following storyline would be Patrick trying to redeem himself to the public.😂

[@shiven513]

Wait he doesn't?!

[@daishoryujin95]

Would have loved that actually.

[@SamChaneyProductions]

Hold on, is nobody going to talk about how "McTiernan made him the final girl in a slasher movie" is fucking hilarious?

[@Ryzard]

That got me as well

[@sealeo5772]

He has a whole other video on predator where he elaborates on that point.

[@EdBurke37]

This video is extra interesting in light of Dwayne returning to the WWE as both a member of their board of directors AND a massive fucking heel on screen.

[@curtiszyr]

That’s the ultimate end goal for every “celebrity” and now “influencer” in our consumer capitalist society. You have to end up on a shelf somewhere or you didn’t do it right

[@colealbinder2025]

It’s interesting that you mention Schwarzenegger and Last Action Hero, because I feel like a nice change of pace for Johnson would be starring in a remake of that movie. Not only would a remake feel more welcome today since superhero movies have largely overtaken action movies, but it could let Johnson poke fun at himself and acknowledge what many see as his sizable ego, like how he always plays the hero nowadays, the predictability of his movies, how he has to throw the exact amount of punches as his opponents or can’t lose any fights.

[@v-trigger6137]

Expect we dont have good action directors with comedy chops anymore who can do justice to that movie. unless John Mctiernan comes back and himself does the remake. And given Rock's track record, he'll probably hire some hack like Rawson Marshal Thurber

[@colealbinder2025]

@@v-trigger6137 maybe Edgar Wright? Or Phil Lord and Chris Miller?

[@v-trigger6137]

@@colealbinder2025 good choices. But I'm sure Dwayne Johnson will probably slit his own throat before he ever willing to work with a auteur type director like Edgar Wright. guy is so egotistical for his own image that he'll never give full freedom to any filmmaker. that's why he always works with boring hacks like Brad Peyton and Rawson Marshal Thurber

[@Largentina.]

​@@v-trigger6137*Except

[@ninjanibba4259]

No remakes Aren’t you tired of hand me downs?

[@Channel-J.D]

I'm just another voice in the crowd but I just want to say that I really love the effort you put into your work Patrick. Most video essayists wouldn't go to the lengths you do and becuase of that effort I think your voice stands out more than most others on this platform by a country mile. Don't stop putting your all into these videos becuase I think I speak for a lot of people when I say it's paying off Great video as always! :))

[@RoseEyed]

So basically while many actors use branding as a way to be able to act, to pick roles and directors that may not make as much money but that they're more passionate about, The Rock and Reynolds use acting as a way to brand, to maintain or expand their name recognition to make selling the products they own more marketable. Acting isn't a career or passion of theirs anymore. It's a means to an ends. So as long as their other money ventures (and real passions) aren't threatened, they feel no need to do something distinct or challenging in the roles they play. They've basically used acting to serve the same function as those generic McDonald's or Coca-Cola commercials. As someone who works in marketing and is passionate about art and storytelling that's both fascinating and disheartening.

[@dinosaysrawr]

Excellent summary!

[@burnacco]

you literally just described what happened to Ed Sheeran in another profession

[@RoseEyed]

@@burnacco Really? What did Ed Sheeran do (to be considered a brand and not a musician)?

[@miskatonic6210]

Of course there are passionate actors. The audience just doesn't demand them or their craft. They eat up the lazy shit as well. 90% of the actors in GOT are great. How much of their new material did you watch? Most of them are doing splendid british shows and movies now, hollywood only wanted to push the... let's say less impressive but more marketable...female actresses.

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

I think part of the issue is that neither man seems to have any real passions. Like, neither is particularly spiritual or political or ideological or any kind or artistic or anything that one could direct passion toward. They sought fame and attained it, but have no goals on what to do with that fame and how to direct it. They’re hollow men compared even to the most annoying preening online communist or based right wing commentator or even the e-girl who believes really strongly in veganism or homeopathy or something.

[@cyro1079]

And now suddenly outta nowhere, the Rock is reported to work with Benny Safdie.

[@JustinMcCalla-pp4jx]

What you're describing is also when many successful KZbin, Twitch, and other social media people with a large following does. They become a brand and they put their name and face on anything that will make money. Almost as if everyone from Hollywood stars to IG influencers have become content creators.

