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The prequels and sequels weren't without their moments of brilliance.
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00:00So when George Lucas first came up with his concept of an epic fantasy story set in space,
00:05he was no doubt concerned that the technologies of the time would limit his vision. With a
00:09combination of practical effects, animatronics, and highly detailed models, however, he pulled
00:14it off. And with advancements in CGI, Lucas has had an opportunity to really pull out the stops
00:19for his prequel trilogy during early 2000s. And although certain aspects of those movies
00:24definitely look questionable, there are still moments that definitely hold up. When he used
00:29CGI well, it resulted in some of the most immersive and iconic moments in cinema. And that's what we're
00:34here to look at today. As I'm Jules, this is WhatCulture.com, and these are the 10 best CGI
00:39moments in Star Wars history. 10. The Battle Over Coruscant
00:44Revenge of the Sith, Episode 3 The original Star Wars trilogy did wonders for the world of special
00:50effects. A combination of animatronics and miniature-scale models were used to depict the
00:54giant space battles central to the plot. Although the various depictions of the tiny rebel fleet
00:59taking on the Empire's monolithic space stations were captivating, Lucas was nevertheless limited
01:04on what he could show. By the time that Revenge of the Sith rolled around, he finally had the
01:08means to portray a high-speed and complex space battle in a dynamic way. We had literally never
01:14seen anything on this scale before.
01:17Utilizing his classic pan-from-space technique, Lucas revealed a Republic star cruiser gracefully
01:23moving through space, before he locks the camera onto two swooping Jedi fighters. With dynamic dogfights
01:29happening in between huge cruisers, the scope was vast. Sometimes the camera zeroed in on tiny buzz
01:34droids, and other times it panned wide to reveal the giant battleships turning their broadside blasters
01:39on one another. It was one hell of a way to open up a movie. For all of the issues that the prequels
01:45had, this scene was definitely not one of them.
01:489. Coruscant Night Chase Attack of the Clones Episode 2
01:52Coruscant is one of the most fascinating places in the Star Wars universe. The planet-wide city
01:57was only teased in The Phantom Menace, with sweeping wide shots of the upper levels and several interior
02:02scenes of the Jedi Temple. But with Attack of the Clones, however, the vast expanse of the city's
02:06many levels was explored further. Although the CGI in this scene would appear somewhat
02:11dated for a live-action film, it was definitely cutting-edge for 2002. Most importantly, it
02:17created an immersive experience, as we saw two Jedi partake in a high-speed chase to capture
02:22a mysterious bounty hunter. In terms of realism, this scene is somewhat lacking. But there aren't
02:27many scenes that light a fire in your imagination quite like this. And really, that's the purpose
02:32of CGI. As the chase descended into the dystopian cityscape, the world came alive. The lower levels
02:38were inundated with smog, aliens, and death-stick dealers. What it amounted to was a neo-noir
02:44cityscape somewhere between Blade Runner and The Fifth Element. And you know what? That was
02:48brilliant world-building.
02:498. The Bunta Eve Pod Race
02:52The Phantom Menace Episode 1
02:54The Phantom Menace got quite the bad rep when it first released. Sure, Jar Jar Binks was a character
02:59we could do without, but the CGI techniques used to generate him were pretty impressive.
03:04This will never be considered one of the highlights of Lucas' saga, though, but it still contains some
03:08iconic moments, and the Pod Race sequence definitely is a top contender. Race and chase sequences can
03:15oftentimes feel long-winded, bloated, and tiresome. It's actually a mystery how the Fast and Furious
03:19franchise has lasted so long, honestly. But there was none of that with this scene. You had moments of
03:24tension, exhilarating high-speed crashes, and character-based drama, all built into nine minutes
03:30of adrenaline-fueled excitement. The nature of this scene gave the animators a huge advantage
03:35when it came to generating the images. The mere fact that everything happens at such high speed
03:40meant that a blurring effect could be used to hide any sloppy animation. And you know what? It worked.
03:44In terms of being an engaging experience, this CGI sequence is up there with the best.
