10 Disappointing Things We Learned About Movies In 2013

10. Weta Overestimate Their Effects

Special effects have allowed us to do increasingly extravagant things and about five to ten years ago we reached a point where it was assumed they were good enough to replicate live action on a mass scale. The likes of The Matrix Reloaded may have moved too soon, turning out pretty laughable, but now things are basically photorealistic. Well, within reason. Jurassic Park, Terminator 2 and The Lord Of The Rings still stand up as greats because of their balance and reserve; it€™s not all CGI because the directors knew it didn't look real. And, shocking for some, obvious for most, that€™s still true today. In Life Of Pi it was as clear when the tiger was real or computer as it was with Jurassic Park€™s T-Rex, while in The Hobbit any action that isn't in the set of the Shire or the establishing shots of New Zealand is clearly set against green screen. It€™s become one of the major ongoing criticisms of Peter Jackson€™s new Middle Earth trilogy that has come to the fore with the otherwise improved Desolation Of Smaug, rooted in his questionable approach; unless the actors directly physically interact with it then it doesn€™t matter how it€™s reaised. Anyone who€™s witnessed molten gold (or, in fact, anything that isn't a dragon) will know that€™s not always the best method. Jackson and Weta thinking they can do anything, leading to a trilogy with effects that have already dated more than Lord Of The Rings.
Contributor
Contributor

Film Editor (2014-2016). Loves The Usual Suspects. Hates Transformers 2. Everything else lies somewhere in the middle. Once met the Chuckle Brothers.