Bale Verse Depp

It's a question I often fight over with my mother - who is the best actor,  Christian Bale or Johnny Depp? I know there's several other contenders out there which people may consider, such as Daniel Craig or Brad Pitt, but let's face it, Bale and Depp are in a class of their own. Both can reel in the big scripts any time they want, have adoring fans and are both household names. Both Bale and Depp have acted in indie films and block-busters alike and we all know their acting range. But who exactly deserves the title of Best Actor - surely Johnny Depp secured it long ago, but is he about to be overthrown?

I think we all like Johnny Depp. He's a nice guy who stays out of trouble and is a great actor. But in my humble opinion, he's stuck in a rut. This love triangle between himself, Tim Burton and Helen Bonham Carter is not doing him any favours. Fans can only see the same zany plots, sets and characters re-tried so many times before one wonders why he doesn't branch out a bit. His consistent, self-imposed exile from the world of Hollywood only surfaces when he chooses Tim Burton fan films over the bigger scripts and if he ever wants to win that elusive Oscar, he needs to get smart and break free.

Christian Bale on the other hand has been a busy boy. Re-launching two film franchises and starring in both indie and big-hit movies in his short career shows his versatility and ability. After hitting a few duds in his early career with films like Equilibrium, he's learnt which films to take on and often triumphs. But does film choice alone make him the leader in this battle of the actors? With Johnny Depp taking on yet another Burton film in Alice, one begins to think so.

Enter Public Enemies. Pitting Bale verse Depp for the first time in a film will surely show which actor is the true king of film. One of the few non-Burton films Depp will have starred in for ages, it will give the public a unique insight into how the pair level off against each other. And if Public Enemies doesn't give the desired result, at least we'll get another chance to decide when Bale and Depp team up again for the next Batman film. But for me, as long as Bale continues to make sound script choices and Depp sticks to his safety zone with Tim Burton, Christian Bale will be the new king of film and will likely stay there for years to come.