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Dodgy de-ageing, cartoonish creatures and other dreadful CGI in Star Wars.
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00:00The Star Wars franchise will always be one that looks to push the limits of what is possible with
00:05movie-making technology. But as already shown in the previous version of this list, relying on the
00:11tool known as CGI in some situations has occasionally led to, well, some quite dreadful
00:18visuals in this galaxy far, far away. So I'm Gareth, this is WhatCultureStarWars,
00:23and here are 10 more of the worst CGI moments in Star Wars.
00:2710. A LOT DURING THE ARENA BATTLE
00:31Episode 2, Attack of the Clones
00:33George Lucas evidently wanted to test what CGI was capable of when creating this second prequel,
00:40opting to rely on it even more than he did in Episode 1, The Phantom Menace. But it was that
00:44gamble which ultimately resulted in some of the film's visuals aging like a pint of blue milk.
00:50Not very well. The climactic battle within the Petronachia arena is a prime example of Lucas
00:55perhaps getting a little too carried away with his new favourite toy.
00:58With so many moving digital parts to keep track of as the Jedi start slicing their way through droids,
01:05creatures sprint around the sand, and a bounty hunter tries to pick off a few targets,
01:10a number of poorly executed CGI moments derail the otherwise thrilling sequence.
01:15You have the sight of a number of extras hilariously swiping their lightsabers at nothing in the background,
01:20as the VFX team likely hoped that no one would notice a lack of droid or blaster shot around them.
01:25Then you also have the comically weightless Geonosians,
01:28and Jango Fett looking like a video game character as he dodged the Reek.
01:32Also, try not to let out a giggle at the jarring composite of Padme atop a cartoonish beast,
01:38as she picks up her beloved Anakin mid-fight. It does not look great.
01:42There's obviously a lot to love about this part of the gripping skirmish too,
01:46with close-ups of the aforementioned Reek and many a droid standing the test of time.
01:52They actually look really good.
01:53But this ambitious battle of Geonosis is still a scene that highlights the very worst of the prequels,
01:59that being an over-reliance on this shiny but inconsistent new digital tool.
02:049. Bouncing Ahsoka
02:06Ahsoka
02:07Even with CGI technology hugely improving over the last two decades,
02:12the minds behind the more recent Star Wars projects still haven't been able to completely nail
02:17each and every digital moment they've chucked on screen.
02:20Take the first season of Ahsoka, for example.
02:22While the CGI is generally of a high standard throughout this search for Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn,
02:28the space battles in particular do not disappoint here,
02:31that generally impressive digital work made one dodgy moment stick out like a sore thumb, sadly.
02:37Watch closely as Ahsoka dives out of her T6-1974 to take on Balen's skull on Peridia.
02:44And, well, something seems a little off.
02:46The VFX team have seemingly swapped Rosario Dawson out for a CG Ahsoka as her character hits the ground,
02:53before swapping the actor back in again as she rolls.
02:56But the digital assistance just leaves Anakin Skywalker's one-time Padawan oddly bouncing off the surface
03:03in a way that makes her look like an animated Force user for a moment or two.
03:07It's like we were right back in the middle of the Clone Wars series.
03:09As YouTube user Bombastic Clips pointed out,
03:13perhaps cutting between the moment the actor or their stunt person hopped out of the ship
03:17and them landing would have been the wiser, though perhaps more time-consuming, move here.
03:23Instead, the creators went the digital route,
03:25and fans got a rare case of poor CGI in the otherwise well-made show.
03:30What do you want to see in Ahsoka Season 2, folks?
03:32You let me know in the comments section down below.
03:35Number 8. Here Come the Rakhtars, Episode 7, The Force Awakens
03:39Fans rejoiced as the early stages of J.J. Abrams' first sequel picture
03:45look to be embracing the more practical side of special effects,
03:48just like the good old days.
03:50Along with a ton of beautifully crafted alien inhabitants on the desert world of Jakku,
03:55real, practical sets were masterfully combined with certain digital elements
04:00to create a galaxy that felt far more tangible than the prequels often did.
04:04Then they arrived.
04:06After Finn and Rey bump into Han Solo and Chewbacca in Episode 7, The Force Awakens,
04:11it soon revealed that the latter duo had been hauling raptars across the galaxy.
04:17Instead of unleashing a terrifying, tentacled creature controlled by talented puppeteers,
04:22however, Abrams opted to just lazily have our heroes chased by some rolling balls of crap,
04:28rubbery, and blurry fury.
04:29Now look, they're not the absolute worst CGI monsters ever to try and chow down on one of our heroes,
04:35but the many-eyed carnivore still felt like something ripped out of another franchise altogether,
04:40like, I don't know, the MCU,
04:42and cheaply dropped into this Skywalker saga tale.
