I have to say that I'm pretty happy that I've managed to not stumble across the "Joe can't act" essays/comments, because I'm likely to start a huge flamewar wit the words: "well, you're obviously smoking crack, and here's why"

I'm not sure why people are equating a quieter performance with bad acting. I think Joe is making very deliberate choices in portraying John (the way he uses the smile and the charm to keep everyone at an arm's length, the cold, quiet fury whenever his team is in danger, the hardfaced killer he can become, however so reluctantly, etc. etc.), especially considering the fact that it is unlikely that he has been told much of John's messed up backstory.

David is a wonderful actor who, let's face it, is a scenery chewer (and I don't use that term negatively), and it is possible that people are seeing Joe's less flamboyant style as under-doing it. I'm really not sure.

And for the record? Olivier couldn't have pulled off that "Kolyaaaaaa" from The Storm/Eye with grace.