Way to go, Dom!!
You know, it will be funny to hear your voice in "Monkey Island 27: Lechuck's Really REALLY Annoyed Now!" when you'll be 82 years old.
I said it once, but I'll say it again: Dom, may I give you a big ol' hug? Not only because you managed to be just spot-on with voice acting when it comes to Mr. Threepwood, but for being just incredibly awesome!
I will add my voice to the bunch; Dominic Armato deserves all praise. He's stepped into a beloved character years ago and helped deepen our love of him. Forevermore Guybrush!
I've gotta agree with all the praise, Dom you are fantastic in LeChucks' Revenge: SE, the delivery of certain lines is damn near perfect and really makes the scenes work. I haven't finished my playthrough of it yet but you are doing a fantastic job as usual.
His latest role in MI2 SE is flawless. Absolutely amazing! I would be a very happy man if I could one day meet you to shake your hand & say thank you in person.
The main thing I can say is that Dominic Armato is the voice of Guybrush. It's a particularly recognizable voice for which no other voice would really feel at home, with that character. Kind of like Deem Bristol was for Dr. Robotnik. (Though Deem is no longer with us, his voice fit Robotnik better than any other.)
It also helped that as more games came out with Guybrush, the character developed further. It's not simply because he innocent, naive, and good-natured; it's also because he also seems to really show feats of amazing courage and dedication when the going gets tough. Part luck? Yes. But oddly enough, a person who actually earned a position where great villains actually feel they have to keep an eye on Threepwood. He's seen as an actual threat.
That, and one might actually say that, at one time, he was truly the mightiest and most feared pirate in the Carribean. Fans might remember when.
I guess if it's one thing that sold me on this game, was that the voice cast came back to do it. That means, folks like Dominic are officially in every Monkey Island game, now. A part of a complete collection.
All I can do is fully agree.
I just posted this on another thread: I also found the last scenes between Guybrush and LeChuck in the catacombs amazing. That pained outcry by Guybrush when LeChuck reveals to him that he is his brother actually gave me goose bumps. It sure was over the top for this basically comical scene but I guess that was intended. Dominic exceled himself in that scene once again!
Way to go, Dom!!
You know, it will be funny to hear your voice in "Monkey Island 27: Lechuck's Really REALLY Annoyed Now!" when you'll be 82 years old.
What Billy West is to Futurama, Dom is to Monkey Island.
Dom brings so much to the character and makes it a really fun experience to play and hear him. I'm so pleased he was able to come back and complete the entire MI series with his voice. I feel quite content now so any more we get from him in the future will be a nice bonus. Fingers crossed.
Thank you Dom (and Earl) for bringing to life my favorite childhood memory. Seriously. That...thanks. LeBron James just left Cleveland and I don't even care anymore.
Dominic Armato is an OK voice actor, but he should've never been cast to play Guybrush. He completely failed to get inside the Guybrush character. His performance is as bland and lifeless as if he was playing a boring version of himself. (Everytime he says "Yikes", it sounds he's reasing the word from a dictionary). Not even the whole niceness in the world is good enough to compensate for a poor performance.
That's interesting. The "Yikes" is actually one of the very very few words that doesn't sound good in my ears when Dom says it - believe it or not!
Regarding the special editions, he managed to deliver some good lines. The Star Wars dialogue at the end of MI2:SE was really good, but that is chiefly due to the fact that he's mimicking a scene that has an emotion of it's own.
One thing that Dom failed terribly to capture in his performance was Guybrush's random mood swings and personality development. During MI1 Guybrush is a fairly naive kid with somewhat of a childish innocence to it. At the beginning of MI2 we can see his personality suffered a transformation after beating LeChuck. He got one of those massive ego boosts that so frequently turn a humble person into an arrogant bastard. He went from a guy who was unable to form simple words in the presence of a woman to the kind of creep who delivers cheap pickup lines to random females (i.e Captain Kate). These changes are never perceptible in Dom's tone. You can't read contempt or sarcasm on lines like "Who's gonna make me, shorty?", nor you can't feel his cowardice while he's attempting to escape from LeChuck. He just sounds... neutral. Awfully neutral. Everytime in every situation, save for a few rare occasions (like the SW inspired scene I already mentioned).
Part of the reason, I guess, is that CMI (and EMI more so) have downplayed Guybrush's character, transforming him into a person from SMI... even more light-hearted in EMI's case, I guess.
It's hard for any actor to voice this kind of personality devolopment, especially in the case when you first voice CMI, then EMI, which is in a sense more naive than CMI, then SMI which is kinda like CMI and then MI2 which should be a totally different level but let's not forget that we have SMI, CMI and EMI and voicing MI2 in a different manner without leaving any connection to Guybrush's CMI personality is a totally unconsiderate option.
