Animatronics are a strange and miraculous filmmaking tool. The practical effect brings an element of fantasy to life. What cannot be suddenly becomes real. The imagination has its own reflection to see and show itself with. The surreal form of entertainment brings viewers a step closer into the world of movies. More than a prop, animatronics express life in both hyperbolic and fundamental bouts of emotion. Animatronics,unnatural or uncannyas they may look, suspend disbelief through humanlike and instinctual, animal behavior.
11Mary Poppins (1964)
Buena Vista Distribution Company, Inc.
Mary Poppinsis the Disney musical fantasy about a dysfunctional London family that employs the titular nanny to help sort out their lives. When the children leave their room in disarray, Mary Poppins sings “A Spoonful of Sugar” to teach them how to take responsibility with a good attitude. An open window welcomes a songbird with its curious, head-bobbing chirps. While simple and ordinary compared to the other technical achievements in the film, the animatronic bird keeps the magic grounded in reality.
10King Kong (1976)
King Kong 76
Paramount Pictures
King Kongis a remake of the classic 1933 monster film of the same name. An oil baron seeks to excavate oil from an uncharted island in the Indian Ocean. When the crew reaches the island, they find a washed-up actress who survived an explosion on a director’s yacht. An indigenous tribe kidnaps and offers her to their feared god, Kong. The giant ape (both a man in a suit and a 40-foot animatronic) is enamored by her beauty as he extends his mechanical arms and legs.
9Labyrinth (1986)
Labyrinthfollows a case of be-careful-what-you-wish-for journey into a mythical maze. After 16-year-old Sarah wishes her infant half-brother away, she must save him from the Goblin King inside the winding labyrinth. The puppets were created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, one of which befriends Sarah, an ogre named Ludo. Weighing 75 pounds, Ludo’s performance was shared by artists Ron Mueck and Rob Mills.
8Gremlins (1984)
Gremlinsis loosely based on the 1943 children’s book by Roald Dahl. The small, furry creatures mutate into violent and destructive reptilian monsters when they are given water and fed after midnight. In the film’s folklore, the Gremlins are Mogwai, a Cantonese word meaning “devil”. Gizmo remains unchanged, as does the size of the Gremlins. Director Joe Dante refused to make them larger to keep them cute. Being so small, the mechanics were more prone to malfunction.
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7Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Backintroduced Luke Skywalker’s mentor and master of the Force, Yoda. Together, they train on Yoda’s home planet, Dagobah, so that Luke can confront the Sith lord Darth Vader.The animatronic puppetarticulates the measured wisdom of the green sage.
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6E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrialfollows theeco-friendly alienwho gets left behind by his spaceship on Earth. Elliott befriends the alien, both learning from each other through metaphysical mimicry. The special effects designer Carlo Rambaldi was responsible for the extendable neck and facial expressions of E.T., which are still endearing to this day.
5An American Werewolf in London (1981)
An American Werewolf in Londonis notable for winning the first-ever Academy Ward for Best Makeup, received by special makeup effects artist Rick Baker. Baker fashioned the look of the werewolf after his pet dog, Bosco, a Keeshond breed.The famous transformationscene was made possible by mechanics that distorted the shape of prop limbs.
4Child’s Play (1988)
Child’s Playfeatures the work of puppet designer Kevin Yagher. The Good Guy doll with aserial killer’s soulwas operated by nine puppeteers and radio-controlled animatronics. The doll’s movements begin as innocent and cherub-like, then quickly evolve into more human-esque movements. Different Chucky dolls were made to fulfill physical feats as well.
3Alien (1979)
Aliencombines the sculpture work of H.R. Giger and Carlo Rambaldi’s mechanical design. The xenomorph’s jaw and inner mouth at the tip of its tongue were mobile, including the latter’s teeth. The creature’s head is made of an impressive 900 moving parts. The biomechanical nightmare moves slowly and gracefully on top of its staggering seven-foot stature.
2The Thing (1982)
The Thingis an extraterrestrial being that embodies and imitates its host. The special effects and design of the alien were created by Rob Bottin, who worked on other science fiction films likeRoboCopandTotal Recall. A team of 35 artists and technicians handled the grotesque transformations and mechanics. Tentacles, a spider-legged head, and wet, oozing practical effects made the man-in-a-rubber-suit trope a thing of the past.
