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Another Kung Fu Panda Review… “Where we are really let down is in the casting”

July 10th, 2008 Posted in General Info

Animation features continue to be very alive and well, but there seems to be a growing debate about the need for celebrity voices. Could this be a trend? Could it be an emerging opportunity for the slew of “unknown” voice talent to replace the need for a name? Maybe all they really do need is a voice….a great, skilled, talented…voice.

-Tracy Pattin

Check out the review in Live Journal.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Where we are really let down is in the casting. The voice actors, in real life, look and speak in a way similar to the characters they portray in this movie - when you see the Tigress, you can see Angelina Jolie. However, there is no benefit to this - any number of voice actors could have competently carried out these roles. I can’t imagine how many hundreds of thousands (or millions) of dollars were wasted using Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and Dustin Hoffman when they presumably could have hired relative unknowns for the same roles at much less expense. You don’t see an animated movie because Angelina Jolie is in it, do you?”

  1. 2 Responses to “Another Kung Fu Panda Review… “Where we are really let down is in the casting””

  2. By Some Audio Guy on Jul 11, 2008

    OK,
    Enough of these. Yes. NO ONE sees animated films because celebs are in them. We get it. Work-a-day vo actors can do as good or better jobs.

    People DO watch celebs on morning shows, chat shows, interviews, late night, etc. Think of ALL the free advertising Panda got putting these celebs ALL over any piece of media they could put them on…

  3. By Some Audio Guy on Jul 12, 2008

    OK, I’m kind of a snarky butt at 3am.

    I get really tired of these “tirades” though. The idea that celebs are “taking OUR jobs” is ludicrous. These vehicles aren’t developed for animation’s sake, their developed largely around a certain cast delivering on an investment. From the very beginning of development of this movie there was probably a VERY short list of actors considered for this film.
    Now, did celebs do their own scratch? Did celebs do all their own dialog replacement? Did celebs do ANY of the ancillary roles? All of those are extra opportunities for voice actors to be a part of the residual pool for this film.
    I’m sure there’s already development on a direct to DVD feature sequel. Are ANY of the celebs going to do it? Jack Black paved the way for another voice actor to pick up a FAT feature paycheck. Look at all the Disney TV shows that have come from features.
    I find it a little suspect when we see people getting this worked up about celebs in this cast, but no one bats an eye at Craig T Nelson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee, and Samuel L Jackson in ‘The Incredibles’. Were they not BIG enough celebs to have taken our jobs?

    This is all business. To get this upset about celebs in animation is little different to me than someone getting mad every July 4th when Will Smith is on screen (why not give other actors a shot). However focusing on the glory of being the actor on the Today Show plugging Kung Fu Panda, negates the wealth of opportunity that film actually provided for voice actors.

    If we’re to be concerned, we should be more concerned with films like Wall-e, using almost no voice work…

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