Ask any fanboy and they’ll tell you that one of the big reasons they go see a science fiction or genre movie is to have their face melted off by awesome special effects. Over the years there have been some amazingly convincing effects created, and we’ve compiled a list of the 10 movies that pulled off their special effects so well that they still hold up years after the original release.
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park, even more than the original Star Wars, changed the world of effects. As soon as ILM convinced Spielberg that they could pull off the dinosaurs digitally, the entire effects industry was in for a revolution that would lead to some of the most stunning effects ever created. But none of that would have happened if not for that amazing Brachiosaurus or the jaw-dropping T-Rex in the rain. It’s been eighteen years since the release of Jurassic Park, and it still looks incredible.
Pirates of the Caribbean 2 & 3
Pirates above Star Wars? Yes for one reason: Davy Jones. So many people think that Davy Jones was just a large suit with a CGI face. Not so, the entire “costume” of Davy Jones was computer generated. If you didn’t know that you would naturally think it was a real suit, but ILM did such a great job creating it photo real that it fools almost everyone.
Star Wars Saga
Like Jurassic Park that followed it more than a decade later, Star Wars changed the world of special effects. It founded ILM and spawned a whole new generation of space operas. The Original Trilogy is perfect in almost every way effects-wise, but the Prequels have more rough spots. The reliance on CG backdrops, especially in Episode II, creates some less-than-convincing visuals (the Jedi Temple behind Obi-Wan, Mace, and Yoda for example).
Avatar
Like Davy Jones, Avatar earns its place on the list for a completely convincing photo-real Pandora. The entire jungle of Pandora, everything in it…every blade of grass…is computer generated. All of the scenes on Pandora are entirely CG, but it really fools you to think that only the Na’vi and Avatars are.
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