Celebrity voiceovers: Need to match... fate

Dubbing is a job that requires skill and expertise, not simply walking into a studio and reading from a script.

Audience disappointed

Two foreign blockbusters, the animated film "Doraemon: Nobita and the Adventures in the Picture World " and the film "Holy Night: Demon Hunters" have somewhat disappointed audiences because the dubbing makes viewers feel uncomfortable, dragging down their emotions when watching the film.

Netizens said bluntly: "The failure of the animated film "Doraemon: Nobita and the Adventures in the Picture World" (recently released) was the invitation for Salim and Hai Long to voice the King and Queen." The dry, emotionless dubbing made the two characters in the film of poor quality.

Not stopping at complaining posts on social media, Doraemon fans also sent emails to the company holding the film's copyright, requesting to replace the dubbing voices of Salim and Hai Long. Doraemon's representative responded that they could not meet the audience's expectations, and could not replace the current dubbing because the post-production work took a lot of time (and money).

Tran Thanh dubs the movie and is loved by the audience.

Miss Ky Duyen was highly appreciated for her acting in Tran Thanh's film, but her voice is her limitation. Therefore, when she participated in dubbing in the film "Holy Night: Demon Hunting Team", Ky Duyen's voice did not receive positive feedback. Miss Ky Duyen performed the dialogue of the female lead, a cold, strong girl - a member of the demon hunting team. Ky Duyen kept her voice even and monotone throughout the film, even though there were tense situations in the film that made viewers find the film less attractive and stiff.

"Brother" Gemini Hung Huynh was invited to voice the character Fishlegs Ingerman in "How to Train Your Dragon" but netizens also voiced their disagreement. This reaction is completely understandable because the movie "How to Train Your Dragon" is a classic animated film, leaving an interesting impression on the audience when it was released in theaters.

Audiences protested against Gemini Hung Huynh dubbing the Vietnamese version of "How to Train Your Dragon" in 2025 because they did not want an amateur to take on this role, especially when the character Fishlegs Ingerman is very popular and the above work is also considered a blockbuster with a large fan base.

Many people say they will only watch the 2025 live action version of "How to Train Your Dragon" with subtitles. However, some people also say they should wait for Gemini Hung Huynh's performance in the dubbed version before making a final judgment.

"Vietnamization" with dialogue

Celebrities being invited to dub movies is not new. Toc Tien, Phuong Vy, Doan Trang, Lam Truong, Hong Nhung, Minh Hang, Tran Thanh, Vo Ha Tram... have participated in dubbing movies. The appearance of stars in dubbing roles can help increase the appeal of movies, easily attract media and promote more widely. Since 2024, the market has begun to see a trend of inviting celebrities to dub movies. This year, the number of foreign movies dubbed has increased dramatically compared to previous years.

Dubbed films were once criticized as outdated because most of them did not match their mouth movements. Moreover, dubbing costs money, so distributors are often not interested in dubbing films in their native languages. However, dubbing is making a comeback with the recent trend of inviting celebrities to dub foreign films. However, if you choose the wrong dubbing person, the film will immediately lose its appeal.

Inserting the words "mo ru", "o de", "pretend"..., the dub of "Dép trai thay sai sai" made many viewers laugh heartily, forgetting that they were watching a Korean movie. A series of trending keywords such as "anh trai say hi", "Hải Thứ Hieu" (ie Hieu Thu Hai) were put into the mouth of the uncle Sanan by Meritorious Artist Hoai Linh in a very humorous and timely way. Or "Gia tài cua ngoai" made people feel like they were watching a Vietnamese family movie because of the rustic Western accent, not a Thai movie.

In addition to "Vietnamizing" with dialogue, many distributors have boldly included original Vietnamese songs in films to enhance the local quality. Typically, the song "Xuan Thi" composed by musician Phan Manh Quynh became the soundtrack of "404: Run Now". Director Vu Thanh Vinh, who is behind many dubbing projects, informed: "We not only translate but also Vietnamize and meticulously refine. The goal is to make viewers feel close and charming as if they are watching a real Vietnamese film". Besides language, the "dubbing star" factor is also becoming an effective strategy. Thanks to them, foreign films not only wear a new look but also significantly improve their quality. There are parts where the original characters' dialogue is quite stiff, but the dubbing version performs excellently, making the characters soulful.

From a media perspective, the star's name brings a huge fan base, creating momentum for rapid spread, but they also face many difficulties. People's Artist Hong Van voices the role of Pie's mother. This character has many heavy psychological changes. To express that complexity through voice alone, Hong Van had to practice breathing and intonation - a form of "blind acting" without a co-star or a scene to support her.

Actor Quoc Truong shared about his challenging job: "This is an interesting and new experience that helps me realize that acting in language is sometimes more difficult than acting in pictures. As a Westerner, I often speak quickly, so voice director Khanh Ai advised me to stay calm, speak slowly, and focus on pronouncing correctly."

However, stars are not always successful. If the voice is too distinctive, too different from the character's appearance, as in the case of Mac Van Khoa in "Rider: Delivering goods to ghosts", it creates a feeling of dislocation. The problem of dubbing is therefore not only about the name, but also about matching the voice, the spirit and even... fate. However, when the "localized" film units are dedicated, have a long-term strategy and know how to listen to the audience, these disadvantages are gradually limited.

Many viewers frankly expressed that they only want to hear the voices of voiceover experts and cannot "tolerate" the emotionless voices of celebrities.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/nguoi-noi-tieng-long-tieng-phim-can-khop-ca-duyen-3361329.html