VFX Artists React to Bad & Great CGi 109

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hi guys!! I'm one of the directors of the Small Soldiers trailer, with my brother Xabier Urrutia. Just wanted to say that we are super happy that you watched it, even more that you reacted to it!! By the way, this is LUMEN, not Path Tracing, which is the Real Time renderer in Unreal. We were surprised by how powerfull it is! Gotta say though, there is a lot of post work done on it too, and as you said, all animations are done outside Unreal, in 3dsmax. I'd definetly love to talk about it with you guys whenever you want, big fan!

I'd love to see you guys take on Anaconda (1997) giant cgi snake, defyin' gravity, 360 degree biting Owen Wilson as it warps through reality, regurgitating a character. So fun.

I'd love to see you guys do your own spin on a Human Torch. You really talked about a lot of the best of both films and I'd love to see you try and unify the two, perhaps with a bit of more recent technology

The very first use of particle systems in a feature film was the Genesis effect in Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan. I’d say that’s a pretty impressive VFX shot, in historical context!

Eight legged freaks is such an underrated movie, also bizarrely it stars an early Scarlett Johansson

I'd love for the guys to compare the vfx between the first half of The Flash CW show and the second half. They also have a full cg gorilla that walks and talks, and in my opinion it looks pretty good!

A "CGI phobias" competition would be pretty cool, making the scariest heights, spiders, or tight spaces.

If you like the human torch shots, don't forget the best scene he was in (and only really good part of Fantastic Four 2), the chase sequence with the Human Torch chasing Silver Surfer

Would love to see you guys talk about Star Trek the Motion Picture, directed by the legendary Robert Wise. Specifically the 2001-esque Spock spacewalk scene. Lots of really incredible looking shots in that movie!

I’m so mad that the small soldiers thing isn’t going to be a real sequel it looks so damn good.

there are definitely more Trek vfx shots to choose from - would love to see a breakdown of the wormhole scene from Star Trek The Motion Picture

had to pause and just say how cool it is you're finally checking out Small Soldiers! One of the movies I watched on repeat growing up, and always holds a special place in my heart. Thank you for covering these beautiful gems.

Fun Fact: the comment that Niko makes at 11:25 of "they're highly pressurised spiders" is actually closer to reality than you'd think! Most arachnids use Hydraulic compression as the chief source of locomotion in their legs, with Hemolymph (an invertebrate analogue for blood) acting as the hydraulic fluid. So, in a way, Eight-Legged Freaks actually got that scene right - if a spider was supersized and one of its legs got cut off, it'd likely eject a lot of pressurised Hemolymph. The more you know.

I'm looking forward to Dune Part 2, but I'm also prepared that they likely took more liberties with the story. Most of the action or battles take place off screen, and so much of the dialogue is a mental game of chess these characters are playing. When a scene starts getting really good, the author pumps the brake and transitions to a completely new scene. As you read the book it becomes increasingly more clear why Dune has been so difficult to adapt.

Would like to see the crew react to more Japanese special effects, a medium known as Tokusatsu which includes things from Godzilla to Ultraman tv series. Maybe having one of the modern directors like Kiyota Taguchi to come onto the show to describe the effects may help! I'm sure Taguchi will like to join your couch and explain what Tokusatsu means!

I'd love to see you react to some of the bad CGI from Star Trek: Enterprise. There's a lot.

With the 2015 Fantastic Four they actually used the same "light suit" idea for Human Torch as was used for Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen in a lot of scenes. And I also wanna point out that they replaced the head VFX artist in the middle of post and swapped out some assests...for worse.
It'd be cool if you guys could react to the difference between the trailer footage and the final film!

I think one of the things that really sells the "Small Soldiers" animation is the fact that the movements of the action figures have a stutter, or jitter/wobble that is very reminiscent of stop-motion, like we would get from most other forms of live animation for a similar size (claymation, armature animation, etc.) and that subconsciously convinces us both of the realism in the image, and the scale of the figures, because we've seen it many times before.

14:12 “He’s dark! They made him dark.”
Yes they did Niko, yes they did.

I think the human torch from the old fantastic four movies still holds up very well actually. Especially for the time.

