The Age of CG

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2002)

*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***
Well, after seeing the midnight showing last night I am still amazed at the progress of computer graphics. George Lucas is always talking about how close we are to having CG characters interacting seemlessly with the flesh-and-blood actors. Well, Peter Jackson and crew have accomplished more with Gollum than anything to date.
From the first sequences including Gollum to the very last, he is alive and part of the cast. The interactions between Gollum and the hobbits, Frodo and Sam, are perfect. Cloth movement, shadows, substance - it has it all. The more he fights with the hobbits the more real he becomes. I couldn't help but watch him in every scene he appeared. "The rope burnss usss!", ok, Frodo takes it off of him, perfect interaction.
The Battle of Helm's Deep is another sequence that is just breathtaking. You want 10,000+ orcs fighting a few thousand men, elves and of course a certain dwarf? No Problem. You want an army of Ents destroying Isengard? No Problem. You want the second installment of Tolkein's Masterpiece? Go to your local movie theater as soon as possible.
Step aside ILM, there's a new crew in town.