Movies: Special Effects No Longer Are
@KuznVinny (768)
United States
April 5, 2016 6:56am CST
Are you as tired of movies that mostly feature special effects as I am? I suppose by that, I refer to the kind of special effects that are impossible for humans to achieve in real life. A "bad guy" is chasing a "good guy" and they are running, oh about 20 miles an hour! Or a giant planet blows up. Or a huge tornado destroys a town.
It gets old, quick. I'd much rather watch reality. Reality, plus good old plot and top-notch acting by genuine actors. I don't need to be impressed by computer technology, thank you. While at first, it may have been an impressive achievement, special effects is no substitute for good story presentation with cinematography. But maybe you don't agree.
6 people like this
6 responses
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
20 Apr 16
I love a movie with good special effects, but that certainly doesn't replace a plot! If the story is good and the acting is good then effects are a way to put the movie over the top. However, you can't replace good acting or a good plot with great effects. For example... One of my favorite movies was released in 1980 and is called "The Final Countdown." The special effects aren't great, but both the acting and the plot puts the movie in the "good" category in my book. I love time travel and, in my never to be humble opinion, this movie does it right.
1 person likes this
@KuznVinny (768)
• United States
20 Apr 16
I really do enjoy a time travel flick. For the brief time of the travel, bring the special effects on. But don't make those the sum total of the movie, or I'll give you a thumbs down.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
20 Apr 16
@KuznVinny Special effects should be seamless. If your monsters are special effects, make sure they are correctly interacting with the "real" people and that the real people are reacting to the effects.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
5 Apr 16
There's a time and place for an explosion especially in an action film but these days too many films are built around a sequence of explosions and special effects. Dialogue and plot are second thought.
2 people like this
@Ronrybs (21497)
• London, England
5 Apr 16
@JohnRoberts Too true and now that computer FX are getting so good we can expect even more
1 person likes this
@KuznVinny (768)
• United States
5 Apr 16
If the effects are particularly realistic, well done, and are not added for supposed entertainment value, I am good to go with them. Otherwise, they are detractions.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86713)
• United States
6 Apr 16
I couldn't agree more. Interestingly, Roger Ebert, in his commentary on the DVD, said Citizen Kane "has more special effects than Star Wars." The difference is that they're truly realistic and need to be pointed out in order to see that they are special effects, as opposed to all of this modern stuff where it's nothing but special effects.
Worse, it's so predictable. How many action movies do not have the hero running and hitting the ground just before a big explosion of fire? 
1 person likes this
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
5 Apr 16
If the action was like in dreams it would be more believable. Super powers on television and in the movies are still really fake looking compared to the realistic representations I've seen in my dreams.
I was playing with my aura back in 2007 and I made it to mimic flames once, and it was pretty fluid, and not choppy like on screen. Although aura play really was exhausting so I stopped that.
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
5 Apr 16
@KuznVinny Dreams and then supernatural stuff. I used to dream of people with powers often when I was growing up.
I can see the electromagnetic field that surrounds bodies, although in a very limited fashion. It's not true auras, like what others can see, but I learned how to manipulate my field by focusing on the part around my hand. Like I said, it was tiring and didn't see to have a point so I stopped doing it.
@KuznVinny (768)
• United States
5 Apr 16
Whoa. I'm not quite sure what exactly you are talking about?
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
5 Apr 16
I concur heartily. Storytelling has given way to noisy overbearing CGI and special effects. But the young people eat that up while turning their backs on movies of substance. Sad commentary.
1 person likes this
@mypointsju (583)
• Westland, Michigan
5 Apr 16
I do not mind special effects as long as it is not the whole movie and are so over the top.
1 person likes this
