Effects that blew chunks
 

In contrast to Michael's thread inviting folks to share thoughts on effects that blew you away, I will start this one for the opposite end of the spectrum and invite readers to share thoughts on effects that were used in such a way as to become a major distraction in viewing the movie, or illustrated very poor direction or production value...efx that while watching them, felt like an indictment because you belong to a civilization for which this drivel was intended. Effects that sucked....

I will throw out a couple;

Other than the 'brides' I didn't find much in "Van Helsing" of any redeeming value. The most distracting effect for me was the stage coach over the gorge scene, during which all laws of physics and gravity do not apply.


OMG! How about that surfing scene from "Escape from LA"...I was so embarrassed for humanity.

-Jon

I actually had to stop watching Bruce Almighty because everything looked so damned green screened.

Of course, the legendary rock throwing scene from Gangs of New York.

Truthfully, and I may get flamed here, but I have a problem with a lot of the latest Star Wars stuff. Especially the physics involved, or lack thereof. I know Lucas has commented on this fact by saying that it's fantasy and not sci-fi,
but LOTR was fantasy and at least things acted in a reasonable manner.

ALmost all of the Matrix.

(Yeah, sue me.)

haha, I totally agree with you on that one

I hated "The Mask" effects... I know its old, but it came on TV recently and it was hard to watch

Terminator 3 - some movies should just stop after one sequel....

Actually I thought the long car chase in that film was pretty impressive. And I believe I read that none of it was done with cgi. The rest of it was pretty forgettable though...

I only saw the trailer of Sounds of Thunder, but even that made me really really laugh with the fx...

How about this one... Slither. It came on as a preview during a recent movie I saw in the theater

http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/slither/

I honestly can't tell if its supposed to be horror... or humor?? haha

Matrix Reloaded - Burly Brawl
It looked so fake. They needed doubles for Agent Smiths and in many shots you know it isn't Hugo Weaving. Neo looked CG in many of the shots. It bothered me when they did slow motion so you really noticed how fake it was.

I did like the The Matrix and its bullet time.

Episode III
So many shots looked fake. Even backgrounds looked fake. Yoda looks over animated.

2001
The effects were the shot. And the last 20 minutes was a waste (Ooh, pretty colors).
All of 2001 was explained better in the first minutes of 2010.

Stargate SG-1 has good effects. Stargate Atlantis screws up green screen.

The Kong
 

Steady yourselves...for I am about to deride the work of the Kong...

Not the big gorailla, rather Peter Jackson, in his movie ABOUT the big gorilla.

So much was wonderful...the city streets at the beginning...the vaudeville theatre at the end....omg...the Empire State in the final reel...long overdue homage to the masters who had practised his craft in its earliest decades....but by crikey...the DIPLODOCUS!!!!

You could see the little people running THROUGH their legs!!!

Oddly enough....I watched Jurassic park recently (my gf had never seen it!) and I still think those dino's haven't been beaten onscreen since they were in multiplexes. Although I appreciate most were not cg...which speaks volumes.

James Bond wind-surfing on the ice flow tidal wave in "Die Another Day"... worst shot in any bond film ever (and thats saying something).

Spot on! I totally agree with that. This was one of the recent glaring examples of something that the viewer subconsciously "knows" and feels is impossible and ludicrous.

And for a Bond-film, it is compounded by the fact that it isn't a stunt double performing it. It might as well be one of those corny rear projection deals of someone on a surfboard pretending to surf.

I was never that impressed with the "Spiderman" movie effects. I think he looks "over-computer generated".... but with such great "stories" I'm willing to overlook that. Maybe its the the "coloring" of his costume that looks cartoonish and fake to me at all times. And it looks like they worked to match the actual real costume colors, (worn by the actor), to the cartoonish computer generated colors instead of vise versa. I am a big fan of these movies though.

How about the good ole original "Star Trek" episodes. I loved that series when I was a kid growing up, but some of it does fly in the face of some pretty well established, fundamental laws of physics. For example, the "hand phaser" simply erased matter completely from existence (fundamental law of physics cast to the wind there!), but not only that, somehow the beam was highly intelligent too, knowing to erase the target's clothing from existence as well (without even slightly scorching the ground that the victim stood on!). Amazing weapon! Never made me hurl, but I did laugh sometimes.

My first thought was that James Bond thing indeed. How bad.

However, I recently fast-forwarded through Mysterious Island. Unbelievable how bad those effects (and the movie) where. Yikes.