The 11 Worst Examples Of The Uncanny Valley Effect In Movies

While CGI and visual effects have seen countless amazing advancements over the years for filmmakers, the issue of the “uncanny valley” in movies has been a challenge to overcome. In terms of filmmaking, the uncanny valley refers to a certain stage in animation advancement that renders a creepy or unsettling quality to human characters in movies. The idea is that the ability of animation reached a level that was too realistic to look like a cartoon anymore, but not realistic enough to look completely human, thus falling into the uncanny valley.

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The effect has been satirized and criticized among critics and movie fans for years with some movies that relied on the relatively new motion-capture technology making the uncanny valley even harder to ignore. However, the uncanny valley is simply a result of the advancements in technology encountering some growing pains. There are great movies that have featured examples of the uncanny valley, and while the effect cannot be enough to ruin a movie, it certainly doesn’t help.

11 The Hulk

Hulk (2003)

Years before the MCU, Oscar-winning filmmaker Ang Lee brought Hulk to the big screen. While the movie was a box office disappointment and received a mixed reaction from fans, in recent years, Hulk has been praised for its inventive take on the superhero genre. However, one thing that has not aged well is the graphics for the Hulk himself in certain sequences. The movie stars Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, the mild-mannered scientist whose exposure to gamma radiation turns him into the powerful beast.

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Hulk came out at a time when superhero movies were only beginning to be popular and the visual effects were not quite at a point where they were believable. This can best be seen in sequences in which Hulk is rampaging through city streets. The effects make the character look more like a stop-motion creation, like the original King Kong from 1933, as he appears of place in his environment, has jerking movements, and the people around him don’t believably interact with him.

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8/10 Hulk PG-13ActionDocumentarySci-Fi

Hulk is a 2003 superhero movie directed by Ang Lee, starring Eric Bana as the titular character. Predating the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hulk ended up being a critical flop despite being based on a popular superhero. However, the film still made a huge profit at the box office upon release.

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*Availability in US Director Ang Lee Release Date June 19, 2003 Cast Eric Bana , Jennifer Connelly , Sam Elliott , Josh Lucas , Nick Nolte , Paul Kersey Runtime 138 Minutes

10 The Photorealistic Talking Animals

The Lion King (2019)

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While the uncanny valley was initially identified thanks to the graphics behind human characters, The Lion King remake proved that animal characters can be just as off-putting when brought to life. Continuing with the trend of Disney remaking its classic animation movies as live-action, The Lion King retells the story of young Simba who loses his father and must come to terms with his destiny to become king of Pride Rock.

The effects in The Lion King are impressive as they animate photorealistic animals, from lions to baboons to warthogs. However, real animals don’t talk and sing so adding those qualities to the realistic-looking animals is what gave the characters their uncanny valley look. The effect didn’t deter the audience, though, as the film was a massive box office hit, and the upcoming prequel Mufasa: The Lion King continues to use the same effects.

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2.3/10 The Lion King PGAdventureDramaFamily

Jon Favreau directs this 2019 live-action adaptation of Walt Disney’s popular film, The Lion King. Starring Donald Glover, Alfre Woodard, Seth Rogen, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, this release follows young Simba as he grows up to become a mighty lion and take vengeance on his dastardly uncle, Scar.

Director Jon Favreau Release Date July 19, 2019 Cast James Earl Jones , John Kani , Shahadi Wright Joseph , Eric Andre , Donald Glover , JD McCrary , Alfre Woodard , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Beyoncé , Florence Kasumba , john oliver , Seth Rogen , Keegan-Michael Key , Billy Eichner Runtime 118 minutes Expand
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9 Tiny Tim

A Christmas Carol (2009)

Robert Zemeckis is a filmmaker who has stumbled into the uncanny valley more than most, and while A Christmas Carol is his most effective use of motion-capture filmmaking, it is not without its issues. This retelling of A Christmas Carol uses the transformative power of motion capture to turn Jim Carrey into the elder Ebeneezer Scrooge, a self-centered businessman who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve in an attempt to get him to change his ways.

