There are few names in the film industry that make nerds collectively faint, and one of them is Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). From space battles that made audiences in the ’70s go, “Wow, that’s real!” to modern CGI creatures that make us go, “Wow, that’s…still a cartoon,” ILM has been at the forefront of visual effects since its inception. They’re practically the OGs of movie magic, and by that, I mean they’re old—really old. But does their magic still sparkle, or are they relying too much on the ol’ Jedi mind trick these days?

The Golden Age of ILM: When Practicality Was King

Let’s rewind to 1975. George Lucas, the man behind the greatest family drama of all time (no, not “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”—I’m talking about “Star Wars”), needed something no one else could provide: a visual effects studio that could turn his space opera into a galaxy far, far away. Cue ILM. It was revolutionary. These were the folks who made spaceships out of model kits and made them look like they were soaring through the void of space. No computers—just a whole lot of ingenuity, camera trickery, and the kind of creativity that only comes from a place where your budget is smaller than a TIE fighter cockpit.

Remember the Death Star trench run? That wasn’t just some intern dragging a mouse across a screen—it was hand-crafted models meticulously filmed to create something unforgettable. And the iconic AT-AT walkers in “The Empire Strikes Back”? Real. Physical. Tangible. (Unlike Luke’s morals in the sequels, but I digress.)

ILM didn’t just work on “Star Wars,” though that’s what everyone seems to remember them for. They defined the ’80s and ’90s with visual effects that were simultaneously cutting-edge and practical. Take “Jurassic Park.” Oh, you thought that T. rex was CGI the whole time? Wrong. They built a full-size animatronic dino that had more personality than half the cast of any modern movie. The blend of practical effects with just the right sprinkle of CGI was pure chef’s kiss perfection. It was the type of innovation that left a lasting impression and arguably saved the “Jurassic” franchise from being a forgettable Land Before Time knockoff.

Enter the Dark Times: The Rise of CGI Dominance

Fast forward to today, and ILM still has their fingers in almost every big-budget pie, from Marvel to “Star Wars” (again) to Disney live-action remakes. But something feels…different. Gone are the days of miniatures, animatronics, and practical effects that could fool your grandma into thinking Yoda was a real, slightly malnourished frog wizard. Now? CGI reigns supreme. And while CGI has its merits (like not having to build a giant functioning Death Star—talk about a logistical nightmare), it often feels sterile, lifeless, and worst of all…easy.

Sure, ILM’s modern work is “impressive” in the way that a fast-food burger is impressive—yeah, it looks like the picture on the menu, but is it really satisfying? In many cases, it seems like ILM is relying on massive computers rendering hundreds of millions of pixels rather than pushing the envelope in any meaningful, creative way. Look, we all loved the CGI spectacle of “Avengers: Endgame,” but tell me with a straight face that Thanos’ purple mug gives you the same chills as the Rancor puppet from “Return of the Jedi.” I’ll wait.

Even in their recent “Star Wars” outings, ILM seems more focused on “how much CGI can we shove into this” rather than “how do we make this feel real?” Baby Yoda (or Grogu, for the purists) is a nice callback to practical effects—he’s a puppet—but for every Grogu, there’s an endless sea of overly polished CGI ships, characters, and landscapes that don’t carry the same weight or authenticity that ILM once stood for.

The ILM of Today: Has the Magic Faded?

ILM’s work today still dominates the industry—don’t get me wrong. They’re not exactly losing their touch, but they’re also not leading the charge into unexplored territory anymore. There’s a fine line between mastering an art form and becoming complacent in it, and ILM may be treading dangerously close to the latter. It’s like a rock band that refuses to evolve. Sure, they can still pack out stadiums, but when’s the last time they put out a track that made you stop and say, “Oh, hell yeah, that’s new”?

In recent years, they’ve been leaning more into “volume” technology (as seen in “The Mandalorian”)—an LED wall that projects backgrounds in real-time, cutting down on post-production work and giving actors more realistic environments to play off. It’s a cool innovation, but again, it’s just a new tool for making more CGI backgrounds. The human touch, the gritty, tactile feel of the physical world ILM used to create so masterfully, is missing.

Past vs Present: Has ILM Become a Victim of Its Own Success?

Look, I’m not saying ILM has completely sold out—far from it. They’re still producing mind-blowing visuals, and it’s not like the digital age is all bad (let’s not forget Gollum, a true CGI masterpiece). But there’s a certain magic that seems to have slipped through their fingers, like sand on Tatooine. The balance between practical and digital is off-kilter, and it’s turned ILM from pioneers into manufacturers of spectacle.

The past ILM felt like a group of scrappy rebels, defying what was possible with every new film. The ILM of today feels more like a well-oiled machine, cranking out incredible visuals, but often missing that heart, that innovative spark that made them legends in the first place.

In the end, ILM is still at the top of their game—but it’s a different game now. And like any great empire, they’ll need to remember their humble beginnings if they want to avoid becoming just another cog in the CGI factory. After all, we’ll always have the original trilogy to remind us of what true movie magic looks like…