17+ Cartoons Come to Life With Artificial Intelligence Technology

Carl Fredricksen — Up

Carl Fredricksen is old, Carl Fredricksen is cranky, but Carl Fredricksen was also easy to love as the retired helium balloon salesman in the Disney Pixar animated classic, “Up.” From his strong hairline, thick rimmed glasses, bushy eyebrows and broad scowl, good ole Carl was as full of fiery character in his appearance as he was in personality. And with the help of AI, Hidreley found a human likeness that is every bit the spitting image of the animated malcontent, floating through the air in his colorful, balloon powered house.

John Smith — Pocahontas

Unlike many animation characters on our list who were simply conjured up from the imagination of Disney’s creatives, John Smith was an actual person who played a big part in getting the colony of Jamestown Virginia started. Unfortunately, the real John Smith was not the looker that Disney needed, so they came up with their own, hunkier version with long blond hair, a squared jawline, and dashing eyes which made AI’s job easy when it came to creating the human version.

Belle — Beauty and the Beast

Belle was a young lady who just loved to get lost in a good book, but this brunette beauty had bigger dreams than just sitting around in her tiny village for the rest of her life. She longed to get out and about and to see a world full of adventure, and she found it quickly enough. With a movie titled “Beauty and the Beast”, the Disney animators had to come up with a looker, and that’s exactly what they did here, giving Belle huge eyes, flawless skin, and a captivating smile. The AI went even further in creating a pure stunner, making the eyes simply devastating, the skin more flawless, and the lips luscious.

Dashiell Parr — The Incredibles

Dashiell Parr was the runt of the family, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to get out and do his part as an “Incredible.” To match the combination of his boyish good looks and his devilish tendencies, the animators had to come up with a face that was capable of showing a look of innocence in one instant, followed by the appearance of power and determination the next, and they achieved the task. The same can be said for Hidreley’s AI machine, which found a boy with almost identical features. With that said, a more devilish smirk would have been better.

Elsa — Frozen

Else gives the name “Ice Queen” a whole new meaning. She’s got those special powers to manipulate ice and snow of course, and she is about to become queen, but then she accidentally sends her entire kingdom into an eternal icy state, and that’s not good for anyone. Of course her character must be animated with very light skin and an almost white hair to go along with her giant eyes and devilish smile. The artificial intelligence software took things a step further, giving her an almost sinister and even condescending look.

Milhouse — The Simpsons

There might not be quite another character as nerdy, geeky, and all around annoying as Milhouse Van Houten. His never ending attempts at coolness and relevancy always result in total and abject failure, and he is the constant target of slights and insults by both his peers and the adults in his life. His animated character has a variety of pronounced features that seem impossible to find in a real human being, but once again, AI and Hidreley have come through with flying colors.

Bart Simpson — The Simpsons

Ay caramba! What can be said about Bart Simpson that hasn’t already been uttered. The boy is a legend in both his own animated world, and the human world of television for over thirty years. He’s spawned endless parodies, and has been embraced the world over for his scratchy voice and childlike mischief. Bart’s animated version shows him to have a head like a brown paper bag with giant, googly eyes and spikey hair. While not quite as good as the others, Hidreley and AI have come pretty close here.

Lady Tremaine — Cinderella

Being a backbreaking, taskmaster takes quite a bit of talent. Not everyone has the ability to both demine and destroy ones dreams in a moment’s notice, which makes Lady Tremaine a legend in the field of overbearing stepmothers. And of course, to be convincing in such a role requires a certain, demented appearance, something the animators at Disney achieved quite well. But what might be even more impressive is the ability of Hidreley and his AI software to find a human version of such a miscreant, and once again, they have succeeded!

Kristoff — Frozen

Kristoff is not depicted the same way as many other leading men in Disney flicks. As an ice harvester, he is big, tall, and strong of course, but he lacks the same chiseled facial features one might expect. His cheeks are a bit fuller, and he has an oversized chin to go along with a larger nose. Even with this, he still manages to snag the queen. And his AI counterpart is not only similar, they are almost identical in every way!

