About Square chosing "safe" voice actors for AC

[clowd]

Its always bothered me how "safe" the voices of Cloud, Sephiroth, Barret, Rufus and others feel in Advent Children

What I mean by safe is how Square seemed to go out of their way to find the voice actor/actress that would least offend or upset fans so they choose a voice that plays it so safe.

For example's Sephiroth's voice which I think is the worst example of playing it safe.

His voice sounds several steps below a B movie villain because of it's lack of range or feeling. It's just so safe.

All great villains have a unique and rememberable voice. Darth Vader. Hans Gruber in Die Hard. General Zod in Superman II. I never watched any of the Harry Potter movies but I even think it's villain has a unique voice.

In recent years Square has repeated the trend (Lightning's voice in FF XIII) or over compensated (Vanille FF XIII).

So how should they fix the problem? Start hiring A list actors to do the voice acting. A good example would be Christopher Walken as Sephiroth. Sephiroth is a villain that always keeps his cool and this would be perfect for Walken.

Heres a possible list of voice actors I would choose.

Cloud - Edward Norton
Barret: Denzel Washington
Sephiroth - Christopher Walken
Rufus - Edward Burns
Cid - Robert Downing Jr.

 

[ForceStealer]

...

Well if by "safe" you mean not paying tens of millions of dollars for a star-studded voice cast then I guess I would have to agree. Although the suggestion of Christopher Walken for Sephiroth makes me wonder if this is a joke post or not

"Your Geostigma is gone? I thought the only prescription was more cowbell."

 

[Wiegraf]

...

Well if by "safe" you mean not paying tens of millions of dollars for a star-studded voice cast then I guess I would have to agree.

The first Kingdom Hearts game had every Final Fantasy character voiced by fairly big name actors.

 

[ForceStealer]

Well funding from Disney will do that. And even so I'm not sure a bunch of Disney Channel teens are in the same league as Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken and Robert Downey Jr. I mean they didn't even get Robin Williams for Genie, and he likes video games.

 

[Wiegraf]

Well funding from Disney will do that. And even so I'm not sure a bunch of Disney Channel teens are in the same league as Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken and Robert Downey Jr. I mean they didn't even get Robin Williams for Genie, and he likes video games.

BILLY ZANE!!!, David Boreanaz, Mandy Moore, Lance Bass, Haley Joel Osment, David Gallagher = Disney channel teens?

Anyways, I understand what you are saying.

 

[Gym Leader Devil]

A good example would be Christopher Walken as Sephiroth. Sephiroth is a villain that always keeps his cool and this would be perfect for Walken.

 

[ForceStealer]

BILLY ZANE!!!, David Boreanaz, Mandy Moore, Lance Bass, Haley Joel Osment, David Gallagher = Disney channel teens?

Anyways, I understand what you are saying.

Well I was exaggerating of course. The biggest names they got were probably James Woods and Christopher Lee. Certainly great actors, but on the pay scale, they just don't compare.

 

[Octo]

I don't agree about Christopher Walken at all, If we're going 'Hollywood' Sephiroth should have been voiced by Rutger Goddamn Hauer Plus if you look at his career since Blade Runner, I think he'd be pretty cheap......he was in a Kylie Minogue video for fucks sake.

Aaaanyway. Big name stars aside. I agree that SE played it safe and that the voice acting was pretty bland. There are dozens of talented VA's in the industry that wouldn't have cost the earth.

 

[ForceStealer]

I don't even know what "playing it safe" means. Apart from Hojo, who sounds like your typical mad scientist...what else was "safe?" Does it just mean they took a risk if you liked it but since you don't they must have been playing it safe?

 

[Octo]

Actually...I'd like to retract my use of the phrase 'playing it safe' and replace it with 'crap and boring'

EDIT Also, I want to know why the fuck they bothered using Ryun Yu to voice Tseng, when they haven't given Tseng even a hint of an Chinese/Japanese accent? Where is the logic there?

 

[ForceStealer]

At least that means something.

 

[clowd]

Playing it safe means giving voices to the characters that are so stereotypical you can't dislike the voice acting but at the same time it's bland and nothing special. I'll admit the voice acting in Advent Children does sound very stereotypically like what you'd expect the characters to sound like, but because of that voice acting adds nothing to the movie.

I mean it's sad 2 years before we heard Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII's English voice I correctly predicted she would sound like the Boss from Metal Gear Solid 3. That's the voice video games give to tough female characters. Boring.

