Enter Ashton Kutcher
Whenever I think of the name Ashton Kutcher, I tend to think of his television roles more than his cinematic ones. His performance as the dim-witted Michael Kelso, between 1998-2006 on That '70s Show never ceased to entertain audiences. In a weird way, however, the beginning was where his career peaked and ended.
Subsequent performances in films in the 2000s such as Jesse in Dude, Where's My Car?, as Tom in Just Married, as the voice of Elliot in open Season and, more recently, as Adam in No Strings Attached are all united by forgetfulness and haphazard entertainment. Being linked to Demi Moore, who is 15 years his senior, has also kept him in the spotlight. Now, Kutcher, as many people have known since May this year, is making his return to the small screen as Walden in Two and a Half Men, Charlie Sheen's replacement. Where to from here for Kutcher?
Kutcher's onscreen persona, as can be seen in such shows of the past as Punk'd and, as mentioned, That '70s Show is marked by obnoxiousness and loud-mouthed dialogue. At times, in the past, I must admit, it has worked for Kutcher. When he would set up stars and push them to breaking point in Punk'd, the show's format was held together by his excitable, intense commentary between scenes, which engaged audiences well, despite the show's fluffy subject matter. Whilst Kutcher is capable of roles free of dim-wittedness, as we can see in such films of his as The Butterfly Effect, his role choices have been, by nature, caricatured and/or mindless.
I do, however, want to return to what I said earlier: Kutcher's television credits have always stood out to me more than his filmic roles. He appeared in Just Shoot Me! back in the early 2000s and, as established already, propelled the small screen narratives of Punk'd and That '70s Show forward with his loud brand of humour. In addition, both shows had plenty of air time and followings of their own; the former ran from 1998-2006 whilst the latter remained on air from 2003-2007.
Now, the question remains: how will Kutcher fare as replacement character Walden in the hugely successfully sitcom Two and a Half Men? Will Kutcher's loud brand of humour wow audiences as much as Sheen's deadpan and sleazy but comical delivery of dialogue as Charlie before him? In a way, it could be argued, it's irrelevant. If Kutcher is going in to replace Sheen, which I doubt he would, it would be insane. Charlie is an extension and parody of Sheen's off-screen persona; he is a specific character made for a specific actor. Time will tell, I guess.
Kutcher, in my mind, is a TV icon rather than a filmic one. His performance as the dim-witted Michael Kelso, between 1998-2006 on That '70s Show and as the host of reality television series Punk'd never ceased to entertain audiences. Forget Dude, Where's My Car? and No Strings Attached, Kutcher is made for a smaller visual medium. So, does this mean that he will succeed as Walden in Two and a Half Men, Charlie Sheen's replacement?
By Chris Traficante