Too real means too creepy in new Disney animation

Ummm.. I remember the final fantasy movie... the characters were very realistic, but if you see any videogame you'll see animated characters just like these, in that context although the movie "spirits within" didn't have any relation with the story arc of the videogame, it wasn't so shocking to see such characters (maybe because they weren't "real", even though Steve Buscemi and Alec Baldwin breathe such life into the characters).

With "Polar Express" was different: the voice actor was Tom Hanks and the driver was Tom Hanks animated, it was creepy and I was uncomfortable watching that movie, it was the feeling that Tom Hanks could be easily replaced, so didn't like it that way, why can't they just make a new character and not copy somebody's face?

This reminds me of the old argument about special effects versus story. Some people put all their money on technology in films, but those films always tend to lose out to films with better story.

The 1st Matrix movie was a hit with its SF story and amazing with its special effects camera work. Suddenly there were Matrix-camera shot ripoffs everywhere. People got tired of it, and especially of B-rate movie versions that didn't bother with story.

Also with style. Japanese anime has always used larger than normal eyes, but since its stylized, people ignore the strangeness. Maybe its because the heads aren't normally proportioned, or like Picasso it all fits despite looking strange. But when Disney or other western movie makers try to simulate the large eyes on a normal head, it is the creepiest thing ever. I think Lady Gaga tried it on one of her videos, but she may have been going for the creepy look anyway.

Point is, the story has to be appealing long before deciding on the special effects to get audiences to ignore abnormalities. Zemeckis just hasn't learned that yet.

I just checked out the trailer on YouTube, and I agree with the consensus, a little too human looking. Less human looking people (like '9' or that guy Carl and that old guy in the floating house) are more appealing. Also one tends to wonder if they are sacrificing substance for form, especially when such "cutting edge" animations like South Park are still very popular.

And Hollywood will never do away with movie stars. Often times they are the biggest draw to the movie.

@Frungy: Movies made in weeks? Seems to me that it takes weeks just to render all the frames, to say nothing of how long it takes to design and (virtually) construct everything that makes up those frames. None of these animated movies are simple endeavors.

I don't think there's a cabal of Hollywood producers plotting to eliminate the need for actors, as you seem to suggest. The paying public still likes seeing movie stars.

Haven't seen the movie but I bet it's as un-natural as that japanese actress robot

Fairly typical of Disney's lack of vision. The thing about valleys is that if you want to walk to the far slope then you have to get walk through the valley. Stopping in the middle of the valley and whining, "It's so dark down here" misses the point that this is only progress on your way to your eventual destination.

The ultimate goal is to create software that can perfectly emulate human actors, creating realistic features and actions, but to get there isn't going to just happen all at once, it's slow and incremental progress like walking through that valley.

The goal though would be well-worth the trip, no more paying actors and movies made in weeks rather than months or years because it's just a question of programming in the parameters and reactions you want and you're done.

the best animation has style and is not photo realistic. It's close but the style becomes a part of it. Otherwise it's not an escape medium and you might as well use regular real actors.

I saw a preview of that new disney movie and I agree, it creeped me out

Disney animation has always creeped me out. I hate it.

I looked up "uncanny valley" in the dictionary and there was a picture of Keanu Reeves.

Thats why final fantasy the movie also didn't do it so well, although it looked much better than all zemeckis movies combined. Besides its not only the 3d thats bothering, the stories are not that great either.