Top 5 Animated Movie Voice Overs (or so..)
While not being part of the well-revered 12 principles of animation, vocal performance is an art often overlooked. In fact – surprisingly – no voice actor has ever made it to the oscars.
In light of this tragic reality, I have put together my favorite animated movies based on voice acting – ranked in no particular order, with the intention of celebrating and putting forward a level of importance and appreciation for voice over work.
Get Jana Osman’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Naturally, this list is going to be pretty subjective, but I believe the best way to assess one’s ability to act comes down to a convincing roleplay of a character.
#1 - A Silent Voice (2016)
A silent voice indeed. This movie tells the story of a deaf schoolgirl dealing with bullying. The character that intrigued me the most was Shōya Ishida, and his development: from a bully, to a good friend, to a lover. What made it really special, though, was the amazing acting that complements the very sad nature of the story.
#2 - Mulan (1998)
One of the classics in this list; the timeless tale of a woman disguising as a man in order to attend war in place of her father. Her bravery and discipline inspires many young girls, but one point not touched upon very much lies in the title of this blog. Mulan would not be Mulan without her enthusiastic, confident yet compassionate attitude played by Ming-Na Wen.
#3 - Aladdin (1992)
Yes, a whole new world of acting. The now-stereotypical Arabian nights tale featuring magic lamps, genies and flying carpets; Aladdin’s beauty can be attributed to so much more than just the beautiful animation, coloring and catchy tunes. Jasmine’s voice, for example, perfectly embodies the feminine yet despairing soul that she is, while Aladdin’s voice portrays a youthful, light-hearted fella just so well.
#4 - Kirikou and The Sorceress (1998)
A lesser known classic but a pretty popular one in the French-speaking world, of which many have received a chance to enjoy during their childhoods. The movie follows the tale of a child born so small yet so intelligent that he goes on several missions to outsmart the evil sorceress Karaba who is believed to have ‘eaten’ all of the men in his village, and constantly threatens, destroys and steals their precious belongings from their fragile straw huts. Funny moments include Karaba weirdly expressing her anger and Kirikou outsmarting her by pretending to be a talking hat.
#5 - The Ice Age movies
What makes the Ice Age movies so popular and what is so special about their characters? Apart from his visuals, iconic wide-set eyes, funny-looking lazy mess of a character, Sid the sloth’s voice remains so recognizable. His lisp protruding from his speech, coupled with his usually fairly stupid comments: his personality and character remain almost unforgettable – and even likable (to an extent) to many viewers.
This article was written for Voice Talent Online’s blog contest — Scholarship #1
