CGI is superficial all the time. Literally, since it is computing surfaces and almost never volume. By adding detail to cgi characters, the computing force is rising exponentially. A good test of patience is the rendering of dense fur. 3 seconds of animation are rendered in real time in the gallery, the 75 frames of animation will take a month to render on the consumer notebook left on a shelf in the gallery. To simulate life in all of its complexity, to render all of its aspects takes more, i claim, then evolution to figure its things out.
There are no shortcuts without sacrifice.