04:45This return to far less compelling CGI aliens after seeing some wonderful practical creations in the opening stages,
04:53like the Hap-A-Boar, I love that guy,
04:55was also a major reason this first action sequence involving Chewie and Han in decades felt like a bit of a letdown in the end, too.
05:03Number 7, The Sarlacc Beak, Episode 6, Return of the Jedi.
05:07Speaking of unwelcome, digitally-created monstrosities,
05:11George Lucas' special edition tinkering led to an old favourite getting an unnecessary upgrade.
05:18After attempting to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt in Episode 6, Return of the Jedi,
05:23Luke Skywalker and pals found themselves on the verge of being fed to the almighty Sarlacc found within the Great Pit of Karkoon.
05:31The sight of all those sharp, deadly teeth and tentacles
05:35was already enough to leave folks worried about the Jedi and his mate's chances of surviving the deep and dangerous pit of doom.
05:42But Lucas did not think that was frightening enough,
05:45so he decided to add some additional CG terror.
05:48Would George throw in some more jagged teeth, some claws,
05:52or possibly even a set of menacing eyes to further spook our heroes?
05:57No, not quite.
05:58Instead, Lucas gave his Sarlacc a silly-looking digital beak,
06:02which was actually its tongue, apparently,
06:04and some additional tentacles,
06:06transforming this somewhat hidden and disturbing monster into something that instantly felt a bit less intimidating.
06:12The CGI itself also doesn't quite mesh with the rest of the practical creation either,
06:18with the end result just largely distracting from the rest of the rousing sequence.
06:22You probably should have just left this one alone.
06:25Number 6, The Floating Pair, Episode 2, Attack of the Clones
06:28Oh, you knew it was coming.
06:30Returning to the Star Wars project that opted to boldly and sometimes ill-advisedly depend on CG wherever possible,
06:37Episode 2, Attack of the Clones saw a young Chosen One show off his strength with the Force to his future wife.
06:44Somehow being more excruciating than the sound of Anakin Skywalker attempting to flirt with Padme Amidala,
06:50this Jedi Padawan floats the weirdest-looking pair you have ever seen across a table in front of her
06:55whilst they're enjoying some grub on Naboo.
06:58The act itself is sweet enough, pun intended.
07:01However, there is never a point there when this clearly CG fruit doesn't feel like the fakest object in the room.
07:08With everything from the way it's chopped up by Annie to how Padme picked it out of the sky like a snowflake with her fork,
07:15just feeling seriously uncanny.
07:17It's a bit uncomfortable, it's weird.
07:18Now, the attempt was admirable, sure, but the odd finished effect just didn't pass muster.
07:24Would it really have been that hard to just use wires to move a far less weirdly shiny piece of prop food over to the eventual Mrs. Skywalker?
07:32Apparently so.
07:33And that is why fans were forced to endure another example of George Lucas not knowing when to put the digital wand,
07:40or should that be fork, down.
07:42Cheers for checking out this list today, you lovely person you.
07:45And if you're enjoying this WhatCultureStarWars stuff in your life, then hit that subscribe button right now,
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07:52Good stuff.
07:53Number 5, Leia's Training, Episode 9, The Rise of Skywalker
07:57With consent from the late, great Carrie Fisher's family,
08:01J.J. Abrams and co. were able to use unused footage from Episode 7, The Force Awakens,
08:06to bring Leia Organa's story to an emotional end in Episode 9, The Rise of Skywalker.
08:12Now, considering the circumstances, the team did a pretty impressive job when it came to keeping Leia involved in the action set in the present day.
08:19However, the same could not be said for her flashback appearance in the film.
08:23During a moment which showed Leia training with her brother Luke many years earlier,
08:28younger versions of both Mark Hamill and Fisher eventually revealed their faces from underneath their blaster helmets.
08:34While Hamill's younger mug actually looked quite convincing as it was lit up by his green lightsaber at night, though,
08:41Fisher's face wandered into Rogue One, a Star Wars story territory again, sadly.
08:45Despite using dailies from Episode 6, Return of the Jedi, and Fisher's own daughter, Billie Lord, as a stand-in body double,
08:52there was still no getting away from the fact Leia's CG face looked like it belonged in a Star Wars video game here.
08:59Number 4, The CG Backgrounds, Episode 2, Attack of the Clones
09:03I promise this would be the last time that this list dunks on Attack of the Clones.
09:07Scout's honor. Or Padawan's honor. I don't know.
