General Question on Dubs...

[Guest Jesse Smooth]

Just out of curiosity, why does it seem that people frown on English dubs? While there's no problem with German or French dubs? Or maybe its just me. Is it the bad reputation that the English dubs have?

[Guest killer meteor]

I'm told French dubs are of a high standard, whislt the German market likes everything in German

Much of the English dubbing for HK cinema is very hokey but there are some good ones, some from the States

[Guest spannick]

i can tell for a Fact that most German Dubs from the pre-90s Era are Class Product done by Professionals (often real Actors, coming from Theater, TV or Radio ) - (i speak for Dubs done for Cinema Presentations). the English Dubs are nowhere to be called "class" - that's my opinion.

[Guest killer meteor]

I quite enjoy a Shaw film in French! Beats some of the poor Mandarin dubbing they had

[Guest spannick]

but surely not the new Dubs done for the Wildside DVDs! i was laughing my Ass of on NEW ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN with the unbelievable Synt Music and bad Dub Artists! the Original French Dub did sadly NOT make it onto that DVD, just like in Germany all graceful Dubs have been replaced by generic Videocrap.

[Guest The Running Man]

Is it the bad reputation that the English dubs have?

Yes, and that's something that still haunts it to this day.

The thing is, the dubs that have given English dubs a bad name are all the dubs for Asian movies that were produced by the Asian companies themselves. I'm talking about the dubs heard on almost all 70s - 80s hong kong action films and Japanese kaiju films.

In order for Asian companies to help increase interest in foreign sales, they paid these hacks who were living in Asian to churn out dubs so that they can be used for foreign releases and distributors in English speaking markets didn't have to worry about additional costs in making a dub. Problem is, the dubs were terrible.

These dubs became a joke because of how bad they are and are a big reason the genres are not respected in the West. Ironic thing is, these dubs are held in an almost mythic high acclaim by those that grew up with them. They confuse nostalgia for quality.

The reason you hear from foreign countries who say Euro dubs are better than English dubs is because they didn't grow up with those horrible kung fu and Godzilla dubs people in English speaking countries did. This is a big reason as to why unlike people in America and UK, people in Euro countries don't have a stigma about feeling bad about listening to one of their dubs or have to deal with forum freaks attacking them for liking a well made one (and I stress, well made). In fact, Euro DVD review sites (not including UK of course) have no qualms about reviewing a dub fairly and justly unlike a lot of these boneheads on English speaking websites do where they bash all dubs even if it is very well made.

Since those horrible days in the 70s and 80s, many many high quality English dubs have been made more frequently by true professionals and real voice actors in America. And yes, there are many they are past the level of a typical Euro dub and are excellent.

However, those hacks that Asian studios hire still very much exist and are still churning out dubs which can be heard on any Godzilla film and those new dubs put out by Media Asia and Fortune Star.

[Guest Markgway]

I have a soft spot for the 80's Jackie Chan dubs done by GSE; but that's because they were well done and (intentionally) funny and also sometimes accompanied better edits of the films (ie. Police Story II).

[Guest killer meteor]

In fact, Euro DVD review sites (not including UK of course) have no qualms about reviewing a dub fairly and justly unlike a lot of these boneheads on English speaking websites do where they bash all dubs even if it is very well made.

Boneheads is a rather harsh choice of words. There is a general dislike of dubs amongst English language film reviewers and considering what we've had to put up with, I'm not surprised. There are good dubs and bad dubs: some people are willing to try a dub to see if they like it, whilst others just want the original language with subtitles, and the dub is irrelevant. I myself used to hate dubs but having to put up with them in order to see the films has allowed me to develop a tolerance, fondness and, in cases like City Hunter, genuine admiration for the dub

[Guest The Running Man]

Boneheads is a rather harsh choice of words.

Not really. It's actually pretty accurate. Judging from your post, you seem to have an understanding that there are well made dubs and piss poor dubs. Almost all reviewers I have seen online don't seem to get that and worse just label them all as bad in their reviews and move on.

[Guest killer meteor]

TBH, dubs are not the best way to view a film and for some people the obviousness of it is distracting. There are those, like you and I, who enjoy a dub, but for others they are a negative. Heck, I'm still annoyed about all those Mandarin and Cantonese dubs where it's quite obvious it isn't the actor's voices! I really don't think Lu Feng sounded that old!

[Guest The Running Man]

TBH, dubs are not the best way to view a film and for some people the obviousness of it is distracting.

Dubs are fine if they are made well. There are many dubs I enjoy over the original version. For example, Jackie Chan's City Hunter. I do not find the Cantonese version of City Hunter to be as good.

And it isn't the obviousness that makes those reviewers say anything (in fact, many excellent dubs are quite seemless). It's the fact that they just simply accept what seems to be in the air on a lot of those fanatics online in that hating all dubs is the way to go.

It's simply the fact that over the years there have been so many bad English dubs that it has cast a shadow on to all of the well made ones. The fact that in many non-English speaking countries this taboo on dubs does not exist proves that it's really more about how the majority of the English dubs that dominated the scene have been largely bad and mostly from those hacks that Asian studios cheaply hire.