Minipost: Aggra's stupid emotionless face
You know, I don't mind Aggra. She's an okay character, she has good personality traits and she's had some nice moments, even if her voice acting in WoW can be a little tiresome (Go'el!) and her presence in certain scenes rather...shoehorned.
(My fave is probably after you down Deathwing - the preceding moments have been sheer chaos, the world is in danger of being destroyed, the Aspects themselves have been thrown to the ground, so powerful were the forces at work...and then Aggra strolls up like nothing's the matter.)
But anyway, I don't mind her character, but OH MY GOD do I hate her in cutscenes. Specifically, her EMOTIONLESS, SOULLESS FACE.
Aggra has the facial expressions of a brick. The two cutscenes she is present in are some of the most exciting/dramatic moments all expansion - the Rage of the Firelands trailer, where Thrall learns of Ragnaros' return, and the Fall of Deathwing cinematic, where WE JUST KILLED DEATHWING AND SAVED THE WORLD - and yet, she looks completely bored and uninterested. Or about to fall asleep.
What's that, Thrall? Ragnaros is back to consume the world in fire? Yawn.
Oh, we just killed Deathwing and saved the world from utter destruction? Booooring.
She is the Jughead of the Warcraft world.
What really bugs me about her robot face is that she's always right next to Thrall, whose model was reworked to have an INCREDIBLE range of expressions. Thrall's emotions are amazing, and it just makes Aggra's emotions (or lack of) even more pitiful.
Only once does she display the SLIGHTEST degree of interest or emotion, and that's after Alexstrasza touches her stomach and hints at her and Thrall's future children. At this point, we see the tiniest little upturn of her lips.
World has just been saved, the Cataclysm is over, and the freaking Life-Binder just essentially blessed my kids and/or confirmed my pregnancy? Time for mild enthusiasm.
I sure can't wait until the final Mists cinematic where we see Thrall deliver a sad speech about Garrosh's downfall and what it means to the Horde and etc., while Aggra is standing at his side, gazing out at the crowd with her dead, soulless gaze.
Aralosseien
Nooo now I am even more annoyed. I hadn't got past her bi-tone voice to notice the facial expressions yet >.>
April 23, 2012 at 12:32 PM
Redbeard
Compared to an 'angry at the world' teenager, I'll take bland any day.
April 23, 2012 at 1:09 PM
Vixsin
Maybe they're just lining it up so that they can cast Kristen Stewart for that part in the movie ...
April 23, 2012 at 2:09 PM
Unknown
@Vixsin
Why would you even say such a horrible thing? *shudder* None of that in my WoW movies, thank you!
April 23, 2012 at 4:13 PM
Redbeard
She has the same look on her face that the ex-NBA coach, Phil Jackson, used to have. Maybe she's working on her 'Zen Master' pose.
April 23, 2012 at 4:32 PM
Kamalia
Aggra's lack of expression has bothered me, too. I thought she was supposed to be passionate, capable of expressing very strong emotions?
At least they've fixed the jarring two-voices thing. Last month, I played a Goblin through the Lost Isles again and took my Hunter to Deepholm for the very first time, and I was so glad to hear Aggra's lines in those locations using the voice-actress who did the Elemental Bonds series.
April 23, 2012 at 5:51 PM
Anonymous
I just hate Aggra in general. I hate her stone face, her incredibad voiceover acting (she has the same tone of voice when "upset" as someone asking you to buy them a cheesecake on your way home) and her terribly cheesy and badly written lines. Bleagh.
-ellori
April 23, 2012 at 7:56 PM
Tomaj
You know, Aggra's voice grates on my nerves - it really does - but it's not so bad. Her facial expression, though, I think there is reason for it. Keep in mind the pre-Cataclysm events out in Nagrand where she's supposed to be the one teaching Thrall how to "find peace" so to speak (the only words I can think of right now). She's been in a position where she hasn't really had the ability to show emotions, and such is left in a Mona Lisa type situation. Admittedly, I wish there were some more there, after seeing these, but I guess I still dislike her less than Alexstrasza.
April 23, 2012 at 9:37 PM
Sidian
What's interesting (read: infuriating) is that the whole structure of Thrall's face, in terms of which features are exaggerated, is so clearly geared toward showing emotion, but Aggra... She suffers from pretty lady face, as exhibited by so many runway models and, relevantly, Miss Bella Swan, who I note has been mentioned upthread.
I say relevantly because I feel the two of them have pretty similar roles in their respective stories: they facilitate plot for their significant others, mostly through lacklustre presentation while the other character hogs the spotlight.
Bella is twelve times worse because she is a complete non-entity constructed for the reader to slip into her place and court Edward - 'cause, hey, shoddy romance novel, innit - and Aggra does have the basis of a strong character... but both of them are presented as though they should be treated as far seconds, and the visual side of them sure does drive that home.
April 25, 2012 at 12:52 AM
Inno
I think I prefer her voice acting and her lack of expression over the last expansions wailing Mage...
April 25, 2012 at 4:15 AM
Anonymous
Her face looks way too 'human'. Sexual dimorphism lol lives on.
April 27, 2012 at 10:17 PM
Anonymous
Aggra suffers from Lady Face - aka - they spent so much effort on making her face "pretty" that they either they didnt have time to actually give her expressions or that in doing so would ruin the skin some way and they couldnt be arsed to fix it in time.
Or the most likely explanation; she's not important enough to warrant the extra work.
August 19, 2012 at 12:48 AM