10 Recent CGI Movie Moments You Didn't Notice

Love it or hate it, CGI is a vital part of making almost any movie, and even films where you can't see it, it's almost certainly there in some fashion.

CGI is an incredible tool when wielded with discipline and restraint, but as we all know, it can create problems when drawing excessive attention to itself beyond the obvious "wow" factor.

As such, some of the most impressive VFX feats are those so seamlessly weaved into the fabric of the movie that you don't even know they're there at all.

Truly invisible CGI wizardry will come and go without you having any idea it was "fake" in the first place, and then totally blow you away when you watch a behind-the-scenes featurette later on.

These 10 recent movies, regardless of their overall quality, all used CGI in incredibly unexpected ways, enough that you almost certainly had no idea there were VFX involved in these moments at all.

If nothing else, these 10 CGI movie scenes all confirm just how creatively skilled artists and filmmakers can use VFX to do something awesome or even just solve a production problem...

Avatar: The Way of Water is nothing if not a mesmerising visual effects showcase, and while the overwhelming majority of the film's stunning effects proudly draw attention to themselves, there's so much more going on here than anyone could possibly realise.

In a recent episode of Corridor Crew's VFX Artists React, they broke down Avatar 2's CGI with the film's VFX Supervisor, Eric Saindon.

Saindon revealed that there's one especially tricky piece of effects wizardry near the end of the movie, when Spider (Jack Champion) saves his father, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), from drowning and drags him ashore (18:25 in the clip below).

Audiences are obviously aware that Quaritch appears in the scene through performance capture, and may suspect that the rocks and water are digital creations, but probably didn't guess that Spider himself was also partially digital.

The shot was achieved by having Champion stand on a fake rock against a green screen, and because of how extensively Spider's legs ended up interacting with both Quaritch and the digital water, the decision was made to replace the entire lower-half of his body.

The intent was to ensure that Spider's feet and legs reacted properly to the CGI water - something an on-set actor not immersed in water simply wouldn't be able to do - the result of which is a positively flawless recreation.

It's the sort of photoreal imagery you're able to achieve when you've got more time and money than anybody else making mega-budget movies in Hollywood.

It's basically impossible to notice the CGI body replacement without being told about it, and that's just one of many reasons why Avatar: The Way of the Water is guaranteed to win the Best Visual Effects Oscar this year.