[@JagWoof]

A la the likes of Bert Kreischer and Tom Segura. Anyone in the mood for a shot of Por Osos vodka?

[@standowner6979]

Insert a quote from Adorno and Horkheimer (or Walter Benjamin) about the culture industry here:

[@captainziggy82]

Glad I’m not the only one who noticed this about Reynolds (its been obvious with the Rock for years) they really do just play themselves in every role, its wild lmao

[@e.k.4355]

I think you should talk about Margot Robbie. I really like what she did with her production company and she literally has a list of artists she wants to work with and so far there are some bangers in there

[@samuelbarber6177]

That she produced both Barbie and Saltburn this year is hilarious to me.

[@GitShiddy]

Thank you Nobbles. I now know what it would've felt like to have Poochie show up on the Muppet show.

[@dickthegimp4280]

From now on, every time Nobbles isn't on screen, every viewer should comment "where's Nobbles?"

[@chwenhoou]

Even Gonzo would not tolerate this Dollar Tree Muppet knock-off.

[@retired-s5h]

I remember Ryan making a sarcastic joke about Clooney selling a tequila brand for a billion, about a year after that he bought aviation gin.

[@NiGiff]

Gin > tequila 😊

[@MarieJohanna760]

​@@NiGiffAh.. Gin is boring

[@NelsonStJames]

If audiences don’t start to care about cinema and quality, you’re going to find that the new breed of actors working in the industry ( or at least the ones that manage to become superstars ) aren’t going to care either.

[@graefx]

This reminds me of a question i regularly see floating around, "which is the better wrestler turned actor: The Rock or John Cena" and inevitably the general consensus is Batista. You cant make a direct comparison, to my knowledge Batista doesnt have any of the entrepreneurial protfolio of either, but I remember and interview where he said he knows hes a bad actor and James Gunn is able to write and direct around that, and that his agents would constantly try to give him traditional leading man or action roles, but he'd refuse them, and then say he wants to be a character actor. Batista wants to be challenged and work with the best, like Denis Villeneuve. Cena seems to be trying to as well. Cena has started more and more endorsement deals but neither has started business empires yet. But also neither has a "cant lose" clause in their contracts. Allegedly.

[@SpedeVesku]

Cena, I feel, is a very good "blockbuster actor". Give him the lead action star role or a comedic supporting characters (or a comedic action star) and he nails it, but I'm not sure we have seen him showcase any "true" dramatic chops yet. Bautista is straight-up genuily solid actor, with real range.

[@tom.m]

Roddy Piper. "Either put on these glasses or start eating that trash can." 😎

[@cookieface80]

@@SpedeVesku He's great at comedy. He even managed to create a funny scene in the Fred movie.

[@TagardMC]

This was good. Reminds me of this wish I had a decade ago that The Rock should have played Lex Luthor and played it as a dark parody of himself. A billionaire brand dealing businessman with smooth charisma on the red carpet but behind close doors he hates there's a Superman stronger than all his body building put together.

[@ghosface353]

Scott Adkins demanded to be credit as Weapon XI and not a stuntmen. I'm not sure he even knew he shared role with Reynolds in X-Men Origins. Wolverine. He was trying to break out of being a stunt-men and supporting actor.

[@benwasserman8223]

I mean if Expendables 2, Ip Man 4 and John Wick 4 were any indicators, he's succeeded.

[@dannyganelin9777]

Scott Adkins is severely underrated.

[@distinguishedallureproduct879]

So glad he got a standing Role in JW4, Adkins should of been the Ryan Reynolds we are looking at

[@Largentina.]

"Avengement" is great fun if you like Scotty boy's flicks

[@steppiepeppie]

the fact that this came out BEFORE all the Cody Rhodes stuff is crazy

[@Icedsobaka]

The fact this dude doesn't have 1 million subscribers is absolutely criminal

[@karabearcomics]

To me, Reynolds had developed his current persona before Deadpool, he just hadn't gotten to using it in every movie yet. His Hannibal King in Blade Trinity seems to be what he's going for now. Some people might say he's just playing Van Wilder now, but I do think he was missing some of his current persona in that, while Hannibal King really was just the same guy he's playing now.

