A few years back, I read a computer animation student’s comparison between the use of CGI by George Lucas and Peter Jackson. His arguement was that Lucas used it as a distraction. Huge battle scenes of faceless drones, big explosions that seemed more like an arcade game than a movie, huge set peices but very little depth/

Jackson used CGI to enhance the story. He would show characters which the audience identified with, then place them into a larger context using CGI to show their place in a bigger picture, or interact with their surroundings on a more personal level to set atmosphere.

Had an interesting slide show comparing the Droids versus the Gungans and how it failed to connect with an audience versus the Charge at Minas Tirith and how it produced a stronger reaction.