To all you who claim that special effects were better before CGI

[Canadamus Prime]

In my mind there can be good CGI and good practical effects and by the same token you can have shitty CGI and shitty practical effects. Although I think the best approach would be to use a mix of both practical and CGI, but that's just me.

 

[lacktheknack]

You tell me that practical effects suck, and then show me a clip from a Swedish comedy?

That's like telling me puzzle games suck, and then showing me Traitor's Gate 2.

 

[Ten Foot Bunny]

Okay... so practical effects were sometimes terrible. Other times, they kicked CGI square in the balls and laughed about it till the sun went down.

Spoiler: All the proof you'll ever need. Warning: NOT for the squeamish.

 

[the.chad]

Funnily enough, watched a video on this very subject just recently.

Pretty much builds on what others have said where practical + good CGI = greatness
But I like the quote near the end of the video (to paraphrase) digital artists will toil for months/years at their craft, and if they're really good at what they do, people won't even notice it's CGI

Long'ish video but definitely a good watch!

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

CG is good when used in moderation, as a sort of digital make-up. The schmendricks in Hollywood tend to overuse it though.

 

[TallestGargoyle]

Are you really going to point to a Swedish comedy as the typical standard for practical effects? That's... laughable.

Practical effects and CGI are both best when they work together. Each has their strength. Perhaps one of the better examples of this, classically, is Terminator 2, where both were used to fantastic effect.

...I cannot find a good youtube video it seems. Oh well.

Yes! Terminator 2 has special effects that stand up 25 years later, just because they used CGI sparingly when it added to a scene, and used models and puppets which are masterfully controlled. Hell, half the scenes I thought were really high end CGI for the time were actually puppets, like the grenade to the chest the T1000 gets.

Admittedly some of it does look a bit iffy at times, but it's damn impressive for its time, and still looks great today. Especially compared to the effects they used in the latest one. The T1000 in that somehow had worse liquid metal effects. Mainly because it quickly became overused.