Biggest CGI Pioneer
AMC Movie List

Biggest CGI Pioneer

Computer graphics have come a long way in movies. Which films have made the most substantial contributions to the evolution of CGI?

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1 Star Wars
This was one of George Lucas’ first projects with his effects company, Industrial Light and Magic, which paved the way for CGI in 1977. 175 355
2 The Matrix
This effects-laden film wowed audiences with its never-ending parade of digital spectacles, including the “bullet time” effect. 169 363
3 Terminator 2: Judgment Day
James Cameron revolutionized visual effects with his liquid metal T-1000 cyborg (Robert Patrick), one of Hollywood’s first CGI villains. 167 335
4 Toy Story
Pixar transformed animation with the first full-length, all-CGI animated film in 1995. Buzz Lightyear will go down in history. 151 291
5 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Peter Jackson put Andy Serkis in a motion-capture suit to create the character of Gollum, triggering a motion capture trend. 146 294
6 Tron
One of the first films to use CGI for long stretches of time, Tron is famous for its high-speed Lightcycle chase sequence. 74 234
7 The Abyss
In this eerie underwater adventure, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio encounters a liquified CGI alien that mimics her face. 55 217
8 Forrest Gump
Thanks to digital wizardry, Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) gets buddy-buddy with everyone from John F. Kennedy to Elvis Presley. 39 267
9 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
The pivotal “Genesis Effect” sequence was one of cinema’s first shots to be entirely computer-generated. 5 201
10 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Over 90 percent of the 2,200 shots are computerized special effects, including scenes with the reviled Jar Jar Binks. -22 232
11 Westworld
This Michael Crichton thriller, about a renegade amusement park android, was the first major motion picture to flaunt 2D CGI. -30 160
12 Young Sherlock Holmes
The stained-glass knight was a CGI feat back in 1985. It was created by John Lasseter, who went on to helm Pixar. -36 160
13 Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Jude Law and Angelina Jolie shot all scenes in front of blue screens. This was the first major film to shoot entirely on “virtual” sets. -54 196
14 Looker
This 1981 thriller was the first film to create a CGI human character, “Cindy,” played by Susan Dey. -61 143