Stan's new voice was good in this episode. Not earth shattering, but it wasn't painfully bad or anything. He sounded a lot like Lionel Hutz.
When I first learned about Monkey Island I stumbled across the "Stan Sells Everything to Guybrush" meme (watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mKj1MMwniQ) And I actually think Weird Al has what most people would envision Stan sounding like... At least before Curse came out.
After listening to the voice some more, you know what?
It's perfect, except for ONE thing.
He didn't drag his syllables long enough. If the actor had dragged his vowels, like in used car commercials where they drag out the "A" sound in "Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy", it would have been exactly how I always imagined him. It might also help if he spoke more quickly, cramming longer sentences(possibly with a lot of qualifiers?) into the same space.
I just completed the episode; unfortunately, I was quite upset with Stan's voice. I was wondering why because the voice was indeed very good; I found the acting to be quite solid and more professional than that of others. Then I found out. This isn't Stan (or his many variations)--at all! True that he has had different voices and also variations in his personality, when not through voice, then certainly by drawing and animation (Stan in the first two games, though silent, was obviously a different person than that in Curse--in Escape, I think they tried to return to that original template), but one quality tied them all together: their oddball quirkiness and eccentricity, or in other words, their unique weird form of mild insanity that never allowed you to take them seriously enough as normal fellow human beings to be able to engage casually and comfortably with them in conversation on a certain down-to-earth level. There have been many such characters surrounding a relatively much saner Guybrush to create that classic illusory picture of being the only sane man around odd and Mad-Hatter-like individuals in an asylum with whom you are forced to interact somehow. These are the characters that produce that reaction best typified by Guybrush's wild-eyed stare towards the screen during one of the 'pirate I was meant to be' verses in Curse.
With this voice (the lines and script also), I feel that a more in-this-world, able-to-be-taken-more-seriously-in-conversation Stan has lost his membership amongst that cast of characters who possessed that mentioned quality that made interacting with them a great deal of fun and would have made them eligible as guests at the Mad Hatter's tea party. As such, the longer drawn out role of Stan in this game as opposed to a cameo role makes his presence all the more painful. With such a flaw, it would have been better had Murray been given this greater length of involvement in an episode instead of Stan (when I saw in one screenshot the skeleton in court, I was hoping Murray would be back, for what better, more appropriate venue than this court is there from which to work his wit and indulge his love of torturing Guybrush).
That being said, I still think Stan's voice actor is quite good, but that that voice has radically transformed Stan beyond all recognition and certainly should not have been used for that role, but could certainly have been used for the role of a new character.
I wasn't totally sold on Stan (if you'll excuse the pun)... he didn't try hard enough to defend his clients or sell the merchandise - even if the merchandise and general idea was excellent. The old Stan was totally oblivious to what people actually wanted and would do anything to make a sale (like allow himself to be nailed into a coffin) and he should have been an amazing (see: terrible) lawyer. I also found the speech to be a little slow and not 'salesman-y' enough.
Despite my criticisms though, I enjoyed his appearance in the episode and definitely prefer this calmer Stan to no Stan at all.
I just completed the episode; unfortunately, I was quite upset with Stan's voice. I was wondering why because the voice was indeed very good; I found the acting to be quite solid and more professional than that of others. Then I found out. This isn't Stan (or his many variations)--at all! True that he has had different voices and also variations in his personality, when not through voice, then certainly by drawing and animation (Stan in the first two games, though silent, was obviously a different person than that in Curse--in Escape, I think they tried to return to that original template), but one quality tied them all together: their oddball quirkiness and eccentricity, or in other words, their unique weird form of mild insanity that never allowed you to take them seriously enough as normal fellow human beings to be able to engage casually and comfortably with them in conversation on a certain down-to-earth level. There have been many such characters surrounding a relatively much saner Guybrush to create that classic illusory picture of being the only sane man around odd and Mad-Hatter-like individuals in an asylum with whom you are forced to interact somehow. These are the characters that produce that reaction best typified by Guybrush's wild-eyed stare towards the screen during one of the 'pirate I was meant to be' verses in Curse.
With this voice (the lines and script also), I feel that a more in-this-world, able-to-be-taken-more-seriously-in-conversation Stan has lost his membership amongst that cast of characters who possessed that mentioned quality that made interacting with them a great deal of fun and would have made them eligible as guests at the Mad Hatter's tea party. As such, the longer drawn out role of Stan in this game as opposed to a cameo role makes his presence all the more painful. With such a flaw, it would have been better had Murray been given this greater length of involvement in an episode instead of Stan (when I saw in one screenshot the skeleton in court, I was hoping Murray would be back, for what better, more appropriate venue than this court is there from which to work his wit and indulge his love of torturing Guybrush).
That being said, I still think Stan's voice actor is quite good, but that that voice has radically transformed Stan beyond all recognition and certainly should not have been used for that role, but could certainly have been used for the role of a new character.
my thoughts exactly. he didnt feel like stan to me.
Are you serious? Stan's voice in SMI:SE was cringeworthy. His slow and laidback voice was pretty much the opposite of what his hectic and energic animation suggests.
You lot, honestly! I've never heard such a split opinion!
I was happy to see Stan again, but always remember him as in CMI; a pushy salesman with *that* voice. And since I've just finished SMI:SE, that voice has really stuck now; it's just him.
Was a little disappointed with the look of the new Stan at first but he soon grew on me; he has a more "Stan" face than the SMI:SE version.
It's like reading a book; your imagination always fits faces to the characters which it sees best fit.
I quite liked his Curse voice, actually. I tend to fall into the traps of smooth-talking salesmen more often than fast-talking ones, who just annoy me to death. So taking revenge upon him in Curse was more satisfying for me, at least.
Comments
Thanks a lot :mad:
When I first learned about Monkey Island I stumbled across the "Stan Sells Everything to Guybrush" meme (watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mKj1MMwniQ) And I actually think Weird Al has what most people would envision Stan sounding like... At least before Curse came out.
It's perfect, except for ONE thing.
He didn't drag his syllables long enough. If the actor had dragged his vowels, like in used car commercials where they drag out the "A" sound in "Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy", it would have been exactly how I always imagined him. It might also help if he spoke more quickly, cramming longer sentences(possibly with a lot of qualifiers?) into the same space.
With this voice (the lines and script also), I feel that a more in-this-world, able-to-be-taken-more-seriously-in-conversation Stan has lost his membership amongst that cast of characters who possessed that mentioned quality that made interacting with them a great deal of fun and would have made them eligible as guests at the Mad Hatter's tea party. As such, the longer drawn out role of Stan in this game as opposed to a cameo role makes his presence all the more painful. With such a flaw, it would have been better had Murray been given this greater length of involvement in an episode instead of Stan (when I saw in one screenshot the skeleton in court, I was hoping Murray would be back, for what better, more appropriate venue than this court is there from which to work his wit and indulge his love of torturing Guybrush).
That being said, I still think Stan's voice actor is quite good, but that that voice has radically transformed Stan beyond all recognition and certainly should not have been used for that role, but could certainly have been used for the role of a new character.
Despite my criticisms though, I enjoyed his appearance in the episode and definitely prefer this calmer Stan to no Stan at all.
my thoughts exactly. he didnt feel like stan to me.
Nah, he's the best yet.
Are you serious? Stan's voice in SMI:SE was cringeworthy. His slow and laidback voice was pretty much the opposite of what his hectic and energic animation suggests.
Have you played Curse? It's the same voice but nearly twice as fast and more energetic, more true to Stan.
I was happy to see Stan again, but always remember him as in CMI; a pushy salesman with *that* voice. And since I've just finished SMI:SE, that voice has really stuck now; it's just him.
Was a little disappointed with the look of the new Stan at first but he soon grew on me; he has a more "Stan" face than the SMI:SE version.
It's like reading a book; your imagination always fits faces to the characters which it sees best fit.