CGI: Friend or Foe?
There’s a little something we like to call movie magic, and CGI is a big part of that—when done right. When done wrong, however, it’s a warped mess that quickly turns a good movie memorable for all the wrong reasons. Let’s dive into which flicks nailed the technique and which ones didn’t.
1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
It’s hard to believe that a 34-year-old movie holds up today, but it does. Watching T-1000 morph through jail bars or calmly walk through walls of fire made him a terrifying, memorable villain—one we haven’t forgotten over the years. The impressive blend of practical effects and CGI made it a pretty revolutionary watch.
2. Jurassic Park (1993)
The best CGI is the stuff you never see coming…well, that, or when it’s seamlessly paired with practical effects. That tag-team effort is exactly what brought all those nail-biting monsters to life, and you bet we still hide under the table when we hear those dinos coming.
3. Toy Story (1995)
It may have been Pixar’s first full-length CGI movie, but Toy Story never got old. We can’t even call it a “product of its time” because the animation still holds up, and it’s hard not to get lost in the accomplished movie magic.
4. The Matrix (1999)
Neo’s moves look a little outdated by today’s standards, but The Matrix remains a testament to well-executed CGI. Think about it: awesome fight scenes, dodged bullets, and horrifying transformations that warned us agents were never far behind. It truly was one of a kind.
5. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Believe it or not, this classic trilogy is a lot older than you think! Once we get past the existential crisis, however, we can go back to appreciating all the CGI. Not a day goes by that our nerdy brains don’t relive the magic of the Balrog or the Ents…or try to forget Shelob. Either way, the incredible prosthetics and attention to detail made this trilogy something special.
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Where were you the first time you saw Davy Jones? We know where we were: in the theaters, trying very hard to be brave as Bill Nighy crawled out of the sea with his creepy tentacles. He’s easily one of the best CGI villains in movie history—and responsible for the most subtle telescope jumpscare.
7. Avatar (2009)
How could we write this list without mentioning Avatar, a movie that was way too long for such a mediocre story? Boring plot aside, the imaginative visuals were nothing short of world-bending, which is exactly how James Cameron wound up in history a second time.
Theme Park Tourist on Wikimedia
8. Inception (2010)
When a movie makes this little sense, you better have good CGI to make up for it. Luckily, Christopher Nolan delivered. Particularly impressive is how the film didn’t overly rely on CGI, leaving us with incredible visuals that got its point across.
Christophe Hautier on Unsplash
9. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
We didn’t know what to expect when we heard they were rebooting Blade Runner, but this flick didn’t showboat its CGI—which is precisely why we loved it so much. It was a “blink and you’d miss it” situation, but those little touches only perfected the film.
10. Dune (2021)
It’s a big book with an even bigger cult following, so this movie had to deliver. Luckily, it did! Like all great movies on this list, the CGI didn’t stand out as the biggest feature in this movie, but part of what made it so special. Don’t even get us started on the sandworms.
As impressive as CGI can be, it can also be a laughable throw-in that makes us cringe. With that, let’s dive into some terrible uses of special effects.
1. The Mummy Returns (2001)
Ah, the original Mummy: campy, fun, filled with good actors. Then there were two, this time with Dwayne Johnson as the incomprehensible Scorpion King. We almost couldn’t believe our eyes—even PlayStation games had better graphics than his clunky movement.
2. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Neo giveth and Neo taketh away. This series was doomed to become a garbled mess that overstayed its welcome, and Reloaded warned us of incoming problems. That god-awful Agent Smith fight scene proved you can indeed have too much of a good thing.
3. Catwoman (2004)
It won Razzie Awards. It didn’t do anything for Halle’s career. Worst of all, it had terrible CGI. Those poorly choreographed fight sequences didn’t make it any better either, leaving us with cheap puns and nauseating camera work all around.
4. I Am Legend (2007)
Despite its downfalls, I Am Legend had some pretty memorable scenes (please don’t remind us of Samantha). However, the heartbreaking moments were completely overshadowed by the garbage CGI. Honestly, it’s hard to tell what was worse: the animation or the insane alternate ending. Yes, we definitely needed a zombie love story.
5. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Wolverine is easily one of—if not the—most beloved X Man. Despite Hugh’s muscles and iconic wisecracks, we just couldn’t get past the hilarious claw scene (you know of which we speak). It was so bad that it entered internet lore, which is a telltale sign of failure.
6. The Thing (2011)
When we think of that helicopter mutation, all we can do is sigh. Not only was the so-called twist obvious, but the gruesome split was more embarrassing than anything else. They probably didn’t want us to laugh, but here we are.
7. Green Lantern (2011)
Green Lantern was not good. You know it, we know it, even Ryan Reynolds knows it (probably). It was a cow patty, top to bottom, complete with a CGI cherry on top. As if DC needed another catastrophe in its roster.
8. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012)
What can we say about Renesmee’s big reveal? Not only was she in a two-parter that ended with a dream sequence, she was also a creepy baby immediately preyed upon. Just…insane. You’d almost have to see it to believe it, but it’s irresponsible to recommend this thing.
9. Cats (2019)
As if Cats wasn’t psychotic enough, we just had to bring this nightmare fuel to the big screen. Don’t worry, though, we have plenty of CGI cats to go around—none of which look good and all of which have too much screen time. Not even Taylor Swift could save it.
10. The Flash (2023)
Sorry, DC. We’re not done with you yet. For our sanity’s sake, we’re going to skip past the story’s disservice and jump straight into the CGI. It tried too hard to do too much, and the whole thing was a catastrophic mess. If only we could have speed run through the movie.
