Are Animators Creeping Us Out?

When animated humans start looking too lifelike, they begin to make viewers feel uneasy. They seem like very convincing robots, given away only by strangely dead eyes or slightly off skin texture. That is the gist of the "uncanny valley" theory. It postulates that animation works best when it convincingly gives toasters and toys and turtles--but not people--human qualities.

This Associated Press article indicates that the current animated movie "Mars Needs Moms" may have unwittingly found itself in the uncanny valley.