Computer generated images have revolutionized the way movies get made.
Of course, there are still a few directors who prefer practical effects, but by and large
the industry has embraced CGI in a big way.
For all the good it’s done, it’s tempting to think that a little post-production manipulation
is always a good thing.
But the next ten examples prove unequivocally that isn’t true.
But before we get to the 10 Performances Ruined By Laughable CGI, we wanted to say thanks
for watching.
And if you like what you see, check out our YouTube channel for more videos like this
one.
Suicide Squad 2016’s Suicide Squad has certainly received
its fair share of criticism.
For some, underdeveloped characters, unnecessarily tangled storylines, and studio meddling were
all to blame.
While others just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
There’s another critique that appears occasionally, and it has everything to do with the film’s
climactic battle.
Opponents argue the heavy reliance on CGI actually takes away from the scene.
The action is barely visible and because of the framing, it’s impossible to establish
any kind of perspective.
Audiences are led to believe it’s a huge battle, and it’s built up as such, but for
many, the scene just didn’t deliver.
X-Men: Apocalypse Oscar Isaac is everywhere these days, but
unless you checked his IMDb page beforehand, you might watch X-Men: Apocalypse and miss
his performance entirely.
Apocalypse is an insanely strong mutant and a fixture to be feared in the X-Men canon.
Both digital and practical effects were used to achieve the character’s appearance.
And as a result of the layering, some people argue that the actor’s performance was totally
lost in a sea of blue prosthetics.
Considering all the talent Isaac brings to the table, that sounds like a darn shame.
World War Z When it comes to comparing the World War Z
movie to the book of the same name, it’s obvious that the only thing they share is
a title.
The entire narrative structure, geography, and major plot points are completely different.
And when it comes to the zombies themselves, the big screen adaptation fails.
Hard.
The swirling, computer-generated mass of phony walkers scaling the Jerusalem wall is particularly
hard to watch.
With the graphics quality of a late 90’s video game, the scene falls totally flat,
taking all the suspense with it.
If only we could just blow on the cartridge and try again.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi There’s an old saying that goes “if it
ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
And when George Lucas was fiddling around with the Star Wars special editions, he would
have done well to remember that.
Lucas made all sorts of changes behind the scenes, and dedicated fans can spot every
single one of them.
But one that’s easy for everyone to recognize happens in Return of the Jedi.
In the middle of the Jedi Rock’s scene two very obvious CG characters appear that don’t
blend with the background at all.
In fact, there’s even a few closeups.
Let this be a lesson to us all: don’t mess with perfection.
Guardians of the Galaxy On paper, Thanos is one of the most intimidating
big-bad’s in comic book history.
Yeah, he was born deformed, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
He’s crazy smart, extra extra super-powered, and has a gauntlet full of gems that literally
let him control everything everywhere all the time.
How are you supposed to beat something like that?
While fans who are in-the-know can appreciate how spine-chilling the character is supposed
to be, anyone basing their opinion off of his big screen appearance might come away
with a different impression.
He’s not very intimidating, and it’s kind of hard to take him seriously.
Jurassic World As we’ve heard once or twice before, with
great power comes great responsibility.
And adding on to an iconic property like Jurassic Park is not a task to be taken lightly.
There are precious, childhood memories at risk — reminders of a simpler time.
So when the highly-anticipated Jurassic World was released in 2015, we all held our collective
breath.
It opened to mixed reviews and one of the biggest complaints was about the CGI.
For many filmmakers, the age of animatronics is over and digital effects reign supreme.
Being released 22 years after the original, audiences anticipated visuals even more convincing
than they’d already seen, and a lot of them were let down by the spectacle.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 It’s a moviemaking fact that those who sign
up to work alongside young children are almost guaranteed to have a bad time.
If a baby wants to cry, it’s gonna cry.
But thanks to advances in technology, the Twilight team was able to take a shortcut.
Instead of using a real one, they just CG’d one of those suckers in there and prayed for
the best.
Renesmee is strange looking, even for a vampire hybrid.
But still, even though she was entirely digital, the infant actually gave the best performance
in the entire movie.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine If nothing else, Wolverine is supposed to
be badass.
Everyone knows that mutants who fight with blades are just cooler than ones who don’t
— it’s science.
And with the exception of a few scenes from 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, his claws
generally live up to their pants-wetting reputation.
In this movie, they’re more than “a little” off.
They’re a perfect example of cartoonish CGI interfering with an otherwise pretty-okay
performance from Hugh Jackman.
Thankfully, this installment in the franchise’s history has been largely overshadowed by some
other memorable moments.
So if you forgot about this movie entirely, you’re probably not alone.
I Am Legend I Am Legend does a great job of building tension.
Revealing the story in bits and pieces is a great way to keep the audience engaged.
If only the big surprise lived up to its epic foreshadowing.
The antagonists are terrifying…
until you actually see what they look like.
Their rubbery faces were funnier than they were scary, and effectively undid all the
hard work from the first half of the movie.
The scenario is unsettling: imagine you were the last person alive, surrounded by infected
who used to be your loved ones.
Some really awesome special effects makeup would have done wonders here, but instead
the filmmakers just had to show off.
The Green Lantern When executed poorly, CGI spoils the whole
moviegoing experience- regardless of who is in front of the camera.
Take, for instance, the universally-loved Ryan Reynolds.
No conversation about ill-fated CGI decisions would be complete without mentioning 2011’s
The Green Lantern.
Computer-generated from tip to toe, Hal Jordan’s suit was 100% fake, and 200% ridiculous.
It was so bad that when the actor super-suited up for last year’s Deadpool the filmmakers
threw in a couple of jabs at his past work.
Obviously Reynolds was a good sport about it, and has even said that nobody hates Green
Lantern’s suit more than he does.
So what do you think of our list?
Did we skip over any other CGI-ruined performances?
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