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BK007

Most beautiful CGI animated films

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So 2D doesn't count and neither does stop motion. These movies will look the same after a million years. In other words, even if they aren't as beautiful at the time, the half life is close to infinity that it will always retain that level whereas CGI films, like VFX live action films, age as time goes by.

 

So, which movies do you think are beautiful? Which have started to show their age?

 

Legend of the Guardians released by Animal Logic/Warner Brothers is definitely at the top for me. That was a creature of immense beauty. I was also one of the few who liked the movie too. 

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Absolutely agreed on Ratatouille. The Paris environments were absolutely beautiful (especially the night shots). When I saw Hugo, I loved its CGI Paris as well...but I kept thinking back to Ratatouille.And I have to mention WALL-E as well. I hope that the space imagery in Interstellar achieves the same kind of feeling.

Edited by TServo2049
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Honestly, I think we've reached a point where it will become increasingly difficult for CGI films to age in terms of visuals. Not that improvements aren't constantly being made, but they aren't in the leaps and bounds they were before. Compare Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. (6 years between releases), and you see a big difference. Compare Monsters, Inc. and Ratatouille (5 years between releases), HUGE difference. Compare Ratatouille with Toy Story 3 (4 years) or Monsters University (7 years)--well, yes, I do see some improvement, but not at all a huge leap. I really think Pixar, starting with Ratatouille, reached a point where the visuals are "good enough." Ratatouille still looks breathtaking, even today, especially when watching in HD on a huge screen.

 

So in terms of visuals, I think anything from Pixar from Ratatouille on is top-grade. In addition, The Incredibles looks great and still holds up well due to its stylized retro/modern look. I feel like Pixar usually goes for a sense of pseudo-photorealism in their films, but they didn't in The Incredibles, and it holds up that much better for it.

 

Other top picks:

    [*]Kung Fu Panda/Kung Fu Panda 2 - Refreshing and beautiful design. The second is especially beautiful due to the technical improvements seen between the two films. [*]Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Overall, great design. Plus it proves that CGI is capable of wacky, cartoony movement that we don't see all too much of in CGI films. Same goes for SPA's Hotel Transylvania and Cloudy 2 as well in that regard (but the movies themselves are meh...) [*]Tangled - Some of the greatest character animation ever. The Glen Keane factor really comes through even in CGI. There are a couple of awkward moments--Rapunzel's huge eyes would have worked in 2D but it doesn't translate well into CGI; also, I found the part where Rapunzel/Flynn emerge from the water to look less than stellar. But everything else is grade A--I'd say Frozen was a downgrade in this regard. [*]The Croods - The human character designs are ugly, but I really think DreamWorks has caught up with Pixar in terms of the technical ability--animation and lighting are top notch. The world and creature design are beautiful as well. [*]The LEGO Movie - Can't believe this was made with such a smaller budget than most mainstream CGI films. Simply stunning and the stop-motion like movement is unique and a joy. [*]How To Train Your Dragon 2 - Concept art come to life. Glorious lighting. A huge improvement from the first, which I thought was a step behind its contemporaries in 2010. [*]Foreign films like Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror, The Painting, and Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart are also doing some interesting stuff with CGI. Really shows that there is a lot more stuff that can be done with CGI that we haven't seen much of yet.

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Pretty much all Pixar movies post-Finding Nemo still look gorgeous, imo. Incredibles has aged a bit, but it works with the retro theming of the film. I'd also say A Bug's Life still looks remarkably impressive given its age.

 

Rango has to be way up there, too. When I first saw the trailer my mind was just blown by how detailed the visuals looked. 

Edited by tribefan695
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Got to agree on Rango. A lot of good choices here.

 

I'll revisit the Incredibles soon but the more stylized animation might work in its favour in terms of longevity. 

 

We don't really talk much about Dreamworks and aging and I'm not sure when they suddenly improved, although I didn't like it, was Monsters Vs Aliens any good? I think it might've been. 

 

The same period as Ratatouille would have been Shrek the Third, Bee Movie and then Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar 2.

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Got to agree on Rango. A lot of good choices here.

 

I'll revisit the Incredibles soon but the more stylized animation might work in its favour in terms of longevity. 

 

We don't really talk much about Dreamworks and aging and I'm not sure when they suddenly improved, although I didn't like it, was Monsters Vs Aliens any good? I think it might've been. 

 

The same period as Ratatouille would have been Shrek the Third, Bee Movie and then Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar 2.

 

Nah, Monsters vs. Aliens was bad all around including the animation. Well, at least it doesn't look good now. 

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