POTC Rush likeness debate proved on POTC 2 DVD

[DisneyDude2006]

All (including me) who have wondered why barbossa's painting and AA looks so crappy, now you can be assured. Jeffrey Rush was involved in the making of his AA and lending his voice. There is a part on the DVD about the ride and it shows JR at the shop looking at his model and talking about it. So those who wondered if he was involved...He was. Now why does the painting look so darn horrible?

[almandot]

I still don't think the barbossa AA looks so horrible. The painting? Yes, yes I do.

[DisneyDude2006]

I'll be going in a few weeks, so I'll look at barbossa better (I'll have my video camera and zoom). Last time I went, I could SWEAR he had a bright white beard which bugged me. Then I came here and no one believed me My friends saw it too and thought it was horrible because it made him look funny. But now, I guess it's brown.

[Alice's Wonderland]

I honestly didn't notice a painting of Barbossa. Which shows how observant I am... Any pics?

[Pirateheatther]

At least with the painting I could recognize him, the AA not so much..

[pineapplewhipaddict]

I think they both look fine...my issue with the AA is that it's far too clean. Barbossa is a very dirty pirate...

[DisneyDude2006]

I honestly didn't notice a painting of Barbossa. Which shows how observant I am... Any pics?

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm have you been on POTC since the update? ALthough, I guess the painting didn't come for a little after the update...Have you been on in the last month or so?

[Old Bill thePirate]

This old pirate says that the Barbossa AA is one of the most pitiful sculpts WDI has ever done. It doesn't remotely resemble Geoffrey Rush made up as Barbossa. Awful.

[~*~Aniko~*~]

grrr im still waiting on my dvd ... i pre-ordered it from disneyshopping and its not here yet

[ganggreen4jc]

This old pirate says that the Barbossa AA is one of the most pitiful sculpts WDI has ever done. It doesn't remotely resemble Geoffrey Rush made up as Barbossa. Awful.

Apparently, "pitiful" is in the eye of the beholder, because I have absolutely no issues with the "Barbossa" AA whatsoever. I think the folks at WDI did a fine job on both new AA's.

[Mr. Dark]

My take on Barbossa's AA:

Rush is a character actor of the highest quality, and like most excellent character actors, it is a particularly malleable face that holds much of his acting talent. Johnny Depp is a master of body language and such, but he's always Johnny Depp. If you look at Rush as oily yet suave theme park tycoon Price in House on Haunted Hill and compare him to the grimy Capt. Barbossa, you'd hardly believe they were the same person.

And almost all of that comes from his ability to emote and emulate an entirely different man with his facial expressions. Watch him become enraged as Price, then watch him become enraged as Barbossa. It's quite impressive.

My point?

AA's, even the most modern and high-tech variety, have one flaw: the face. They've made them move so realistically that you can hardly tell them apart from people. But when it comes to the face, it's still latex or similar rubber stretched over a skeleton with some moving elements. It can't come within a mile of expressing the thousands of tiny movements that make up our faces. That's why Disney has shied away from full AA's in many attractions (Haunted Mansion Holiday, Buzz Lightyear, etc.) and used AA figures with projected faces. With Barbossa, such a face would look ridiculous, so we're left with a very exact match of the actual topography of Rush's face...completely without any of the very active and animated expressions that make Rush the actor that he is.

The captain of the Wicked Wench prior to Barbossa was -designed- as an AA. Much like the auctioneer and the other famous AA's in the attraction, they had that exaggerated look that expressed a specific emotion without requiring much actual movement. By the artist's creativity and talent, the Auctioneer -seems- to move his face more than he actually does. Why? Because he's only similar to a human. No human looks like him or ever will. He's close enough to pass, but seeing a person walking around with his face would have the same effect as the creepy King from Burger King.

So you have authenticity, in that it's a sculpt of Rush...but because he isn't animated like Rush (and could never be with today's tech), he just looks -wrong-. Depp avoids this with Sparrow, because his first two scenes require no facial movement whatsoever, and his third features him tipping back and partially obscured...likely intentional, to avoid the same problems as Barbossa.

[horizonsfan92]

^^Agreed, this is the problem you run into when you put "celebrities" in rides, not saying it's a bad thing, this is just the most common problem. Check out the Ellen AA in Universe of Energy and it barely even looks like her.

[Athlonacon]

I completely agree with Mr. Dark.

Now, having said that, I still believe Barbossa has a "I made an uh-oh in my pants" type of look.

[Am_I_Demon]

lol. i agree. its a pretty...crappy... looking painting.. but the AA is okay looking i guess.. as for the DVD.. i bought two copies of the 2 disc special edition from my work for cheap ($17.00)

[DisneyDude2006]

I disagree that johnny is always "johnny." He is the most versitile actor I believe I've ever seen. he never has played the same character twice!