There's nothing wrong with some great CG if it's used properly, and obviously there are more than a few shots which would be pretty much impossible to do using practical effects alone. It's often a necessary tool to achieve the desired effect and is part and parcel of modern blockbuster filmmaking. That said, Peter Jackson proved with The Lord of the Rings just how great practical effects and creature design can be when done well, so it was a disappointment to say the least to settle down to The Hobbit movies and see him move so far into CG-heavy territory. Smaug might be a feast for the eyes - and certainly wouldn't have looked anywhere near as good if they'd opted for puppets and other practical methods - but was there really any need to render all the orcs in CG? The problem with the overuse of CG is perhaps best summed up by Ian McKellen's reaction to acting in front of a green screen for much of the production of the movies - the acting legend spoke of the experience in less than glowing terms, saying, "I got absolutely miserable and had a little cry to myself." Can we blame him? And the less said about the video game-like barrel sequence the better...
