Do you prefer subtitled or dubbed movies?

Discussion in Movies, Music & Games started by daimashin • Mar 9, 2014.

  1. daimashin

    daimashinActive Member

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    When watching foreign movies in languages you don't understand, do you prefer to watch them in their original language and read the subs or watch the dubbed version? I feel that dubbed movies feel weird despite how accurate they synced the lips, it just doesn't feel right to me. Which is why I prefer to listen to the original language even though I don't understand them. At least it feels right. Afterall, I don't mind reading the subtitles as long as they are accurately translated.
     
  2. clairebeautiful

    clairebeautifulActive Member

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    I have to completely agree with you. There is something so distracting about dubbing, the voices never seem to match the characters, and the translation of course isn't as good. I'd rather hear the foreign language while I read the words than hear a voice that doesn't match the person speaking.

    I've also found that once I get into a film with subtitles, it isn't difficult to keep up with. It takes a few minutes to get used to it, but I always fall into rhythm with the words and by the end I feel like I'm not even noticing them anymore.
     
  3. TPhoenix

    TPhoenixActive Member

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    I really don't prefer any of them in any case, but because I like to watch foreign movies occasionally, I have to put up with the subtitles. I don't like dubbed movies. It just doesn't feel natural to me either. I'd rather tolerate the subtitles, even though it can be such a challenge keeping up with what is happening between the cast on screen and the translation happening at the bottom.
     
  4. Dora M

    Dora MWell-Known Member

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    I grew up with dubbed movies, and as a kid I always wondered how one person can talk with a certain voice and then sing in a completely different one. What also puzzled me was the fact that the lips moved in a certain way but the words didn't match. Now that I am wiser, I find dubbed movies quite amusing and like to watch them from time to time. But I am talking about light comedies or similar entertainment. As for going to the cinema or watching an intriguing movie on DVD, I want to hear the original language with high quality subtitles.
     
  5. mikelouis

    mikelouisActive Member

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    I prefer to use the subtitles the dubbed version just don't work for me. I have had some bad experience with the dubbed versions that drove my liking to subtitles. But a times it can be hard to read the subtitles and follow the movie at the same time.
     
  6. lindbergh

    lindberghWell-Known Member

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    It depends on my mood. Most of the time, I prefer perfect subtitles (those without any hiccups in the English grammar). I've had my fair share of foreign films with subtitles that didn't make any sense. It ruined the whole experience. But as long as the subtitles are good, then that's okay. However, there are also times when I don't feel like reading when I'm watching. That's the time when I crave for dubs. The problem with dubs is that the movie seem to be a bit too silent. All in all, I'd go with subtitles most of the time.
     
  7. isabbbela

    isabbbelaWell-Known Member

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    Definitely subtitled. I hate dubbed movies, I can't take them seriously if the mouth is doing one motion that has nothing to do with what is being said! Also, most times they put the worse dubbing that has nothing to do with the original voice and doesn't match the person who's saying it. It's rare that I see a movie that has good quality dubbing, I feel like they don't make an effort to make it sound good. It takes from the movie experience.
     
  8. Ionel

    IonelNew Member

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    Subbed films are better in my opinion, especially because I only want to hear one voice. Dubbed movies are very annoying to listen to.
     
  9. justusforus

    justusforusActive Member

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    Subtitles please. Dubbed look and sound phoney and distract from the story. The subtitles help me learn some new words and also allow the tone and the inflection of the original actors to come through.
     
  10. Esperahol

    EsperaholActive Member

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    I have no preference. I always have subtitles up - because my hearing isn't the best and I hate to crank the volume; however I can have either the dub or the original voices playing over it and it really makes no difference. That said when it comes to something like anime I hate subs and prefer dubs like no one's business. I mean the Japanese voices are always so awful and irritating especially for the girls.
     
  11. RaidAurora

    RaidAuroraMember

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    A long time ago, I was really adamant about hearing a piece in English so that I could understand all the words. Over time I've gradually warmed up to subbing, to the point where I would always prefer to hear the original language to the dub. The voice actors understand the intricacies of their lines much more in a sub than they do in a dub, and sub translations don't have to worry about syllable length like the dubs do. They can just have the words. I still like dubs and can tolerate them, especially for very well done dubs, but the sub wins 90% of the time.
     
  12. deathbyprayer

    deathbyprayerActive Member

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    Subtitled for the most part, but for anime', I'd much prefer dubbed since its animated and the out of sync lip movements doesn't bother me as much as it does on actual films, but only if the voice acting on the dub is great. Having subtitles instead is less distracting than dubbed, since the film that you are currently watching already has its own frequency of acting, when dubbed, it sort of creates this dual channel of acting since the dubber obviously has to act in accordance to what is happening in the film, and sometimes it falls short or too far away from what the actors actual emotion in the film, which is very distracting and funny at times. As supposed to subtitles, on which case is more like you just reading the script.