The 90s were a step forward in CGI and special effects with digital sequencing becoming more and more sophisticated. Visual effects became more realistic and convincing then it's predecessors in the 80s. Dinosaurs came to life, mummies from Egpyt were brought back from the dead and Forrest Gump accepted an award from JFK.
These giant leaps would mark the beginning of CGI and special effects dominance and reliance, giving directors more room to play with. With that, here are the Top Ten Visual Effects of the 90s.
10 Forrest Gump
Robert Zemeckis created one of the most iconic characters in cinema history, and with it, one of the most amazing special effects scenes of all time. When Forrest goes to the White House to shake hands with JFK, no one had seen digital placement like this before. Implementing a fictional character into a film that was 30 years old was new to Hollywood. Zemeckis set the standard for future flicks that would do the same thing. Realistic to say the least, the late JFK's words fit the scene perfectly.
9 The Matrix
Arguably Keanu Reeves's most iconic role, The Matrix was one of the greatest movies to come from the 90s. From beginning to end the movie employs sophisticated filming techniques that rely on CGI but come out looking like gold.
The 360 shot of Neo and Mr. Anderson fighting was no easy feat, comprising of numerous cameras in a circle to capture a shot never seen before. We recommend watching the making of this movie, simply for its ingenious camera techniques and approach to a movie centered around a digitized world.
8 The Mummy
Brendan Fraser may not so popular today, but in the 90s he flourished. The Mummy was a huge hit making Egyptian archeology cool again (just like Speilberg did with Dinosaurs). Audiences had the pleasure (or displeasure) of watching Imhotep's regeneration, piece by piece.
Though grotesque at times, seeing a reanimated corpse this lifelike and functional was terrifying. The horror genre took a step forward with skeletons and ghouls having their time in the spotlight once more.
7 Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Fun fact, director James Cameron purposely waited for technology to improve to make his much-awaited sequel. The result is one of the most financially successful movies of all time, let alone one of the greatest sequels too.
No wonder Cameron won the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Special Effects for this movie, he's a perfect example of a director who will stop at nothing to realize his visions. 20 years later he'd make this look like Disney when it compared to Avatar. Fans can only guess as to what wonders will appear in the much-anticipated sequel.
6 Titanic
Let's be honest, there was room for two people on that piece of wood. Titanic brought a great love story to a tragic setting, Shakespeare would have been proud. Recreating the wonders of the gargantuan ocean liner wasn't easy, but the special effects department got it done.
Most notably during the latter half of the movie, the size and power of the ship are seen best when it splits in half. This scene was generated so well, you could feel the power of it hitting the ocean once split in two. Poor Fabrizio, wrong place wrong time.
5 Star Wars: Phantom Menace
Say what you want about the weakest entry in the trilogy, the special effects were top-notch. The pod race alone was stunning for its effortless ability to portray what a race would be like in a galaxy far, far away. Each alien, movement and action sequence felt real with audiences not thinking twice about the CG rendering.
Jar Jar Binks may not have aged well, but at the time this was really impressive. The sequel would take things to a whole new level with the Battle of Geonosis. Little Ani said it best, now this is podracing.
4 Total Recall
Director Paul Verhoeven won an award for his special effects, even though they didn't age well. Despite the aging, Total Recall relied heavily on CGI and special effects for nearly all of its scenes, making it one of the most demanding movies on this list.
CG rendering was still in its early days, but Total Recall took it to the limit in terms of capability. This may not be one of Arnie's biggest roles, but it's still one of the best movies from the 90s considering all it achieved in its 113 minutes of run time.
3 Babe
This flick many not stand so tall amongst the others, but the visual effects were superb. CGI animals are hard enough, getting them to talk is something else entirely.
This has been done before, but not to this degree. Babe delivered a flawless rendition of talking animals for a heartwarming tale. Charlotte's Web wouldn't have had a cinematic adaption if it weren't for this forgotten classic.
2 Starship Troopers
Much like Star Wars, Starship Troopers sought to breathe new life into the science fiction genre. Even if this isn't your taste in movies, the effects are something to appreciate considering the time of its release. Though Jurassic Park and Star Wars set the standard, Starship Troopers created gigantic army's of bugs, each one moving individually.
Think of it this way, it was the orc army Peter Jackson created before Lord of the Rings came into the picture. Not only that, but the movie has also become a cult classic amongst fans and is often quoted for its memorable one-liners.
1 Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park never gets old, mainly because of its convincing life-life dinosaurs. Seeing a T-Rex chase a car and Velociraptor hunt Timmy in the kitchen was downright exhilarating. Even better, the CGI stands tall today offering a convincing look at what life looked liked millions of years ago.
Though, as some Palentolgosits know, Dinosaurs actually looked more like birds despite Speilberg's more lizard-like renderings. Fact or not, these Dinos were loved by fans and still are today. Cap it all off with a nostalgic score from the legendary John Williams and you have one of the best movies of the decade.
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