Worst/Hated use of CGI in movies

[The Navigator]

?? Dude, the arena was a model. The actors were shot on greenscreen with the pillars.
The exterior castle when Obi Wan enters is a model, the entire Arena,the bleachers, the balcony , all practical model or a "bigature"(and a quite beautiful one IMHO) The action filmed was just composited in post.

It probably just looks over CG-ified to your eye from all the Geonosian spectators.

Probably.

 

[dark_b]

I think my point is that at least it's physical.

I don't hate greenscreen, but it shouldn't be used for everything. That's why I actually admire the movie I hate the most, THE PHANTOM MENACE. At least they used sets. I would sets (with CGI enhancements) over total greenscreen anyday, if possible.

Even though 300 was cost effective, it was highly stylized. Now if they made more movies like that, only thinking that it'll be cheaper and trendy, then they're doing greenscreen for the wrong reasons.

thats why i used king kong as an example. they also used sets with trees.
i am saying that it looked fake even for a set IMO.

 

[Octoberist]

there's differnet kinds of fake in movies I can tolerate: sets and CGI/greenscreen. I just prefer sets. Hell, I love old school matte paintings. It's just more surreal looking.

 

[luke1234]

there's differnet kinds of fake in movies I can tolerate: sets and CGI/greenscreen. I just prefer sets. Hell, I love old school matte paintings. It's just more surreal looking.

matte paintings are more effective imo too. Green screen sets can defintily backfire especially with different camera angles like Angels and Demons. it was good for the most part till the camera rises upwards and you see how fake the set is to the actual figure.

 

[Deaths Head II]

Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions had plenty of terrible scenes. My personal pet peeve is the CGI Neo punching Smith scene in Revolutions. It has been mentioned before, but since some people have been defending it as well done CGI I might as well throw my two cents in. I don't care if it's well done for that point in time, and this thread IS about bad use of CGI. By my definition, that was bad use. They could have removed that shot and the film would have been better for it. It was the very definition of pointless and it looked really stupid. When I saw it I was stunned. The whole concept felt like a sight gag from a comedy fighting film or something. I think that is when I realized the franchise had gone completely downhill. Going from Neo and Smith running at each other with guns blazing in the first Matrix to CGI Neo slow punching CGI Smith.

Daredevil. Every scene with CGI that wasn't a radar sequence (which were actually pretty well done). The Daredevil scenes were the only scenes with the proper moody and gothic atmosphere necessary for a proper Daredevil film (unlike scenes like the Kingpin's intro with the hip hop music), and these terrible CGI scenes really took me out of them. The worst offender was the scene with Daredevil and Bullseye fighting in the Cathedral while hanging on the pipe organs. It looked so terrible I was cringing in my theater seat. Most of the CGI should have been stunt work except for the few times it was unavoidable like the finale shot. Daredevil is a character that practically begs for practical effects. As for the fight in the Cathedral, I would restructure it entirely just to avoid the terrible CGI.

Mr. Fantastic stretch dancing with those girls in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. In this day and age, why in God's name can't they pull off Mr. Fantastic's powers without making it look fake as hell? The stretching is actually pointless in this scene too, so it fits in this topic.

Spider-Man 3 when Peter confronts Sandman. After the "WHAT DOES IT MATTER TO YOU ANYWAY?" "EVERYTHING!" exchange, when Spider-Man flies into Sandman. It immediately cuts to a fake CGI Sandman. Pretty pointless, and it looked pretty bad.

 

[Octoberist]

Deaths Head II you got it. Bad USE of CGI!

 

[Octoberist]

Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions had plenty of terrible scenes. My personal pet peeve is the CGI Neo punching Smith scene in Revolutions. It has been mentioned before, but since some people have been defending it as well done CGI I might as well throw my two cents in. I don't care if it's well done for that point in time, and this thread IS about bad use of CGI. By my definition, that was bad use. They could have removed that shot and the film would have been better for it. It was the very definition of pointless and it looked really stupid. When I saw it I was stunned. The whole concept felt like a sight gag from a comedy fighting film or something. I think that is when I realized the franchise had gone completely downhill. Going from Neo and Smith running at each other in the first Matrix to CGI Neo slow punching CGI Smith.

Daredevil. Every scene with CGI that wasn't a radar sequence (which were actually pretty well done). The Daredevil scenes were the only scenes with the proper moody and gothic atmosphere necessary for a proper Daredevil film (unlike scenes like the Kingpin's intro with the hip hop music), and these terrible CGI scenes really took me out of them. The worst offender was the scene with Daredevil and Bullseye fighting in the Cathedral while hanging on the pipe organs. It looked so terrible I was cringing in my theater seat. Most of the CGI should have been stunt work except for the few times it was unavoidable like the finale shot. I would restructure the final fight in the Cathedral entirely just to avoid the terrible effects.

Yeah it was bad. Bad greenscreen and bad CGI models. I don't even know why they didn't use a set for that fight scene. And it's a linger long fight scene so it's even more noticable. The point being that if Daredevl didn't have the budget for a fight scene like that, perhaps they have went with a smaller more- grounded fight instead.

Transporter 2 had bad CGI (with the plane) and that too, LINGERED on screen for a while. It's one thing to have a low budget, but please hide it! If it's a quick shot..that's fine. But when it's a long shot, it becomes awkward and cheap.