03:507. The Battle of Scarif – Rogue One – A Star Wars Story
03:54Rogue One not only has one of the strongest overall narratives out of all of the Star Wars movies,
03:59but it's also the most visually stunning. The CGI effects are simply luscious. There are none of
04:05those rubbery textures that give you a really uncanny valley feeling, and at no point does spectacle win
04:10out over the plot. Director Gareth Edwards is first and foremost a visual effects artist,
04:15but he has such a respect for narrative that at no point did he let himself get carried away.
04:20Look at any of the CGI sequences in this movie, and you will not find a moment that's anything
04:24less than gorgeous, and utterly integral to the plot. From the antics of the sarcastic
04:29K-2 to the destruction of Jeddah, each moment is visual storytelling perfection.
04:34But it was the desperate battle above Scarif that really solidified this as one of the most
04:38breathtaking films in the franchise. The CGI ships and fighters look so real,
04:42it's hard to believe that they weren't actually scale models. Unused footage from the original
04:46trilogy was also spliced into these sequences, serving as a wonderful homage to Lucas' original
04:51vision. In terms of the greatest space battles ever put to the big screen, you would be hard
04:56pressed to beat this one. 6. The Hyper Space Ram – The Last Jedi
05:01If the sequel trilogy will be remembered for anything, it will be all the moments that were
05:05visually awe-inspiring while having zero emotional weight. Vice Admiral Holdo's sacrifice to
05:10save the remnants of the Resistance was indeed a tragic moment, but not because the audience felt
05:14touched by her bravery, but because a truly breathtaking scene was wasted on a rather nonsensical
05:20plot point. Holdo was a character the audiences never really grew attached to, neither did her
05:24decision to hyperspace ram a ship make any logical sense in the world of Star Wars. It's for that
05:29reason that this entry feels kind of like a controversial one. The moment when thousands of
05:33light-speed particles dispersed through the Imperial fleet was perhaps one of the most beautiful
05:37shots in the entire franchise. It's just a shame that the iconic image does not reflect the emotional
05:43impact of that scene. This could have been a moment of visually heart-wrenching heroism,
05:47if only the filmmakers had utilized it properly. Instead, they just awkwardly jammed an admittedly
05:52great concept into a very clunky plot. 5. Snoke – The Last Jedi
05:57There were many aspects of the sequel trilogy that were brilliant. Initially, the characters were
06:01intriguing. There was more reliance on practical effects, and CGI technology had advanced to the
06:06point where almost anything could be created. But it makes it all the more tragic, then,
06:10that this whole trilogy was just not as great as the sum of its parts.
06:13Now, Snoke was a marvel in CGI. Utilizing the industry's go-to motion capture performer,
06:18Andy Serkis, the mysterious character was a groundbreaking display of animation and an
06:23intriguing original villain. But as we all know, he was rather underutilized. If even half the effort put
06:29into making Snoke look as impressive as he does was put into developing a character arc for him,
06:34while maybe the sequel trilogy would have been received far more favorably, it truly is a shame
06:38that an artistic endeavor such as this ultimately went to waste, in a trilogy that won't be
06:43remembered at all for its stunning visuals, but rather its lackluster plotlines.
06:474. Jango Fett's Seismic Charge – Attack of the Clones – Episode 2
06:52We've already touched on the slightly dated-looking CGI in the prequel movies,
06:56but certain scenes still managed to wow audiences. George Lucas really went to town when depicting space
07:01combat in these movies because it was his first time that he wasn't limited by technology when
07:05it came to telling a story. Now, yeah, sure, certain CGI moments from the prequels look like
07:09shoddy cutscenes from a half-decent PS2 game, but others still have all the visual impact required to
07:14sell a scene. And really, that's all CGI should be used for. You can get away with slightly less
07:19convincing special effects if they're being utilized in a well-written and engaging scenario,
07:24and that is what this moment was. With Obi-Wan hot on the heels of Jango Fett, viewers were treated to a
07:29game of cat and mouse in an asteroid field. The delayed sound of Fett's seismic charge as it sent
07:34destructive waves through numerous asteroids will forever remain a highlight of one of the, let's
07:39admit it, weaker movies of the franchise. 3. The Kessel Run – Solo – A Star Wars Story
07:46In 2018, Star Wars finally demystified one of the most infamous legends in the franchise. Han Solo's
07:52astrophysics-defying boasts that he made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. Now, as everyone no doubt is
07:59aware, when Harrison Ford said that infamous line back in 1977, it made little sense. A
08:04parsec is a unit of distance, not time. Given that Kessel Run was a 20 parsec smuggling route,
08:09the more astute audience members were left scratching their heads at Han Solo's claim.
