Grayskull: Masters of the Universe - Part 2

[Pink Ranger]

Wait PR, why is it inevitable that Skeletor's voice will be enhanced in post? It's never been that way in any other version.

But yeah, McShane don't need no stinkin' voice effects to become Hordak.

By "effected" I don't (necessarily) mean being enhanced in post, I just mean the actor playing him will at least make his voice more "classically evil." i.e. Frank Langella's Skeletor sounds nothing like the actor himself.

 

[Thundarr]

Other suggestions for Trap-Jaw? Maybe some real actor?
I think he shouldn't be a one-dimensional killer machine. He was Kronis before, remember

1) Who says Robert Maillet isn't a real actor? He has been in numerous movies and TV shows, including 300 and Sherlock Holmes. How many more roles does he have to be cast in before he can be seen as a "real actor"?

2) While finding people who are great actors to fill the main roles is preferable, the secondary roles can/should go to people who look the part.

3) This is He-Man, not Hamlet. And no matter how great the cast, how great the cinematography and visual effects, or how great the writing and directing, there's a 99% chance that the movie will be completely ignored by the Academy. Sci-Fi/Fantasy movies, no matter how well made, virtually never win at the Oscars. Hell, they're virtually never even nominated. Peoples Choice? Sometimes. MTV Movie Awards? Deffinitely! But the Oscars? Keep dreaming.

 

[Thundarr]

Now who should play Orko, or rather do his voice??

I've mentioned this before, but I'll say it again. Verne Troyer. Listen to his voice when he talks in interviews and stuff. He already sounds just like Orko! Besides, the film makers won't have to make Orko a totally CGI character. First of all, CGI characters often look terrible and unrealistic (Jar-Jar, Yoda). Even if done extremely well (Gollum), eventually the CG effects will become outdated and what once looked amazing now looks totally fake (Harry Potter's quidditch matches).

Instead, they can dress Verne Troyer up as Orko, suspend him in the air with wires, use fans to blow his robes about, then delete the wires in post production. Whether he's dangled in front of a green screen and put into the scene in post production, or actually on the set with the other actors and it's just the wires that are deleted in post, it'll look better than a CG Orko.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Okay, but then why choose a little person actor at all? Why not get the Henson company involved and make Orko either an animatronic prop or a muppet? It worked for Farscape.

 

[DawnWarrior]

By "effected" I don't (necessarily) mean being enhanced in post, I just mean the actor playing him will at least make his voice more "classically evil." i.e. Frank Langella's Skeletor sounds nothing like the actor himself.

I see. I guess it really depends on the actor.

Okay, but then why choose a little person actor at all? Why not get the Henson company involved and make Orko either an animatronic prop or a muppet? It worked for Farscape.

Agreed. Much rather see a puppet Orko, or even a CGI Orko, instead of a guy in a suit. Orko is not a guy in a suit.

 

[Thundarr]

Okay, but then why choose a little person actor at all? Why not get the Henson company involved and make Orko either an animatronic prop or a muppet? It worked for Farscape.

Again, he already sounds like Orko! Using Farscape style animatronics or puppets might work okay, but they would be somewhat more limited than a little person in a costume. If they decide to do that, then Verne simply doing the voice over would be fine. But why bother when you've got a perfectly good actor who's just the right size standing right there?

 

[Jordacar]

Much rather see a puppet Orko, or even a CGI Orko, instead of a guy in a suit. Orko is not a guy in a suit.

This. It would be more accurate to hang an Orko puppet on a string (for reference at least) than to dress a dude up as the character.

 

[Thundarr]

This. It would be more accurate to hang an Orko puppet on a string (for reference at least) than to dress a dude up as the character.

Why? Wouldn't you rather have future generations watching the movie on Blu-Ray and saying "Wow! How'd they do that?" than be sitting in the movie theatre on opening day saying "Wow! That s#!t looks so fake!"?

 

[Pink Ranger]

Again, he already sounds like Orko! Using Farscape style animatronics or puppets might work okay, but they would be somewhat more limited than a little person in a costume. If they decide to do that, then Verne simply doing the voice over would be fine. But why bother when you've got a perfectly good actor who's just the right size standing right there?

I like Verne Troyer, but he's not that good of an actor, especially when delivering dialogue. There's a reason he almost never talks in the Austin Powers movies.

 

[Airwings]

But the Oscars? Keep dreaming.

I haven't said a f***ing s**t about oscars. What are you talking about?

Okay, but then why choose a little person actor at all?

I'm so tired of this Verne Troyer talk

Much rather see a puppet Orko, or even a CGI Orko, instead of a guy in a suit. Orko is not a guy in a suit.

Of course Orko is CGI.
Who believed otherwise?

 

[Thundarr]

Of course Orko is CGI.
Who believed otherwise?

In the movie Willow, Sharlindria and her fairies were actual people, shot in front of a green screen, and then added in in post production. As were the brownies. And the effects still look great even today. When I was sitting in the theatre watching the Star Wars prequels for the first time ever, I was sitting there feeling like I was watching my buddy playing a 1 player video game on a really big TV screen. There was no feeling of "Wow! How'd they do that?" You KNOW how they did it, with a damn computer, because you can f**king tell just by watching the damn movie.

Personally, I would much rather instill a sense of wonder into the audience than have them go "Look at all the pretty computer effects". Honestly, wouldn't you?

