With the coming release of James Cameron's sci-fi epic, moviegoers are focusing anew on digital characters. It's tough to fashion from mere pixels believable beings that walk and talk and seem to feel the same emotions of real humans and come off as something more special than special effects. Here are the virtual actors that lived up to their living colleagues, and those that fell flat on the screen.
From the first time he attacks Sam and Frodo, the character Gollum leaves an impression on the world of film. As the troubled and wretched creature travels with two of our heroes, we see all the shades his character--not a set of 1s and 0s.
This captain may be an amalgam of sea creatures, but his humanity is what shines through. The amazing graphics sell the idea that you're watching a monster fuss and fight with his human counterparts in the pirate adventure.
From the second you hear Prime's powerful voice and watch his face as he urgently discusses his mission, you can't help but think transforming robots will one day walk among us. And while he may only be a machine, you can almost see the soul--the spark, if you will--behind his artificial eyes.
Carol is present with Max for most of his journey. He's the giant companion who is both scary and fluffy. Whether you loved the book as a kid or not, you have to appreciate the character's heaviness and humanity.
While no ubermensch actually exists, the detailed anatomy and alarming glow of Dr. Manhattan makes you believe. As he goes from subtle emotions to pure rage, you watch this man--super or otherwise--struggle with his future.
Beowulf was one of the first attempts at a completely digital film with virtual actors. And sure, Grendel's Mother is a nearly perfect copy of Angelina Jolie, but something about her keeps the character from feeling like more than a puppet. Uncanny valley, anyone?
Millions of teenagers may disagree, but Jacob seems like a colorful example of taxidermy rather than a living, breathing wolf. Whether it is his unrealistic motion or his just-slightly-off detail, he never feels like more than a ball of fake fur with marbles for eyes.
Loved by readers worldwide, the move to cinema was not kind to the coolest of cats. Having such a cartoony feline interacting with real people and a real puppy only accentuated this disaster.
He is supposed to be the most evolved of the film's zombies--they were once human, right? Instead, his hollow rendering leaves you feeling like Will Smith is killing empty air. And to think they actually replaced actors they filmed with these awkward CG constructions
We know it is fashionable to hate on George Lucas' comedy relief of the first prequel, but he really was that bad. Bad dialogue and silly patois aside, he moved strange, looked weird, and felt superfluous. At least Lucas made up for it a few films later with flipping, lightsaber-swinging Yoda.
Amazing in detail, the pissed-off earth in this blockbuster made the audience believe the end of the world had arrived--the planet was practically a character unto itself. At the very least, it made you think about how you would react if the apocalypse came (probably more like Thomas McCarthy's character than John Cusack's).
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Recent Comments | 9 Total
Amazing, the best movies.
Amazing, the best movies.
I thought the Incredible Hulk
I thought the Incredible Hulk would make the Worst list. Unconvincing.
I really enjoying this cool
I really enjoying this cool stuff.They have their charm and sometime they won't appeal too.
Shimano Reels
JarJar Binks was bad, but
JarJar Binks was bad, but only because it looked too cartoony and the character was annoying and a racial stereotype. There are worse examples of CGI. I wasn't impressed with the robots from transformers - they weren't bad, but they had a fake cartooneque look them (maybe it was intentional?).
I totally agree with the wolves from Twilight, they were ridiculously bad.
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Might want to make sure all
Might want to make sure all your characters are actually CGI. They didn't use CGI characters in 'Where the Wild Things Are'.
Actually, Grendel's mother is
Actually, Grendel's mother is a terrible copy of Angelina Jolie. The face was hers (and it did do that well), but it probably didn't help the look of the character that the body was actually from a model (Rachel Bernstein), so they were trying to match two different people in a cg creation. Add that to the list of things that were wrong with that movie. I also had to turn it off (although I loved the original epic, so a movie that strays from the original story wouldn't appeal to me). At least 13th Warrior stayed true to the idea of the monsters... and Beowulf himself, for that matter.
Beowulf was bad for a lot of
Beowulf was bad for a lot of reasons. It was just complete dreck. I had to turn it off. See 13th Warrior for a real Beowulf tale.
JarJar's movement seemed
JarJar's movement seemed consistent with his character's goofiness. I don't think the digital work was the problem. It would have been cool to see silver surfer on the list.
best=golum, worst=jarjar. but
best=golum, worst=jarjar. but you're forgetting about the t-1ooo!