As technology and artistry continue to evolve, the cost and believability factor needed to design, create and execute to CGI characters has reached a point where they have become more prevalent in cinema.
The history of the innovation dates back to 30 seconds of footage in Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) when a stained-glass knight came to life, and the creative and technical process had progressed so much that Jar Jar Binks had almost 29 minutes of screentime in Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace (1999) making the Gungan the first digital principal cast member. You can read more about these movies and others in our look at the best CG movies from the 1980s and the best VFX films from 1990s.
To get insight into past and present highlights, a group of visual effects industry veterans share what they believe are the best movie CGI character designs, and there's a couple of surprises in with some expected giants.
01. Pseudopod – The Abyss (1989)
Even though studios and the general public did not take notice of the power of CG to create photorealistic characters that could not possibly exist until they saw a group of running Gallimimus in Jurassic Park (1993), a tipping point occurred four years earlier in The Abyss.
“I feel our craft truly shines when we’re asked to realise something that would have been completely impossible to create without us,” notes Jake Morrison, Visual Effects Supervisor, Marvel Studios who is currently adding Thunderbolts to his resume.
“The existence of VFX allows film creatives to push the boundaries. It’s a hard task to come up with the Best CGI Character design but I’m going to go for the Water Creature in James Cameron’s The Abyss.
The request was to create an enormous rippling, gravity-defying tube of liquid that snakes its way through the underwater craft before pausing curiously in front of the film’s stars. Initially, the leading edge is a featureless blob. In a moment of jaw-dropping First Contact, the creature pauses in front of Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and the liquid morphs into a 3-dimensional version of her face, even mirroring her smile.
From a historical point of view, it’s one of the first photoreal CG renderings of water but it’s certainly the first time I ever saw a naturally occurring element that delivered a performance. Astounding.”
02. T-1000 – Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Given his fascination, determination, and scope of imagination, Sheena Duggal, who supervised the visual effects on the Body of Lies and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, has a great deal of respect for James Cameron and his ability to further the storytelling abilities of visual effects. In fact, the advancement achieved in one project was pivotal in giving a significant upgrade to an iconic villain for an acclaimed sequel.
“I think the best CGI character designs are the original characters that first sparked our imaginations,” she notes. “The pseudopod in The Abyss is a standout, where the team created a highly emotional alien character entirely out of water that remains impressive today. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the liquid metal effects marked the first time it struck me that we could create anything we imagine; the integration with live action was sublime."
Sheena adds: "Other notable designs include the very expressive WALL-E (2008), the emotive Prawns from District 9 (2009), and Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), which stands out for its clever design and uniqueness.”
03. Dinosaurs – Jurassic Park (1993)
In a twist that would please doctor turned scientific thriller author, Michael Crichton, Phil Tippett felt he had witnessed the end of stop-motion animation when Steven ‘Spaz’ Williams convinced Dennis Murren and Steven Spielberg that digital prehistoric beasts were a possibility. Tippett turned out not to be correct though CGI has become the predominant method of choice for filmmakers when it comes to creatures and spaceships with Jurassic Park leading the way.
Robert Legato is no stranger when it comes to CGI characters having received an Oscar for Best Visual Effects for The Jungle Book and a nomination for The Lion King. “I would have to say Jurassic Park. The blend of science and artistic interpretation has resulted in characters that have made a lasting impact, maintaining their ability to thrill and terrify audiences just as effectively now as when they first appeared on screen."
He adds: "The film's use of CGI was groundbreaking, setting a high standard for realism in digital animation, and its characters continue to be as compelling and memorable today as they were upon their debut in 1993.”
04. Davy Jones – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
The response of ILM’s Chief Creative Officer John Knoll is not surprising given that the character in question was a significant reason why he won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. “Davy Jones [of course],” he laughs. “I may be slightly biased, though.”
Granted Bill Nighy is a renowned thespian but portraying a nefarious seafaring rogue who is part octopus and crab was a strange experience for him as he referred to his mocap suit as ‘pirate pajamas’.
Motion-capture was done onset rather than a bluescreen stage which allowed for proper cast interaction and quirky character traits to be kept rather than corrected. A major concern were the eyes during the close-up shots but ILM was able to digitally recreate the desired wetness and specular quality.
Assisting in process was the attitude of director Gore Verbinski. “We had a good time on that. I’m very proud on how that turned out. It helps to have a director who has a strong visual sense and supports the right way to do things. We would discuss what the shooting methodology should be for different effects in that show; Gore would take us seriously, make it happen and defend our requests against the inevitable wall you get.”
05. Rocket Raccoon – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Sara Bennett is an Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor and co-founder of VFX studio Milk. Her credits include work on big and small screens, and include outstanding productions such as Annihilation, Ex Machina and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Her pick for best CG character is a little more galactic…
“Rocket is a main character in the Guardians franchise and had to fit in seamlessly with the rest of the cast and feel believable as an animal with anthropomorphic behaviour," she says. "He is such a memorable character; his expressions, gestures, and vocal delivery convey a wide range of emotions, from humour and sarcasm to vulnerability and genuine connection with the rest of the Guardians. I would be lying if I said I didn’t shed a tear or two in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”
06. Raka and Noa – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Beginning with the original Planet of the Apes (1968), the franchise has always been pushing the boundaries of effects, whether it be in prosthetic make-up or creating a cast of digital primates that were introduced in the prequel trilogy.
Wētā FX combined motion capture and keyframe animation in such a seamless manner that there are those who believe that Andy Serkis should have gotten an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Caesar. This is something that has not been lost on Adrian de Wet, the got-to visual effects supervisor for Francis Lawrence who was responsible for animating a stuffed toy pig companion for Slumberland.
“I’ve always been a fan of the Planet of the Apes franchise and I was going to say Caesar, but Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has just raised the bar again! I won’t go into too much detail except to say that Raka and Noa are just so real. There are so many close-ups, two shots, all with dialogue, and it all plays so realistically that you totally forget you’re looking at CG characters.
"We can’t help but connect emotionally, with empathy, exactly as if we’re watching human actors. The barrier between CG characters and the audience has truly been smashed down, for real this time. This is truly groundbreaking work again from Wētā FX. Absolutely outstanding.”
If you loved reading our industry experts' favourite CG characters and feel inspired, then why not get creative yourself. Read our guides to the best drawing tablets and best laptops for 3D modelling, and our list of ZBrush tutorials, and start today.
