Too CGI heavy?

[StarvingArtist]

It was just the same damn thing over and over again. I can only watch skyscrapers falling and super punches for so long before getting bored. There was hardly any creativity or cleverness to how the action unfolded it was all just boom boom boom.

The best action moment imo was when Faora during the Smallville battle does that super speed move where she goes through like 10 soldiers. It only lasts for like a second but that's what made it awesome... zipping from man to man and all we can make out is her punch poses for a split second.

small addendum: She can punch me any time. Punch me with love.

 

[Kelly]

I definitely could have handled less skyscrapers falling and more story.

 

[Heretic]

I didn't mind the amount of CGI...however, they seemed to repeat the same sequences over and over with new buildings. A lot could have been accomplished had Zod maybe destroyed a building and then beat down on Superman as Clark is ignoring him, saving people. Realizing that Superman would sacrifice himself for others, he would use that his advantage...making up for his lesser strength/powers with better strategy/skill. This would have at least tried to show that Clark learned something from his mistake of standing around watching his dad die...and that he refused to just be a bystander to death ever again.

 

[BH/HHH]

I personally thought the amount of action was perfect, I don't think it would have mattered if the film had been longer if people wanted more story

 

[terry78]

SR had too little action, this one had too much.


I throw my hands up at anymore wish lists from fanboys.

 

[dnno1]

I don't even know why this is a discussion. This is a comic book movie and a lot of the things that need to be pulled off are done with CGI. It would be too expensive to build an entire city just to shoot a major motion picture for under $200 million just to trash it for the next film. The use of CGI is the wave and it's only going to get better and more prevalent in future motion pictures.

 

[Afrokin]

horrible CGI as it didn't pull of what was intended. Too cartoonish. There are some japanese movies that have pulled off epic fights and used practical effects. Watchmen had some GREAT fights without CGI. what scene really needed CGI humans? Those could have all been done with practical effects and well trained actors. moving fast is just sped up footage. i have many art friends and editors who can make ground cracking effects very convincing with cheap tools, so imagine a hollywood budget with more time and care?

ok and aspects of this fight but on a bigger scale, wider shots, bigger set, faster fights, and less obvious wire work...smashing through brick walls etc can be very practical

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zIJCpUqeb4

 

[Afrokin]

Yeah, the noise was offputting. I had trouble enjoying the final fight for that very reason. As for the CG, it's fine, but the FINAL fight had TOO much destruction going on and went on for way too long.

But the Smallville fight was PERFECT. It looked realistic, while adhering to comic-book style and intensity.

I want Zack for the sequel, but want him on a SLIGHTLY tighter leash (the time ramping was replaced with the excessive whip-zooms)

That being said, the man brings beauty, grit, INTENSITY, and symbolism to his imagery and finds great unknowns. He doesn't deserve the hate.

I think quite the opposite about the Snyder leash. Let Snyder be Snyder and i think we would have gotten waaaaay better fights because taking away his slo mo style killed a lot of potential for different things he could have done with the fight. like for instance...every flight was turbo lol. superman never just lifted off the ground gracefully. it was all...ZOOM!!!!

 

[Afrokin]

SR had too little action, this one had too much.


I throw my hands up at anymore wish lists from fanboys.

a middle ground would be perfect is the point

 

[Shazam]

It's Superman!!! I get so tired of fanboys whining about CGI!! You cant do the amount of or the kind of super stuff he does without a lot of it!!

It was done well..........give it a rest!

 

[TheFlamingCoco]

\

a middle ground would be perfect is the point

THIS! Action should resolve tension more than create it. For example, in the ROTLA airplane fight, the ACTION resolves the suspense of Marion sitting near a plane about to explode. The spaceship escape and Smallville fight were the best action scenes in the movies, because they had the most emotional stakes behind them. Goyer-overwrote the action, and you know it's bad if the filmmakers didn't attempt to film YET another action scene.

 

[Max Newlander]

It's Superman!!! I get so tired of fanboys whining about CGI!! You cant do the amount of or the knid of super stuff he does without a lot of it!!

It was done well..........give it a rest!

This isn't about "fanboys" complaining. This is about contributing to a thread that asks "Too CGI heavy(?)" not "Was the CGI done well?"

I agree with you, the CGI is done well, your missing the point from the 'whiners'. They did it well for too long in the movie, there IMO was clearly FAR too much CGI, done well or not... Hence the question in the threads title.

 

[The Guard]

The CGI was fantastic. I have no idea what people mean by "cartoonish". It doesn't look like a cartoon. It doesn't even look that much like CGI in most shots. I think what they mean to be saying is "Superspeed". Because upon second viewing, the CGI is really pretty crisp, and the movement the models are doing is incredibly well done. It's not the rubbery mess people seem to want to pretend it was.

"There was too much action and it was too big"?

Wow, of all the silly complaints in a movie about superpowered Gods duking it out.

First, I don't think think this is an accurate read on the film, as there are really only a couple of fights, and while the scale of destruction is enormous, they don't, with the exception of the final battle between Superman and Zod (which SHOULD have been a knock down drag out fight) last that long compared to other action beats in other movies.

