Without VFX, we’ve got to say, movies just wouldn’t be the same. The life-like dinosaurs that breathe, the shattered “faceless” cities, and the VFX are the invisible glue that links wonderful tales and makes them unforgettable film experiences in the cinema. But what movies actually changed the game of magic art? Presenting the countdown of the top ten most revolutionary instances that have redefined the very concept of what could be done by filmmakers on screen.
10. The Jungle Book (2016) – Animals created through digital means but felt by the viewers as living
There was no doubt in your mind that the computer-generated black panther in the film was just an image, right? However, it is exactly that feeling that the filmmakers sought to achieve by blurring the line between reality and digital, with only Mowgli being a human, and everything else, like the jungle, the animals, even the smallest of fur, and a few whiskers, was created digitally. This was a breakthrough in photorealism, marking the first time that digital characters and environments were used successfully in live-action.
9. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – The mixing of computer and real stunts to create chaos
George Miller’s end-of-the-world series is a brilliant demonstration of one not having to go to extremes to achieve the spectaculars of practical and visual effects; they can actually work together. The running car stunts, bombings, and sandstorms looked as if they were all natural but were slightly made to look better with digital effects, and as a result, you could hardly tell. The effect? A non-stop adrenaline flow that was as raw as it was grandiose.
8. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) – A CGI character that makes you feel
If somebody told you before that a talking raccoon and a walking tree were going to make you cry, then you would have probably laughed. However, this is exactly what Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy has done. With the perfect compositing, Rocket and Groot were not only real, but also they seemed like they belonged to the group. This was a landmark for VFX as it gave digital actors the capability to take the path of emotional connection and even be as closely bonded with humans as the human cast.
7. Gravity (2013) – Ground-breaking use of VFX for space flight simulation on Earth
It was a very short, but a very direct flight to space, watching Gravity, Alfonso Cuaron and his super-successful VFX team used a bunch of complicated hardware combined with cutting-edge visual effects to simulate zero gravity and thus space. The collective work of VFX and Bullock’s artistry left the viewer with the feeling of solitude and horror of drifting in the endless universe. A very painful ordeal, both emotionally and technically, was for sure this one.
6. Inception (2010) – The dream world finally becomes a reality
One of the most mind-twisting thrillers, Christopher Nolan is the creator of this very dream world where physics didn’t quite work as usual, and yet only one dream could be true – Inception. Besides the zero-gravity fight scene and the total shattering of the city, Nolan heavily depended on the use of practical tricks together with computer-generated effects for Inception. This match didn’t just invoke the film’s main intellectual characteristics; it also proved that VFX can be as intellectually engaging as visually breathtaking.
5. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001–2003) – Bringing Middle-earth to life
J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic was transformed into the living real; every single trick of the VFX trade was used. The combination of miniatures, computer-generated beasts, matte paintings, and live-action films all worked together seamlessly to create the vast landscapes and monumental battles of Middle-earth. This trilogy was one of the first times that visual effects were used not just to dazzle, but to actually aid the narrative by giving fantasy a foundation in a kind of reality that the viewers could easily suspend their disbelief for.
3. The Matrix (1999) – Bullet time and beyond
No visual effects have been as immediately iconic after the release as “bullet time.” By doing the action stop and allowing the camera to fly around it, the Wachowskis created a novel method that significantly changed the world of the action genre. Moreover, with other reality-twisting visuals, The Matrix kept the audience in awe as it changed filmmakers’ beliefs about the action genre forever.
2. Jurassic Park (1993) – Dinosaurs, reborn
It seemed that dinosaurs had come straight from the past and landed in the present on the occasion of the release of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. The film was a mixture of animatronics and advanced CGI that made monsters like T. rex and Velociraptors look totally real. It was a breakthrough that was very loud, raising the bar for lifelike computer-generated effects.
1. King Kong (1933) – Where movie monsters began
No green screens or digital doubles before King Kong. Willis O’Brien’s stop-motion animation turned an 18-inch puppet into a massive cinema monster, adding matte paintings and miniatures. It was an unprecedented event, and its influence can be seen in every creature feature made after it. King Kong was the starting point for the visual effects revolution.
The next time you are in the middle of an epic battle, a talking animal, or a dazzling alien world, remember these milestones that made it all possible. This list of movies not only entertained audiences but also dramatically changed the industry. And if history is anything to go by, the next VFX wonder that will blow our minds hasn’t come yet.