Twitter: @JamesEppler
Remember when you could almost always count on Tom Hanks for a really good movie? That's not the case anymore.
Over the last 10 years or so, Hanks' work on screen has been pretty lackluster. The most recent example, "Larry Crowne," just about pushed me over the edge.
Hanks produced, directed, co-wrote and stars in the movie about a really nice guy doing really nice things who makes everyone feel really nice. There's no conflict with the character - that would take away from the cuteness.
To my mind, Hanks' best performance since "Cast Away" came two years ago in "Charlie Wilson's War," where he played a not-so-cute and lecherous congressman from Texas. It was an anti-Hanks kind of role - even if the movie itself was a little scatter-shot.
Other than that, when I look at Hanks' work on screen - not including voice work in "Toy Story," - he's been a real disappointment of late.
Both movies he made based on Dan Brown novels were a huge snore. "The Terminal" is another cutesy Tom Hanks role - just with an indiscernible accent. That takes us all the way back to "The Ladykillers" back in 2004, which was enjoyable.
So really, we're just talking about six movies over the last seven years, with two being good. That's a terrible batting average for a guy who had a streak with "A League of Their Own," "Sleepless in Seattle," "Philadelphia," "Forrest Gump," "Apollo 13," "That Thing You Do!" and "Saving Private Ryan." That's seven out of seven in a row. I'll even give you the eye-rolling "You've Got Mail" because he followed it with "The Green Mile," "Cast Away," "Road to Perdition," and "Catch Me if You Can."
So from 1992-2002, Hanks went 11 for 12.
What's happened since then?
From the looks of it, he's made a few paycheck choices with "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons." He's done a lot of good work behind the camera (producing "The Pacific" for HBO, voice work on "Toy Story 3," "The Polar Express"), but for some reason his work in front of the camera hasn't been consistent.
He tried to do it all with "Larry Crowne," which is really all of Hanks' worst instincts on display in one sugary-sweet bonbon of a movie.
We'll see him later this year in "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" with a monster cast. Let's hope a new winning streak starts there.
