Bingowings said:
his is another bag I have about some people who lambast the PT (not saying it doesn't deserve it mind).
Lots of the shots that people pick out as fake look CGI are largely physical models with some CGI elements in them.
Some of that goes down to the extreme cartoonish nature of some of those CGI elements that make the whole show look like a Playstation cut scene.
That's more a design thing than a technical thing.
Even when you have an interesting design (like the basic battledroids) they look delicate, diminutive and plastic which is where Lucas seems to want to go with them story wise but them renders them not menacing (ironically seeing as they debut in TPM) and reduces the emotional impact they can leave.
Early drawings had the same design scaled up so they were 8ft tall with a brushed steel look.
They were based on the Epstein's Rock Drill which looks much more menacing and solid :
To some extent the PT needs it's ethos rejigged much more than it needs it's CGI replaced.
It's really unfortunate that George made those Battledroids so comedic and stupid. It takes everything away from how dangerous they really could be. It's like as if he borrowed from the Daleks voice-wise too. At least they were menacing and they even scared my Dad as a kid too lol! Heck even while the Super Battledroids may be more dangerous they still look goofy. And those Commando Droids on The Clone Wars may still come close but again, no cigar!! If anything the voices should probably be removed altogether. And I hate to admit it but the Battledroids talking on TCW does crack me up, though it should never really have happened in the first place!! :p
To date I must say the T-800 Terminator machines of the future are still the most intimidating machines next to the T-1000 perhaps. What else comes close?