Poll: How do you feel about accents?

[Vault101]

more specifically how does a charachters accent affect your suspention of disbelief? would you prefer a badly done accent rather than the actors native one that might feel a little out of place

For example in fantasy movies/ games you tend to have a few charahcters with american accents, this acctually dosn't bother me I think because it is fantasy, and for me it dosnt seem that out of place for example I think I noticed in dragon age the elves tended to have american accents more often, I think this adds variety and really they arn't in england so theres no reason why they have to have english accents

but It dose bother me I think if its in some sort of historical setting, thankfully there were no american accents in pirates of the caribean (that I can remember and yes that did have heavy elements of fantasy but it had a real world setting)

worst offender for me was valkyre (tom cruise...*rolls eyes*) it completley broke suspension of disbelife I couldnt accept thease guys were german,

sci fi is a little different you can usually get away with any accent, though some might complain about Aliens having american/other accents, but well the fact that they are speaking english in the first place...

 

[tomtom94]

Making the effort with accents is always a good thing, you just have to make sure it gets pulled off.

Otherwise it's reeeeeeeeeeeeally jarring.

 

[SimuLord]

A good accent is a wonderful thing. A bad one is just a disaster. Kevin Costner as Robin Hood leaps immediately to mind.

 

[Ekonk]

A little accent only helps with it becoming more interesting and believable. I wouldn't have complained if they tried to mimic a swedish accent in the brit version of Wallander, as bad as it probably would've turned out.

Just watch the Swedish Wallander then.

Anyhoo, I would prefer EVERYTHING to be in the original language.
Movie set in ancient Rome? Latin. Game set in the Middle East? Arabic. I'm looking at you, Assassin's Creed. With your ridiculous American accent on Alta'ir. In 2 this was the case as well, with these ridiculously fake and over the top Italian accents on all the characters. Would have been a good 100 times better if it was Italian.

In fantasy, however, the setting is - most of the time - Medieval England with dragons and shit, so closest call is British.

 

[Omikron009]

If accents are done well I appreciate the effort a lot, but very few things rip me out of a movie or game like a poorly done accent.

 

[Vault101]

A little accent only helps with it becoming more interesting and believable. I wouldn't have complained if they tried to mimic a swedish accent in the brit version of Wallander, as bad as it probably would've turned out.

Just watch the Swedish Wallander then.

Anyhoo, I would prefer EVERYTHING to be in the original language.
Movie set in ancient Rome? Latin. Game set in the Middle East? Arabic. I'm looking at you, Assassin's Creed. With your ridiculous American accent on Alta'ir. In 2 this was the case as well, with these ridiculously fake and over the top Italian accents on all the characters. Would have been a good 100 times better if it was Italian.

In fantasy, however, the setting is - most of the time - Medieval England with dragons and shit, so closest call is British.

though it is somewhat lampshaded in that he is in a simulation and its easyer for desmond if he can understand the charachters (and I remember a little bit near the end of number 1 where after one of his assassinations I think they lapse into the native language and there were no subtitles as far as a I remember)

 

[FalloutJack]

Speaking as a writer, I feel that putting an accent into the dialogue should be done for flavor and laughs, not necessity. If it's forced, it may come off as cheesy.

 

[Layz92]

Some times you just have to make the effort. I am looking at you British accented, American , Prince of Persia.

 

[Daipire]

I saw two Irish guys in a dvd store talking about a movie titled Zombie Strippers (or something).

It would have been such a boring conversation if it didn't have awesome accents

So yes, but they have to be like, really good.

 

[Shadowfaze]

I get annoyed by the french resistance accents, especially in The Saboteur- "Srow zat nazi piss off sheet off ze roof!"

 

[Brutal Peanut]

The first thing I thought of was Kevin Costner in Robin Hood. Everyone around him had an English accent, and he's just the obvious American. He doesn't even seem to try, and that didn't bother me. I actually preferred it. Because what if the accent was terrible? If they actually practice beforehand and can pull it off with it sounding at least subtle, then sure, thanks for the effort. But please, don't give me embellished, silly, nearly bordering racist ,accents. Especially those Asian accents. (Geez ;;>_>)

 

[GrimTuesday]

A good accent is a wonderful thing. A bad one is just a disaster. Kevin Costner as Robin Hood leaps immediately to mind.

Someone has never seen 13 Days, Costner can't even do a Bostonian accent.

OT: I think that accents are cool, they add diversity to language. I would hate for all of the world to talk like those of us on the west coast (we have no accent).

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

If the accent isn't done well, don't do the accent if you can't pull it off. If you can swing it, an accent can really help the dialogue.

 

[Trivun]

If an accent is done well, or at least passably, then I'm happy. If the actor can't do the accent well then they shouldn't be cast in that role. Every country has some great actors, so surely the producers can just cast a native if needed?

For example. I saw the Wall Street film the other day (the new one), and Gordon Gekko's daughter Winnie was played by a British actress, Carey Mulligan. Now, since Winnie Gekko is an American character, she needs an American accent, and Carey Mulligan pulled it off brilliantly. She definitely sounded the part, I only realised she was British when I was on Wikipedia afterwards (whenever I see a film and recognise certain names in the cast, I like to check afterwards what else they've been in if I can't quite remember myself...).

However, if she hadn't been able to do the accent, then I'd have been pretty annoyed. Oliver Stone could always have casted an American actress in the role, who would have no problems with the accent. However, in this case he didn't, and the chance paid off well. It really depends on whether or not the actor has the skills to pull off the accent, whether it's natural or something they've learned. And that applies to regional accents too (I don't want to see a British film where a Scouse character sounds like a Brummie, or a Geordie is doing a really crap Cockney or West Country accent...).

Of course, if in doubt, you could always just hire Summer Glau. She can pretty much do every accent under the sun, after all...