Computer-Generated Imagery is a term used to describe artificially created visual effects. It is often used to create immersive movie backgrounds through the use of green screens, but this isn't its only purpose. Filmmaking technology has evolved and now permits animators to use CGI to create convincingly real movie characters from scratch.
It's not uncommon nowadays to leave a cinema screening believing all the characters in a movie were real, only to later learn that half of them were generated by a computer. It's an impressive feat to accomplish, but it's not easily done. Countless movies have failed to breathe life into CGI characters, but some stand out more than others.
5 Great Goblin - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey documents Bilbo Baggins' journey across Middle-earth to the Lonely Mountain. The movie opens with the young hobbit living a relatively peaceful life before being persuaded by Gandalf to go on an adventure. He joins the company of thirteen dwarves by claiming to be an experienced burglar, but his lack of experience becomes evident the moment he leaves the Shire.
While crossing the Misty Mountains, Bilbo gets separated from the dwarves and finds himself lost in a cave. He eventually finds an exit, but the dwarves' situation is far more harrowing. They have been captured by the Great Goblin, a towering amalgamation of flesh who deems himself a beautiful singer. His singing voice may seem bad, but his design is much worse. The way his body moves is unsettling, especially when compared to the other goblins in the scene. Though his appearance was brief, he's a difficult character to forget.
4 The Darkseekers - I Am Legend (2007)
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I Am Legend follows the story of a virologist named Robert Neville, played by Will Smith, and his loyal Alsation, Sam. After an attempt to create a cure for cancer resulted in the creation of a virus, the majority of the population was wiped from existence. Only 1% of human life escaped the infection, but those who didn't became cannibalistic monsters and now spend their days hiding from the Sun.
These aptly named Darkseekers tend to hunt at night, so Robert and Sam always aim to make it home before sundown. They don't always make it in time, however, leading them to encounter these terrifying creatures several times throughout the movie. These beasts seem terrifying from a distance, but a closer inspection reveals their CGI to be lacking, especially when they open their mouths slightly too wide.
3 Jabba The Hutt - Star Wars Special Edition (1997)
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The original theatrical release of Star Wars in 1977 didn't reveal exactly who Jabba the Hutt was. Fans knew from the first film that he was an infamous gangster to whom Han Solo owed money, but that was the full extent of their knowledge. Before his appearance in Return of the Jedi, director George Lucas planned for the mystery man to be just that: a man. Most fans were satisfied with Jabba's more alien depiction during his debut, however, prompting George to add the infamous space slug to A New Hope in the movie's re-release.
The advancement of technology gave George the chance to upgrade his already wonderful movies. One of his most infamous decisions during this time saw him unveiling a deleted scene from A New Hope where Han and Jabba meet before Han sets off to Alderaan. Jabba was a puppet in Return of the Jedi, so his computer-generated appearance in this re-release just feels wrong. He moves much too fluidly and emotes more than he ever did in his debut appearance. This combined with the way he glides across the set makes him look much worse than he already does.
2 Renesmee Cullen - Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
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Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, knew the dangers of marrying a vampire, but she chose to do so anyway. She elopes with Edward Cullen at the beginning of Breaking Dawn - Part 1, and the two begin a new chapter in their lives. Bella and Edward then set off on their honeymoon to celebrate their marriage. Their first week as a married couple is everything they dreamed of, that is until Bella discovers she's pregnant.
Not much was known about what a vampiric embryo could do to a human, so Bella was advised by several people to avoid getting pregnant. She decides to keep the baby all while knowing the risks, a decision that leads to the debut of one of the most unsettling CGI characters in cinema. Instead of using a real-life baby, director Bill Condon chose to superimpose Mackenzie Foy's face onto a baby's body. His reasoning for doing so was to highlight that Renesmee wasn't an ordinary child. This was already assumed by longtime fans of the franchise, however, so it didn't need to be explained through unsettling CGI.
1 The Scorpion King - The Mummy Returns (2002)
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's introduction to The Mummy franchise portrayed him as a force to be reckoned with. The opening of The Mummy Returns saw the wrestler-turned-actor playing the role of the Scorpion King, a warrior on a quest to conquer the world. With a loyal army at his side, the Scorpion King posed a deadly threat to all those who stood in his way, but he wasn't invincible. He was defeated after seven years of endless combat and banished to Ahm Shere, a sacred desert. There, he pledged himself to the Egyptian god of the dead, Anubis, and vowed to serve him in exchange for immortality.
Anubis used the Scorpion King to conquer nations and enslaved him once he served his purpose. The climax of The Mummy Returns sees Imhotep reviving the Scorpion King five thousand years later and challenging him to a battle. The once renowned warrior underwent an extensive change during his time in servitude, however, and now looks more scorpion than human. As if he wasn't frightening enough, the CGI used to enhance the Scorpion King's overall appearance seems unfinished. His design has been heavily criticized since the movie's release, with the movie's animator John Berton Jr. agreeing with most of the backlash.