Fantastic Four 2015 Thing Practical or CGI?

Jared Lee

They are making a new Fantastic Four movie for 2015. Do you think the Thing should be done with practical effects, or CGI?

We have a good reference of what the Thing looks like with practical make up effects. I think the job that was done in the earlier movies worked pretty good.

I don't think that the Thing as he is seen in the comics was fully realized in those films. The actor was not the correct height or size, but they did the best they could with who they had. He gave a great performance as Ben Grim, and even if he did not look like the Thing in the comics his portrail of the character made me look past that.

Just to standout from the previous movies it would be good to take a different approach to the character. I say using either a full animatronic head, or CGI would be the way to go. Giving the puppeteers full control over the head would give a good range of expression. My other option of full CGI is because so many producers feel it is just as difficult to track CGI to a face as it is to animate an entire character. At least that is what George Lucas's team decided when adding Jar Jar to Star Wars. I think the blend of full body suit, and CG face works great. It gives the actor something to react to

What is your opinion on the matter?

michael aycock

I've seen the practical and now I think that I would rather have the Thing be done using computers. If anything I would expect the same technique used for the Hulk where the actor has many dots placed on him that several cameras then track and people use that for the Hulk expressions to match.
Hope that makes sense. Don't get me wrong. Love the practical thing but I feel that much more could be done with the Thing if he was made with computers.

Brently Davis

I personally don't think he needs to be computers.  aside from just being such a large being, one of the reasons why I think the hulk needs to be 3d is that he's all muscle.  The animators are then able to pump up his realism with all those amazing little details of the muscles flexing and rippling.  The Thing is all rock.  Aside from facial expressions and general ability to move and fight, there's really not much more he needs to do to pull off the character.  I definitely agree they need to make him bigger.  Having a 6 foot tall Thing is no fun for anyone.  I would like to see a stilted suit performer with an animatronic head.  (think Mr. Wink from Hellboy 2)  That would look amazing to me. 

That being said, I could totally see them going cg with it.