It was hardly the only problem dragging down the Star Wars prequel trilogy - we can't forget the script, the acting, the directing, the pretty much everything - but those films were certainly victims of CGitis. We're not just talking Jar Jar: in the hands of George Lucas, the films become exercises in the gravest technological indulgence, losing much character in the process.
Even worse, Lucas went back and replaced much of the original trilogy's stunning SFX work with horrible CGI replacements.
Kathleen Kennedy, new president of Lucasfilm and 'brand manager' of Star Wars following Disney's acquistion of the company, told audiences at a German Star Wars convention that their might be a more sensible mix this time around.
As reported by Yahoo, she told fans "we’re looking at what the early Star Wars films did; they used real locations with special effects. So [for Episode VII] we’re going to find some very cool locations, were going to end up using every single tool in the toolbox.
"I was amazed yesterday and looking at what the fans are doing" she continued. "Using model makers, using real droids, taking advantage of the artwork that you can touch and feel. We want to do that in combination with CG effects.”
There are reasons to be optimistic, not least director J.J. Abrams (pictured above). While his Star Trek films have been CGI-heavy extravangzas, he's also proven himself able to achieve a more successful balance between CG creations and 'real-life' settings & characters than Lucas ever did. Mr. Lucas has also very vocally taken a backseat this time around.
Cynics, however, should note the last time we were teased a more grounded and old-fashioned adventure was Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Traumatised viewers might recall the computer gopher that, before the main credits had even rolled, illustrated the film's eventual cartoonish fondness for ridiculous computer effects (remember the 'Shia LeBeouf monkey swinging' scene?). "We're not cheating with CG" were producer Frank Marshall's words before release. We should note that Marshall is the husband of one Kathleen Kennedy (who was also producer on the last Indy film).
We suggest very cautious optimism.