[@tom.m]

Exactly. Blade Trinity is the Reynolds we see today to a T. But with weird facial hair.

[@ChucksSEADnDEAD]

The "Hello, my name is: F you" sticker on his vest is his character boiled down to the "badass who can't take things seriously because it's cool"

[@ryanmahon1]

I've been a reynolds hater for at least a decade. He's been making the same character over and over and over and Deadpool was when it really clicked

[@rinfinity930]

the self-promotion shot at 53:14 of Nebula similar to Reynold's and Johnson's alcohol ad in Red notice is so clever

[@lucyinchat]

My favorite part of Nobbles was when he said "it's gobbling time" and started gobbling all the content.

[@Bob-fj7lr]

The Rock is incredibly hard to work with from what I understand. He's obsessed with his image being a certain way. Dudes trying to run for president.

[@bokchoy11]

absolutely geeking out about your video essays. been binge watching your catalog since i discovered your channel. Thank you for everything you do!

[@sambhav1020]

Nobbles is representing a general audience or a person living a actual good life and have social skills and watch movies as content no other than like a video on KZbin, and Patrick is flim nerd as he also brags about it in the video, he cares about the future of this industry and nobbles well educated, good with people, good with other skills, doesn't really care about movie as he gobble everything, entertainment is main theme for him

[@BlueLionsTVNiiNiiFC]

If I was the Rock and came across this video, I’d be incredibly thankful for this insightful criticism. Provides actual clarity behind what’s bottlenecking the career and where to go from there

[@KLK01]

He has a fragile ego and wouldn't take advise even if it slapped him in the face.

[@burnacco]

yeah I'm sure Dwayne Johnson is watching this video 😭

[@rinfinity930]

Man, if Patrick did a deep analysis of my life and psychoanalyze stuff, i would seriously reconsider my life choices.

[@roscoechance5155]

The lighting is angelic in this video

[@aar0n709]

My nigga rock announcing whole franchises before the first movie come out. What the hell. Go head big rocky rock. My dawg.

[@JordyShortRibs]

Those product placements went straight over my head, I didn't even notice them and now I feel dirty upon realising I was subliminally advertised too. I'm a big gin drinker and have no interest in trying Aviator yet...but damn...I can feel my resistance weakening.

[@vlogerhood]

It's actually my favorite gin, and my lust for Ryan is only incidental, I swear.

[@thedudewhoeatspianos]

It's fine!

[@nolaffinmatter]

I'm not sure that "subliminal" advertising is real? I think the point of product placement is that you will fully see and notice the brand, so if you just don't notice it, then it didn't work.

[@TheIslandDivision]

I am only two minutes in and Patrick is wearing a Hudson's Bay Company sweater. Yes, the OG fur traders.

[@ChicaneryBear]

It's a pretty good gin, in fairness. Not my top choice, but probably in the top 20.

[@BrianVarvaro]

The world needs more of Patrick explaining pro wrestling lore

[@Scerttle]

I'd watch it. Super Eyepatch Wolf isn't enough lmao

[@rokkimaize7333]

The difference is that John is super passionate about wrestling

[@originaozz]

On an outside note, I'm so glad I'm a fan of Dave Batista since his wrestling days. The man really took interesting roles by building up from action, comedy, to sci-fi drama, and all are bangers. He may be after the buck, but he also choose to work with directors that push his abilities.

[@thevoid99]

i'd give him credit for not just taking risks but also strengthen his range as an actor as he's got a lot more to offer and i think he will be first wrestler to win an oscar. he's got what it takes.

[@soniaiboyako4023]

The puppet's design is legitimately adorable to me 😭 (and he wasn't even *that* annoying tbh, not enough to warrant these reactions)

[@Sharpe1502]

I like the fact that John Cena was there to humiliate Johnson in wrestling and now John Cena is one of the few people sticking around for James Gunn’s DC universe. 😂

[@jonathanpeck6112]

