25 best movie CGI effects ever

Jurassic Park (1993)

Agh, it’s a dinosaur! That was our reaction when first watching the jaw-dropping effects of the T-Rex, which took six hours per frame to render. Of course that was coupled with the first outing of Dolby Digital Sound in theatres which made for an ear-bleedingly real experience.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

The first-ever entirely CGI sequence seen on film – Star Trek II's Genesis Effect – was created by the Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Division, which later went on to become the Pixar we know and love today. Although it didn't feature in the film as a representation of reality – instead turning up in a glorified PowerPoint presentation – it's still pretty impressive even today.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)

Long before Jar Jar Binks, George Lucas was pioneering CGI technology. Back when it was still called plain old Star Wars, the first instalment of Lucas' space opera saw the very first usage of 3G CGI on the silver screen. Larry Cuba's computer schematic of the Death Star (which took months of programming) was used to create the 40 second animation of the Death Star trench in the briefing sequence. All together now: "You're required to maneuver straight down this trench…"

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

Andy Serkis' stunning performance as the wretched creature Gollum in Tolkien's on-screen masterpiece was recorded with the magic of motion capture technology. Each scene with him had to be recorded three times – once with him wearing a skin-tight white suit, once with him speaking off camera, and finally by himself in a motion capture studio. He's set to reprise the role in this year's The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Hopefully he hasn't forgotten how to do the voice, precious.

Starship Troopers (1997)

Starship Troopers' epic CGI battle sequences help to explain its US$100 million dollar budget. Nominated for a 1997 Best Visual Effects Oscar, the large-scale bug-infested battle paved the way for the likes of the Battle of Pelennor Fields in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King.