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We’re all so used to seeing computer graphics in movies now that it’s hard to remember a time when they amazed us. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane as we count down the best and most original uses of computer graphics that have made possible the Hollywood blockbusters we all know (and love?) today:

20) Star Wars (1977)

The 3D model of the Death Star used to brief the rebel pilots before their attack was a first, but this classic space adventure didn’t lean on it as a gimmick.

19) Polar Express (2004)

Nearly every character’s performance in this animated film was based on motion capture from real actors, which begs the question: Why not just make a movie with real actors?

18) The Mummy (1999)

Dust and sand are really hard to animate, so a gigantic mummy face rising out of a sand dune to chase Brendan Frasier in a biplane was quite a technical feat.

17) Titanic (1997)

Lots of the effects in this mega-budgeted movie were accomplished with computer, but the artificial water flowing and crashing through the ship impressed the most.

16) Money for Nothing (1984)

True, this is a music video by Dire Straits and not a film, per se, but the blocky and simplistic Lego-like characters showed what the computer could do for the entertainment industry.

15) Dragonheart (1996)

What’s better than a photo-realistic CGI dragon? A photo-realistic CGI dragon that was completely voiced by and modeled after the great Sean Connery, of course!

14) Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy (2003-06)

Captain Barbosa’s skeleton crew seamlessly shifted from live action pirates to zombies, and just when computer effects started to bore us we were treated to the eerie Davy Jones’ tentacled face in the sequels.

13) Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

This mostly forgotten film boasted the first realistic animated character; a stained-glass knight who erupts from a pane of glass.

12) Spawn (1997)

The (over)use of computer imagery in this movie, from the morphing effects to the title character’s living, changing suit were enough to convince critics like Roger Ebert that this sub-par film was worth the price of admission.

11) Forrest Gump (1994)

Everything from removing Gary Sinise’s legs, to animating a flurry of ping-pong balls, to inserting Tom Hanks into scenes with Elvis and John Lennon, was accomplished with computers.

10) Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

This expensive flop shows some of the most realistic (if not uncanny) animations of human beings ever brought to the big screen.

9) Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-03)

The CG soldiers in the massive battles were given their own AI for the first time in a motion picture, but it was the freakishly convincing performance capture of Andy Serkis as Gollum that made this trilogy a huge step forward.

8) The Mask (1994)

Although gags based on special effects fall flat nowadays (see 2005’s Son of the Mask), back in the early 90s audiences found Jim Carrey getting steamrolled to a pancake and bulging his eyes out three feet hilarious.

7) The Matrix (1999)

Who among us can say we weren’t amazed the first time we saw the mind-bending scene of Neo (Keanu Reeves) dodging bullets in slow motion?

6) Casper (1994)

The animated Casper and his (intentionally?) annoying cohorts were the first CGI characters to actually interact with human counterparts.

5) Toy Story (1995)

The first completely computer-animated feature-length film, and arguably the finest Disney/Pixar has produced yet, which says a lot.

4) The Abyss (1989)

The spectacle of a “water tentacle” rising out of the sea and imitating the crew of a ship proved that effects, impossible by any other means, could be created by computer.

3) Tron (1982)

The famous “light cycle” scene may look like a Super Nintendo game to contemporary audiences, but it took scientists nearly 5 years using what were then the world’s best supercomputers to create it. CGI was here to stay.

2) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Encouraged by the results of his water tentacle experiment, James Cameron decided to make the evil T-1000 terminator out of liquid metal. The effects dazzled audiences and proved that CGI could be used to actually push a story along.

1) Jurassic Park (1993)

The lifelike, photo-realistic dinosaurs marked a dramatic step up from the liquid blobs seen in T2 and The Abyss, and every animated creature since owes its existence to this film. Period.