1990s
| Film | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Die Hard 2 | 1990 | First digitally-manipulated matte painting. |
| RoboCop 2 | 1990 | First use of real-time computer graphics or "digital puppetry" to create a character in a motion picture. |
| Backdraft | 1991 | First use of photorealistic CGI fire in a motion picture. |
| Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1991 | First realistic human movements on a CGI character. The first partially computer-generated main character and the first blockbuster movie to feature multiple morphing effects. First use of a personal computer to create major movie 3D effects. |
| Death Becomes Her | 1992 | First human skin CGI software. |
| Quarxs | 1993 | First broadcast series of animated CGI shorts. |
| Jurassic Park | 1993 | First photorealistic CG creatures. |
| VeggieTales | 1993 | First completely computer animated direct-to-video release. |
| Babylon 5 | 1993 | First television series to use CGI as the primary method for its visual effects. First TV use of virtual sets. |
| Insektors | 1993 | First fully computer animated TV series. First use of character animation in a computer animated television series. |
| Radioland Murders | 1994 | First use of virtual CGI sets with live actors. |
| ReBoot | 1994 | First half-hour computer animated TV series. |
| The Flintstones | 1994 | First CGI-rendered fur. |
| Waterworld | 1995 | First realistic CG water. |
| Casper | 1995 | First CGI lead character in feature-length film (preceded Toy Story by six months). First CGI characters to interact realistically with live actors. |
| Toy Story | 1995 | First CGI feature-length animation. |
| Dragonheart | 1996 | First 2D all-CGI backgrounds with live actors. |
| Marvin the Martian in 3D | 1997 | First computer animated movie viewed with 3D glasses. |
| Titanic | 1997 | First wide-release feature film with major elements rendered under the open-source Linux operating system. Also included a number of advances, specifically in the rendering of flowing water. |
| A Bugs Life | 1998 | First ever computer animated widescreen film. |
| Invasion: Earth | 1998 | First major use of digital effects in a British TV series (BBC/Sci-Fi Channel co-production) |
| A Little Curious (Bubble Love) | 1999 | First use of a CGI character on live action video. |
| Fight Club | 1999 | First realistic close-up of detailed facial deformation on a synthetic human. |
| The Matrix | 1999 | First use of CG interpolation in Bullet Time effects. |
| Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace | 1999 | First film to use CG extensively for thousands of shots, including backgrounds, environmental effects, vehicles, and crowds. Several CG characters stood alongside real actors in dozens of shots, making them the first CG "supporting" cast members. |
Read more about this topic: Timeline Of Computer Animation In Film And Television