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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. Revenge of the Sith, Episode 3.
00:46The original Star Wars trilogy did wonders for the world of special effects. A combination of
00:51animatronics and miniature-scale models were used to depict 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 means
01:09to portray a high-speed and complex space battle in a dynamic way. We had literally never seen anything
01:15on this scale before. Utilising his classic pan-from-space technique, Lucas revealed a Republic
01:21star cruiser gracefully moving through space, before he locks the camera onto two swooping Jedi fighters.
01:27With dynamic dogfights happening in between huge cruisers, the scope was vast. Sometimes the
01:33camera zeroed in on tiny buzz droids, and other times it panned wide to reveal the giant battleships
01:38turning their broadside blasters on one another. It was one hell of a way to open up a movie.
01:43For all of the issues that the prequels had, 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 was
01:57only 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 dated for a
02:12live-action film, it was definitely cutting-edge for 2002. Most importantly, it created an immersive
02:18experience as we saw two Jedi partake in a high-speed chase to capture a mysterious bounty hunter.
02:24Now, in terms of realism, this scene is somewhat lacking. But there aren't many scenes that light
02:28a fire in your imagination quite like this. And really, that's the purpose of CGI. As the chase
02:34descended into the dystopian cityscape, the world came alive. The lower levels were inundated with
02:39smog, aliens, and deathstick dealers. What it amounted to was a neo-noir cityscape somewhere
02:45between Blade Runner and The Fifth Element. And you know what? That was brilliant world-building.
02:508. The Bunta Eve Pod Race – The Phantom Menace – Episode 1
02:54Now, The 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
03:07contains some iconic moments, and the pod race sequence definitely is a top contender.
03:12Now, race and chase sequences can oftentimes feel long-winded, bloated, and tiresome.
03:18It's actually a mystery how the Fast and Furious franchise has lasted so long, honestly. But
03:21there was none of that with this scene. You had moments of tension, exhilarating high-speed
03:26crashes, and character-based drama all built into nine minutes of adrenaline-fuelled excitement.
03:32The nature of this scene gave the animators a huge advantage when it came to generating the images.
03:37The mere fact that everything happens at such high speed meant that a blurring effect could be
03:41used to hide any sloppy animation. And you know what? It worked. In terms of being an engaging
03:46experience, this CGI sequence is out there with the best.
03:50Number 7. The Battle of Scarif
03:52Rogue 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 out
04:10over 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 less
04:25than gorgeous, and utterly integral to the plot. From the antics of the sarcastic K2 to the destruction
04:30of Jeddah, each moment is visual storytelling perfection. But it was the desperate battle above
04:36Scarif that really solidified this as one of the most breathtaking films in the franchise.
04:40The CGI ships and fighters look so real, it's hard to believe that they weren't actually scale
04:44models. Unused footage from the original trilogy was also spliced into these sequences, serving as
04:49a wonderful homage to Lucas' original vision. In terms of the greatest space battles ever put to
04:54the big screen, you would be hard-pressed to beat this one.
04:57Number 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 save the
05:11remnants of the Resistance was indeed a tragic moment, but not because the audience felt touched
05:15by her bravery, but because a truly breathtaking scene was wasted on a rather nonsensical plot point.
05:21Holdo was a character the audiences never really grew attached to, neither did her decision to
05:25hyperspace ram a ship make any logical sense in the world of Star Wars. It's for that reason that
05:30this entry feels kind of like a controversial one. The moment when thousands of light-speed
05:34particles dispersed through the Imperial fleet was perhaps one of the most beautiful shots in
05:38the entire franchise. It's just a shame that the iconic image does not reflect the emotional impact
05:43of that scene. This could have been a moment of visually heart-wrenching heroism, if only the
05:48filmmakers had utilized it properly. Instead, they just awkwardly jammed an admittedly great concept
05:52into a very clunky plot.
05:54Number 5. Snoke – The Last Jedi
05:57There were many aspects of the sequel trilogy that were brilliant. Initially,
06:01the characters were intriguing, there was more reliance on practical effects, and CGI technology
06:05had advanced to the point where almost anything could be created. But it makes it all the more
06:09tragic, then, that 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 Andy
06:19Serkis, the mysterious character was a groundbreaking display of animation and an intriguing original
06:24villain. 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,
06:34well, 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 remembered
06:43at all for its stunning visuals, but rather its lackluster plotlines.
