Everyone knows the feeling of seeing a movie sequel and seeing a different actor portraying a familiar character. This is often a bad thing as sequels are typically mediocre movies. But occasionally there are lateral moves, trade-offs, and true upgrades in terms of the recast characters. There were a few exclusions from the list: No recasts of characters playing significantly different ages (i.e. Haden "Pussyfeathers" Christiansen in Star Wars), no series re-boots (Sorry Christian Bale fanatics), and no movies that I felt like leaving off this list which includes James Bond.

The Good:

Manhunter/Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal

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Brian Cox is a terrific actor that did a very good job in the role of Hannibal Lecktor in 1984's Manhunter. It is better than its remake, Red Dragon, but the character of Dr. Lecktor has been made into an icon by Anthony Hopkins. The creepiness that he brought to the role in SOTL earned him an Academy Award, and lives on as the more memorable roles in cinema. The series also made another cast change from Jody Foster to Julianne Moore in the role of Clarice. This is a hard re-cast to judge because Hannibal was just a horrible movie (I think it might have really suffered due to the absence of a Miggs jiz-tossing scene). It might have been a lateral move since Moore is a capable actress but Foster will always exist as Clarice in the minds of the film's millions of fans.

Tom Clancy Movies (Patriot Games/Hunt for Red October/Etc.)

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The character of Jack Ryan is supposed to be a real bad-ass who can get things done. It's a real quandary as to why Alec Baldwin was originally cast as Ryan in The Hunt for Red October when someone like Harrison Ford was such an obvious choice for this type of character. Its also baffling as to why for so long Baldwin was cast in action movie roles when he so obviously thrives in comedic roles. Side-Note: It is a little known fact that a cardboard cut-out of Ben Affleck that was stolen from a local Blockbuster Video was also cast in The Sum of All Fears as Jack Ryan.

Back to the Future Trilogy

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Some may have noticed that Marty Mcfly's girlfriend Jennifer Parker got a little bit hotter due to a recast of Elizbeth Shue in lieu of Claudia Wells. It was a solid move since neither spoke much; but, thanks for aesthetic upgrade does not go unnoticed. Personal Side-note: I once paid Michael J. Fox $2500 to hold my N64 controller because I lost my rumble-pack. Ba-da-psssshh.

The Bad:

Batman Series (Original Franchise)

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Michael Keaton was very good in the Tim Burton-directed installments of the Batman franchise. When Val Kilmer took over the role of the caped-crusader, however, the franchise was destined to slip. Yet Kilmer's performance seems Oscar worthy when it is compared to George Clooney's turn as the dark knight. If you haven't seen this rubber nippled bat-suit tragedy, then I am jealous that you still have those two hours of life that I can't get back.

Interview with the Vampire/Queen of the Damned

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Interview with the Vampire was overly long and a little slow paced, but was an overall good movie. Tom Cruise turned in a solid performance as Lestat, creating a dark, disturbing, and comedic presence. Surprisingly, the movie wasn't even spoiled due to the presence of Snaggletooth Dunst as a young curly-haired vampire. The character of Lestat was also used in the horrid Queen of the Damned. Stuart Townsend did what he could with the role, but having Lestat turn into a goth rock star might be even worst thing to happen in the vampire genre ever (prior to the glittering in the Twilight series).

The Mummy Series

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Question: Has Brenden Fraiser ever had a decent role in a movie? Encino Man doesn't count because he wasn't required to speak. beyond grunts. in any case, Frasier's love interest in this film, Evelyn - played by Rachel Weisz - ended up becoming his wife in real life. She reprised her role in The Mummy Returns but due to a divorce between her and Fraiser, the role was recast with Monica Bello. She's definitely not as attractive, had a terrible English accent, and agreed to be in The Mummy colon Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Downgrade.

Flinstones/Flintstones: Viva Rock Vegas

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The second of these films was entirely re-cast from the original and starred Stephen Baldwin. In reality I just wanted to bring this up to prove to you how utterly forgettable some films are. Literally no one has thought of this movie since two weeks after it was made.

The Other:

The Matrix Series

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Many may have noticed that the elderly woman who played the Oracle in the first two movies was replaced in the third. I was bothered by this upon first viewing of the movie (amongst many, many other things) because Mary Alice in the role wasn't nearly as good. I then learned that the original actress Gloria Foster died during filming in the above installment. As sad as this was ,I applauded the producers of the film for not taking a cue from Weekend at Bernie's.

Harry Potter Series

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Richard Harris was recast in the role of Albus Dumbledore after he passed away following the second film by Michael Gambon. It was a lateral move in the casting department and although I think most would agree that Harris was slightly better in the role.

Iron Man Series

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Multiple news agencies report that Terrence Howards role as Jim Rhodes/War Machine has been re-cast with Don Cheadle in the Iron Man franchise. This seems like an especially strange move since Howard was more than competent in the role, and an Oscar caliber actor in his own regard. Rumor has it, Howard had no idea that the role had been recast and was never given an explanation or even a phone call letting him know. Apparently loyalty in Hollywood is as hard to come-by as a waitress who doesn't aspire to be an actress.

Well I'm sure there are a few more of these recasts out there and I'm sure I'll hear all about them in the comments. So please add to the list, correct mistakes, or bash the hell out of it, because I'm sure no one really cares.

Tags: movies, list, celebrities