There are, as far as I know, four films from the ’80s that claim to be the first to use computer-generated imagery: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Tron (1982), The Last Starfighter (1984), and Young Sherlock Holmes (1985). However, the use of computer animation goes as far back as 1973’s Westworld, in which the point of view of Yul Brynner’s robot gunslinger was achieved through computer graphics, and other films in the ’70s had scenes featuring computer-generated images displayed on video monitors, including the simulated Death Star trench run in Star Wars (1977) and the landing sequence in Alien (1979).
Star Trek II was the first true milestone. Dr. Carol Marcus’s (Bibi Besch) demo of the simulated formation of the Genesis planet is entirely computer generated. Again, the images are seen on a computer monitor, but for a good 40 seconds the monitor is featured in full close-up without an edit, then once again for another 20 seconds. (An edited version of the scene can be viewed below.) Since the demo was a computer simulation, it wasn’t required to be photorealistic, but it was the closest anyone had come to achieving photorealism with computers up to that point in a movie.
Before we begin, a brief warning to all parents considering taking the wee ones to see Focus Features’ latest, 9. Be certain that whatever kids you’re taking are stout of heart, because there are some creatures within this film–and the actions they take against the main characters–that may seriously frighten younger children. The film’s rated PG-13 for a reason, so consider yourself duly noted.
As for 9 itself–only the second animated film from Focus following their highly successful Coraline–the movie is amazingly entertaining and visually striking. In spite of its ending, which left me sort of flat, it’s very possible this film might make it onto my Top 5 list at the end of the year.
9 takes place in a not-too-distant future, wherein humanity has been betrayed and destroyed by the highly intelligent machines they’ve built. Any similarities to the Terminator franchise end there however, immediately upon the introduction of the titular hero (voiced by Elijah Wood)–a stitchwork figure only inches tall, brought to life by an infusion of part of the very soul of its creator…the scientist who created the machines’ A.I., ironically to usher in an age of peace. The peace has been achieved, all right: the peace of the grave, brought to vivid life via scenes of ruined landscapes and brief glimpses of dead bodies, among them a mother still clutching her child. (more…)
Before we begin, a brief warning to all parents considering taking the wee ones to see Focus Features’ latest, 9. Be certain that whatever kids you’re taking are stout of heart, because there are some creatures within this film–and the actions they take against the main characters–that may seriously frighten younger children. The film’s rated PG-13 for a reason, so consider yourself duly noted.