Part of the reason, I guess, is that CMI (and EMI more so) have downplayed Guybrush's character, transforming him into a person from SMI... even more light-hearted in EMI's case, I guess.
It's hard for any actor to voice this kind of personality devolopment, especially in the case when you first voice CMI, then EMI, which is in a sense more naive than CMI, then SMI which is kinda like CMI and then MI2 which should be a totally different level but let's not forget that we have SMI, CMI and EMI and voicing MI2 in a different manner without leaving any connection to Guybrush's CMI personality is a totally unconsiderate option.
Then what we have here is a two-fold problem. First would be a poor retroactive scripting by the authors of CMI, and only second, yet inherently tied, the selection of an inadequate voice actor, like I initially stated. Dom is not a bad voice actor in the general sense. Some of his other non-MI stuff is quite good. But I can't help feeling his voice work on Guybrush has been a an all-time disappointment with little improvement.
Regarding the special editions, he managed to deliver some good lines. The Star Wars dialogue at the end of MI2:SE was really good, but that is chiefly due to the fact that he's mimicking a scene that has an emotion of it's own.
One thing that Dom failed terribly to capture in his performance was Guybrush's random mood swings and personality development. During MI1 Guybrush is a fairly naive kid with somewhat of a childish innocence to it. At the beginning of MI2 we can see his personality suffered a transformation after beating LeChuck. He got one of those massive ego boosts that so frequently turn a humble person into an arrogant bastard. He went from a guy who was unable to form simple words in the presence of a woman to the kind of creep who delivers cheap pickup lines to random females (i.e Captain Kate). These changes are never perceptible in Dom's tone. You can't read contempt or sarcasm on lines like "Who's gonna make me, shorty?", nor you can't feel his cowardice while he's attempting to escape from LeChuck. He just sounds... neutral. Awfully neutral. Everytime in every situation, save for a few rare occasions (like the SW inspired scene I already mentioned).
That post reflects that you have very high standards for a voice actor's performance and that's not a bad thing.
Maybe one reason why Dom did Guybrush the way he did might be that, as the protagonist, he has to maintain some degree of constancy in his character's voice. Also, I'm not sure if after seven hours in that booth, I'd still be nailing all different sorts of lines the way I did in the morning.
I'm also wondering: do the actors only have the script in front of them or do they constantly watch a screen where the actual game is running and they can somewhat relate to the scene they are recording?
I'm also wondering: do the actors only have the script in front of them or do they constantly watch a screen where the actual game is running and they can somewhat relate to the scene they are recording?
Usually they have the script, some concept art to have a sense of what the character looks like, and the voice director who tells what situation they're in while saying that particular line of dialogue.
Only on the VERY rare occasion voice actors actually look at the video game while recording.
That post reflects that you have very high standards for a voice actor's performance and that's not a bad thing.
SMI was my first video game ever. Many of the game's lines inspired great moments of my life, including starting to act. So obviously I am a bit more demanding when it's about Monkey Island. I may be sounding like a rabid fan, but I simply believe that an actor should be picked in consideration of the role.
Maybe one reason why Dom did Guybrush the way he did might be that, as the protagonist, he has to maintain some degree of constancy in his character's voice. Also, I'm not sure if after seven hours in that booth, I'd still be nailing all different sorts of lines the way I did in the morning.
Well the sessions do not drag for as long as you may think. Besides any professional should be able to keep it up while maintaining the emotion in his voice. It's a tough job, that's true, but Dom is using is own natural tone when voicing Guybrush, and rarely does any emotional outbursts. That makes it a lot more easier. Also remember games like Monkey Island are occasional one shots. What about the folks who have to voice long running cartoon shows? I once saw an interview with some of the folks who dubbed Dragonball Z. Some of 'em admitted they actually passed out inside the soundbooths due to nonstop sessions of screaming. Compared to that, voicing Guybrush properly is a walk in the park.
I'm also wondering: do the actors only have the script in front of them or do they constantly watch a screen where the actual game is running and they can somewhat relate to the scene they are recording?
They have both. A stand with a paper script and a screen with the current scene going on (or concept art, like Farlander just said).
Well, another reason, as I understand it, is that Yikes... is NOT a word, and shouldn't be pronounced as "Yikes" (unless in a sarcastic or witty expression), it's a SOUND which we transform in written form as "Yikes" because of some form of resemblance. So, the best "Yikes" performances are those who don't PRONOUNCE Yikes, but make a sound of a sudden fright or amusement or disappointment or... well, depending on the context.
