What Makes CGI "Bad"?

Overview

This video critiques infamous CGI moments from DC and Marvel movies, arguing that the effects look bad for specific technical (and sometimes production/scheduling) reasons. The host walks through multiple shots, “diagnosing” what went wrong and contrasting them with what might have made the results feel more integrated and believable.

Main Plot / Structure

• Hook: The host points to a list of ridiculed shots (e.g., “Superman mouth,” “Doctor Strange third eye,” floating heads) and asks: what actually makes CGI look bad?

• Method: For each example, they explain the production context, then break the shot down into layers/animation/lighting/compositing issues.

• Big Takeaway: CGI isn’t automatically “bad.” Sometimes it’s done well—other times it fails due to mismatched elements, rushed deadlines, or incorrect compositing/animation priorities.

Notable Highlights, Jokes, and Key Reactions

Superman’s Mouth (DC)

The host fixates on the notorious “half-and-half” face problem. Because Henry Cavill couldn’t shave his mustache for reshoots (due to a scheduling conflict with Mission: Impossible Fallout), DC allegedly had to recreate only part of the face. The result is a smile/mouth mismatch that “doesn’t commit,” looking unsettling.

The host even claims that minor Photoshop sharpening makes integration look better—suggesting that “close-but-not-quite” failures can slip through.

Black Widow (2021, Marvel)

The host describes a “blue screen stack” breakdown:

• a cloudy blue sky background,
• smoke/embers layers,
• and—most importantly—foreground smoke that makes the character overly dark and muddy.

They argue this creates an unnatural cutoff/edge. They also complain about lack of stakes: the blast/impact appears to barely affect the character, making the moment feel weightless.

Doctor Strange’s Third Eye (Multiverse of Madness)

Presented as the “least offensive” CGI. The host praises that it aligns lighting/color/sharpness and motion blur appropriately—implying the effect is technically coherent even if it’s visually odd. They also suggest that an eyebrow might have helped realism.

Thor: Love and Thunder / Axel (the name gag)

The host calls out a famous “smudged yellow” CGI outline and notes the heavy use of chromatic aberration, arguing it becomes the only thing “carrying” the effect.

The joke centers on distraction: the encounter devolves into repetitive, name-based back-and-forth (“Axel… ASD Axel…”)—mocking that it feels more like a gag than meaningful integration.

Black Adam (DC)

A dramatic mid-action moment goes wrong due to camera composition. The lens perspective warps the framing, making The Rock look less imposing by emphasizing the disconnect between his head and body.

The host compares the result to Casper (“plunger on the nose” energy) and argues the character comes off less intimidating and more distant—especially since he falls/gets hit and then gets up largely unscathed.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania / MODOK (Marvel)

The host criticizes how MODOK’s face ended up as a fully CG creation grafted onto performance capture rather than leveraging practical familiarity. They propose a preferable pipeline: shoot Darren Cross physically on set, then cut/blow up the head and layer CGI afterward.

They argue the current approach produces an unrecognizable “monstrosity,” making it hard to emotionally connect with.

The Flash (2023): the “lasting image” argument

While noting other controversies (deepfakes, cartoony babies, CG actor recreations), the host focuses on a specific running shot.

They claim the problem includes:

• Jerky-to-robotic transition: the CG run cycle doesn’t match real on-set movement.
• Texture/realism mismatch: the detailed face becomes a lifeless model.
• Environment feels empty: background pedestrians vanish.
• Lighting/shadows don’t connect: light and ground interaction look too smooth; cracks/pavement detail don’t properly line up.

They argue that once the later shots fix anatomy/ground contact, the earlier wide shot has already anchored the audience’s memory.

Final Takeaway / Conclusion

• The host argues that bad CGI isn’t inevitable—it happens when compositing, lighting, motion, or production constraints fail.
• They end with a plea for compassion: budgets squeeze and audience expectations rise, and VFX teams may be forced to deliver under harsher conditions, even though CGI work often requires enormous time and care.

Personalities Appearing

• The video host / narrator: a single primary personality. No other clearly distinct named characters function as additional hosts, though multiple movie characters are discussed: Superman, Black Widow, Doctor Strange, Axel, Black Adam, MODOK, and The Flash/Barr Allen.