To assert that the reception of the Tatiana Maslany-led series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was polarizing would be a gross understatement. Opinions were deeply divided, with as many enthusiasts as there were detractors. One of the major sources of criticism was the subpar quality of the special effects work.
Thus it is not at all surprising that the recent nomination of Marvel’s She-Hulk for a Visual Effects Society (VES) award has sparked controversy among fans and industry professionals. Many have taken to social media to express their disappointment and frustration, claiming that the nomination should have gone to the much more visually stunning series, Moon Knight.
VES Awards Nomination List Reveals Surprising Inclusion
The nominees for the 21st annual Visual Effects Society Awards have been unveiled, and among them is : She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The Marvel Studios Disney+ series has been nominated in the category of Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project.
The nomination list is as follows:
- She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: She-Hulk – Elizabeth Bernard, Jan Philip Cramer, Edwina Ting, Andrew Park
- Skull & Bones: Sam – Jonas Skoog, Jonas Törnqvist, Goran Milic, Jonas Vikström
- The Callisto Protocol: Jacob Lee – Martin Contel, Glauco Longhi, Jorge Jimenez, Atsushi Seo
- The Umbrella Academy: Pogo – AIdan Martin, Hannah Dockerty, Olivier Beierlein, Miae Kang”
Marvel Studios has long been renowned for its utilization of computer-generated imagery (CGI) in the creation of its iconic battles, destruction, and hero abilities. In some instances, the studio has even employed CGI to craft entire characters, such as Thanos, the Hulk, and Groot, with renowned actors providing their voices.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law represented a new milestone in this endeavor as it featured a lead character who was entirely CGI, and for a 9-episode series.
The She-Hulk CGI Conundrum: Decoding the Debate
Upon the release of the trailer for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, it met with widespread criticism and controversy, with many expressing disappointment in the character’s on-screen appearance. The version of the trailer that was later uploaded to Disney+ was met with significantly fewer negative reactions, with several VFX professionals explaining why this may be the case. The Corridor Crew, a group of VFX professionals, praised a particular shot in the bar for its realism and believability, but criticized other parts of the trailer for being inconsistent and “going back and forth from utterly convincing to Shrek-like.” The group ultimately declared that the trailer did not showcase “garbage VFX,” instead attributing the excessively negative reaction to internet culture.
Artist Wren Weichman also weighed in on the matter, explaining that the issues seen in the trailer were likely a result of the YouTube upload of the trailer, which had been compressed to reduce the file size, resulting in a lower-quality video. Weichman went on to highlight that Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk in the trailer did not suffer from the same issues as She-Hulk, due to the presence of details such as stubble, crow’s feet, and forehead wrinkles which “compression will not be able to remove.”
So it was established even after backlashes that the show’s CGI and VFX was not absolute garbage.Although It is an inarguable fact that the inclusion of She-Hulk in the nominations for the Visual Effects Society Awards is incongruous. Even among those who held the series in high regard, the quality of its visual effects was subpar and inconsistent.
As per insider’s statements and confessions the plight of VFX artists in the industry is a valid concern,although it does not negate the fact that the final product failed to meet the standards of excellence expected in this category.
She-Hulk Nomination Sparks Controversy: Fans Cry Foul
A Reddit user,BrettPlayMC attributed the nomination to the lead character being entirely CGI, which he says is a reasonable explanation.
“I get why kinda; She-Hulk being the lead of the show. What are the other nominations though?”
Moose-bank noted that he loved the show and VFX was okay but says it wasn’t award-winning
“Oh boy… I loved the show and had no problem with the VFX given the platform and budget, but no way was it award-winning work.”
Some Reddit users like Isidhu1010 and Difficult_Maybe_18 even says, it would have been more fitting for the nomination to have been bestowed upon Moon Knight,
“Khonshu should [have been] nominated, he looks incredible in MK.”
“Honestly as much as I loved ‘She-Hulk’, I think ‘Moon Knight’ deserves it a little more but to each it’s own.”
It remains to be seen if She-Hulk will be awarded the prize, but it is worth noting that it has, however improbably, made it to the list of nominees.
Source: The Direct
