POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

[DisneyDude2006]

Does anyone really find that the barbossa anamatronic actually looks real? When i went on the ride for the first time, i was blown away by how bad looked. He doesn't even have a white beard, and it looked like it was just glued on in a hurry.

The jacks, however, looked excellent i think. Very lifelike.

[mycroft16]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

Maybe Mr. Rush didn't pay his "actually looks like me" animatronic fee.

[barfownz]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

They had to pay extra for that?

[KDR]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

Probably the other way 'round -- Disney didn't want to pay Mr. Rush for the use of his likeness (I'm sure Mr. Depp commanded a pretty penny). I'm sure this sort of thing is also why the Indiana Jones animatronic neither looks nor sounds like Harrison Ford.

[DisneyDude2006]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

I thought the Indiana Jones looks Like Indiana Jones, but it was 1995. Anyways, i found that barbossa horrible and not even close to like him. The voice was his though, so I don't know. And they actually did hire Harrison Ford to come and record dialogue for the ride.

[Doofy]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

I don't think that Barbossa looks at all like Rush. I was happy that it was his voice though. He is far enough away that you don't get a great look at him so maybe they didn't think is was worth paying the money for his true likness.

Since we are on the topic of POTC changes. When I was at DL in July and August the Davey Jones waterfall animation was very crisp and clear. When I went in September is seemed like the fog was thinner or the animation was out of focus. Is this just in my head??

[ni_teach]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

They had to pay extra for that?

Yes, Disney does have to pay.

[phruby]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

Actually, they had Harrison Ford record the dialog but somehow Disney pissed Ford off at the last minute and he wouldn't go thru with the recording. Disney had to hire someone else to do Indiana's voice. That is why it neither looks or sounds like Ford.

[Soulquarian]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

I think the last Jack AA looks looks like butt...

[CursedPirate79]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

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[yensid1987]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

I'm sure this sort of thing is also why the Indiana Jones animatronic neither looks nor sounds like Harrison Ford.

I think this is for the better. If I AA looked like Harrison Ford, it would distract me. "look at that, the robot looks like Harrison Ford!"
Rather than "Look at that Indiana Jones in hanging form a vine!" It makes the story much stronger to me.

[MaryAnn in Wndrlnd]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

I don't know. I think most of this stuff is rumors. I don't think they would have put in a Barbossa figure if they didn't have the rights. I mean, why is it necessary? They could have easily put in a first mate or something. Or leave it the way it was. Without Barbossa, it really wouldn't have lost anything.

And regarding Indiana Jones, I don't buy the likeness stuff. It looks like Harrison to me. Does anyone have proof of any of this?

I just think that Disney did a bad job with Barbossa, and a mediocre one with Indy. Think about it. Disney does really good animatronics when they don't have to replicate someone in real life. Captain Jack is almost a living cartoon. His face is mostly covered in hair. They pretty much just had to replicate the upper half of his face. Barbossa, and ESPECIALLY Indy, have most of their face exposed. Replicating the bone features of the actors probably isn't the easiest thing in the world.

[RobotMirror]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

...And regarding Indiana Jones, I don't buy the likeness stuff. It looks like Harrison to me. Does anyone have proof of any of this?....

I think you raise a good point. I guess you can say that I've always been, well skeptical of the claims that Harrison Ford wouldn't allow his likeness to be used. I think Exhibit A against this theory is one of the ride safety films, that shows a picture of HARRISON FORD as Indiana Jones (in glasses, hair slicked to the side). This wouldn't have been allowed if Harrison Ford had prohibited his image in the attraction. Plus, Harrison Ford has always said that this was one of his favorite roles -- I'm just not sure there's evidence for the claim that he's denied use here.

Regarding your bone structure difficulties in creating realistic AAs comment... well, wax museums all over the world have no problem in making incredibly lifelike reconstructions of real actors -- I'm sure with the right resources, materials, and talents, that wouldn't be a problem here either (and I personally feel that the first two Jack Sparrows look a lot like the real actor).