Well, another reason, as I understand it, is that Yikes... is NOT a word, and shouldn't be pronounced as "Yikes" (unless in a sarcastic or witty expression), it's a SOUND which we transform in written form as "Yikes" because of some form of resemblance. So, the best "Yikes" performances are those who don't PRONOUNCE Yikes, but make a sound of a sudden fright or amusement or disappointment or... well, depending on the context.
But not with every single sentence. You can deliver a "Yikes" in more than thousand ways, completely depending on the dialogue...
Actually Dom's one of those guys who has almost the entirety of the game lines memorized. He's a hardcore fan of the series I would say. And regarding the "Yikes!", I don't think the situations aren't all that relevant, since the expression itself it's pretty self-contained in therms of meaning and expressivity. Guybrush generally uses it on two possible situations. Either he's running away for something or very scared of something, which would result in a similar tone. The only exception I can think of, and would justify a different tone would be one of the possible ends of SMI where Elaine makes some kind of advance towards Guybrush that makes him say that out of embarassment.
Well, another reason, as I understand it, is that Yikes... is NOT a word, and shouldn't be pronounced as "Yikes" (unless in a sarcastic or witty expression), it's a SOUND which we transform in written form as "Yikes" because of some form of resemblance. So, the best "Yikes" performances are those who don't PRONOUNCE Yikes, but make a sound of a sudden fright or amusement or disappointment or... well, depending on the context.
Not exactly. It's just a very cartoony expression to express a situation of affliction, although not much said in real life.. They used it a lot in classic cartoons, but it's considered antiquated by today's standards. The sarcastic pronounciation is more appliable in real life, yes, but Guybrush uses it in the oldschool cartoon way, probably because the MI humour draws a lot from the old slapstick Looney Tunes humour.
Actually Dom's one of those guys who has almost the entirety of the game lines memorized. He's a hardcore fan of the series I would say. And regarding the "Yikes!", I don't think the situations aren't all that relevant, since the expression itself it's pretty self-contained in therms of meaning and expressivity.
Yes, that was a bad example, I admit that.
But think of that "No, don't, please!" when Winslow rolls Guybrush back hanging on the cloth line. It was absolutely crucial for Dominic to know what was going on in that scene so he could deliver than line right, which he did (not shouting it, not sounding panic but sarcastic).
Yes, that was a bad example, I admit that.
But think of that "No, don't, please!" when Winslow rolls Guybrush back hanging on the cloth line. It was absolutely crucial for Dominic to know what was going on in that scene so he could deliver than line right, which he did (not shouting it, not sounding panic but sarcastic).
This.
It's not just about what you say, but how you (or rather Dom) say it.
Yes, that was a bad example, I admit that.
But think of that "No, don't, please!" when Winslow rolls Guybrush back hanging on the cloth line. It was absolutely crucial for Dominic to know what was going on in that scene so he could deliver than line right, which he did (not shouting it, not sounding panic but sarcastic).
It's not just about what you say, but how you (or rather Dom) say it.
Well I was mainly refering to his work on the Special Editions. I haven't been following the Tales series honestly, so I'm not really able to argue deeply on that. There's one thing I believe I can say though. Unlike older games, the Tales series was written with Dominic in mind for the role, so it may be natural the performance seems more fitting (personally I don't see an older version of Guybrush saying something like "Boyaah, taste my sword of hot monkey vengeance!", but I guess times change, so I'll give it that).
No matter what others think, I really love the voice of Mr Dominic Armato as Guybrush and that's the reason I will buy the remake of MI 1 and 2 otherwise I wouldn't. So thank you Dominic and I hope Telltale will make a new episode of ToMI game with his voice in the very near future.
I think Dominic does a great job voicing Guybrush, the games would not be the same without him. This is a guy who puts his heart and soul into this character, he did great on all the episodes and you could hear him get better and better in each episode, especially in episode 4 and 5 he did an amazing job.
And if he did that heartfelt ending in chapter 4 from just being described what happened and from some pictures, I don't doubt his professionalism because that was really nicely done.
Even listening to the commentary on the disk hearing the developers commenting on his great performance, that really means something.
Well this is what I think anyway.
Ohh and I swear I hear him say Yipes more than Yikes, but that is just a minor thing.
Well, considering I've been using this username since the mid 90's, this feels a bit awkward. Like this is some sort of destined forum battle. Okay, here goes!
I may be sounding like a rabid fan, but I simply believe that an actor should be picked in consideration of the role.
Wow. And here I thought this was the appreciation thread.