Chucky — The Movie Chucky

While she’s not exactly a “cartoon character” in the same sense as the others on this list, she is an animation and quite a horrifying one at that. In order to work as the scary little girl in the flick Chucky, the animators gave her deeply set, spooky eyes and a nasty scowl to provide her with a look of treachery and debauchery built right in. While sharing similar traits, the AI version is nowhere near as terrifying as the original.

Cinderella — Disney’s Cinderella

One cannot think of Disney without imagining the Disney princess, Cinderella. When she was not busy getting bossed around by her condescending stepmother, she was dreaming of one day marrying the handsome prince. And of course there was that whole ordeal with that glass slipper. And Disney being Disney, the company where only the squeaky clean prevail, Cinderella had to be flawless with bright, blond hair, voluminous eyes, and an engaging smile. Some may argue that the AI version of this Disney royalty is actually more flawless than the animation.

Princess Merida — Brave

When Princess Merida is not busy roaming the Scottish Kingdom with her bow and arrow, or slicing and dicing her way through the woods with her sword, she is watching over her triplet younger brothers. With long, curly hair the color of fire, along with a fierce and fearless expression, the animators created the perfect image of this little firebrand. However, the AI/human version is just not quite right. She is too pretty and dare we say, too soft to portray the original Princess Merida.

Captain Li Shang — Mulan

With his musclebound physique, square jawline and look of determination, Captain Li Shang made for a very convincing character in Mulan. He was on a mission to take down the Huns and he took his charter to do so seriously. The original animators didn’t miss a beat in making him the fierce leader ready to defend China. The AI, however, came in close with it’s interpretation, but, while he’s as attractive as the original, he lacks that ferocity expected from a man in his position.

Rapunzel — Tangled

Rapunzel was in quite the predicament. She was this beautiful, yet feisty girl, trapped in a tower with the bizarre gift of hair that grew and grew and grew every time she sang. And like most feisty girls trapped in towers in a Disney flick, she wanted to find her true love. The animators that brought her to life felt like she should have those big, vulnerable, yet devilish eyes contrasted with the ability to express herself in the most stern of ways to get her point across, and the AI gods were able to find an almost perfect match as her human other.

Julieta Madrigal — Encanto

When she’s not busy caring for her large family, including Isabela, Luisa, and Mirabel, Julieta Madrigal is using her powers to heal whoever in the town needs healing. She is a caring woman first and foremost, and she’s quick to make sure that everyone has what they need to be happy. Such a character needs a face that is both caring and cheerful, with big eyes and a gentile smile. Impressively enough, Hidreley and his AI really came through; the human version is nothing short of a striking resemblance to the original!

Flynn Rider — Tangled

Just one look at Flynn Rider, and one comes away with the impression that he is a smooth talking, bad boy, and that’s exactly what he is in the movie “Tangled”. When he wasn’t stealing, he was getting swept off his feet by the one and only Rapunzel. With a sideways look, slight smirk, and a raised eyebrow, Flynn is always on the ready to make a wise crack for attention. And AI has simply nailed the replication to bring Mr. Rider to life.

Mulan — Disney’s Mulan

Mulan was a young girl who was both smart and resourceful, devising a plan to join the military while pretending to be a man, because that is the only way she could serve. To accurately portray her, the animators gave her a smart, determined appearance with an all knowing smirk. While the AI version was supposed to come up with a Chinese girl, the result very much resembles a girl from Thailand, with a very distinctive smile and high and wide cheekbones.

Sailor Moon — Sailor Moon Series

Sailor moon was a young girl dealing with her inner demons, but she was able to discover her own special talents and, with the help of those around her, took on the bad guys. Typical for a Japanese anime character, Sailor Moon was gifted over-sized eyes that professed a constant expression of awe and surprise. But AI saw her differently, with eyes that were still large, but not to the extreme of the original animators. And the AI version has more of a determined, almost fierce look which would be more in line with the challenges she faced.

Raya — Disney’s Raya

The animated Raya from the movie of the same name was a fierce and powerful woman who knew exactly what she wanted, and was determined to get it. Raya must come with the physical features one might expect from such a persona, so the animators answered the call with strong, forceful eyes along with high cheekbones and stern lips. Her AI version is just as, if not more, powerful in appearance with a look that is both disarming and awe inspiring at the same time.

