Would CGI have ruined classic movies?

[wonderer99]

For absolutely no reason whatsoever the thought popped into my head "What if CGI effects had existed in the 70's and 80's" and it got me thinking about all the great physical props, miniatures and great creatures we have had over the years and how the movie would have been affected had they been created in a computer as they probably would now.

The ending to CEOTTK
Jaws
Alien
E.T (remember the outcry over the CG ET?)
Back to the future
The Terminator

Now all these movies have various special effects but it would be interesting to know how much the movie would differ without the classic effects. CGI gets given a hard time these days with most preferring physical effects. But these methods were used only because there was no alternative. We romanticise the old techniques today but they were achieved mostly due to lack of alternative methods. Spielberg has used a ton of CG in his recent movies that would have been practical effects in the 80's (the jungle chase in KOTCS) but does the movie suffer for it and I wonder how effective the shark would be in Jaws had he had the power to do it digitally in the 70's? Probably the best example would be Lucas with his prequels. How would they have been received if it had all been practical sets and miniatures?

I know this is all hearsay and what ifs but I just thought it curious as to what degree CG affects our enjoyment.

[karlpilkington4PM]

hasn't George Lucas already answered this? (jokes!)

[Poya]

CGI, like any tool, can be a great thing but it can’t be overused. Removing wires, adding locales that are impossible to do, imagining creatures or robots that practical effects could never do, it’s very useful for those situations. Then there’s just being lazy and not putting any effort into seeing if they can still be believable when done in-Camera. The late 90s-2000s were a cautionary tale on the use of CGI. I’m grateful this decade saw the return of mostly practical effects and only using computers as a last resort. Dunkirk, especially, amazed at how much was done for real.

[kylor]

It depends on what type of CGI.

This type:



Or this type:



I'd definitely go with the former to ruin classic movies.

[jacobsever]

Yes

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by jacobsever

Yes

Labyrinth and Willow with CGI...cannot unimagine.

[esteban²]

Originally Posted by kylor

It depends on what type of CGI.

[Show spoiler]This type:



Or this type:

That last one was equaly distracting in a whole other way. But that has been discussed in other threads already.

To answer the big question : If CGI was around in the time where movies like E.T. were made, we wouldn't known better and would have accepted the computer version of the puppet. If done right, there wouldn't have been an issue with that, in all other cases it would hurt the movie.

[jacobsever]

Horror movies from the 70's and 80's had the best gore. Realistic puppets, physical blood, etc etc.

Imagine this done today?

[Riddler The Slag]

Originally Posted by kylor

Or this type:



I'd definitely go with the former to ruin classic movies.

I'm just going to flat out say that it was some of the best CGI work I have seen in years.

[klauswhereareyou]

Originally Posted by kylor

It depends on what type of CGI.

This type:



Or this type:



I'd definitely go with the former to ruin classic movies.

The above image was done on a Sega Dreamcast, the bottom was done on a Playstation 4...both look like video game cutscenes.

[Phibes]

Watched a big budget "horror" movie recently where the baddie is a burn victim but wears a false face. When it's peeled off in the finale the burn makeup is done via CGI. So I spent the finale thinking this would've worked so much better as a physical make up instead of this green computer generated fake looking mess.

Pulled me right out of the picture.

I'd also wager that a makeup would've been ever so much cheaper.

Originally Posted by jacobsever

Horror movies from the 70's and 80's had the best gore. Realistic puppets, physical blood, etc etc.

Imagine this done today?

[crude]

CGI is good when done right. There are thousand of CGI effects (also in new movies) that are worst than old Amiga games.

[Poya]

Originally Posted by jacobsever

Horror movies from the 70's and 80's had the best gore. Realistic puppets, physical blood, etc etc.

Imagine this done today?

Or this:



Seriously, what is this made of?

[Bugg]

The biggest issue I have with CGI is that it seems to have become a crutch for filmmakers that don't know how to tell an engaging story or plan out, shoot and edit a precise, taut, well paced action sequence.

[cochon]

Originally Posted by karlpilkington4PM

hasn't George Lucas already answered this? (jokes!)

It's not funny!!!

[frogjunk65]

Yes

[DJR662]

And here I was thinking I was the only one who disliked CGI Tarkin and Leia in Rogue One.

[thecooldud]

Yes.

[jess1581]

CGI doesnt ruin anything. Bad filmmaking does.... Tools are only as good as the hand who wields it. Btw, that Tarkin is a fine example of top shelf visual fx. Anyone who takes jabs at it's quality is full of sh!t.

[stvn1974]

I would give Tarkin 10/10 and Leia 7/10 from Rogue One.