[DisneyDude2006]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

I think Jack looked great the first two times (and i mean scary lifelike) but the last jack looked odd. Maybe because we were really up close as apposed to the others? I dunno.

I think the Indiana Jones looks realistic, and i'm pretty sure it's his voice. Lemme look for the article this was in.

[DisneyDude2006]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

OK i found the article, whether or not it IS true, this is it:

Harrison Ford had originally agreed to voice the three Indy characters but would only do it on the condition that they not ask him to appear or do any recordings for the half-time Super Bowl show that year the ride opened, which did have a blatant promo for the new attraction. Well, as fate would have it, he was scheduled for a Saturday recording session, the studio was rented and ready to go. However, a low level idiot in marketing over at the studio, not aware of the agreement, sent a script ot Mr. Ford of the Super Bowl show instead of the attraction script, the Wednesday before the scheduled recording. Incensed that the one simple request was not kept, he canceled just one day before on Friday.

[mrfantasmic]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

I agree that Barbossa not only looks like a Rush job (No Pun intended), and on top of that the voice is obviously not his either. I also can not believe they couldn't think of a better change of dialog either.

Ahh, but it IS Rush's voice in there!

I I think Exhibit A against this theory is one of the ride safety films, that shows a picture of HARRISON FORD as Indiana Jones (in glasses, hair slicked to the side). This wouldn't have been allowed if Harrison Ford had prohibited his image in the attraction. Plus, Harrison Ford has always said that this was one of his favorite roles -- I'm just not sure there's evidence for the claim that he's denied use here.

Ford was miffed by that mix up with the commercials detailed above (I got it from Koenig) and refused to lend his likeness to the ride. Distinction is that Lucasfilm owns the likenesses in the movie. The photo in the ride is from one of the movies. I believe it's Raiders, but don't quote me.
Ford refused to do new material. Therefore, it's not him in "Eye on the Globe" (you never really DO see his face), nor is it his voice inside the ride. As for the likeness, hurriedly, before the ride opened, they added a vinyl covering to the face to obscure it. I'll assume that a subsequent renovation has removed the vinyl mask and used a less canny likeness skin.
So there's the mystery.

[MaryAnn in Wndrlnd]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

Regarding your bone structure difficulties in creating realistic AAs comment... well, wax museums all over the world have no problem in making incredibly lifelike reconstructions of real actors -- I'm sure with the right resources, materials, and talents, that wouldn't be a problem here either (and I personally feel that the first two Jack Sparrows look a lot like the real actor).

Regarding the Jacks, we agree. I just think part of the reason they look so good is because they only have to replicate the top portion of his face.

Regarding Wax Museums, I've been to many, and I've seen some great ones, and some down right awful ones in the same museum. I would imagine that a lot of that is due to talent as you suggest.

Also, perhaps the materials has something to do with it to. Molding wax, I would imagine, is a lot like molding clay. However, putting rubber skin over moving metal parts probably allows for less finesse.

This might be why people think the third one is the worst. That's the one that has to talk. The components under the third one's head is probably more sophisticated than the other.

[Abominable Snowman]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

And they actually did hire Harrison Ford to come and record dialogue for the ride.

Im not too sure about that. I could have sworn I read somewhere that he didnt do the dialogue for the ride...

[The Goddess Mara]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

Geoffrey Rush definitely provided his voice for the Barbossa character.

And, yes, the AA figure looks nothing like him. My understanding is that they are going to upgrade this figure. It's particularly sad next to the red-coated captain on the Wicked Wench that I just saw at Tokyo Disneyland a few weeks ago: he's a top of the line AA figure who moves with more fluidity than the auctioneer! In fact, both the Auctioneer and captain move a lot more in Tokyo than they do in the states.

[DisneyDude2006]

Re: POTC ride update (about the new improvements)

I was wrong about harrison providing the voice, but rush did barbossa