An awesome subtle vfx shot is in the latest season of Righteous Gemstones during a sort of music video part where Billy sings There'll Come a Payday. He's wearing super reflective sun glasses in the scene, but you never see a camera or any crew and his eyes are visible behind the glasses under the reflections. Subtle but cool

Currently re-watching Where The Wild Things Are. Great movie, and I love that 'Wild Things' are a combination of practical and CG effects

Would be AWESOME for you guys to do a deep dive into the opening title sequences of the Bond films, from right back to Dr No through the decades to the innovations in the 90s/00s/10s/20s CGI openings... so many old-school techniques used and just a really great example of raw creativity to set the tone of each film. Even the MUCH hated Die Another Day has some of the best opening title elements with the fire and ice 3D characters which, for the time, were mind-blowing! :)

I have a suggestion. If you're looking for more great explosions, I recommend Arcane episode 4, where Jinx blows up the festival square. That show has the best explosions I've seen in animation.

I now want to see Corridor Crew do a short with Wren becoming the human torch and fighting CG spiders.

Loved Small Soldiers & still do! That War for the Nekron looked insane!! 🔥🔥🔥

It's probably a simple shot, but I'd love to see yall discuss the transition in kingsman golden circle when it goes from weed bag to jungle, that's been one of my favorite scenes for a while, something about it is just so satisfying

9:52 - I used take photos of jumping spiders (Salticidae) and observe their behavior and movements and I can tell the animotors didn't do a good job here. IRL, the jumps are INCREDIBLY fast (to a human eye it looks like they teleport) and the spiders move in a "jumpy" way which is kind creepy and they can also move their carapace and abdomen separately (as if a truck and a trailer) Also, they screwed up their eyes - they are nothing like that! They are waaaay more cute :D they are the cutest spiders on earth and maybe this is why they are not scary ;)

I’d love to see you guys review some werewolf transformations! One of my all time favorites is the transformations in Van Helsing when they’re tearing their skin off. Another couple to look could be 2010 The Wolfman and Prisoner of Azkaban 🤘🏻🖤

Since we've officially opened pandora's box on star trek, Corridor Crew HAS to review the DS9 episode where they go back to the original enterprise. Early CGI, but in many ways they seamlessly integrated modern actors into 1960s film. It's impressive to this day.

I've been loving this show for years! Please don't ever quit!

You could do episodes dedicated to different CGi creatures like spiders or sharks. There would be so many examples of good and bad CGI to pick from

I know this is super old (1931/32) but Vampyr would be a great one to see you guys watch. The way they had to play with shadows to create their effects. The early tracking shots. It’s impressive for the time and how they came up with this stuff with such limited resources.

You need to check out the Dune miniseries from the early 2000's. It's a 3 part made-for-tv movie that is actually quite good and I'd love your commentary comparing all three versions of Dune and their special effects.

YOU GUYS!! Definitely have to check out 2003 Hulk !! Especially the scene where nick nolte becomes the absorbing man. I’ve always been curious on how his hands were done so well! Great work as always guys thank you for the content 🤘🏻

The fireplace fire in the first Shrek movie during the Hallelujah scene always sticks in my mind as being a really bad cg fire. It even feels like it's the wrong frame rate(there might be a chance it was a filmed fire that they projected onto grids)

Their explanation about CGI fire also helps explain why the Balrog in Lord of The Rings looks really good and still holds up to this day.
Number 1, the fire was actually real fire that was filmed as a separate element and then simply manipulated using a particle system
but also Number 2, the Balrog itself is a visually dark character and nearly all of its scenes also take place in very dark surroundings and dark lighting, thus the fire doesn't lose contrast or exposure.

Hi guys! Would love to see you react to the VFX in the three Chronicles of Narnia films. A lot of the effects have really stood up well considering those movies are 18, 15, and 12 years old. And then there’s a couple of shots that have really aged. But for the most part, the movies still look really good! There’s some great miniature shots in those movies too!

When it comes to Dune, I have full faith in the part 2. It's directed by Denis Villeneuve, the same guy who directed not only the first one, but also Sicario, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049.

I can't wait to see Marvel's Fantastic Four. I hope they make the Human Torch super bright. He should light up a room or an area like the worlds brightest torch.

Just rewatched Broken Arrow; if you haven't done it yet, I'd suggest it. Lots of crazy practical stuff, some good model/miniatures, and a mix of both good and "Oh right, this *is* 1996" CGI.

Have ya'll done the CG Tintin movie yet? That's one beauty, though I think some people found it uncanny. I think it's some of the best animation at the time, and a good example of realistic texture on stylized characters.

I would love to see you guys do your version of the human torch. That would be awesome.

I would love a reaction to the Spider-Man Lotus swinging footage! Arguably one of the best swinging sequences ever

Id love to see you remake the humam torch effect now to see how it compares

To me, one of the most "signature" Star Trek visuals is the Mutara Nebula sequence in Star Trek II (1982). Another from the same movie is the Genesis Device demo sequence which is often credited as one of the first fully CGI sequences - though I think that one was covered on the channel before as it was done by the ILM CGI department which would eventually be spun off as Pixar.
There were also really good shots in the first Star Trek movie (1979) which was one of the first post-Star Wars effects-heavy films.

