To celebrate the release of Jurassic World, in cinemas now across the globe, I’ve decided to take a trip through 5 of my favourite on-screen creations that have defied the laws of supposed reality. We’re talking those creatures that capture the imagination when they’re first seen but also made you disregard that they weren’t even real.
Let’s begin…
6. Caesar from Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) (Dir. Rupert Wyatt)
I must admit my movie mind was cautious before the re-launch of another Apes saga but once you see Wyatt’s version that came complete with Andy Serkis’ Imaginarium monkey, sorry Ape, Caesar, then the game was changed forever.
Caesar is an exceptional creation and not just as they’ve given us the believability factor but because it’s done with all the correct intentions. Gone are the days where we know there are humans under the suits, as this time they gave the Apes individual character elements and, most importantly, something for the audience to connect with. This isn’t just an animal with the desire for life, he’s an intelligent life form that deserves recognition and attention and it arrives in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (which cultivated itself up to the finale) with that close-up on his face. They trusted in what they’d created, and so did we.
5. E.T. from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) (Dir. Steven Spielberg)
Everyone remembers E.T. from some point in his or her childhood, it’s virtually a staple part of the growing up film diet and within the movie, our little extra terrestrial friend brings to life a distant visitor in ways we’d never seen before. Carlo Rambaldi’s special effects won him an Oscar but beyond all that, we felt what E.T. felt along with Elliott. This one isn’t just a story about helping a littlest alien hobo home; it becomes a story of family, understanding and humanity.
From Elliot’s journey as they begin to understand each other, the realisation that E.T. wants to go back to where he came from and the heartbreaking scene where we all think he’s died, Spielberg and his team create an unbelievable adventure that connects deeply with its audience. Just like E.T. and Elliott’s literal connection of life, the story is about everything good and that’s what shines through to the end escape. Spielberg’s 1977 Close Encounters of the Third Kind is also a huge favourite but I think our magic-finger friend just grabs the spot with a wig and a prayer.
4. The Thing from The Thing (1982) (Dir. John Carpenter)
Not only does John Carpenter’s frozen horror classic instantaneously reek gloriously of uncomfortable atmosphere, the creature itself embeds into the ‘freaky as shit’ memory forever. As we’re not content being contained somewhere randomly out in the middle of Antarctica, the research scientists decide to rescue a dog that’s being shot at and they inadvertently create beginnings of self-made living hell.
They rescue a Thing-dog, it attacks them and takes on the shape of its victims. Now, obviously we’re not immediately aware of what’s going on but when we eventually see visuals of the behemoth that’s all kinds of bones and flesh – it’s very real and utterly unforgettable. I also love the fact that the dog in the movie isn’t so much a saviour, so many movies use animals for an ‘Awh’ factor and by the end, and in reflection, you know exactly what the Norwegians in the helicopter were trying to do.
3. Richard Parker from Life of Pi (2011) (Dir. Ang Lee)
I loved Yann Martel’s Life of Pi novel but it wasn’t one I expected to see on the big screen until Ang Lee and the stunning digital artist team at Rhythm & Hues decided to create a modern masterpiece for this unique Tiger that’s (mistakenly) called Richard Parker.
Animation can bring any animal to life these days but Richard Parker was a completely different spectrum of possibility. Can you create a Tiger through the digital process and bring him to life on screen? It’s an absolute yes in Life of Pi, as you don’t even question his ferocious nature, his seasickness, the desire to live or the will to step off the boat and into the wilderness. The performances from both Pi (Suraj Sharma) and our Tiger are wonderful, and although he ends up walking away, and thankfully not looking back, we’re all wondering where Richard Parker ended up and if he’s still out there.
2. The Alien from Alien (1979) (Dir. Ridley Scott)
Alien is unquestionably one of my all-time favourites in this genre because it combines so many beautifully horrific and inspired elements together. A 7-foot Alien up to this point would have been everything Roswell-esque you’d expect it to be but now Ridley Scott and his team created something else entirely.
From the moment Brett (Harry Dean Stanton) is off alone and looking for Jonesy, Ripley’s missing cat, you just sense something extraordinary coming and it’s doesn’t disappoint. We’ve already had the explosive discovery of some violently mysterious creature via the stomach of Kane, then finding something like snake skin but you’ve never seen anything like Bolaji Badejo’s Alien. Created by H. R. Giger, this huge, beautiful monster of biomechanics, vertebrae and teeth is only shown in part during its first outing and my word, it works just as effectively with every re-watch. When we reach Aliens and the introduction of the mighty workshop of Stan Winston, well, it gets even better but remember if he catches you, no one will hear you scream…
1. The T-Rex from Jurassic Park (1993) (Dir. Steven Spielberg)
Jurassic Park has countless moments to savour but the one that inhabits my mind the most is seeing that T-Rex rage moment in the rain when I was 13 years old. There’s no doubt, even when I’ve seen every Stan Winston ‘Making Of…’ video that proves it’s clever animatronics, puppetry and CGI, that the dinosaur in front of me was real and you know what? It still is to this day.
Continuing to think beyond rationality and straight into a blatant disregard for logic, Spielberg’s masterpiece effortlessly stands up to the test of time. We’re somewhat in a golden age of CGI currently, where anything can look as real as you want it to, but I implore you to go back to Jurassic Park and watch the glorious T-Rex stomping and chomping his way onto everything and then… reveal in the glory as the prehistoric beast stands there; in full roar filling the screen; and then tell me it isn’t one of the most perfect shots in movie history.
Jurassic World is out now in UK cinemas.