Dang, I mean, call me a noob (as far as this fandom goes, I am), but I was introduced to the first game with Dom's full voice-over on the Xbox 360. Since then, I've played the whole series, and I absolutely love how this guy portrays the character overall.
To me, Dominic Armato is the guy who gave Guybrush that whole "Sokka, only more naive and that's saying something" personality. Honestly, I thought Guybrush's "jerk" phase in MI2 came through perfectly, and it made it all the more hilarious.
I know you're saying you don't like the portrayal due to how you saw the emotions... And, well, that's one thing written text has over voice acting admittedly. You get to make up your own mind on how the character says the lines. But really, ever consider that how you saw that scene wasn't how the devs saw it? That maybe the actor *was* chosen for the role?
Just a thought.
As for the rest of you:
I found myself ad-libbing "no, don't, please" with "throw me into that briar patch". LOL That line was just hilarious.
Comments
"holy crap. He nailed it."
No one else can do it. You're great.
You know, it will be funny to hear your voice in "Monkey Island 27: Lechuck's Really REALLY Annoyed Now!" when you'll be 82 years old.
I haven't played the game yet.
I am already convinced this is going to be one of the favorite moments of my life, only 15 years later than I would have expected...
It also helped that as more games came out with Guybrush, the character developed further. It's not simply because he innocent, naive, and good-natured; it's also because he also seems to really show feats of amazing courage and dedication when the going gets tough. Part luck? Yes. But oddly enough, a person who actually earned a position where great villains actually feel they have to keep an eye on Threepwood. He's seen as an actual threat.
That, and one might actually say that, at one time, he was truly the mightiest and most feared pirate in the Carribean. Fans might remember when.
I guess if it's one thing that sold me on this game, was that the voice cast came back to do it. That means, folks like Dominic are officially in every Monkey Island game, now. A part of a complete collection.
I just posted this on another thread: I also found the last scenes between Guybrush and LeChuck in the catacombs amazing. That pained outcry by Guybrush when LeChuck reveals to him that he is his brother actually gave me goose bumps. It sure was over the top for this basically comical scene but I guess that was intended. Dominic exceled himself in that scene once again!
That's a really depressing thought
Dom brings so much to the character and makes it a really fun experience to play and hear him. I'm so pleased he was able to come back and complete the entire MI series with his voice. I feel quite content now so any more we get from him in the future will be a nice bonus. Fingers crossed.
GOOD WORK DOMINIC!
Just finished.
Thank you Dom (and Earl) for bringing to life my favorite childhood memory. Seriously. That...thanks. LeBron James just left Cleveland and I don't even care anymore.
----
Nah, j/k. Everyone's got his own opinion.
That's interesting. The "Yikes" is actually one of the very very few words that doesn't sound good in my ears when Dom says it - believe it or not!
Regarding the special editions, he managed to deliver some good lines. The Star Wars dialogue at the end of MI2:SE was really good, but that is chiefly due to the fact that he's mimicking a scene that has an emotion of it's own.
One thing that Dom failed terribly to capture in his performance was Guybrush's random mood swings and personality development. During MI1 Guybrush is a fairly naive kid with somewhat of a childish innocence to it. At the beginning of MI2 we can see his personality suffered a transformation after beating LeChuck. He got one of those massive ego boosts that so frequently turn a humble person into an arrogant bastard. He went from a guy who was unable to form simple words in the presence of a woman to the kind of creep who delivers cheap pickup lines to random females (i.e Captain Kate). These changes are never perceptible in Dom's tone. You can't read contempt or sarcasm on lines like "Who's gonna make me, shorty?", nor you can't feel his cowardice while he's attempting to escape from LeChuck. He just sounds... neutral. Awfully neutral. Everytime in every situation, save for a few rare occasions (like the SW inspired scene I already mentioned).
It's hard for any actor to voice this kind of personality devolopment, especially in the case when you first voice CMI, then EMI, which is in a sense more naive than CMI, then SMI which is kinda like CMI and then MI2 which should be a totally different level but let's not forget that we have SMI, CMI and EMI and voicing MI2 in a different manner without leaving any connection to Guybrush's CMI personality is a totally unconsiderate option.
Then what we have here is a two-fold problem. First would be a poor retroactive scripting by the authors of CMI, and only second, yet inherently tied, the selection of an inadequate voice actor, like I initially stated. Dom is not a bad voice actor in the general sense. Some of his other non-MI stuff is quite good. But I can't help feeling his voice work on Guybrush has been a an all-time disappointment with little improvement.
That post reflects that you have very high standards for a voice actor's performance and that's not a bad thing.