Scrooge is the most effective character in the movie because he looks the least realistic. All of the work done to animate Carrey as an older man gives him a more cartoonish face. However, the issues come with the other human characters, like Tiny Tim. Especially seeing him next to Carrey’s Scrooge, the contrast highlights the uncanny valley effect more vividly.

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8/10 A Christmas Carol PGAnimationFamilyFantasy

A Christmas Carol (2009) is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novella, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jim Carrey in multiple roles. The film employs motion capture technology to bring to life the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. Through these supernatural encounters, Scrooge is compelled to reevaluate his life and change his ways.

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*Availability in US Director Robert Zemeckis Release Date November 4, 2009 Cast Jim Carrey , Gary Oldman , Colin Firth , Robin Wright , Cary Elwes Runtime 94 Minutes

8 The Arnold Schwarzenegger Cameo

Terminator: Salvation (2009)

Terminator: Salvation was the first movie in the Terminator franchise that did not feature Arnold Schwarzenegger as the lead. However, while Oscar-winner Christian Bale stepped in as an exciting protagonist, the movie couldn’t avoid referencing the iconic original actor. Bale plays John Connor in the movie, which takes place in the future as humanity continues to fight for their survival.

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While Sam Worthington is the main Terminator character, there is a sequence in the climax where John encounters an early version of the famous T-800. However, Schwarzenegger doesn’t return for this cameo, and his younger self is instead rendered with CGI. What was meant to be a crowd-pleasing moment is more likely to take the audience out of the movie as it looks like a video game rendering of the classic character. The movie seems to recognize the effect doesn’t work as T-800’s skin is quickly melted off, leaving only his robot skeleton.

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6/10 6/10 Terminator Salvation PG-13 Sci-FiAction

In post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor is one of the leaders of the human resistance fighting against the ever-growing army of machines intent on wiping out mankind. After young Kyle Reese befriends Marcus Wright, a former death row inmate, John Connor discovers Skynet’s plan to terminate Reese before he can travel back in time. The military leader is forced to scour the war-torn wasteland to find his teenage father to ensure his own survival.

Director McG Release Date May 21, 2009 Cast Sam Worthington , Moon Bloodgood , Christian Bale , Bryce Dallas Howard , Anton Yelchin Runtime 115 minutes

7 Grand Moff Tarkin

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

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With the advancements in technology, one of the most controversial uses in movies has been recreating the likeness of deceased actors in order to bring back some of their iconic characters. One of the first big movies to pull this off was Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which brought back Grand Moff Tarkin decades after Peter Cushing passed away. The movie is a prequel to Star Wars: A New Hope, detailing the mission to steal the Death Star plans, so the Rebels can take out the Empire’s greatest weapon.

Though Tarkin only appeared in the first Star Wars movie, he is an iconic villain in the Star Wars franchise and it makes sense that he is involved in this story. However, using Cushing’s likeness becomes a big distraction in these scenes. Unlike most CGI-created characters, Tarkin is meant to be a human character who interacts with other real actors, making his digital face hard to ignore.

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12 8.8/10 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 12+Action Sci-FiAdventure

Set in the weeks leading up to Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story provides additional context for the Rebellion’s plan to destroy the Death Star. Rogue One follows Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) as she enlists the help of Rebel Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) to locate her father, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), after the Empire kidnaps him. 

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*Availability in US Director Gareth Edwards Release Date December 13, 2016 Cast Felicity Jones , Diego Luna , Ben Mendelsohn , Donnie Yen , Mads Mikkelsen , Alan Tudyk , Jiang Wen , Forest Whitaker Runtime 134 Minutes
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6 The Scorpion King’s Final Form

The Mummy Returns (2001)

Dwayne Johnson got his first leading Hollywood role in The Scorpion King, but he originated the character in The Mummy Returns. Johnson appears in the prologue of the sequel as this fearsome and ancient warrior. The Mummy Returns sees the heroes from the original movie attempting to stop the villainous Imhotep who seeks to resurrect the Scorpion King and use his army to conquer the world.

