The Animation

I just watched this for the first time. I have been trying to identify exactly what I dislike about the animation. I just don't find it appealing, and it seems very different from the other CGI stuff (good and bad) that I've seen.

First, I just don't think the movie is aesthetically appealing. It looks dingy. The colors selected are unappealing, and would be regardless of the technology used. The same can be said of the claustrophobic scene setup... every scene seems to be indoors, and inside a tiny cubicle at that. It's like they were trying to make "The Lion King" but got the director from "Chico and The Man."

Second, the technology is too obvious. It's easy to forget about the digital aspect of a good CGI film, even an early one like "Toy Story." "Garfield Gets Real" isn't that convincing. Maybe this is because their equipment was sub-par, but I also perceive another factor: the programmers / designers seem to be showing off. There are too many obvious attempts were made to show off the lighting engine and the smoke engine and too many needless specular highlights. It reminds me of a bad 3D game that focuses too much on showing off the GPU and too little on succeeding as an actual game.

Ultimately, I guess this is the difference between the amateur and the professional. The professional knows how to appropriately turn his craft into a useful part of a complete product, whereas the amateur (who may share many of the same raw technical skills) does not.

Maybe some one with a little more technical insight can provide more insight.