[MissDexter]

I know he's a "British Institution" and well respected within the establishment......

But, isn't he just a little bit overrated? Did he get lucky and get away with it?

I've thought this before but was remind today when I saw the Dark Knight trailer. Although it was obviously a brief clip it still made me cringe slightly.

There are films of his I've enjoyed such as Educating Rita, Harry Brown but I can't think that I'm ever blown away or excited by him.

Thoughts?

[Voynich]

I liked him in a lot films. But if you appear in the amount films he does, there's bound to be a few classics! Plus a few travesties...(Jaws the Revenge *cough*)

[Eddie Badger]

I liked a few of his earlier films but he's not exactly my favourite actor. His acting style is basically talk in a flat monotone AND THEN SUDDENLY START BLOODY SHOUTING.

[mike65]

One of my favourites always has been.

Sure he's made some unspeakable junk as he is a jobbing actor rather than a thespian - "show up on time, know your lines and hit your marks" but (lowers voice to "Mona Lisa" whisper) you know what? - (raises voice dramatically) I'll watch even the rubbish!

[treefr0g]

Originally Posted by Eddie Badger

I liked a few of his earlier films but he's not exactly my favourite actor. His acting style is basically talk in a flat monotone AND THEN SUDDENLY START BLOODY SHOUTING.

As I read that I could hear Michael Caine saying the words

[Takae]

Originally Posted by MissDexter

There are films of his I've enjoyed such as Educating Rita, Harry Brown but I can't think that I'm ever blown away or excited by him.

Thoughts?

I never liked him in comedy films in his later career. Just didn't work for me.

I think why he's been popular for so long are these reasons:
a) he's a working-class boy made good

b) part of the British angry young men / 1960s Hip London crowd legacy. Along with Terence Stamp, Tom Courtenay, Richard Harris, David Hemmings, Tom Bell, Laurence Harvey, Oliver Reed, Richard Burton and Alan Bates. All but two are dead now. Caine, Stamp and Courtenay are the only survivors.

c) he made an effort to become a brand - as an action film actor, mostly - than a "British actor" during early 1980s, then switched to becoming a character actor during late 1980s and early 1990s before switching to becoming a comedy actor, then went down to the high-end character actor route of early 2000s before agreeing to take on smaller roles in bigger films. All this has helped him to create his public image as Michael Caine.

For me, I enjoyed his performances in Alfie, Harry Palmer films, Get Carter, Italian Job, Zulu, Mona Lisa and Harry Brown.

At least I like his (earlier) career a lot more than Roger Moore's career, anyway.

[Starstruck!]

I like him in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Ipcress Files and The Swarm. I think he is a good actor.