Here’s my two scenes on Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson. The one thing you can argue that Ryan Reynolds should be take notes from is Ryan Gosling. You may argue the two of them have similar qualities. But Gosling has edge on Reynolds is expressing his true certainty where in outside surface looks uncaring and smug about it. When Gosling play roles like Barbie, The Nice Guys & Crazy,Stupid Love. He shines in thoses roles. Imagine those roles with Ryan Reynolds starring in them. Not only he’ll shine in thoses parts, but I do think will evolved when time has passed. For Dwayne Johnson . It’s simple one for me. John Cena & Dave Batista basically doing things that Arnold Schwarzenegger has been doing during his heyday. Working with high profile filmmakers. Mainly look at the filmmakers have Dave Batista has worked with like like James Gunn, Sam Mendes, Denis Villeneuve, Zack Synder, Rian Johnson & M. Night Shyamalan. Michael Bay are only high profile director that Dwayne Johnson have ever worked with. The reason I mentioned this last part up because Michael Bay seem like the only filmmaker that that give Dwayne Johnson legit performance that doesn’t play himself or an Alpha male lead. Plus you may argue that Bay has big ego that can rein in Johnson’s own ego unlike some other filmmakers have worked with Johnson, doesn’t seem to have. Can you name a filmmaker outside of James Cameron that you can think of that has a big ego that can rein in Dwayne’s ego to shine in his role?

[@800Ms-k6n]

Name a filmmaker outside Cameron that you can think that has a big ego that can rein in Dwayne's ego? Probably Ridley Scott, he recently has become way egotistic with his words, although i don't know how The Rock could fit in to his movies someday. Scott is 88, he's not gonna make action movies any time soon

[@waywardlaser]

Happy to see Patrick continuing to champion The Rock's role in Pain & Gain. It's a masterpiece of a performance that he'll likely never top.

[@henryglennon3864]

I hope that Nobbles is stored somewhere other than a bedroom. I hate the idea of someone waking up, and the first thing they see is that. Or waking up in the middle of the night, and seeing Nobbles faintly outlined in cold moonlight.

[@bl3343]

I think only a certain type of person would want Nobbles in the bedroom.🤮

[@popcorn908]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention The Rock’s HBO show Ballers. It definitely goes against type for him.

[@willherondale6367]

Dave Bautista's 20 minutes at the start of Blade Runner 2049 blows Dwayne Johnson's entire career out of the water

[@baskogitlog7276]

You are right

[@jamjox9922]

I love that you can do film analysis, silly essays, and real meta-film research. It's always nice to see that talent displayed and well done. Your films are always aware and have decent knowledge behind them. Not to mention you've developed your voice by now and it'a always here to come for the Patrick H Williams experience.

[@B2-1]

The hand-held camera work elevates the look of this video so much. I also love the pacing, great work.

[@caleb281]

Another portion of Johnson's movies (particularly FF), he's so wrapped up in contact requirements that he'll never be in/do anything interesting. In his appearances opposite Vin Diesel, it was required that both characters land and take equal amount of blows, and each fight is stopped by some outside force, preventing either party from emerging victorious over the other. No movie is allowed to ever let Johnson lose.

[@anyaaa2801]

“Rock Reynolds and Roll” I almost died 🤣

[@tvsonicserbia5140]

Jungle Cruise is actually really great. Yes it exactly is like POTC and The Mummy, but that's pretty much my favorite type of movie and it's very well done (aside from the over reliance on cg).

[@JamesLawner]

As someone who owns the Two Guys and a Girl boxset, the show lasted for 4 seasons.

[@karim6651]

it's always a good day when patrick drops a video

[@mallenwho]

My first exposure to Dwayne Johnson was in Get Smart (2008). In hindsight, that movie role was the beginning of the movie role Johnson would seek to curate for the next decade: a large hunk of a guy who was also charismatic and just naturally talented. A foil for the protagonist nerd to be jealous of. It is an iconic entrance, that he steps out of an elevator, he snatches a fly out of the air, he gets completely distracted by the swooning receptionist, and he walks into a pillar. No notes! And of course he was the good guy, which is what makes the plot twist that he's a double agent work so well. He's a good enough actor that he pulls off both Ally and enemy in that movie. Baby face and then heel. The only problem I imagine is that in Get Smart he was a minor character and not the lead. And Fast 5 fixed that.

[@Dave100DT]

OK so here's what probably happened: The Rock watched your video, had a revelation about his career and made a call to A24 if they have anything for him. Or how else do you explain that he'll star in the upcoming Benny Safdie's movie? :)

[@Vesnicie]

Next up: Nobbles stars in his own snuff film!

