CGI Movie Monsters: 10 Practical Effects Remakes

Special effects are constantly evolving, presenting both challenges and opportunities for filmmakers. When it comes to bringing monsters to life, filmmakers have historically relied on practical techniques like suits, puppets, and miniatures. While not perfect, these methods gave audiences something tangible to believe in. However, the rise of computer-generated imagery (CGI) has revolutionized the world of movie monsters.

More filmmakers are opting for CGI, allowing them to craft anything imaginable. Old icons can gain a new level of fluidity. However, these digital updates don’t always succeed. Sometimes, inferior textures, unnatural movements, or lazy presentation make the CGI look worse than the original practical effects. Like practical effects, CGI requires passion and attention to detail to avoid fakery.

King Kong

It’s ironic that a giant like King Kong is often portrayed by a tiny action figure. In the 1933 classic, battles were brought to life through stop-motion animation. Later versions used animatronics and actors in gorilla suits. The 2000s brought a significant change, with CGI becoming the dominant method for portraying Kong.

The 2005 remake and subsequent crossover appearances heavily relied on motion capture, where an actor’s movements are transferred to a digital character. While losing some tangibility, Kong gained incredible nuance. This increased expression allowed for a deeper connection with the character, emphasizing his emotional depth.^[1]

Godzilla

Godzilla, the king of the monsters, has a storied history. Initially, Godzilla was portrayed by an actor in a rubber suit stomping through miniature cities. This technique defined the franchise for decades. However, recent movies have embraced CGI to render the radioactive reptile.

While earlier films limited CGI to a few shots, creators eventually abandoned rubber suits altogether. Still, they didn’t forget their roots. Godzilla’s proportions and movements still echoed those of an upright human. Films like Shin Godzilla even used motion capture to emulate the lumbering visuals of the past. Detailed textures combined with these techniques have allowed the movies to enhance the spectacle while maintaining the slow menace of earlier films.^[2]

Xenomorphs

The xenomorph from the Alien movies is a terrifying extraterrestrial life form. The first two movies used puppets and suits, often shrouded in shadows and close-ups. However, as the series progressed, practical effects gave way to CGI, especially when depicting entire armies of xenomorphs.

Unfortunately, the quality of the CGI varied, and well-lit environments sometimes ruined the illusion. The xenomorphs never regained the tangible terror of their early incarnations, and the decision to go CGI prevented them from achieving the same level of fear.^[3]

The Thing

The Thing is about an alien that possesses and absorbs other organisms. The 1982 movie used horrifying animatronics for the creature’s rare appearances, allowing it to retreat before viewers could spot any seams. However, the 2011 prequel made the titular Thing far more visible.

The 2011 prequel relied heavily on CGI, and the results were not impressive. The digital demon looked atrocious, failing to convince viewers that it could even touch the characters.^[4]

Dracula

Dracula, one of the oldest movie monsters, initially required few effects. 20th-century interpretations used simple tricks like fake fangs and bats on strings. However, modern filmmakers wanted to showcase the full extent of Dracula’s vampiric powers.

Recent movies like Dracula Untold had him morph into bat swarms and single-handedly slaughter armies. While these set pieces looked formidable, the bombastic CGI diminished the subtle scares that defined the character.^[5]

The Mummy

The mummy, despite its gruesome roots, should be one of the easier horror icons to adapt. Early films portrayed mummies as bandaged figures lumbering slowly toward their targets. However, future films expanded on this image, and the remakes in 1999 and 2017 bestowed catastrophic gifts to their undead antagonists.

The villains could control swarms of scarabs, conjure massive walls of sand, and bring forth plagues. These effects amounted to CGI layered over the actors. While the glossy textures and exaggerated movements weren’t always convincing, the ’90s flick prioritized high-flying adventure over creeping horror, excusing the need to be scary.^[6]

The Wolfman

The Wolfman, nearly as infamous as Dracula, was initially portrayed simply. The 1941 film used masks, gloves, and prosthetics to create the animalistic adversary. However, filmmakers soon prioritized the wolf over the man.

Werewolves appeared in franchises like Harry Potter and Twilight, where they became increasingly malformed and computerized. However, the 2010 Wolfman remake resurrected the masked approach and surpassed its competition.^[7]

The Terminator

Terminators are cyborg assassins who use their fleshy disguises to infiltrate human societies. Early Terminator films used real actors and practical effects like prosthetics and animatronics to convey the cyborgs’ deadly precision. Filmmakers eventually mixed in CGI, but practical effects were always present.

Terminator Genisys and Dark Fate went all-in on digital imagery, leaning heavily into liquid metal and nanotech. Even the partial damage on the fleshy Terminators was now CGI. Sadly, it all looked weightless and failed to blend with the organic bits, creating a tragic irony in killer robots made entirely on the computer.^[8]

The Kraken

The Kraken, a giant squid, has haunted sailors’ nightmares for centuries. Early films like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea depicted this creature as a colossal killer, often showing only its tentacles through stop motion and wirework. However, CGI eventually showed the Kraken in all its glory, with varied results.

Films like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest kept the creature somewhat obscured underwater, retaining the fear through mystery. Unfortunately, works like the Clash of the Titans remake had the Kraken leave the sea, turning it into a less convincing monster. The lesson is that it should have stayed in the depths.^[9]

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs, Hollywood’s most enduring movie monsters, have terrified audiences through sheer size and strength. A plethora of tricks have recreated these titans. Jurassic Park revolutionized the industry by using digital effects for wide shots, creating living, breathing animals. This achievement meant that subsequent filmmakers never looked back.

Digital dinosaurs were soon running all over movies, TV shows, and documentaries. While these effects were rarely terrible, the best examples mixed in the animatronics of old, creating a sense of tangible reality.^[10]

CGI has transformed movie monsters. While it offers new possibilities, it doesn’t always surpass practical effects. The best results come from combining CGI with older techniques, blending the new with the old.

What do you think of these CGI remakes? Leave your comment below!