CGIF

When the critically acclaimed Avatar hit theaters at midnight on Thursday, the CGI (computer-generated imagery) world was set aflame like the forests of the blue aliens that occupy this beautiful world. Many people claim that the amazing world that James Cameron has created will change the cinema industry forever, but to me, there have been greater benchmarks in the CGIndustry that have already happened. This list compiles some of the most amazing CGIn films.

1. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)

“I hate Mummies!” Until I saw this film. The CGI in this film really was legendary. Director Rob Cohen CGI’d Brendan Fraser in the entire movie, but no one even noticed. They noticed that he was more sarcastic and witty than any of his films since Bedazzled, but they didn’t notice that he wore a green suit for the entire movie. Cohen said, “Fraser had been complaining about all of the costume changes and the real danger that he went through in chasing mummies in the first two films (where they didn’t use and CGI). I thought we could take this franchise to a whole new level by using a CGBF (Computer Generated Brendan Fraser).” Some say that Cohen’s genius in creating a CGBF for the Mummy 3 inspired Cameron to make Avatar.

CGI Fraser

CGI-less Fraser

2. Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Bigger, Smarter, Faster, Meaner. That’s the tag-line for this blockbuster hit, but no one thought it would encompass this film the way it did.

Bigger – This film has the biggest shark to ever hit the screen, it makes Jaws look like little Nemo.

Smarter – The writers of this film, Duncan Kennedy and the Powers team (Donna and Wayne), could not have created a smarter script for the who’s who of Hollywood stars in this film.

Faster – The film was made in 3 weeks, the fastest major motion picture in history.

Meaner – The CGI’d shark in the film was really, really mean. Probably meaner than any other ocean-dwelling actor since Ursula from the Little Mermaid.

3. Bicentennial Man (1999)

1999 was an amazing year for films, but none were better than the Android Robin Williams in Bicentennial Man. If you ever wondered what Robin Williams looked like as a woman, Ms. Doubtfire was your film, but if you’re like me and you wondered what he’d look like as a robot, this movie was for you. It was the first movie created that used robotics in Robin Williams form, and it also introduced robot bigotry. Everyone hated robots after this movie was made. It was a huge step backwards in the progress of robots in society, especially since Short Circuit was created. It took the movie Artificial Intelligence, starring Haley Joel Osment as a boy robot, to bring the robot rights movement back to prominence.

Bicentennial Man

4. Roland Emmerich – Any film he’s done

Emmerich is the master of CGD (computer generated destruction) with films like 2012, 10,000 B.C., The Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla (the Matthew Broderick one), and Independence Day. These high grossing films have made trillions of dollars, but none had the CGQ (computer generated quality) of Universal Soldier, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren.

5.The Whole Nine Yards (2000)

Finally, the greatest CG-Creation. Most would not guess but the film The Whole Nine Yards, starring Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry, is entirely computer generated. The comedy may be real, but the visual effects are so stunning, that not one person can tell it isn’t real acting. The reason it was done by computers is because Matthew Perry is a CGP (Computer Generated Person), meaning, he isn’t real. All of his acting is CGI and the voice acting is done by little known actor Scot Darlymple. It’s still the biggest secret in Hollywood.