Maybe one reason why Dom did Guybrush the way he did might be that, as the protagonist, he has to maintain some degree of constancy in his character's voice. Also, I'm not sure if after seven hours in that booth, I'd still be nailing all different sorts of lines the way I did in the morning.
I'm also wondering: do the actors only have the script in front of them or do they constantly watch a screen where the actual game is running and they can somewhat relate to the scene they are recording?
Usually they have the script, some concept art to have a sense of what the character looks like, and the voice director who tells what situation they're in while saying that particular line of dialogue.
Only on the VERY rare occasion voice actors actually look at the video game while recording.
SMI was my first video game ever. Many of the game's lines inspired great moments of my life, including starting to act. So obviously I am a bit more demanding when it's about Monkey Island. I may be sounding like a rabid fan, but I simply believe that an actor should be picked in consideration of the role.
Well the sessions do not drag for as long as you may think. Besides any professional should be able to keep it up while maintaining the emotion in his voice. It's a tough job, that's true, but Dom is using is own natural tone when voicing Guybrush, and rarely does any emotional outbursts. That makes it a lot more easier. Also remember games like Monkey Island are occasional one shots. What about the folks who have to voice long running cartoon shows? I once saw an interview with some of the folks who dubbed Dragonball Z. Some of 'em admitted they actually passed out inside the soundbooths due to nonstop sessions of screaming. Compared to that, voicing Guybrush properly is a walk in the park.
They have both. A stand with a paper script and a screen with the current scene going on (or concept art, like Farlander just said).
But not with every single sentence. You can deliver a "Yikes" in more than thousand ways, completely depending on the dialogue...
Good point. "Yikes" was a bad example then.
Actually Dom's one of those guys who has almost the entirety of the game lines memorized. He's a hardcore fan of the series I would say. And regarding the "Yikes!", I don't think the situations aren't all that relevant, since the expression itself it's pretty self-contained in therms of meaning and expressivity. Guybrush generally uses it on two possible situations. Either he's running away for something or very scared of something, which would result in a similar tone. The only exception I can think of, and would justify a different tone would be one of the possible ends of SMI where Elaine makes some kind of advance towards Guybrush that makes him say that out of embarassment.
Not exactly. It's just a very cartoony expression to express a situation of affliction, although not much said in real life.. They used it a lot in classic cartoons, but it's considered antiquated by today's standards. The sarcastic pronounciation is more appliable in real life, yes, but Guybrush uses it in the oldschool cartoon way, probably because the MI humour draws a lot from the old slapstick Looney Tunes humour.
*edit*
Even merriam-webster says so: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yikes
Yes, that was a bad example, I admit that.
But think of that "No, don't, please!" when Winslow rolls Guybrush back hanging on the cloth line. It was absolutely crucial for Dominic to know what was going on in that scene so he could deliver than line right, which he did (not shouting it, not sounding panic but sarcastic).
This.
It's not just about what you say, but how you (or rather Dom) say it.
Well I was mainly refering to his work on the Special Editions. I haven't been following the Tales series honestly, so I'm not really able to argue deeply on that. There's one thing I believe I can say though. Unlike older games, the Tales series was written with Dominic in mind for the role, so it may be natural the performance seems more fitting (personally I don't see an older version of Guybrush saying something like "Boyaah, taste my sword of hot monkey vengeance!", but I guess times change, so I'll give it that).
All of you gave great information. i don't have enough knowledge about this because i am new here and also in this field.
thanks!!
_______________
brain power
And if he did that heartfelt ending in chapter 4 from just being described what happened and from some pictures, I don't doubt his professionalism because that was really nicely done.
Even listening to the commentary on the disk hearing the developers commenting on his great performance, that really means something.
Well this is what I think anyway.
Ohh and I swear I hear him say Yipes more than Yikes, but that is just a minor thing.
Wow. And here I thought this was the appreciation thread.
Dang, I mean, call me a noob (as far as this fandom goes, I am), but I was introduced to the first game with Dom's full voice-over on the Xbox 360. Since then, I've played the whole series, and I absolutely love how this guy portrays the character overall.
To me, Dominic Armato is the guy who gave Guybrush that whole "Sokka, only more naive and that's saying something" personality. Honestly, I thought Guybrush's "jerk" phase in MI2 came through perfectly, and it made it all the more hilarious.
I know you're saying you don't like the portrayal due to how you saw the emotions... And, well, that's one thing written text has over voice acting admittedly. You get to make up your own mind on how the character says the lines. But really, ever consider that how you saw that scene wasn't how the devs saw it? That maybe the actor *was* chosen for the role?
Just a thought.
As for the rest of you:
I found myself ad-libbing "no, don't, please" with "throw me into that briar patch". LOL That line was just hilarious.