5) Jay Baruchel
Even though sci-fi isn’t necessarily a genre filled with comedy, it still is nice when humor is present. With most science fiction, that isn’t the case. Think about the premises of some of 2013’s best films in the genre. A couple of astronauts float hopelessly in space. A man hit with a lethal dose of radiation has to go to desperate measures to save his life. A man can’t sustain relationships with normal humans so he falls in love with his computer. None of those scream a hilarious good time. And neither does “A man gets blown up and put inside a machine to keep crime off the streets.”
Still, just as there were some laughs to be found in Gravity, Elysium and Her, I’m fairly confident that RoboCop is going to have its funny moments, too. And if I had to put money on it, I’d bet a good majority of those are coming from Jay Baruchel. We still don’t know how big his role is going to be, though I’m assuming it isn’t huge, but his one line from the trailer was certainly the lightest bit of the two minutes, and it was enough to make me laugh.
Baruchel is one of my favorite comedic actors working today, and I think he’s just about perfect for a movie like this. While he may not be considered one of the funniest guys out there, I think there’s a nice subtly to his humor and he provides me with just as many laughs as some of the bigger names in the industry. But unlike the biggest comic names, his presence won’t take away from the gravity of the plot or the social issues it tackles. I couldn’t have been happier to hear about his casting, and I don’t doubt that he’ll be one of the most enjoyable parts of the film, even if his role’s a small one.