When it comes to cartoons, the animation is the first thing that catches the eye. But the voices of the character are also critical. Experienced actors highlight the key features and allow us to form the image of the character in our minds.
Sometimes we don’t notice it, but the voice-over is a massive instrument to the cartoon’s success. Don’t believe me? Here are the best examples of cartoon characters’ voices in animation history.
1. Shrek
Remember Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona, Eddie Murphey as Donkey, or the Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots? These classic characters are guaranteed to bring quotes to your mind. Shrek is a classic animated movie, and the perfect selection of actors for voiceover is one of the reasons. Antonio Banderas, Cameron Diaz, Eddy Murphy — to name a few – of course, we can’t forget about Mike Myers as Shrek himself.
Shrek’s classic Scottish accent is vital to the character’s charm and helps to conjure the idea of a rustic, rugged, rough comedian with a heart of gold beneath the Ogre’s appearance.
2. Megamind
A whole galaxy of talented actors took part in this project. Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Ben Stiller, Tina Fey, and others gave their voices to charismatic and unusual characters in this animated film. The voiceovers’ tone helps us understand Megamind better and follow his story as he changes his behaviour to end his life as a villain and become a hero.
All the actors skillfully told this beautiful story of social labels, inequality, and determination that brings this story to life. Megamind breaks free from his destiny to become a good guy, all the while retaining the signature zany sound provided by Will Ferrell. This film quickly became an instant classic.
3. The Guardians / Rise of the Guardians
Here is another example of unusual representations of well-known fairy-tale characters. Each of the characters have depth, insecurities, weaknesses, and strengths in line with their personalities.
The voice actors in this cartoon Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, and Chris Pine, brought their A-Game for this film, with the voiceovers being unique and appealing.
The new vision of classic characters required great attention to detail for the voiceover artist, and all the actors mastered this job perfectly. As a result, we can hear doubts, inner conflicts, hope, and happiness in their voices.
4. Kung Fu Panda
The story of a Panda who discovered his destiny to become the Dragon Warrior, an ancient legend said to save Kung Fu from destruction. Po, the panda, is voiced by Jack Black and brings forward some signature traits of the actor’s bombastic, explosive demeanour.
The cast doesn’t end there, professional actors like Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, and other fantastic voice actors made this animated film a legend. The voices suit the characters perfectly, and we can’t imagine any of the characters speaking differently.
5. Corpse Bride
In this cartoon, actors had not only to speak but also to sing. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, and others made it work oh so well. This dark but beautiful story relies on their voices to make it special. Connecting and believing the tragedy of the tale of the Corpse Bride requires genuine connection via the voiceovers.
Each cartoon needs a quality voice acting to show the characters fully. The examples of great acting from this post show how vital the correct cast is. Just imagine Master Viper from Kung Fu Panda speaking like Princess Fiona from Shrek. It just wouldn’t work, would it? That’s why a quality cast requires a lot of preparation and thinking about certain qualities you want to highlight in each character.