Terminator

        As the use of CG in blockbuster films becomes more commonplace, it is quite special to come across practical effects and animation which, at least in my opinion, do the job better than their computer generated counterparts.

 

        A prime example of this is the Terminator franchise, a series of films which spans 30 years and consequently encompasses a broad spectrum of animation techniques. While I don't dispute the effectiveness of the ground breaking CG animation used for the liquid metal T-1000 (Terminator 2) the change from stop motion animation (The Terminator) to CG (Terminator Salvation) for the metal endoskeleton is jarring.

 

Stop Motion Sequence from The Terminator.

 

CG cyborg from Terminator Salvation.

 

       As the character portrayed is a robot, the mechanical an wooden stride produced by stop motion is ideal, while the digital version is too slick, too smooth and too human; it just doesn't quite communicate the impression of an emotionless, unstoppable machine.