F - Fandral in Low Places

This post is a part of the A to Z Challenge. This year I have decided to go themeless. Each day I will post about whatever topic pops into my head. The result of this spontaneity is anyone's guess. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

F is for two things that I like that have been done two different ways. I'll explain.

First is Fandral in the movies Thor and Thor: The Dark World. In Thor, Fandral is played by Josh Dallas, who replaced Stuart Townsend due to "creative differences". Townsend had replaced Zachary Levi who was unavailable due to a scheduling conflict. I liked the way that Josh Dallas interpreted the character. Very Errol Flynn.

In Thor: The Dark World, Josh Dallas had a scheduling conflict and was replaced by original choice Zachary Levi. I have mixed feelings on this one, as I am a big Zachary Levi fan (go Chuck!) Unfortunately, I think he overplayed the role a little. I don't know if he was trying to out do Dallas's Fandral or if he just didn't pull off the character properly, but it didn't seem quite right. I'll withhold final judgment until after Thor: Ragnarok. Then I'll decide which, if either, I prefer.

Second is the song "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks. Everyone knows his version of the song. It is truly a classic. It's what got me listening to country music during college. It probably helped that I went to the same school as Garth. Go Pokes! Twenty-six years later, it's still one of his best songs.

That brings us to the second version of the song. Home Free made an a cappela version on their newest album Country Evolution. Now anyone who has read my blog before knows that Home Free is one of my all time favorite bands. I absolutely love just about everything these guys do. They can (almost) do no wrong. That's why I have an issue with their version of "Friends in Low Places." They put their own spin on the song that many people have raved about. Unfortunately, it falls a little flat for me. I don't really care for the stylistic choice. I think it's a rare misstep for them. That's not to say that it's bad. Like I said, it's a stylistic choice, and thus an issue of personal preference. Though I will admit that Tim Foust (the bass singer and lead for this song) knocked it out of the park as usual.Watch the video below and let me know what you think.