The climax of the movie sees the Scorpion King return but as a monster who is half a giant scorpion and half a CGI Dwayne Johnson. The reveal all but destroys the big climax as the character looks like something walking out of a video game. While Brendan Fraser defended The Mummy Returns‘ effect, they would have been much better off simply bringing Johnson back without CGI or having it be a fully CGI scorpion monster without the human face.

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6/10 The Mummy Returns PG-13AdventureThrillerActionFantasy

A sequel to The Mummy, The Mummy Returns stars Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz as Rick and Evelyn O’Connell. Now married, the O’Connells are once again drawn into a sinister plot surrounding the evil mummy Imhotep, now attempting to gain power over the army of Anubis by killing the legendary Scorpion King. John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, and Oded Fehr also star, and the film marks Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s feature film debut as The Scorpion King. 

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*Availability in US Director Stephen Sommers Release Date May 4, 2001 Cast Arnold Vosloo , John Hannah , Brendan Fraser , Oded Fehr , Rachel Weisz Runtime 130 minutes

5 The Main Characters

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within had the distinction of being the first feature-length movie to use motion-capture technology to create its characters. In that sense, it became a test subject for what works and what doesn’t with the new technology. The movie assembled a star-studded cast, including Alec Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, Ming-Na Wen, and Steve Buscemi in the story of the fight for the survival of Earth after it has been taken over by alien phantoms.

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When the movie first came out, it offered a momentary thrill of seeing this new approach to animation. However, that could not sustain an entire film, as the characters have lifeless and emotionless faces, which makes it hard to connect with the story. The ambitious attempt to bring this technology to mainstream filmmaking led to Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within becoming one of the biggest box office bombs of all time.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within PG-13AnimationActionSci-Fi

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is a 2001 animated science fiction film directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Motonori Sakakibara. The film centers on Dr. Aki Ross and her team as they seek to save Earth from mysterious alien entities known as Phantoms. Notably, it features a blend of realism and computer-generated imagery, bridged by voice talent from actors such as Ming-Na Wen and Alec Baldwin.

Director Hironobu Sakaguchi Release Date July 11, 2001 Cast Ming-Na Wen , Alec Baldwin , James Woods , Donald Sutherland , Ving Rhames , Steve Buscemi , Peri Gilpin Runtime 106 Minutes

4 The Feline Characters

Cats (2019)

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While The Lion King ran into the uncanny valley by having realistic animal faces unable to emote like humans, they at least avoided the mistake that Cats made. The adaptation of the famous Broadway musical follows an ensemble of stray cats as they gather for an important celebration where one of them will be selected to ascend to a new level of being and return for another life.

Cats was a notorious flop with audiences and critics, being called one of the worst movies of all time by many. A large part of the complaints were aimed at the misguided decision in how to bring the cat characters to life. The critters were CGI characters with the human faces of the actors superimposed over them. In the end, they looked like neither cats nor humans.

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6/10 Cats PGMusical

An adaptation of the stage musical by the same name, Cats boasts a star-studded cast playing the Jellicles, a tribe of street cats who make a choice once a year about which one of them will ascend to what they call the Heavenside Layer and be reborn to a new life. The original musical is itself based on a book by famous poet T.S. Eliot, and remains one of the longest-running Broadway shows. 

Director Tom Hooper Release Date December 20, 2019 Cast Rebel Wilson , Jennifer Hudson , Robbie Fairchild , Idris Elba , Taylor Swift , Laurie Davidson , Zizi Strallen , Ray Winstone , Ian McKellen , Jason DeRulo , judi dench , James Corden , Mette Towley Runtime 110 minutes

3 Ray Winstone’s Viking Hero

Beowulf (2007)

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Robert Zemeckis returned to the motion-capture world with a decidedly less family-friendly story. Beowulf is an adaptation of the classic epic poem about the titular Viking hero who is called upon by a kingdom in need to take on a vicious beast known as Grendel who has killed several people in the land. However, in taking the task, Beowulf must confront his own legendary legacy.