08:13The only conclusion was that George Lucas either used the term because it sounded cool without any
08:17understanding of what it meant, or that Han Solo wasn't all that bright. Well, we finally found out
08:22the answer to the mystery in Solo – A Star Wars Story. By skirting a bunch of black holes,
08:27Solo essentially used the Millennium Falcon to travel through time through the route. With an
08:32Imperial Star Destroyer looming out of the gloom and numerous TIE fighters hot on his tail,
08:36Solo managed to hop, skip, and jump his way through the route before coming into contact with a
08:41Lovecraftian space beast. It was simply brilliant. Punch it, Chewie, indeed.
08:462. The Battle of Kashyyyk – Revenge of the Sith – Episode 3
08:50There's no doubt that CGI has come a long way since George Lucas released the prequels, but if we're
08:55merely going to include sequences based on how they live up to the CGI of today, then we'd be
08:59doing a disservice to some truly memorable moments of Star Wars. These movies had a certain sheen to
09:04them. They didn't feel as gritty as the original trilogy, and they felt almost cartoon-like compared
09:08to the sequels. But, aesthetically, that kind of works. The prequels were set in a more idealized
09:13time in the Star Wars universe – a time when the Empire hadn't cast its dark cloud over the galaxy quite
09:18yet, so it kind of makes sense that everything looked a little polished. The Battle of Kashyyyk
09:23would look out of place in one of the newer Star Wars movies – there's no doubt about that – but
09:26that still doesn't mean that this isn't a great CGI moment. Within the context of the movie,
09:31it works perfectly, and was one of the more celebrated depictions of the Clone Wars. Who
09:35didn't love seeing Wookiee swinging from flutter craft attaching bombs to droid tanks? No one.
09:401. Grand Moff Tarkin – Rogue One – A Star Wars Story
09:44This entry will again raise some eyebrows, because the depiction of actor Peter Cushen of Tarkin was
09:50polarizing to say the least. In fact, we've covered it many times on different lists as
09:54being some of the best and worst moments of this film, so it's very confusing. We're split down
09:58the middle. Rogue One is easily in the top three Star Wars movies ever made, because it contained
10:03everything we wanted. It expanded on a significant moment of the originals, with a distinctly darker
10:08tone, nuanced heroes, and captivating visuals. But one of its most visually impressive moments was
10:13also its most controversial. The effectiveness of a fully CGI human character was somewhat hit and
10:19miss. When it worked, it was nothing short of breathtaking, but when it didn't work, it was jarring.
10:24It was all to do with the framing of the character. CGI Tarkin worked when he was in the shadows,
10:29lurking like an ominous force of malice, but when he was brought out into the light, and especially
10:33when shown next to real actors, the illusion kind of fell apart. It was certainly the most impressive
10:38advancement in computer-generated human characters that we've seen so far, but maybe the filmmakers
10:43overplayed their hand. There was also the ethical and moral implications of using the image of an
10:48actor who had already been dead for decades. Even with the express permission of the actor's estate,
10:52it was a bit uneasy to see a man resurrected and trotted out on screen for entertainment purposes.
10:58And there we go, my friends. Those were the 10 best CGI moments in Star Wars history. I hope that you
11:02enjoyed that, and please let me know what you thought about it down in the comments section below.
11:06As always, I've been Jules, and you can go follow me over on Twitter at RetroJ,
11:09but the O is a zero, and it'd be great to chat to you over there, my friends.
11:13But before I go, I just want to say one thing. Hope you're treating yourself with love and respect,
11:16my friend, because you deserve all of the best things in life, all right? I want you to look as
11:20good as some of these CGI moments. You are a massive ledge. Now go out there and absolutely smash it today.
11:26I believe in you. As always, I've been Jules. You have been awesome. Never forget that. I'll speak to you soon. Bye.
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