Groundbreakers: Top CGI moments on film

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Many of today’s audiences casually take CGI work for granted, which is a shame.  Thirty years ago, we hardly had this tool to bridge the gap between fantasy and reality.  But today, almost every big-budgeted action film makes use of this technology. 

On that note, we present to you our favorite CGI moments on film.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

For many of us born in the ‘80s and ‘90s, this was one of the first times we encountered amazing CGI.  The antagonist, the terrifying T-1000 was made of liquid metal, and the CGI used to create it just blew everyone away.

Jurassic Park

When the first “Jurassic Park” came out, everyone everywhere was taken by surprise.  Steven Spielberg set the bar so high with the CGI dinosaurs that people actually thought they were giant robots.

Spider-Man

Before Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man,” we had choppy editing to show some dude in costume swinging from building to building.  But Raimi used full-CGI sequences and edited them seamlessly to create a then-once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Lord of the Rings

For us, the CGI work from The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the gold standard of CGI work.  From creating entire labyrinthine caverns to whole orc armies, Peter Jackson took CGI technology and blew the door wide open.

Avatar

James Cameron created an entire world (and almost an entire film) on CGI.  That on its own merit deserves recognition.  “Avatar” is the king of CGI films, for better or for worse.

Joe Cianciotto is a San Francisco Bay Area-based architect. He is a movie buff and enjoys a diverse selection of genres, including superhero films, independent science fiction, mumblecore, and Golden-age dramas and epics. For more on Joe and his interests, visit this page.