 

[terry78]

It just makes more sense to have him as a CG character. You don't need to have all them wires and **** floating around. They can have a reference point maquette created and what not, but CG is pretty obvious as the route to go.

 

[Airwings]

Thundarr: Willow came out mid 80s. Special effects in film has changed since then

 

[Thundarr]

Thundarr: Willow came out mid 80s. Special effects in film has changed since then

I know that. But newer doesn't automatically equal better. The effects in the original Star Wars films are all practical effects because that was "cutting edge" back then, and they still look awesome even today. The prequels were done almost 100% on a computer, and they looked like s#!t when they came out, and even worse a few years later.

With the right people on the project, making Orko a CG character could be awesome. If Peter Jackson were making MOTU, then Orko could turn out as well as Gollum did. Of course, in order to achieve that they'd need to suspend a little person wearing a MC suit in the air with wires. But still, it could be done and done well.

Problem is they'll probably get the same people who did G.I. Joe, or the Matrix sequels, or any number of really sucky, over CG'd movies that look like s#!t. And that'll mean MOTU will also look like s#!t.

Therefor I'd prefer to play it safe and use practical effects AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Because practical effects almost always look good.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Practical effects = animatronics or Henson creature shop then

 

[Airwings]

If Peter Jackson were making MOTU, then Orko could turn out as well as Gollum did. Of course, in order to achieve that they'd need to suspend a little person wearing a MC suit in the air with wires.

Does Peter Jackson really need an actor of the same size as the character? Is that the way he works? I think you've missed something. Or I might be wrong myself? Andy Serkis is both a hobbit of ancient times and a giant ape. Holly moses, what a twist!

I know that. But newer doesn't automatically equal better. The effects in the original Star Wars films are all practical effects because that was "cutting edge" back then, and they still look awesome even today. The prequels were done almost 100% on a computer, and they looked like s#!t when they came out, and even worse a few years later.

Avatar was visually stunning when it came out. LOTR trilogy too, and it still is. It depends on how much people work on a project, how much of their heart and soul that are in it. It isn't only about the budget because the new Star Wars films were pretty expensive.

 

[KangConquers]

Same here. Regardless whether you're using the discarded '80s back story for Evil-Lynn or the 2002 Reboot origin, she's not the same age as Adam/He-Man & Teela.

In the 2002 reboot, she was a powerful sorceress before she ever met Keldor (something that takes some time to accomplish, in damn near any Sci-Fi/Fantasy story). Then when Keldor was injured in his fight with his brother Randor, it was Evil-Lynn who took him to Hordak in order to be saved. And this was (presumably) years after their initial meeting.

So a 50 year old actress for Evil-Lynn? Sounds about right to me. As I said, Tia has the acting chops and charisma to pull off the role. And 50 or not, she's still hot as hell.

Yeah. I think the absolute lowest Evil-Lynn should be cast would be 35, but probably more over 40. She needs some age to her.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Then again, this is Hollywood. For women, 35-40 is practically 50. It sucks, but that's the nature of the biz.

 

[Panthro]

Then again, this is Hollywood. For women, 35-40 is practically 50. It sucks, but that's the nature of the biz.

It does suck.

 

[Jordacar]

I think Orko should be CG, but there should be a strong human element, whether by motion capture or on-set puppetry (for reference). Since he has no legs and his face is covered, the majority of his performance is going to come from his voice, his eyes, and his arms.

 

[Airwings]

Should Orko's eyes look like normal eyes, or be glowing like in this drawing by Rob Jackson?

 

[KangConquers]

Then again, this is Hollywood. For women, 35-40 is practically 50. It sucks, but that's the nature of the biz.

35-40 is acceptable. My personal choice is Charlize Theron.

 

[Thundarr]

Practical effects = animatronics or Henson creature shop then

Fair enough. Only downside to animatronics is a lack of dexterity in things like hands. That can be tough to pull off.

 

[Thundarr]

Does Peter Jackson really need an actor of the same size as the character? Is that the way he works? I think you've missed something. Or I might be wrong myself? Andy Serkis is both a hobbit of ancient times and a giant ape. Holly moses, what a twist!
Avatar was visually stunning when it came out. LOTR trilogy too, and it still is. It depends on how much people work on a project, how much of their heart and soul that are in it. It isn't only about the budget because the new Star Wars films were pretty expensive.

Peter Jackson used little people for reference points in the movies. Watch the "making of" featurettes on your DVDs sometime, they're quite revealing.

My point is the simplest solution to a problem is often the best solution. Sure you could put an average sized person into a motion capture suit and suspend him from wires to play Orko. But then you have to come up with camera and computer trickery to make him appear 2' tall. So why not use a little person for the same purpose? Then all the computer geeks have to worry about is making him look like Orko, and not making him look like he's half his original size as well.

And by the way, I'd place Willow on par with LOTR in terms of quality any day of the week, and all of the Nelwyns were played by little people.

 

[Jordacar]

Should Orko's eyes look like normal eyes, or be glowing like in this drawing by Rob Jackson?

Spoiler

Since he's a friendly character, he should have human-like eyes (but still fairly alien). Not scary at all. Kinda like Yoda, I suppose.

the majority of his performance is going to come from his voice, his eyes, and his arms.

Also his ears. I forgot about the ears.