MovieChat Forums > Parks and Recreation (2009) Discussion > This show has runied Chris Pratt for me

This show has runied Chris Pratt for me

posted 9 years ago by jrd516
29 replies | jump to latest

I've been following Chris Pratt's movie career since Moneyball. I liked him in that. I also really liked him in The Five year Engagement, Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic Park. I started binge watching Parks and Recreation a few weeks ago and didn't even know Chris Pratt was in it. Knowing this, I was even more excited to watch the show. He was enjoyable for the first 5-6 episodes, and then his character took a horrible turn where he developed into a mumbling fumbling simpleton with a 4th grade mental capacity. I am now in season 5 and cannot stand his character which seems to be bordering on retarded. Now when I see him in one of my favorite Chris Pratt movies, all I see is mentally challenged Andy Dwyer and it bugs the sh*t out of me. Does anyone else feel this way? His character is overly simple and dumb to the point it is no longer funny...to me.

Thoughts?

[–] Ghetto_Defendant 9 years ago

Well, it's too bad that you didn't see Parks and Rec when it originally ran because then you would have seen Chris Pratt stretch a bit in Moneyball (in which his real-life character was adapted poorly from the book) and Zero Dark Thirty. His Guardians of the Galaxy role is pretty much Andy Dwyer notched up a bit.

[–] jrd516 9 years ago

That makes sense. I guess that's one of the problems of binge watching.

As for your comment on his Galaxy role as a notched up Andy Dwyer I strongly disagree.

[–] Ghetto_Defendant 9 years ago

Really? Even Zoe Saldana's Gamora says she's surrounded by idiots--Peter Quill (Star Lord) being one of those idiots. This doesn't mean that I didn't like Guardians; I loved it.

I have to say that I haven't seen Jurassic World, primarily because I thought Jurassic Park was way overrated. (Again, the book was somewhat interesting, but I thought the movie much more cartoonish).

[–] ffnogoodnik 9 years ago

Well, in Jurassic World Chris's character is far from an idiot. Although the two kids in the film are idiots. :)

I found the film very fun but nothing ground breaking.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] doggie_rodriguez 8 years ago

As for your comment on his Galaxy role as a notched up Andy Dwyer I strongly disagree.

All I could think of while watching it was "Andy in Space".

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] officialepicnoodlez 9 years ago

I agree with the irregularity of roundness in his character BUT it actually saved him from being horrible. Since you have seen him play the Nice-Guy-Type, you might have overlooked that in season 1 he was actually a lazy *beep* (and a lying bastard of some sort). He slowly made transitions on season 2 which then progressed exponentially and terribly. But atleast they try to keep the characters as likeable as they could (even for tom).

[–] SaidNDone 9 years ago

andy is one of the few characters where flanderizing his stupidity worked out well imo

Azula >>>>

[–] MonoEnojado 8 years ago

I agree. Usually if a show has a dumb character (e.g. Billy from Grim & Evil, Cosmo from The Fairly OddParents, or even Homer from the later seasons of the Simpsons) I usually hate that character.

But Andy is pretty likeable in my opinion. I think there were moments in season 6 were they pushed it slightly beyond the limits (the episode when Ron takes him to the dentist, for example), but overall his stupidy was acceptable because it was mixed with naivety and kindness.

[–] coreydl16 9 years ago

Its the Joey Tribiani syndrome. Dumb characters have limited availability of plots. They can't magically become intelligent as that's reserved already for the other characters.

So the writers turn to increasing dumbness instead.

[–] SethOfTheFields 9 years ago

True. And sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. For the most part I think it worked really well with Andy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FE9SLJ2Xoc

[–] wossonjohn85 9 years ago

I completely understand not liking the character but I really don't see why that changes your opinion of Chris Pratt's other characters?

When you watch Good Will Hunting are you constantly thinking 'Hey, there's Mrs Doubtfire' every time Robin Williams is on screen?

[–] jrd516 9 years ago

No, of course not.

I usually say "Hey, there's Patch Adams!"

[–] wossonjohn85 9 years ago

I suppose that's understandable... he's not dressed as a middle aged Scottish woman in Good Will Hunting.

[–] PricelessStar 8 years ago

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[–] RoyWilliamsbeatsCoachK 9 years ago

Never understood this. Good actors play a various amount of characters throughout their career. Honestly in Guardians and Jurassic World he did not stretch himself that far.

[–] StephieVee 9 years ago

Andy from Parks and Rec, Joey from Friends, Kevin from The Office, heck, Homer Simpson... It seems to me at times that writers are like a bunch of 8 yr old boys that got a laugh from one joke or a reaction to a character trait and over-do it to the point it's not funny at all. It's not just the characters within a sitcom that lack intelligence they use this "formula" on. The nerd gets nerdier, the slutty one gets sluttier, the bossy one gets--you get the point. Lazy writing, perhaps? Or maybe it is a room full of elementary school boys after all?

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] avortac4 (3751) 7 months ago

Well, at least Joey is actually funny and has some good stuff. He's not just 'stupid', he has a lot of personality as well, not to mention he's an alpha that can seduce women easily and organically, has fun lines and so on. The intonation of 'How're YOU doin'' always gets me (sorry, can't write it as 'How u doin'')

Homer Simpson didn't start off as a complete idiot, he just slowly devolved into one. He had nobility in the beginning.

Kevin... he... err... hmm. OK, you have a point with Kevin, I have no idea why he even exists in the show or why he has to be so ridiculously stupid. The point of his character escapes me almost as much as April's in this show.

I think you might as well be describing Flanderization just as well... even though Ned never becomes a complete idiot (I think), it's surprising how much he changes as well.

I don't think elementary school boys would choose a fema-fascist post-wall bulldog-face as their lead role for their big comedy show, though, so maybe it's a couple of rooms full of elementary school girls with a couple of really ugly feminist 'teachers' to brainwash them?

[–] iceplanet 9 years ago

I dont think Andy is so much dumb or unintelligent as he is just immature and naive. I see Andy as more of a wide eyed 8 year old trapped in a man's body versus Joey Tribiani just being straight up dumb.