I know what it is, have for a long time. Fun creepy- it's not just in animation anymore. Fairly recently on some social platforms it's become popular for people to do makeup jobs to create the uncanny valley on humans. With some more recent animation efforts and AI, the UV is getting even crazier. Some animation is starting to almost cross the valley it's so good. And also, AI comes up with some disturbing new uncanny with it's creations. From the spooky realms, UV is notable with cryptids and other folklore with their almost humanish uncanny. Some pareidolias cross into the UV too. And for a long time, many people have been creeped out by things like wax people, mannequins, and ventriloquist dummys. A lot of art goes there too.

I know uncanny valley was coined in relation to more recent robots, but it's something hardwired into us. To be unsettled by the almost but not quite right of human likeness.

The movie that I find creepiest is Polar Express - never watched Shrek. IMO, Polar Express is an insult to Chris Van Allsburg's beautiful illustrations. Shrek was written & illustrated by William Steig and looks nothing like the film. They managed to make him sort of cute in the animation.

This super creepy video is popular with kids at our camp lately - it's the ultimate in uncanny valley, IMO - the kids like to sing the song...

Haven't had issues with animated movies but if given a choice they are probably the last thing I would pick to watch. The creepiest thing I've seen recenlty is when they animate pictures of real people. Last year my son took old pictures of himself, his friends, me and my daughter and had us moving and singing to various songs. It was funny but creepy too.

I like the animated movies, because they're not close enough to real for me.

I suppose some probably think this is cool, and I find it relevant, but bringing pictures to life is a little creepy for me.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KoBBroT1Bi8&pp=ygUoYnJpbmdpbmcgcGljdHVyZXMgb2YgQW5uZSBCb2VseW4gdG8gbGlmZQ%3D%3D

The Pixar moview are fine, and I like both the movie and Steig’s origanal of Shrek. But Polar Express, no, that uncanny valley was just too much. Also very noisy, visually and aurally.

My first encounter with the uncanny valley was probably before that term even existed: Clutch Cargo. The human lips with animated figures totally creeped this child out.

Hunh. Had no idea UV was a thing. Never experienced it. Does that mean my brain is numb or my eyesight is bad?

^^^^^ I'm with Fun2BHere.

I gave in and read the thread because I had no clue and had never heard the term. I looked at some of the links and I am still not sure that I "get "it. For starters, I am not a movie watcher and i particularly do not like what I call Sci Fi stuff, so maybe I just don't really cross paths with it. I don't care for this and don't find it entertaining or interesting or anything I'd want to spend time or energy on.

Full disclosure though---

I did think the youtube that rob shared was interesting ( to me) and I do enjoy that. I've often tried to imagine how historical figures would look in today's world and style etc.

There's been some research into why folks valleys are different depths- including not experiencing it. There can be a lot of different factors. Here's a couple research papers on it, though there is still much more to be researched with the UV effect.

Familiar faces rendered strange: Why inconsistent realism drives characters into the uncanny valley

The uncanny valley phenomenon: Does it affect all of us?

And this last one is an article rather than research, but offers an interesting perspective.

The "Uncanny Valley" Is a Lonely Place

In a way, uncanny valley is like pareidolia. Many people can experience it the same way, and also many people will experience it differently. Some people can see the faces in everything, others don't so much. Adjacent to it is rorscach tests and how those are used. Seeing things differently does not necessarily mean something isn't working in the brain or eyes. Though sometimes it does.

At this time, researchers haven't really gotten into testing UV enough to draw correlations as well as the many years use of rorscach tests. But there are more studies being done. Developers are always looking for how to bridge the valley. Medical folks are always looking into how we work.

Not exactly UV, but a close example we see around here. VR mockups of designed rooms. Sometimes they are very good, but something is just off, you know it it's really a photo of a real room. Because it's not. Some people are pretty good at picking out what is off, others don't notice till it's pointed out. And sometimes don't really see it then.

I like the animated movies, because they're not close enough to real for me.

I agree - because they're not intended to look like people, I don't have a disconnect with what a real person looks like. Intending to represent people (an animated human character, like a princess or hunter) is very different from an animation or construction intending to mimic a person.