In 2003, I didn't appreciate how good Ray Liotta was in the role of Tommy Vercetti, Vice City's loudmouth protagonist. I did think he was hilarious, but only looking back do I realize how different, and how natural, his performance was compared to the Command & Conquer cutscenes I grew up on. Even 20 years later, Liotta's performance runs circles around the likes of Crime Boss: Rockay City.
Former PC Gamer reviewer Alec Meer didn't quite agree with me, calling Liotta a "so-so" actor (Goodfellas, Alec!? Cop Land?? C'mon!). But context is key. In the early 2000s Liotta was certainly on a streak of so-so movies, and it was really his stand-out performance in 2019's Marriage Story that reinvigorated his career. Meer goes on to highlight the "legendary" Dennis Hopper, also in Vice City, and I think it's safe to say Liotta has since entered that canon, too.
