VFX artists have a mixed response to the CGI in Megalopolis. The 2024 film was a longtime pᴀssion project for acclaimed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, whose creative vision for the movie began in the late 1970s. Despite finally coming to fruition and being released in 2024 after spending decades in development, this was not the end of the movie’s challenges, as Megalopolis‘ production and marketing became controversial. There were many reports of a troubled set, including allegations against Coppola for kissing extras without their consent.

It was confirmed that Coppola fired Megalopolis‘ art department due to a disagreement about creative approach and being unable to compromise on how to move forward. Controversy continued in marketing when a Megalopolis trailer featured quotes from reviews of previous Coppola movies, only for the quotes to later be revealed as fake. The reception to Megalopolis was divided, leading to a Tomatometer score of 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the movie also performed poorly at the box office, only earning $14 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo) after Coppola spent $120 million of his own money to make the film.

Megalopolis’ CGI Is Inconsistent

The Quality Varies Drastically Between Scenes

The VFX artists of Corridor Crew are divided on Megalopolis‘ CGI. Before reviewing specific scenes from the Francis Ford Coppola movie, they acknowledge the troubled production, specifically the impact that it had on the movie’s visual effects. They are impressed by certain scenes and commend the poetic realism aesthetic that is utilized. However, other scenes lead to incredulous responses with visual effects that do not land well for them. They are particularly bemused by the way the face of Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is visually transformed after he sustains a serious injury.

One particular scene that they are impressed by is a scene during a rainy night when Fundi Romaine (Laurence Fishburne) drives Cesar past several statues. Each statue tumbles onto the street below in a fluid motion. Corridor Crew‘s VFX artists explain how the scene uses actors wearing plastic prosthetics and that they are filmed in slow motion to bring the depiction of the falling statues to life. Check out their explanation below:

It’s actors in these hard plastic prosthetics who are performing and all the footage is filmed in slow motion to give them a sense of scale as they fall and move. Now they have some sort of latex suit and their hands are probably painted. And I bet you that everything from here to the chin up is basically all a mask to get the sculpted, statuesque features. This is all in camera, probably on a volume too. This is all in camera.

Our Take On Corridor Crew’s Comments

Everything About Megalopolis Is Perplexing

Corridor Crew‘s divided response to the VFX is consistent with Megalopolis‘ divisive reviews. Some scenes, like the one with the statues, are impressive and memorable and tie in well with the movie’s visual style and themes. Others, like the way Cesar’s face looks after being sH๏τ, look outdated and as if they belong in a movie with a small budget. From the visual effects to the story itself, Megalopolis is a perplexing movie on many levels.

Source: Corridor Crew, Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo