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One of the most famous instances of this actor-accustomed-to-smaller-fare-brought-on-to-a-bigger-film fad is, of course, Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow. And it was great. Great great great. Depp, the indie darling, was finally also a big star! But it didn't last long - the indie darling thing, I mean. He's been in two Pirates sequels, Finding Neverland, Willy Wonka and Sweeney Todd. From Pirates up until Public Enemies, all he's been is weird clowns in weird hats (Sweeny Todd's wig counts) - a trend he'll pick right back up again as the Mad Hatter (have you seen that photo?) – and speaking of Public Enemies, in that he was just a boring clown wearing a boring hat.

I'm not saying that these are bad performances. I'm saying that they're obvious ones. What happened to the actor who made me say, wow that guy has no boundaries. He can - and will - do anything. Whenever I hear of his next project I just say of course he's the Mad Hatter.

So while Johnny Depp became predictable, what happened to Mr. Bale? This trajectory is not that dissimilar. He's chosen to play Batman. Unlike most franchise casting choices, this was met with approval from the majority of fans. Like with Depp and Pirates, Batman Begins is great. Even better, unlike Pirates, the sequel's great too. Christian Bale is Batman, I have no problem with this. What I have a problem with is the fallout. This summer, he's turned in two of the most lackluster performances from someone I once revered that I can remember. I clearly recall reading a quote from Bale before Begins came out saying it would be the biggest film he'd ever do. So explain Terminator Salvation. When I found out Christian Bale was playing John Connor I lost it. That's blatant hypocrisy right there. There's no way - with that script and that director - that Terminator Salvation would be anything other than the summer CGI mania that it was. What could cause this change in tune? Only Bale can answer why but what I can show you is how. Here are a series of quotes that provide a chronicle of Bale's transition from the art-house to the multiplex. These are in sequential order:

"Why did I start acting in the first place? I didn't do it to be mediocre or to please everybody all the time."

"I'd love to remain a secret and still work, but I also want people to see the movies I'm in and get a higher profile because of that. I like to think that as long as you continue choosing diverse roles, you can avoid becoming predictable."

"I needed money because I had just bought a house, but I just kept saying, "I really can't do another movie that I know is not going to turn out the way I want it to, and that I have to make a lot of concessions in my head for".

"I think there's a kind of pretentiousness to the idea that serious work is only found in low-budget independent movies - I can't stand that snobbery."

"It wouldn't have happened if we hadn't been playing that scene, for Christ's sake, between John Connor and his wife, which is probably the most intense one in the movie...I'd definitely say that that guy who was yelling was at least half John Connor, and the rest was Christian Bale."

(I'd love to know what scene he's talking about)

Now let me take a step back before I start spinning in circles. I don't have a problem with this. I don't blame them. They're making money and having fun. Most people, myself included, would do the exact same thing. Who doesn't want to be John Connor or a swashbuckling pirate? These guys can go play cops and robbers all they want. But don't they want anything else? I thought one of the upsides to doing commercial films was that you have the money to do whatever project regardless of money you choose. I find it hard to believe that John Connor and Willy Wonka are as creatively stimulating as Patrick Bateman or Ed Wood. Even in a much more intelligent film like Public Enemies, where there should be abundant opportunities to show off their chops, the performances are lifeless. Not bad, mind you, just tired. I really believe that ten years ago these guys would have turned in something much more gripping than what was basically a bunch of posturing and squinting.

Maybe it's the feeling that they belong to everyone and not just me anymore, like when the X-Files became popular. Maybe they're not as passionate about acting as they once were - a reasonable assumption. Even I moved on from my Ghostbusters bedsheets phase. Whatever the reason, the days of me seeing a movie solely based on their participation are over. Though I will see their collaboration in the next Batman film (I'll put down money that Depp will be in it. He'll be wearing a hat).

I name Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ryan Gosling as my new talented, commercial resistant guys. Of course Ryan Gosling was rumored to be in the running for The Green Lantern and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra, so maybe this is just the way of the world. Or maybe everybody got scared off after seeing what happened to Josh Hartnett when he turned down Superman.

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