Joe Gardner — Soul Movie

Joe Gardner was a man trying to live his dream as a jazz musician. He was hip, he was cool, he was everything one might imagine a jazz player to be. With this in mind, the original animators gave him a cool hat, hip glasses, and a big smile that he flashed on the regular. While the AI version is not quite as exaggerated as the animation with the giant jaw and tiny head, it is still as cool and hip as it should be.

Olive Oyl — Popeye

Olive Oyl is an icon from the earliest days of animation. She’s a woman who always finds herself stuck in between the affections of the big guy, Pluto, and mister forearms himself, Popeye the sailor man. And she was always energetic and over the top. Her animated character had stick like proportions, with long legs and giant feet, to go along with a long nose and tightly wound hair. Popeye quipped that she’s perfect at 5’7″ with measurements of 19 x 19 x 19. Astonishingly enough, Hidreley and his AI magic found a very close human match to this perpetual damsel in distress.

Tintin — The Adventures of Tintin

Tintin was an investigative journalist who was always working hard to get the story. He did this while relying on his Boy Scout background to keep him honest and wholesome. The original animators of the series gave him that wholesome appearance with a slightly inquisitive look and a bit of a devilish smile. The AI robot did the same, coming up with a young man who looks every bit the innocent, unassuming Boy Scout who appears kind hearted and approachable. These are two traits that make for a good investigative journalist looking to get people to talk to him.

Handsome Hans — Frozen

Handsome Hans might just be the best looking villain in animation movie history. His creators pulled out all the stops in bringing this bad guy to life. He has that squared jaw, powerful red hair, and menacing eyes. But he also had a kind of innocence in his expressions from time to time. This is something that Hidreley and his AI software may have missed out on when they came up with their human version, a man who looks more like the no nonsense, star high-school quarterback than the vulnerable villain in a Disney movie.

Isabela Madrigal — Encanto

Isabela was known as the “perfect” one with her ability to bring flowers to life with the simple wave of a hand, but did she know that there were some who viewed her with contempt for her arrogance and condescension? And, of course, to be a character who floats along with such grace and infallibility, she must look every bit the part with her long, flowing black hair, flawless olive skin, and grandiose eyes. And her AI generated, human version matches up perfectly.

Bruno Madrigal — Encanto

Okay, so Bruno Madrigal was on the outs from his family, but he still had the ability to see into the future which would make him a valuable asset to the story. With this in mind, the animators gave him a bit of a prophetic appearance. He came with long, curly, unkept hair, and a quizzical look on his face, much like you might see with an ancient philosopher. And Hidreley and his AI were able to come up with an almost perfect example of what Bruno might look like if he were a real person.

Prince Naveen — The Princess and the Frog

It’s got to be rough going from being a handsome prince to becoming a frog, but that is exactly what Prince Naveen had to deal with in the flick, The Princess and the Frog. If you’re an animator looking to create a dashing, Indian prince, you go for the olive skin, the square jawline, the flowing hair, and the penetrating eyes. It must have taken the artificial intelligence program quite a bit of time to arrive at the human comparison, but they did come up with a winner who, at a glance, is even more stunning and dashing than the animation.

Apu — The Simpsons

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is mostly recognized as being the Indian who immigrated to the U.S. It was his mission to live the American dream in the most stereotypical way possible, as a clerk at the Springfield Kwik E’Mart. The animators gave his character very dark skin, and an almost Elvis like hairstyle with over-reaching side burns. these were accompanied by a razor thin mustache residing just below an oversized nose. While finding the human version of Apu may seem to be a daunting challenge, artificial intelligence was able to do so in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, in today’s climate of social justice, his stereotypical character was no longer acceptable and so he was removed from the show.

Camilo Madrigal — Encanto

In addition to his ability to shapeshift on stage, all while entertaining the crowd, Camilo Madrigal was a constructive force powered by his eternally positive disposition. To accommodate this, his animators provided him with a face fit with soft dimples and an endearing smile. This, along with his big, curly hair, gentle eyes, and high cheekbones made for a wonderful image. And with the help of his artificial intelligence gear, Hidreley was able to replicate an almost perfect version in human form.