09:09Again, while you definitely have to salute George Lucas and his team for the way they experimented with fully CGI backgrounds throughout this second prequel,
09:17their boldness wasn't always rewarded with stunning results. Perhaps the most glaring example of a digital background that has aged appallingly
09:25can be found during the moment involving Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, and Yoda going for a wander through the Jedi Temple within the opening 30 minutes.
09:34The scene felt like the actors had been dropped into an animated movie for a few minutes,
09:38with the compositing and lighting during the conversation not quite being up to scratch.
09:42Everything from the colours of the carpet to the gigantic pillars just felt incredibly artificial,
09:48especially when compared to the far more detailed and impressive miniatures and practical sets used to create Star Wars locations at various points in both the prequel and original trilogies.
09:58Spare a thought for the poor performers who spent hours having to pretend they were walking and talking with little green aliens in grand structures too,
10:06with nothing but green or blue screens and the odd prop to react to. I'd go mad.
10:10Number 3, The Creepy Clones, Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith
10:14It's well documented that George Lucas oddly decided to have every single fully suited clone that appeared in the prequels be an entirely digital creation.
10:24But while the call was a questionable one, the effect itself was decent enough in Attack of the Clones,
10:29and improved further by the time of the final prequel.
10:32But then, Commander Cody opted to take his helmet off in Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith, and things got a bit weird.
10:38With not a single piece of practical armour being made for this film,
10:42Lucas instead chose to slap a digital suit onto Mira Morrison for the moment he hands Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi his lightsaber back.
10:50This was unquestionably a tough effect to pull off in the early to mid-2000s,
10:55and while the effort was definitely commendable, it ultimately just felt all kinds of unnatural as Cody's head weirdly floated around the armour.
11:03Similarly to Bruce Banner's floating head in Avengers Infinity War.
11:06Maybe they should have just left the mask on and saved viewers from being forever haunted by this levitating clone skull, yeah?
11:13Number 2, De-Aging Anakin and Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan Kenobi
11:17Now here's something a little bit different.
11:19While many of the other entries on this list focus on moments where overindulging in CGI led to cartoonish or jarring visuals,
11:28this one will look at a sequence that suffered somewhat due to the opposite.
11:31Hopping back in time for a spot of lightsaber training with Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi,
11:37the latter's Disney Plus series saw the return of both Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor
11:42in the famous roles they played throughout the prequels.
11:45Both actors were seemingly adjusted slightly via de-aging tech for the engaging back and forth,
11:51but just not quite enough in the end, particularly in the case of Christensen.
11:55For the most part, this wasn't exactly a big issue, especially as most of the scene involved them swinging lightsabers.
12:01You're not really looking at their faces when they're doing that.
12:04In those few moments when the camera captures Christensen's face in close-up, though,
12:09the CG tinkering can't quite mask the fact the actor is noticeably a fair bit older than he was when he shot Episode 2, Attack of the Clones,
12:17which was set at a similar time as this scene.
12:19Clearly realizing they needed to up their game, the folks working on Ahsoka definitely made Christensen look far more convincing
12:26as a younger version of himself during the World Between Worlds sequence.
12:30In Obi-Wan Kenobi, though, the force was definitely not strong with the digital de-aging of this actor.
12:361. The Blurgh, The Mandalorian
12:39Trying to make a real person sitting on top of a fully digital animal look convincing can be a tough nut to crack,
12:46something that was evident during the first season of The Mandalorian.
12:50Now, it must be said that the majority of the digital effects present in these first few episodes of Mando fun are solid to tremendous,
12:57especially for a TV show.
12:59A show with a $100 million budget, admittedly, but that's still smaller than your average modern-day Star Wars blockbuster.
13:05Though that smaller budget wasn't really felt all that much when Din Djarin was interacting with a cute little puppet Grogu
13:12or fighting off Stormtroopers, it sadly was during the moment when the titular Mandalorian hopped on the aforementioned Blurgh.
13:20Feeling like one of the many pointless creatures George Lucas stuffed into his original trilogy over the years,
13:26this alien, first seen in Ewoks' The Battle of Endor, was one of the few low points in an otherwise strong first season.
13:33Now, the VFX team evidently went to great lengths to bring the Blurghs back into the galaxy far, far away,
13:39even throwing Pedro Pascal and Stuntables onto a book for the moment when he tries to hop onto one.
13:45The digital Blurgh was then added in later, you see.
13:47It's a shame, then, that outside of the odd impressive close-up, admittedly,
13:51the CGI Blurghs dragged down the majority of the scenes they're in,
13:55especially the ones where they're seen going for a weightless run.
13:58Oh my god.
13:59Yep, was not pretty, but we still got Grogu, so everything's fine.
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