Movies - TV
The Most Jaw-Dropping CGI Moments In Star Wars History
By MOLLY TURNER
The Kessel Run
“Solo” showed audiences Han’s legendary Kessel Run, as director Ron Howard and the visual effects team behind the film brought his exploit to the big screen for the first time. Thanks to the quality of the CGI and visual effects, the Lovecraftian-like Summa-verminoth threatening to swallow the Millennium Falcon is incredible to behold.
Luke and Leia Train
The brief moment revealing Luke training Leia is a CGI accomplishment that was achieved by using archived footage mapped onto Carrie Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd, who served as her body double. Though it’s not perfect, it’s still a remarkable and emotional achievement that allowed a heartfelt sendoff for the legacy character.
Snoke
After the prequel movies pioneered motion capture technology, the sequels introduced the completely CGI Snoke as the antagonist. The computer-generated detail and artistry on Snoke’s face and Andy Serkis’ outstanding motion-capture performance created a mysterious and enigmatic villain that underscored the storytelling choices.
Battle of Kashyyyk
One of the best examples of CGI complementing world-building and storytelling is the Battle of Kashyyyk in “Revenge of the Sith.” The sequence features dozens of digitally rendered Clone Troopers and Wookiees fighting droids in a sweeping sequence that feels alive and unique from other “Star Wars” battles.
Battle of Coruscant
When creating the original trilogy, George Lucas was inspired by authentic war films, but he had difficulties bringing his vision to life, due to limited technology. When he returned for the prequels, the advanced CGI allowed Lucas to bring his dream to life in this thrilling opening battle and give greater focus to the heroes’ perspective.