There's a reason there was so much destruction, and it's not just that Snyder wanted things to be as big as possible. There are character reasons, and there are story reasons, and these are found within the film, and will lead into a sequel. I suspect we'll see Luthor as Metropolis' financial savior in the sequel, the rebuilding of Metropolis, and a public who isn't quite accepting of Superman's presence on Earth after the massive scale destruction of MAN OF STEEL.

Anyway, one of the things I liked most about the CGI/action/soundwork is that the combat had some serious "weight" to it in this film. You could feel the blows.

 

[Max Newlander]

The CGI was fantastic. I have no idea what people mean by "cartoonish". It doesn't look like a cartoon. It doesn't even look that much like CGI in most shots. I think what they mean to be saying is "Superspeed". Because upon second viewing, the CGI is really pretty crisp, and the movement the models are doing is incredibly well done. It's not the rubbery mess people seem to want to pretend it was.

"There was too much action and it was too big"?

Wow, of all the silly complaints in a movie about superpowered Gods duking it out.

First, I don't think think this is an accurate read on the film, as there are really only a couple of fights, and while the scale of destruction is enormous, they don't, with the exception of the final battle between Superman and Zod (which SHOULD have been a knock down drag out fight) last that long compared to other action beats in other movies.

There's a reason there was so much destruction, and it's not just that Snyder wanted things to be as big as possible. There are character reasons, and there are story reasons, and these are found within the film, and will lead into a sequel. I suspect we'll see Luthor as Metropolis' financial savior in the sequel, the rebuilding of Metropolis, and a public who isn't quite accepting of Superman's presence on Earth after the massive scale destruction of MAN OF STEEL.

Anyway, one of the things I liked most about the CGI/action/soundwork is that the combat had some serious "weight" to it in this film. You could feel the blows.

That's amazing that you know the story line of the unannounced MoS sequel; however since you do, it all makes sense why they had those ridiculously long CGI fights and the mass destruction that came with them..

I take everything back I have said about the CGI/Action overkill now...

You must have really loved Transformers 2 and 3 ..

 

[ares834]

I'd argue there is a difference between to much CGI and to much action. From reading the thread, it seems many people thought there was to much action which is understandable. But every action scene in here needed to use CGI. If they used practical effects instead it would have looked far worse.

 

[TheFlamingCoco]

^ If they used wires it would look stagey. And yes, it is possible to have too much action. Once the stakes start to feel underwhelmed by the fights, it's gone too long. The final fight should have been nearly a half hour shorter.

 

[Astrodust]

I'd argue there is a difference between to much CGI and to much action. From reading the thread, it seems many people thought there was to much action which is understandable. But every action scene in here needed to use CGI. If they used practical effects instead it would have looked far worse.

I'd like to take your point one step further and say that it's more that the action was extended than too much. There was plenty of story and plot in MoS. Some critics actually felt the plot went too far back and that much Krypton backstory was not needed. I really enjoyed all the action and eye candy in the final act. Makes sitting through it again fun to pick out all the things you missed.

 

[Astrodust]

^ If they used wires it would look stagey. And yes, it is possible to have too much action. Once the stakes start to feel underwhelmed by the fights, it's gone too long. The final fight should have been nearly a half hour shorter.

If it was a half hour shorter people would be begging for more. Snyder dished out the spectacular and the majority of moviegoers ate it up. Summer tentpole accomplished.

 

[Daybreak_st]

CGI never bothered me but I'd venture to say the complaints have nothing to do with 90% of his powers, ie heat vision, flight, x-ray but everything to do with the fight scenes using digital doubles a large portion of the time. It only seemed noticeable to me during the Smallville fight scene with Faora and random big guy...by the way whatever happened to him...

 

[TheFlamingCoco]

^ Yes, audiences love that kind of thing. I'm more of a critic, so I feel like it undermines the film. But with Rottentomatoes you'd think the USE of action DESTROYS the emotional elements and clever plotting about Krypton. I feel like this movie would get at least 80 percent of RT if it were ANY other superhero.

 

[TheFlamingCoco]

CGI never bothered me but I'd venture to say the complaints have nothing to do with 90% of his powers, ie heat vision, flight, x-ray but everything to do with the fight scenes using digital doubles a large portion of the time. It only seemed noticeable to me during the Smallville fight scene with Faora and random big guy...by the way whatever happened to him...

I think they both escaped.

 

[Astrodust]

I thought the diner scene was great. Same with when Faora took out the soldiers. All the Faora scenes really.

 

[KappeiJin]

I didn't see the movie, but i just hope that the CGI is well-fitting the scenes, as the viewer may not notice that's CGI...

 

[StarvingArtist]

Btw, just for the record as far as CGI goes....

I loved that they put Kelex in the movie

 

[BobJM]

I said too much CGI though I think the poll is a little aggressive in suggesting it looked like a cartoon.

That being said, in the sequel, I'd like to see the destruction on a smaller scale. Yes, Superman can be fighting across cities, but he doesn't need to level teh place to do it. So, I'd say dial back the CGI.