The animation allows for an epic and brutal Viking movie that can be quite thrilling during the action sequences. However, the human characters are once again unconvincing creations that show the limitations of the motion-capture technology at the time. The most detrimental example of this is the main character himself as Ray Winston’s voice presents a powerful and commanding performance that is betrayed by the lifeless animated face the character is stuck with.

Beowulf PG-13AnimationActionAdventureFantasy

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and with a screenplay by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, Beowulf is a 2007 3D Animated Fantasy based on the Old English poem of the same name. The plot follows a Geatish warrior named Beowulf that must travel to Denmark to help slay a powerful creature known as the Grendel.

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*Availability in US Director Robert Zemeckis Release Date November 5, 2007 Cast Ray Winstone , Anthony Hopkins , John Malkovich , Robin Wright , Brendan Gleeson , Crispin Glover Runtime 115minutes
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2 Young Kevin Flynn

Tron: Legacy (2010)

It has become a common thing for movies to use modern technology to de-age actors and make them appear younger. The MCU has used it on several of its stars, from Robert Downey Jr. to Michael Douglas to Samuel L. Jackson. Those effective examples show how far this technique has come since Tron: Legacy. The long-awaited sequel follows Kevin Flynn’s son, Ray, who receives a message from his long-lost father which leads him into the virtual reality world of The Grid.

Along with reprising his role as Kevin Flynn, Jeff Bridges is also de-aged to bring the villainous Clu to life. Given that Clu is a digital recreation of Flynn, the fact that he is not entirely convincing isn’t as much of a problem within the virtual world of The Grid. However, the movie makes the mistake of using the same approach to show a younger Flynn in a flashback in the real world where the video game look of the character immediately looks wrong.

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7/10 7.3/10 TRON: Legacy pg-13 Sci-FiActionAdventure

Tron: Legacy is the sequel to the 1982 cult classic Tron, in which Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) receives a signal from his long-lost father, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges). His search takes him into the Grid, a virtual reality created by his father, who is trapped inside. Father and son must work together with the help of Quorra (Olivia Wilde) to stop Clu, a malevolent program, from escaping the Grid and invading the real world.

Director Joseph Kosinski Release Date December 7, 2010 Cast Olivia Wilde , Garrett Hedlund , Jeff Bridges

1 The Entire Cast

The Polar Express (2004)

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Robert Zemeckis first used motion capture in a feature-length movie for the animated Christmas movie, The Polar Express. Based on a children’s book of the same name, The Polar Express follows a young boy who is beginning to lose his faith in the magic of Christmas. However, when a train arrives at his house on Christmas Eve, he is taken on an amazing journey to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus.

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While the movie features some breathtaking animated sequences, such as the one-take shot following a floating ticket across the wintery wonderland, the human characters don’t work at all. The children all feature the dead-eyed look that was a constant problem in these early motion-capture movies, giving them expressionless faces even when surrounded by so much magic. Tom Hanks plays multiple roles in the movie, but his natural charm is lost in the uncanny valley of his characters.

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6.7/10 The Polar Express GAnimationAdventureFantasyHoliday

Based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express is an animated holiday-fantasy film by director Robert Zemeckis. A young boy is spirited away on Christmas Eve aboard the magical Polar Express, where he meets new friends on a journey to rediscover their belief in Christmas.

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*Availability in US Director Robert Zemeckis Cast Tom Hanks , Daryl Sabara , Nona Gaye , Jimmy Bennett , Eddie Deezen , Peter Scolari , Michael Jeter Runtime 100 Minutes

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Category: Entertainment