7 Motion Capture Characters That Prove These Performances Deserve Greater Recognition

Based on it's impressive opening weekend box office numbers, Avatar: Fire and Ash is looking set to be another success for James Cameron's sci-fi epic franchise. With that success, attention has once again turned to the process of motion-capture performance. Every Na'vi character in the Avatar films is created through Motion Capture. The actors perform their roles while wearing high tech motion-capture suits that capture every movement and facial expression, which then become the onscreen rendered model of their character.

Motion-Capture is not just a CGI creation. The character would not exist without the actor's work. For this reason, many fans believe motion captured performances should get more recognition than they usujally do come awards season. Here are a few motion capture characters that prove these performances deserve greater recognition.

1. Gollum, played by Andy Serkis in 'The Lord of The Rings' trilogy

During The Lord of The Rings trilogy, Director Peter Jackson helped pioneer motion capture technology in film, and Andy Serkis was the actor that helped him do it. Serkis played Gollum/Smeagol, a former Hobbit hideously warped by a long obsession with and possession of the One Ring. While performing as Gollum, Serkis was on set, but performed most of his scenes alone. Serkis's features are clearly visible in the final character model of Gollum in the movie, and Gollum's voice, which is fully the work of Serkis and required no digital enhancement, strained the actors voice. This required him to regularly drink a mixture of hot water, honey, and ginger, which he referred to as 'Gollum juice', between takes.

Once they saw the process that went into creating Gollum onscreen, and how much Serkis fully embodied the character, fans campaigned for the actor to receive Oscar recognition for his work. Unfortunately, the campaign proved unsuccessful, as did future campaigns for his mo-cap work as Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboot films. However, Serkis's work as Gollum is well remembered and respected for showing other actors and directors what was possible with motion capture technology.

2. Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldana in the 'Avatar' franchise

Some fans will be unaware of the fact that James Cameron's original script treatment for Avatar was first written in the mid-90s. The technology to depict the world and characters as he envisioned was not yet available, so he temporarily shelved the film. After seeing Andy Serkis's motion capture work in the LotR trilogy, Cameron decided what he wanted for Avatar was now within reach, and the film entered pre-production, with Cameron finalising plans for the alien Na'vi, native to the moon Pandora, to be portrayed through motion capture.

One of the first actors cast for the film was Zoe Saldana in the role of Neytiri, the future spiritual leader of the Omaticaya Clan. While Jake Sully is the film's lead, it is Neytiri through whom he, and the audience, learn and fall in love with the Na'vi world and culture, and Saldana's performance received heavy praise. However, although Avatar was nominated for, and won, the Best Picture Oscar during its award season, the cast were overlooked in the acting categories.

Many fans hoped this would change after the release of Avatar: The Way of Water, highlighting Saldana's work as Neytiri, particularly her heartbreaking reaction to the death of she and Jake's eldest son, Neteyam. Sadly, her work was again overlooked, with a prevailing belief that too many Oscars voters still view motion captured characters as a nifty special effect rather than a true performance.

3. Thanos, played by Josh Brolin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

In Marvel's comics, Thanos is not intended as a relatable character. He is a classic villain, earning every letter of his usual title of Mad Titan. And yet, despite successfully carrying out a plan to wipe out half of all life in the universe, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of Thanos managed to convince a portion of the fanbase that he was in the right. Most reviewers attribute this phenomenon to Josh Brolin's performance as the character.

The MCU's Thanos cycled through a few different designs before the final look settled on in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Brolin portrayed Thanos through motion capture, with most of his scenes filmed on set alongside the other actors. In addition to his motion capture suit, Brolin often wore an extra rig with a Thanos cut-out mounted upon it. This was to give a visual cue as to Thanos's eyeline, and highlights the hard work of the other actors in the films, who had to adjust their own performances to make sure they are looking in the right spot, rather than simply at Brolin, when sharing scenes with Thanos.

4. Alita, played by Rosa Salazar in 'Alita: Battle Angel'

Based on the classic manga/anime OVA Battle Angel Alita, the 2019 film Alita: Battle Angel, stars Rosa Salazar as Alita, an amnesiac cyborg eager to recover her memories and find a purpose in the world. Salazar is one of a number of actors in the film to portray their character through motion capture, however, in the case of Alita, the technology is mostly used to accentuate existing physical features of Salazar's, like her large eyes. This makes the character feel more than human while just avoiding a fall into the uncanny valley.

While the film received mixed reviews upon it's release, Salazar's performance was praised. The film has quickly come to be considered a cult hit, with fans holding out hope for a sequel.

5. Smaug, played by Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' and 'The Hobbit: Battle of The Five Armies'

One may assume that motion capture is best or mostly used for humanoid characters, but the more time goes on, the less true that becomes. In Peter Jackson's The Hobbit films, Benedict Cumberbatch performed both voice and motion capture work to portray Smaug, the dragon living in The Lonely Mountain from whom our dwarf heroes hope to recover their generational treasure.

Some argued that motion capture was unnecessary for Smaug.. he's a dragon, he doesn't need human features, why not just CGI him? But Cumberbatch was willing and eager to put in the extra work, which, while maybe not strictly 'necessary' elevated Smaug beyond the usual cinematic beast.

6. The Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Following Bill Bixby, Eric Bana, and Eric Norton, Mark Ruffalo is the fourth actor to play Dr. Bruce Banner in live action. However, he is the first actor to ever portray both Banner and his angry green alter ego, The Hulk. Ruffalo plays The Hulk through the use of motion capture.

As well as helping show off Ruffalo's acting chops, portraying two characters per movie rather than just one (at least until Avengers: Endgame), having Ruffalo's familiar features visible aids with the Hulk's development over the films, and helps audiences connect with him. He is far more than a rage monster. Ruffalo makes the Hulk a being with his own needs and wants.

7. Kiri, played by Sigourney Weaver in the 'Avatar' Franchise

In the first Avatar film, Sigourney Weaver plays Dr. Grace Augustine, a scientist and researcher studying Pandora, and seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict between humans and Na'vi. Weaver also plays Grace's Na'vi Avatar through motion capture. Sadly, Grace is killed prior to the final battle.. so it initially came as a surprise to learn that Weaver was signed on for more films in the series.

In Avatar's sequels, The Way of Water and the recently released Fire and Ash, Weaver, now in her 70s, portrays fourteen year old Kiri, a Na'vi girl mysteriously born from Grace's Avatar and adopted by Jake and Neytiri. Kiri's story, searching for the truth behind her birth and her special connection to Pandora's Mother Goddess, Eywa, forms a key part of the sequels.

A woman in her 70s successfully and believably playing a girl in her mid-teens is something only truly possible through motion capture. Hopefully, award voters take more notice in the future.