 

[luke1234]

its funny too me the best use of cgi was almost 6 years ago in Return of the King, not one movie has gotten close, maybe star trek but u would think CGI would of gotten better. I think there are some bad CGI moments in the new Transformers trailer. Most of the time u cant tell what the hell is going on. hopefully that changes

 

[TheZink]

its funny too me the best use of cgi was almost 6 years ago in Return of the King, not one movie has gotten close, maybe star trek but u would think CGI would of gotten better. I think there are some bad CGI moments in the new Transformers trailer. Most of the time u cant tell what the hell is going on. hopefully that changes

That's Bay for you.

 

[Octoberist]

In Transformers, the robots had a lot of mass. They work well but again, the shakey camera doesn't help, along with the lack of colors on the 'bot. Plus, they look too busy.

Other than that, they serve the movie well.

 

[Octoberist]

its funny too me the best use of cgi was almost 6 years ago in Return of the King, not one movie has gotten close, maybe star trek but u would think CGI would of gotten better. I think there are some bad CGI moments in the new Transformers trailer. Most of the time u cant tell what the hell is going on. hopefully that changes

There was a part with Orlando Bloom and the giant Elephant that I didn't like, and they should have toned down.

 

[[A]]

Plus, they look too busy

totally

There was a park with Orlando Bloom and the giant Elephant that I didn't like, and they should have toned down.

also true. it's one of those scenes where you can see CGI characters are weightless.. I know Elves are so light-weighted that they could walk on snow but.. come on

 

[Octoberist]

there was a 'part', not park. typo

 

[BATZARRO WWD]

Herbie Fully Loaded: Not the car though. Making Lindsay Lohan's breasts smaller. Not larger: SMALLER!

No, seriously, I guess Panic Room. It's a relatively grounded film, and they added a CG Looking-through-the-pipe. Pityfull.

 

[[A]]

Herbie Fully Loaded: Not the car though. Making Lindsay Lohan's breasts smaller. Not larger: SMALLER!

I remember that never saw the movie, though.. wonder how it looks

 

[Bunker]

U-571 has some pretty retched CGI.

 

[p4poetic]

There was a part with Orlando Bloom and the giant Elephant that I didn't like, and they should have toned down.

I remember that! That stood out, but thankfully it was just a minor fault to an otherwise great movie.

 

[7alex]

Dude Spiderman 3 had some of the worst cgi ever. The final battle scene was horrible. The part where peter and venom are falling, the faces look super 2d. Its disgusting, its in the trailer, people watch it.

 

[Bunker]

The final scene with the helicopters in Terminator Salvation was horrible. It's like they perfected designing the robots and the just said "**** it" to the helicopters.

 

[CelticPredator]

I think they did actually. They changed the ending before the film came out. I'm pretty sure they added that really late in the game.

Also, Transformers looks amazing, the best CGI to date. The shakyness was on account of the budget. It made things cheaper to show a little bit at a time. I'm sure ROTF will have less quick/shaky cam stuff.

 

[nathaniel]

no offense, but you talk wet. Two Face's...face was brilliant CGI

But WHY bother with CGI? for all the "slight realism" they didnt need scarring that was so advanced as such it looks good but i a completely computerised way.

Prosthetic scarring or injurys are some of the few special effects that can be made to look completely real without the need for pesky CGI imo.

 

[DarKush]

The Hulk, Gamma Dogs from Ang Lee's Hulk film.

The Scorpion King from The Mummy Returns

Some of the fight scenes in Blade 2

Jar Jar Binks

Some of the scenes in Matrix Reloaded, particularly the Neo fight against the army of Agent Smiths.

 

[mclay18]

Also, Transformers looks amazing, the best CGI to date. The shakyness was on account of the budget. It made things cheaper to show a little bit at a time. I'm sure ROTF will have less quick/shaky cam stuff.

As solid as ILM's work has been in the past, the TF movies should not be a cornerstone of their resume (for all that work and detail they still look like unrealistic CGI). Plus, the camera shakiness was a creative decision, not a budgetary issue. I think TF2 will have more camera shakiness, just Bay thinks it looks cool.

I think some of ILM's best work remains in the 1990s, where the first two Jurassic Park movies handily beat WETA's work on King Kong. Heck, even ILM's work on Twister is a lot better than the crappy CGI weather in The Day After Tomorrow.

 

[StrainedEyes]

But WHY bother with CGI? for all the "slight realism" they didnt need scarring that was so advanced as such it looks good but i a completely computerised way.

Prosthetic scarring or injurys are some of the few special effects that can be made to look completely real without the need for pesky CGI imo.

Two Face's scarring never pulled me out of the film in a 'that's cgi' way. It looked fantastic.

 

[Doctor Jones]

But WHY bother with CGI? for all the "slight realism" they didnt need scarring that was so advanced as such it looks good but i a completely computerised way.

Prosthetic scarring or injurys are some of the few special effects that can be made to look completely real without the need for pesky CGI imo.

You just can't have as much detail without the CG there. It needed to be done. They only did little in prosthetics. It would of looked silly. You can't tear into somebody's jaw and make a bone and muscle out of it and make it funcionanble and scary at the same time.

And I wouldn't call Nolan's world realistic. It's plausible. They call it realistic just to get the point across.