It’s not because level of talent has decreased or artists have gotten worse. Back then artists had way more time and way more budget. There was a genuine interest in breaking barriers and making cgi look as great as possible, not just “good enough”. As cgi artists we want to make everything we touch look as good as possible, but it’s up to higher ups and budget which is increasingly becoming a trend of less and less budget, while at the same time expecting faster and more work. The mantra has become “we need to spend less money, crank things out faster, just try to make it look good enough”. The results are exactly what you and I would expect.. All so higher profits can be realized 🫠 Unfortunately not many companies do it for the love of art anymore. Hopefully the pendulum swings in the other direction again.