I think one of the reasons why Sony Imageworks CGI work isn't as up to snuff as the rest of those companies is that they basically started out animating cartoons (see
The ChubbChubbs short film that they did). They then applied a lot of what they learned from that when they moved on to live-action. That's why a lot of their animation tends to have a very rubbery, almost cartoonish quality to it. They really haven't grown out of that.
All of those other companies, on the other hand, such as ILM and WETA, began doing live-action work right from the outset, and built up from there. That's why a lot of their stuff looks and feels more grounded in reality than work from a company like Imageworks.
Also, when they're spread too thin, the quality of their work noticeably diminishes, as was the case with
Green Lantern. Considering, though, that there is going to be a lot of practical stunt work on this film, not to mention that Stan Wintson's guys at Legacy Effects are doing a lot of the make-up, practical and visual effects for the Lizard, it will give Sony Imageworks the opportunity to pour their time and resources into just a few select things, which will give them the necessary time to perfect it.
Until I see some actual footage, I'm not going to be too worried about the quality of the effects on this film.
