Mark Strong: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

3. Matai Shang - John Carter

One of Strong's rare forays into huge-budget tentpole fare, John Carter was a film from which no one escaped unscathed, and though the attraction of the paycheck is understandable, it also means that Strong opened himself up to criticism for his turn as the evil Matai Shang. At least, to Strong's benefit, the shape-shifting nature of his character means that he personally doesn't get a ton of screen time, yet he still can't find a way to make this surprisingly boring story interesting; rather, he just coasts along, in what's typically known as a "take the money and run" role. Though Strong has a noted knack for playing villains, this one just didn't pan out at all. However, he remains curiously defensive about the film, insisting that he enjoyed making it, and had fun watching the final product...