There is a scene in Dune (2021) around 56:30 where these balloons come out of a ship to help lift a container and the balloons look so weird when they are inflating, would love to hear your guys’ take on it. Long time fan, love the content!

“Highly pressurized spiders” is actually accurate since spiders use essentially hydraulics to bend their leg joints

Great episode! So glad to see you guys react to Star Trek effects. If you’re looking for more, I’d love to see a reaction to the DS9 episode “Trials and Tribble-ations” where they inserted the characters into an episode from the original series that was shot 30 years earlier. Lots of great scenes to choose from in that one!

O H M Y *GOODNESS*
I HAVENT SEEN 8 LEGGED FREAKS IN SO LONG
that is an absolute hood classic and so nostalgic, i used to love watching that as a kid
Even after all these years i still remember all of the scenes shown

As someone with severe arachnophobia. I was with Wren entirely on the spider section. The furry ones with like big fat round legs, nothing they’re like a spider enemy in a game or something. However that flood of spiders into the room also resulted in me covering my eyes 🥲🥲(I’m 23 lmfao)

Glad you guys covered that human torch effect. I watched it at the movie theater and came out telling my wife that we are officially had gotten to the point where we can make superhero powers not look like a computer game.
Then we started getting the marvel movies and the rest was history

Also to mention, that small soldier's part reminded me of when Xbox dropped an Unreal Engine 5 demo of the Matrix which was still very early in its development etc but the level of detail for something of that calibre shows where games could one day go.

Oh, I'm with Wren on this one, thick furry spiders don't do anything for me, but the shiny, long, thin ones, now they mess me up 😱

Finally the Borg Queen! I LOVE that shot and Alice Krige is so creepy and awesome in that role. However you guys should do the V'ger scenes from The Motion Picture. Late 70s visual effects at their best really.

I think the original "Fantastic Four" works a lot better because of the overall tone of the movie. since it's very "cartoony" to begin with, I feel the design of the Human Torch is fitting.
while the more recent one went for a little more "realistic" vibe - which is why details like the one you mentioned stand out more imo.

I think it'd be cool if you guys looked at some of the sequences from the expanse. Especially the battle scenes.

I'm so stoked for Dune part 2! Sorry, Wren, you had to watch 8 Legged Freaks

I have the same fear as Nikko for Dune Part 2. But Denis is my favorite director of all time, and he has never made a bad film. So I trust him in that regard. Also once again, Cinematography by Greig Fraser, so it will look gorgeous

The CREEPIEST scene in 8 legged freaks was by far the spider showing its legs behind the old man in the lazyboy chair 😬

Love Niko’s impression on the Dune explosions- They treated them like actual characters of the scene.. what a brilliant thought!

Eight Legged Freaks scared the hell out of me as a kid. The trap door spider scenes and the scenes with all the web caves where they start getting wrapped up I remember being good, probably because the lighting was darker so they could get away with more.

I have an idea for an entire episode. Wren would love it. Do an entire episode dedicated to animated spiders

I’d like for Corridor Crew to react to the animation for the concept trailer “To Be Hero X”. The way it blends animation styles is similar to Sony‘s Spiderverse, but it fully leans into the cool factor

You guys should look at the cave heads and the cave monster in The Witcher S3:E2 about 37 minutes in. I thought Henry did a great job acting and you can tell he is there for most of it but even my untrained eye could see that the monster wasn’t quite perfect, would love to hear you guys talk about it!

In Carnival Row season 2 episode 1 there’s a fight between Orlando Bloom’s character and a fully CG creature that looks pretty good imo. Could be interesting to look at.

Small Soldiers is a classic, and I wouldn’t mind a reboot that looks like that!

Hey Corridor Crew! Long time watcher. After seeing the Human Torch run, it got me curious about a video idea: would the team be able to pick super powers out of a hat, and make their own simulations to make something interesting?

small soldiers and the new trailer are both freakin awesome

Man I think it’d be so cool to see them breakdown cgi in video games! I’d love to see their knowledge and breakdowns of how video game cgi may differ in production or time. And if the looked at the new FinalFantasy16 game oh my! Such a beautiful game

I was impressed by the fire scene in Bon Cop Bad Cop (Canadian movie). I can’t figured out how they did it safely.

I think a great episode would be to just go through external ship shots for Trek that have been done through the years, going from TOS through to today, just the changing technology and techniques.