06:474. Jango Fett's Seismic Charge – Attack of the Clones, Episode 2
06:52Now, we've already touched on the slightly dated-looking CGI in the prequel movies,
06:56but certain scenes still manage to wow audiences. George Lucas really went to town when depicting
07:01space combat in these movies, because it was his first time that he wasn't limited by technology
07:05when it came to telling a story. Now, yeah, sure, certain CGI moments from the prequels look
07:09like shoddy cutscenes from a half-decent PS2 game, but others still have all the visual impact
07:14required to sell a scene. And really, that's all CGI should be used for. You can get away with
07:19slightly less convincing special effects if they're being utilized in a well-written and engaging
07:23scenario, and that is what this moment was. With Obi-Wan hot on the heels of Jango Fett,
07:28viewers were treated to a game of cat and mouse in an asteroid field. The delayed sound of Fett's
07:33seismic charge as it sent destructive waves through numerous asteroids will forever remain a highlight
07:38of one of the, let's admit it, weaker movies of the franchise.
07:413. The Kessel Run – Solo, A Star Wars Story
07:46In 2018, Star Wars finally demystified one of the most infamous legends in the franchise.
07:51Han Solo's astrophysics-defying boasts that he made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.
07:57Now, as everyone no doubt is aware, when Harrison Ford said that infamous line back in 1977,
08:02it made little sense. A parsec is a unit of distance, not time. Given the Kessel Run was a 20-parsec
08:08smuggling route, the more astute audience members were left scratching their heads at Han Solo's
08:13claim. The only conclusion was that George Lucas either used the term because it sounded cool without
08:17any understanding of what it meant, or that Han Solo wasn't all that bright. Well, we finally found
08:22out the 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,
08:37Solo 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,
08:54but if we're merely going to include sequences based on how they live up to the CGI of today,
08:58then we'd be doing a disservice to some truly memorable moments of Star Wars.
09:02These movies had a certain sheen to them. They didn't feel as gritty as the original trilogy,
09:06and they felt almost cartoon-like compared to the sequels. But aesthetically, that kind of works.
09:11The prequels were set in a more idealized time in the Star Wars universe, a time when the Empire
09:16hadn't cast its dark cloud over the galaxy quite yet, so it kind of makes sense that everything
09:20looks a little polished. The Battle of Kashyyyk would look out of place in one of the newer Star Wars
09:25movies. There's no doubt about that. But that still doesn't mean that this isn't a great CGI
09:29moment. Within the context of the movie, it works perfectly, and was one of the more celebrated
09:34depictions of the Clone Wars. Who didn't love seeing Wookiee swinging from fluttercraft attaching
09:38bombs 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 Cushion of Tarkin was
09:50polarizing to say the least. And in fact, we've covered it many times on different lists as being some of the
09:54best and worst moments of this film, so it's very confusing. We're split down the middle.
09:59Now, Rogue One is easily in the top three Star Wars movies ever made, because it contained everything
10:03we wanted. It expanded on a significant moment of the originals, with a distinctly darker tone,
10:08nuanced heroes, and captivating visuals. But one of its most visually impressive moments was also
10:13its most controversial. The effectiveness of a fully CGI human character was somewhat hit and miss.
10:19When 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
10:28the shadows, lurking like an ominous force of malice. But when he was brought out into the
10:32light, and especially when shown next to real actors, the illusion kind of fell apart. It was
10:37certainly the most impressive advancement in computer-generated human characters that we've
10:41seen so far, but maybe the filmmakers overplayed their hand. There was also the ethical and moral
10:46implications of using the image of an actor who had already been dead for decades. Even with the
10:51express permission of the actor's estate, it was a bit uneasy to see a man resurrected and trotted
10:55out 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
11:02you enjoyed that, and please let me know what you thought about it down in the comments section
11:05below. As 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,
11:17my friend, because you deserve all of the best things in life, alright? I want you to look as good as some of
11:21these 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,
11:30and I'll speak to you soon. Bye.
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