7 Movies With the Best CGI

The Golden Age of Hollywood is long gone, and for a long time, film directors do not have to solely rely on actors, make-up artists, and props to create breathtaking scenes, thanks to the development of technology. Now, using little more than a green screen, directors can create lifelike scenes of burning cities and epic battles without enormous budgets for extras. Technological development has certainly brought forward a new era in filmmaking, and it is very difficult for anybody to foresee what it could develop into, in the near (and not so near) future. Of course, using this technology is not at all easy, and the keen eye of the audience can quickly see if something is even slightly off. However, here we will focus on some brilliant examples of computer-generated imaging that shaped the history of cinema for all time.

1. The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix changed the way that we perceive action movies; it changed the way that action movies are shot, with the director using CGI to enhance the visual aspects in the movie, and accentuate the movements of characters and objects.

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The first movie of the trilogy was also a great success, but it is the second one where the well-known character of Gollum made its first appearance. Played by Andy Serkis, the entire physical appearance of Gollum was made entirely by CGI, and by mapping the actor’s movements and facial expressions. It is truly one of the greatest steps for the development of this type of technology and it still looks impeccable, even by today’s standards.

3. Avatar (2009)

Although not a film that will leave a long-lasting impression, Avatar has certainly changed the way films are shot and produced; James Cameron put a lot of effort into integrating a significant amount of CGI and making it look believable –which can be seen from the movie’s box office records of $2,7 billion, surpassed only by Avengers: Endgame, a decade later.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)

The second part in the Pirates of the Caribbean series brought some interesting additions in regards to CGI imagery, most notably in the character of Davy Jones, played by Bill Nighy, whose entire face, covered in tentacles, is a masterpiece of CGI face tracking.

5. Jurassic Park (1993)

This unbelievably realistic movie, which made countless children around the world wince (as well as some adults) owes much of its charm to majestically used CGI, which was so convincing, that it inspired numerous other filmmakers to proceed with projects of their own, including George Lucas’ filming of the Star Wars prequels.

6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

This science-fiction movie is a masterpiece when it comes to face tracking and CGI facial construction. When you watch it, you cannot help but be amazed by the level of detail present in the facial expressions, especially the close-ups of the characters’ eyes.

7. Star Wars (1977)

Nothing that we mentioned previously would be possible if it hadn’t been for this movie and George Lucas, who started it all. Although the original Star Wars movies include a lot of props and physical elements, there were also computer programs that were made especially for certain scenes, and which revolutionized the way movies are shot.