For example in the movie Cid sounds like a stereotypical angry sailor type. Now give Cid's personality Robert Downey Jr's voice. IMO thats MUCH more interesting.

Remember Christopher Walken from Batman Returns? He played a villain in the movie called Max Shreck. His character was very similiar to Sephiroth. Never panicked or lost his temper but was extremely cold and merciless.

Maybe it wouldnt be the best choice, but considering how Sephiroth's voice sounded in AC almost anyone would have been better.

 

[Cat Rage Room]

For example in the movie Cid sounds like a stereotypical angry sailor type. Now give Cid's personality Robert Downey Jr's voice. IMO thats MUCH more interesting.

Ironically I am watching Iron Man 2 (for like the 10th time) as I read this and no, this wouldn't work. I love RDJ to death but he wouldn't fit Cid's personality, look, or flavor.

Interesting doesn't mean good.

 

[ForceStealer]

Interesting doesn't mean good.

That's why I'm kinda stumbling at the phrase "playing it safe." I mean, sure, casting Gilbert Gottfried as Cloud would indeed be a risk. But...

And Ali Hillis is awesome, stfu.

 

[Tetsujin]

Playing it safe means giving voices to the characters that are so stereotypical you can't dislike the voice acting

Oh, you very much can imo.

 

[Tennyo]

Hiring A-list actors? Don't you think that would be a waste of their funds?

I mean, maybe SE could drop everything else and only make KH games from now on and have Disney shell out the big bucks for the big names. I wouldn't expect video games using big names to become commonplace anytime soon.

Besides, there are a lot of voice actors where this is all they do and they love it. You want to put them out of a job?

 

[DrakeClawfang]

While his skill doing Sephiroth was at its peak in Dissidia IMO, I think George Newbern is fine as him. He never raises his tone, never shows any emotion except for unlying arrogance and amusement. It fits Sephiroth, nothing phases him or gets under his skin, he's completely in control of the situation and of himself.

About the only time I remember Sephy getting emotional was during the Nibelheim Incident, and in CC Newbern does it well. He sounds a bit melancholy, almost like he's choking up but is trying to keep it hidden, as he confronts Jenova, and it fits. The earlier incident where he's ranting in the basement, we don't see.

 

[Alessa Gillespie]

postin in a troll thread

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I'm totally going to let my bigotry/patriotism show and ask if American voice actors are always what is called for? Midgar isn't New York. The best voice actor in any of the games has been Balthier (Gideon Emery) and he's a South African Englishman.

Hugh Laurie for Rufus and David Tennant for Cait Sith!
I thought Quinton Flynn was good, though.

 

[DrakeClawfang]

FF12 all over had good VAs, since the different regions of the world demanded different accents.

 

[ForceStealer]

I'm totally going to let my bigotry/patriotism show and ask if American voice actors are always what is called for? Midgar isn't New York.

It almost was

 

[Super Mario]

One thing I wish SE did was place Mandy Moore as Aerith for crying out loud. How the hell could they change the sweet voice of that babe to a bland and undead-like voice of Mena Suvari's??? I mean if they were to do Kingdom Hearts Zombies or Kingdom Hearts Blackest Night/whatever undead title for FFVII, then I'd pick Mena for aerith's english va. But to me, Mandy is perfect for Aerith. So was Billy Zane before they gave Xehanort the worst VA ever <__<

 

[DrakeClawfang]

Agreed their original VAs were better, but give credit for Andrea Bowen doing a VASTLY better job than Suvari. As for Richard Epcar, he was significantly better in BBS. I guess being freed to let loose the ham is to blame :p.

 

[Super Mario]

Sorry man, Richard E's decent, but Billy Zane is always the greatest xehanort. hope he'll be up for it in a future KH game.

Never heard Andrea Bowen for aerith so I can't judge.

 

[Kobato]

I mean they didn't even get Robin Williams for Genie, and he likes video games.

I'm a huge Aladdin lover, and I think that Robin Williams still hates/ has a grudge towards the Disney company. Back in '92 Robin wanted a contact with Disney that his name wouldn't used to help sell Aladdin toys, and the promise was broken. Later Disney apologized to Robin, and Robin gave his voice for the Genie for Aladdin and the King of Thieves, but I still think that Robin Williams might be still holding a grudge towards the Disney company xD

And it's not Zelda.... if it was a Zelda game, he would be in the VA booth handing over his voice in a flash.