But it does help out in a pinch.
Good example: Luke doing a backflip from the gangplank and back onto the skiff from ROTJ. From a certain point of view, that would have made for a good CG shot right there, but on the other hand, a slight edit of composed shots is just as effective (as presented in the film).
Complex shots need CG, and some need good old fashioned filmed live-action.
CG or no CG, stuff like this never looks 'real' because, no matter how well it's done, your mind knows it's physically impossible and ergo you instinctively perceive it as fake.
As it happens, I never knew Obi-Wan's cape in Dex's diner was CG'd and so I never looked for any flaws and thus I never saw any.
And sorry, that Luke back-flip in ROTJ may have been done through a combination of real stunts and clever editing, but it was still clearly a movie trick - I was never fooled for a second into believing that Mark Hamill had performed a full and graceful flip for real.
I'm no Prequel apologist - give me the Original Trilogy any day!! - but all this griping about the effects is p*ssing me off. Shut up!!
You want to talk about 'fake looking'? How about the stop-motion Taun-Tauns, the matte lines around the puppety Rancor, the obviously-a-painting cityscapes on Bespin, the wobbly black blob of a bloke on the deck of Jabba's sail barge as it travels towards Sarlacc's Pit, the 'we're obviously in a studio with back projection' bits of the speeder bike chase... the list goes on.
I'm not listing these flaws to revel in them - in fact, the fact that Lucas removed a lot of them in the Special and DVD Editions annoys me, as I want to see those movies as I remember them, warts n' all.
The point is: me and my friends didn't come out of the theatres after seeing the original films bitching every little technical glitch and mistake. We suspended our disbelief and - hey! - enjoyed the films for what they were, mistakes and all.
Why don't you guys and gals try doing the same? You'll find you enjoy the films a heck of a lot more.
Hutt out
"CG or no CG, stuff like this never looks 'real' because, no matter how well it's done, your mind knows it's physically impossible and ergo you instinctively perceive it as fake."
Huh?!
"You want to talk about 'fake looking'? How about the stop-motion Taun-Tauns, the matte lines around the puppety Rancor, the obviously-a-painting cityscapes on Bespin, the wobbly black blob of a bloke on the deck of Jabba's sail barge as it travels towards Sarlacc's Pit, the 'we're obviously in a studio with back projection' bits of the speeder bike chase... the list goes on."
I disagree, completely.
"I'm not listing these flaws to revel in them - in fact, the fact that Lucas removed a lot of them in the Special and DVD Editions annoys me, as I want to see those movies as I remember them, warts n' all."
Bravo!!!
ps. Personally I have always loved every second of the whole Star Wars saga but people have a right to express their opinions.
I didn't read what everyone else said, I'm talking for myself.
I just hope that, with the big screen and all, the duel (especially) does not look as fake as people (including me at times) think it will be. 🙂