[@KingOfMadCows]

It could just be that they've gotten so big that there are so many people around them pushing them towards making certain decisions. That happens to sports stars, musicians, and celebrities all the time. Their brands have gotten so big that thousands of people work for them. Hard to take risks when they're surrounded by brand managers, PR people, business executives, assistants, etc. who are planning out their schedules and booking them for various obligations where they have to show up because it's part of some $10 million contract.

[@_holy__ghost]

yeah but you CAN just tell them to fuck off. when the contract expires you can just not sign another one and gtfo.

[@distinguishedallureproduct879]

​​@@_holy__ghostproblem with that is you sign another one and you have too many Yes mans or people in your face that may be worse than the ones you just fired. And then you are stuck in a long contract you hate, it goes into that qoute that states "The devil you know is better than the devil you don't" basically stating, Dwayne and Ryan are basically set working with C Tier directors and brands they own, people that set their schedules, budget their finances ect.... It make be dumb to go around doing the same things, but you know those devils and they are getting you and your family paid "Damned if you do, damned if you don't"

[@_holy__ghost]

@@distinguishedallureproduct879 but you literally dont have to do any of that. you can literally just retire or go fully independent. you dont HAVE to do anything. noone can MAKE you do anything. all of these stars could just park themselves on a private island and enjoy the rest of their days, occasionally flying out to make an arthouse film. the only reason these massive stars dont do that is simple - money and ego.

[@distinguishedallureproduct879]

@@_holy__ghost oh 100% it's the fear of not being known and or not having power. I'm sure the rock is close to retiring once he finds a ward he/she can be "The next Rock" I doubt it won't be his kids but the Rock isn't stopping until then

[@KingOfMadCows]

​@@_holy__ghosthard to tell friends, friends of the family, and family to fuck off.

[@WhyWeWatch1]

I've been wondering about Johnson for a while now. Thank you for making this! I still have a few of questions: 1. Where does Ballers fit into this? Is it an insurance policy if Johnson finds a drama or antihero/antagonist he's interested in, but the director only sees his persona? 2. Would Reynolds's trajectory have shifted a little if he also had a prestige drama like it around 2016 to now-ish, or did a season or arc on the same show? 3. What should Tom Holland do after his hiatus? 4. Did Cody Johnson consult on this episode?

[@phyn9665]

Finally, I needed at least one other person in this comment section to ask if the puttet was a Warmbo reference to make sure I wasn't going crazy (the creamed corn may have seeped into my brain)

[@mohitandcinema]

Actors are not artists anymore, they are businessman.

[@jiyu9277]

It depends on the actor

[@TheGrinningCritic]

I love Nobbles the content gobbler and desperately want to see more of him.

[@AkiRie-bi3ek]

55:49 OH GOD YES! I've been waiting for these two legends to come back

[@legatobluedream]

I wonder if Patrick has seen The Voices, a true outlier for Reynolds and my favorite movie he stars in. But it's so dark and weird that it's designed to be less accessible.

[@ibjmac187]

My favorite of his movies is still The Nines. Also different from his others.

[@digitaljanus]

I saw that at TIFF and I often forget it exists, but when I'm reminded of it (thanks!) I remember it being bizarrely compelling.

[@videovoidtv]

Voices was incredible. But I did have to look for it when I saw it.

[@starkingbiker]

Ah yes! That’s a good one by the director of Persepolis, an incredible piece of art!

[@JuicyDanger]

Who needs to watch Seinfeld for the 28th time when Willems puts out a 1hr video on a Friday night?

[@benwasserman8223]

You clearly don’t have access to late night TBS.

[@mark.schellhorn]

These video essays are making me thirsty

[@CrowsofAcheron]

Only 28th? Those are rookie numbers.

[@TheTyper]

Man that must've been a fun day on set with Nobbles sneezing. Also very funny having Dave wear the same shirt and tie from the Variety article in the scene. I love this combo of the Holiday Special, the usual holiday Q&A, and a little support for a Nebula-only entry, especially with the Curiosity Stream split going on, could help the platform more.

[@oliviablake6848]

After watching this I’m so excited to see Johnson in Benny Safdie’s movie with a24 “The Smashing Machine”!

[@FatalFord]

"And he had a little hat?" is precisely where I lost it.