# Which special effects CAN'T be done?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-special-effects-cant-be-done/368729>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 14, 2006, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-special-effects-cant-be-done/368729 "2006-08-14T21:44:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-special-effects-cant-be-done/368729/41 "2006-08-16T23:37:27Z")

</div>

The way the CGI Morlocks moved in the newer version of The Time Machine is a perfect illustration of the “lack of mass” problem. Things of a certain size and weight have to abide by the laws of gravity. Laws that computer animators are apparently unaware of.

On the other hand, the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park seemed to move in accordance with real-world physics.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-special-effects-cant-be-done/368729/42 "2006-08-17T03:34:12Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Squink]  
CGI of turbulent fluid flows will continue to look unrealistic for a long time to come. They just can’t model enough interracting particles to make rapids, waves and whirlpools look right.  
[/QUOTE]

I’m not so sure. There’s probably a lot of films that use CGI smoke, water or other fluids that you just don’t notice.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-special-effects-cant-be-done/368729.md?page=2)