Cutting-edge technology can transform our favorite actors into all kinds of crazy characters. Nowadays, they often transform into… their younger selves?
That’s right — turning back time on the world’s most recognizable faces is becoming more and more common as technology advances. It’s hard to miss the trend, especially since it’s employed in the biggest blockbuster movies. De-aging is useful for prequel films, flashbacks to a character’s younger days, or just for the sake of keeping A-list faces looking their best. Unfortunately, some de-aging just doesn’t look right.
Some movies de-age actors for mere seconds; short scenes, sometimes without much motion or dialogue. Other movies create entirely new characters with the concept using computer generated imagery and even some practical effects to boot. Sure, it is ambitious technology that still needs improvement (and its merit should be noted), but it can make characters look anywhere from slightly uncanny to downright scary.
The list collects some of the most recent attempts at de-aging actors to see just how cringeworthy they can get. It might seem weird at first glance, but de-aging actors is the future of cinematic technology. Apparently the future is now — for better or for worse.
Here are 17 actors made younger with crazy CGI:
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17. Jeff Bridges in "Tron: Legacy"
When 2011’s Tron: Legacy called for the return of Tron characters Kevin Flynn and CLU, Disney chose to do something bizarre. Jeff Bridges portrays both characters, just as he did in the original. However, since CLU is a computer program, he was made to look younger with special effects and motion capture— and it shows in the worst way.
It looks like somebody took Jeff Bridges and made a rubber action figure out of him.
This is only made worse by Jeff Bridges’ actual appearance in the film, featuring long gray hair and a full beard. The physical contrast of the two is immediately apparent, but it doesn’t make Jeff Bridges look old — it makes his CGI doppelganger look silly. It was a pretty advanced visual technique, but maybe a little too ambitious for the time.
16. Michael Douglas in "Ant-Man"
Disney has invested more money in de-aging techniques than most other movie studios. This is especially apparent in its Marvel Studios projects, which land on this list more than once.
Michael Douglas is de-aged in Ant-Man, during a flashback scene featuring Douglas’ character Hank Pym. The flashback takes Michael Douglas from 1989 and brings him to life in one of the more impressive instances on this list. It actually does look strikingly like young Michael Douglas for a little while.
As the scene plays out, Douglas speaks plenty of dialogue and becomes so physically animated (no pun intended) that he actually gets several close-ups. The scene starts out scarily realistic, but as he speaks and the camera moves in on him, the CGI begins to reveal itself. His jaw becomes rubbery and his mouth looks increasingly fake.
Like most of these entries, it looks amazing until the actor starts to… well, move.
15. Carrie Fisher in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
Her scene is short: she appears on screen for a few seconds, and speaks only one word. However, Carrie Fisher’s appearance in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story just seems… off. It’s difficult to describe in specifics, and that’s the problem with the uncanny valley — when a human replica is “incorrect” or “imperfect” in some way, feelings of discomfort alert us that something is not quite right.
Maybe it’s in her eyes or the way her mouth moves, or something else entirely. All we know is that something just doesn’t look right.
With that said, this cameo is one of the better entries on this list for its brevity and poignancy, especially after the violent scenes prior. Carrie Fisher may have passed away, and she may look like a weird mannequin in Rogue One, but it’s a sweet scene that lands nicely once you get past her uncanny looks.
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