Do the critics have it in for Hugh Jackman?

Hugh Jackman’s latest movie has gotten a fierce response from critics, some of whom seem to have it in for the actor himself.

Pan is a children’s film telling the origin story of the iconic Peter Pan. Hugh plays the infamous pirate Blackbeard, who terrorised Neverland before Captain Hook entered the picture.

Hugh has one of the most strange and memorable scenes in the movie. He enters to a rousing pirate choir rendition of Smells Like Teen Spirit, the 1991 grunge anthem by Nirvana. You can hear his performance here.

Rolling Stone had some of the harshest words, saying Hugh’s acting was “so hammy his acting should be served with pineapple”.

The Standard was more charitable, saying he “chews the scenery but at least does so with style”.

“Despite having one of the worst costumes to end up on the big screen”, they wrote, “he’s actually quite watchable”.

The Guardian said Hugh was “just following the routine by now, chomping up scenery as a bad guy in an altogether dreadful film. But it’s not nearly enough”.

Jackman himself, though, seemed to relish the experience. “Finally, the real me”, he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“It took me all these years to work out that the hero gets beaten up most of the movie and then wins the last fight, just. Whereas the villain has a pretty easy go of it most of the time, except for the end. You get great dialogue, great costumes, about 40 per cent of screen time…”

Personally, we think he does a tremendous job with the role he was given. Watch the footage and tell us: what do you think?

Watch him in the trailer here, and tell us: is it fair to criticise an actor who gives it his all? What do you think of Hugh’s performance? Is it possible to be a great actor in a bad movie?