Snow White — Disney’s Snow White

Who doesn’t know the story of Snow White; the young and beautiful lady who was doing everything she could not to be murdered by the notorious queen? In her human form, Hidreley, and the magic of his artificial intelligence program, managed to conjure up quite the looker which eerily matches her animation form all the way down to her radiant eyes, high cheekbones, and charming smile. In the end, this human Snow White could be described as nothing short of stunning.

Moana — Disney’s Moana

Moana, the Polynesian beauty from the movie of the same name, is striking in both physical appearance and her strong will and temperament. Moana, after all, looks to be her peoples hero and so the animators needed to create an appearance that would emphasize her powerful traits, and the result is nothing short of stunning. One would think that replicating such a creation in human form would be a serious challenge, but Hidreley found the exact match, complete with strong cheekbones, huge eyes, and a devilish smile.

Pepa Madrigal — Encanto

Looking for a sunny day, call Pepa; looking for a bit of clouds, call Pepa; prefer some rain, call Pepa. Pepa Madrigal had the special power to control the weather on her whim, which would be a great conversation starter at parties. She could also have a bit of a temper, so best to watch your step. And such a girl is deserving of an expressive face to match her expressive powers, with big eyes, a bright complexion, and a focused appearance. The AI added all of this, but also gave her a bit of a “Don’t mess with me look.”

Princess Tiana — The Princess and the Frog

You would be hard pressed to find as good a cook in the town of New Orleans as Tiana. This culinary talent wanted nothing more than to have a restaurant in New Orleans that she could call her own. Tiana was also on the hunt for that elusive prince. For such a thoughtful and determined character, the animators employed a brilliant smile, high cheekbones, and dazzling eyes to bring her to life. The AI went a step further, making her even more gorgeous and radiant than the original.

Lilo Pelekai — Lilo & Stitch

Out of all the AI generated images on this list, Lilo Pelekai might just be the most accurate and adorable. As a result of being an orphan, this little girl should rightfully don a grumpy scowl, but this is furthest from the truth. Lilo’s expression radiates happiness and optimism. With her wide eyes, tiny dimples, and gentle smile, Lilo Pelekai looks like she could conquer the world with pure joy. And the AI version is every bit as lovable.

Peter Pan — Disney’s Peter Pan

Peter Pan is best known as that quirky little character that managed to fly all over the movie screen as he fought off those evil pirates. The original animators needed to design an image that would portray the expressive and energetic Peter Pan; they were very successful in their efforts. With huge eyes protected by giant red eyebrows that reached to the sky, Peter was unmistakable. There could be no actual human possessing such over the top features, that is until Hidreley and his AI showed up to bring Mr. Pan to life.

Ned Flanders — The Simpsons

Ned Flanders is unmistakable as the paranoid, bible thumping landlord to the Simpson family. For Ned, or simply “Flanders” as he is often called, any questioning of the tenets of the “good book” will be met with shock and disbelief. Flanders would just as soon disown his entire family than permit any derision of the bible. With his brushed back hair, side burns, oversized mustache and googly eyes, coming up with a human doppelganger really wasn’t all that difficult for Hidreley and his AI software.

Ariel — The Little Mermaid

Whether she’s swimming around with singing crabs, or dreaming about landing her handsome prince, Ariel was as beautiful and vivacious as she was fun and energetic. This was not an easy task for even the best AI software to duplicate. But, once again, Hidreley achieved giving his girl fiery red hair, big eyes, and adorable freckles. With such a stunner, there isn’t a prince anywhere in the underwater kingdom that would be able to pass her up.

Lisa Simpson — The Simpsons

Can you think of anyone more qualified to torment Bart Simpson than his sister Lisa? At just eight years old, Lisa is a giant in the family and ahead of her time. She loves to do her own thing regardless of any flack she may get. She also moves through the world fearlessly. Her animation character appears bright and full of wonder, with giant eyes and a big, wide smile. While the AI version is a good likeness, the eyes might be a bit too big for a human. With that said, she does look eternally hopeful and comfortable in her own skin.