Best type of Creature FX

[RCMerchant]

I went with prosthetic and stop motion.
I like prosthetic because it allows the human element. Can you imagine the 1931 FRANKENSTIEN as rubber mask? Karloff would have had a hard time emoting if he looked like...I dunno...TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN.
And as for stop motion....compare the 1933 KING KONG with the man in a suit KONGA. (Though Rick Baker did a pretty good job in a suit in the 1976 remake.The only good thing about that picture.) I did think the cgi in the new KING KONG was done very well,though. I guess I like the stop motion because...I dunno...I grew up on Harryhausens wonderful movies. I gotta soft spot for 'em.
BUT....rubber suits are fun...Paul Blaisdall's AIP creatures are classic!

[The Gravekeeper]

For me, it depends entirely on the creature design and what the movie needs it to do. If it's human-sized and creeping around, a rubber suit/prosthetic can be very effective. Need a few shots of its decidedly un-human facial features contorting in ways no actor could make a mask move? Animatronics might be the way to go. Something huge or with an anatomy completely unlike a human's that's moving around a lot very quickly? CGI can make it look quite realistic. Looking to add some old-school charm to a creature that can't be played by a guy in a suit? Stop-motion's still a viable option.

No matter which FX route you go, it should be justified in the context of the story you want to tell. Does your futuristic sci-fi REALLY need that 10-storey tall robot? Is there any reason you can't use a smaller one? Is there even any reason to have that robot at all?

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

1) Rubber Suit (Funny)
2) Anything you don't notice.

[ArmyOfMachines25]

Anything but CGI is cool to me, i mean theirs some times when CGI is done right, but even then you kno that its just a computerized image, i prefer it if theirs actualy something their for the actors to interact with even if it does make it look extremely cheesy.

[diamondwaspvenom]

I've always been more of a fan of the practical effects. No matter how crummy a suit or a puppet looks, I'd still prefer it over CGI.

I'll be honest though, CGI has impressed me in the past (i.e. Avatar, Jurassic Park and The Lord of the Rings trilogy). My only problems with computer generated creatures has to do with the way it moves. Texture-wise, normally the design is pretty cool, but the movement is often too fast or too smooth and it winds up looking too cartoonish. It's happened often where I feel like I'm looking at a videogame character instead of an actual creature.

I'm aware of the difficulties that come with trying to create a computer generated monster. But when it comes down to choose a technique: puppets win for me.

[RD]

I also picked all five because like ulthar stated they all their place.

A lot of people come down on cgi, saying it looks fake. But there's also a lot of times where it goes unnoticed and feels seamless. If you go back you'll surely find horrible model work, stop motion work and make up. These tools are only as good and effective as the artists using them.

[RCMerchant]

Was Medusa stop motion or an animatronic puppet from Clash Of The Titans 1983? Maybe a mix of both?

I just watched that scene recently. I am almost certain it's all stop motion.

DEFINITLY stop motion! Courtesy of the one and only Ray Harryhausen! The Master behind the Ymir in 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH, The Octopus (with 6 arms!) in IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA,EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS,The MYSTERIOUS ISLAND,JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS,the SINBAD movies-so many more...!

I have a dvd called the SCI FI BOYS-which is a history and biography of folks like us-GEEKS! The film is about the original geeks-Forry Ackerman,Ray Harryhausen,Ray Bradbury......our fore runners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6S87YEklso

I love these guys. They made my childhood. 

[rebel_1812]

Stop animation is king.  If you don't believe so watch "Jason and the Argonaughts."

[Zapranoth]

CGI can be exquisite (Gollum animated onto Andy Serkis' motion capture, with Serkis' awesome voice, for example).    It can also just be glaringly artificial and tacky.

They can all be awesome in their place... but their place has to be in a well told story.

Much the same way that awesome graphics in a video game are one thing, but they cannot stand alone (must have a good story).

[Umaril The Unfeathered]

all of the creatures in Clash of the Titans are stop motion. They were created and animated by none other than the legendary Ray Harryhausen.

Yes sir, they certainly were.  Ray Harryhausen is a god among men in terms of creature animation. None before him, none after.  He also animated Jason And The Argonauts (1960's version)  the 70's era Sinbad movies,  the Ymir from 20 Million Miles To Earth, and one of my personal favorites,  The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms.

Me, I can't really say what my favorite is. Being raised on suit actors in Toho' Godzilla films, and the stop-motion actions from Hollywood, it's hard to pick one over the other.

[Trekkie313]

Stop animation is king.  If you don't believe so watch "Jason and the Argonaughts."

It has its downsides, often more than naught they never have the same level of detail or movement as an actual living being. Go-motion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_motion was a really promising advancement for the field, sadly most of its stuff can be supplemented with computers nowadays.

[SumatranRatMonkey]

It's hard to say what is my favorite.  I do prefer practical effects over CGI, though it's finally beginning to come into it's own.  I miss puppetry a lot.  You rarely see it anymore.