Why CGI in Films Is Slipping: Pirates Director Spills the Beans

Anyone who’s caught a blockbuster lately might’ve noticed that the digital effects aren’t quite as jaw-dropping as they used to be. Gore Verbinski, the bloke behind the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, has a pretty clear idea why. He reckons the problem comes down to filmmakers chasing the look of video games, rather than sticking to what made film effects so convincing in the first place.

In a recent chat, Verbinski put it bluntly:

I think the simplest answer is you’ve seen the Unreal gaming engine enter the visual effects landscape.

He explained that there used to be a clear line between the tools used for games and those for films. Unreal Engine, developed by Epic Games, was top-notch for creating immersive game worlds, but now it’s being used to finish visual effects in films as well. According to Verbinski,

Unreal Engine coming in and replacing Maya as a sort of fundamental is the greatest slip backwards.

Game Tech Meets the Big Screen

Unreal Engine is a powerful bit of kit, no doubt. It’s the backbone for games like Fortnite, Gears of War, and Hogwarts Legacy. But it’s also found its way into film and telly, popping up in big-name productions like The Mandalorian and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The trouble is, when you use a tool built for games, the end result can feel more like you’re watching a cutscene than a proper film.

Verbinski points out that while Unreal’s effects aren’t bad in themselves, they can look a bit off when used in stories set in the real world.

It works with Marvel movies where you kind of know you’re in a heightened, unrealistic reality,

he said. The main issue, he reckons, is that Unreal doesn’t handle light in the same way as traditional film tools. That’s why some digital creatures and environments end up in the uncanny valley, looking a bit too artificial for comfort.

A lot of in-betweening is done for speed instead of being done by hand,

he added, suggesting that shortcuts are being taken to get things done faster, but at the cost of quality.

From Davy Jones to Dull Effects

Verbinski’s got a front-row seat to these changes. The first three Pirates films were praised for their groundbreaking digital work, especially the character of Davy Jones, who looked so real you’d swear he was actually there. Fast forward to the latest entry, Dead Men Tell No Tales, and the effects just didn’t have the same magic—even though it came out more than a decade after the original. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher, considering how much technology has advanced in that time.

For punters keen on fantasy flicks, there’s still plenty to look forward to. Whether you’re hanging out for the next Avengers, Supergirl, or the much-hyped Mandalorian and Grogu film, the world of digital effects isn’t going anywhere. But as Verbinski’s comments show, the tools filmmakers choose can make all the difference between a film that wows and one that just looks a bit off.