Another Star Trek suggestion: The surreal time travel sequence in Voyage Home. IIRC, it was the first time CGI used an actual scan of actual actors in a movie - which was a huge step forward for 1986! It might also be interesting to look at the Genesis Planet animation from Wrath of Khan, since that was a jawdropper back in the day. Longest CGI shot up to that point, in 1982.

There is a scene in For All Mankind where a large rocket takes off from the sea, starting about 90% under the water. You get the visuals of the sea reacting to the rocket taking off and then the two blasts as the engines leave the water. I'd love to see a reaction to that.

I have been asking for that shot to be on this show for YEARS, at least since the first ten episodes. FINALLY! And I'm really pleased you guys liked it.

I don't know if it's CG fire, but the flame effects on Eric Bagosian at the end of Under Siege 2 are some of the most egregious and unintentional hilarious effects ever put to film.

You guys should do Shin Godzilla, clearly a fan's favorite in the franchise, and the CGI is pretty cool, would love to have your impressions on it!

i would love to see you do your take on a few scenes of the human torch

Honestly, I think the human torch holds up VERY well. It's lacking some detail you'd find nowadays, but it's completely believable.
It doesn't take me out of it, and there's not much cgi, especially particle stuff, from back then where I can say the same

Can’t wait to see how the new human torch looks

I have watched so many of your react videos that i can't remember if you did this or not, but the other night I "made" my wife watch Johnny Mnemonic with me and i had forgotten about how it feels like a precursor to the matrix movies. Specifically with the brain jacking and the distopian society. But then there's also some weird Lawnmower Man type effects going on in a movie that came out the same year as Toy Story, and a weird partially off scree death where a guy gets cut in half with a laser string. I don't believe all the wad lost in my head all these years. If you already did this, i will have to find it, but if not, it might be worth a shot.... Also, Ice-T and a cyber dolphin..

You guys should really take a look at the mist, rewatched it recently and was really surprised at how good and bad the cg holds up

About the highly pressurized spiders, that's actually pretty realistic! It's how they move their legs, basically by hydraulics. Thats also why dead spiders curl up, as the resting position of their legs is all retracted and if there is no living organism pressurizing them they naturally return to their most bent state!

id love to see the same comparission between theses two human torches with sunspot from new mutants, it would be awsome

I would say that's one of the two best Star Trek Effects, with the other one being them crashing the saucer of the Enterprise onto the planet. I remember that being a "Holy sh*t!" moment for me in the theaters. Another one that was really cool for the time (but looks VERY dated now) was in the final TOS movie when they attacked the klingons in zero-g and they had the blood drops floating around in the air. That was 1991, so it was pretty cool back then (only spoiled by Terminator 2 coming out earlier that year).

A huge portion of what makes and always has made a nice scene is the skill of the artist that creates it, and not just the tools used.

Would love to see you guys look at Evolution. Suggested it before. I think some of the FX are way ahead of their time.

ANOTHER Always Sunny reference?!? Are you guys making this series just for me? I swear if I hear Bad Religion in one of your videos you're officially in my head. I LOVE this channel man. I miss Clint and D, but you guys still manage to never miss. Keep at, love ya dudes.

I have my first suggestion!! I would love to see a video on the VFX of the music videos by Ronnie Radke & his group Falling in Reverse. Some shots are straight out of AAA films and are just breath taking. The opening shot of "Watch The World Burn" with the airplane explosion is wild stuff for a music video.

As far as the worst fire CG goes, I just re-watched Return of the King with my brother and the scene where the beacons are being lit in the mountains felt super janky.

I like how the one dude attacked by a spider who says “Looks like the only thing going is you dude” literally looks to the side where he should have seen the spider coming at him, yet he still doesn’t react.

If you really want to traumatize Wren, show him the spiders in The Mist

I recently watched district 9 and it has very amazing cgi, you need to react to it, i personally loved the movie

First Contact is my all time favourite Star Trek movie, its absolutely fantastic, even if you arent a Trek fan, its just a flat out great film.

I love how John Lassiter animated the Knight in Young Sherlock... he just projected the footage right onto his monitor and rotoscoped by eye :D

8 legged freaks was my absolute favorite movie as a kid. I got so excited when my parents ordered it through the mail for me. Now, I have extreme arachniphopia lmfao.

That Borg Queen shot is ingenious and insanely impressive!

The original Star Trek motion picture had a lot of very slow sequences but great optical effects.

It would be pretty cool if you guys took at look at the effects of Flight of the Navigator, Explorers, and The Dirt Bike Kid. Also D.A.R.Y.L. has some interesting effects. Classic 80's sci-fi kids movies.