Opinion: CGI effects are impressive but overused

Natalie Moses

Contact Natalie Moses at [email protected].

Hair color, when meddled with correctly, can have fabulous results. Leaving it to the pros yields a spectacular outcome that often transforms hair into something more than it could be on its own. Conversely, the consequences of overused or misjudged hair color can be disastrous. When done right, a dye job can be a pleasant sight, but a bad one can be an embarrassing eyesore.

The same can be said for computer graphic imagery in movies.

Movies would be dull without it. I love what feats technology has made and how far the industry has come from the cantaloupe stabbing days of Hitchcock. Thanks to CGI, we can be transported into worlds that we never could have imagined on our own. From creations that make you wonder how much better animation could possibly get to epic battle scenes and amazingly lifelike characters, I am very glad that I get to feast my eyes on the results of modern technology in filmmaking. Some of my favorite examples include Lord Voldemort’s duel with Dumbledore in the fifth installment of the Harry Potter movies and Natalie Portman’s transformation into a bird in “Black Swan.” Also, I’ll never forget when I found out that the world of Pandora in “Avatar” wasn’t real (thanks Cameron).

But too much of a good thing is an overdose. For every great example of CGI lies an awful one. Hats off to the genius computer graphic imaging, but those bad dye jobs need to end. By that I mean the films that have subpar story lines, a babe or a hero, and far too much reliance on CGI. The first time I saw the trailer for “Tron,” I actually thought it was a parody. Everything seemed so cheesy, and I thought maybe the creators Googled “cool movie plot” and decided on the “daddy issues” suggestion. We’ve seen it a thousand times, but this time it has a super-duper spaceship and futuristic Frisbee discs added by the CGI department. The general consensus deemed it all tech and no talk. As for the upcoming “Sucker Punch,” I’m still trying to figure out if it is a joke or not (much like the Friday song). I’m guessing not because no one would spend that much time on CGI just for kicks. Maybe the graphics will be appreciated, but people want to appreciate a good movie, too. So go big or go home. Give us “Avatar” or leave the CGI to video games.