Motion capture is the art of capturing an actor's performance through technology and specialized equipment. Though it's been utilized for decades, the technique as it's known today was popularized after films like The Lord of the Rings and video games such as The Last of Us.

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In the earliest era of motion capture, characters like Imhotep and Gollum were brought to life thanks to motion capture. In addition to the incredible artistry, actors truly put energy into the characters they emulate. Despite some of the wonkier computer animation, an actor's ability to evoke emotion in audiences is what matters most.

10 Benedict Cumberbatch Made A Dragon Real In The Hobbit

Benedict Cumberbatch in mocap suit for Smaug

The Hobbit trilogy is not as well received as its predecessor in the Tolkien verse, but the performances are undoubtedly significant. While there's probably nothing quite as ridiculous looking as Benedict Cumberbatch lying on a mat in gray spandex, his performance as the dragon, Smaug, is anything but.

Smaug might be the best aspect of the second film. Cumberbatch's gruff voice and animalistic movements gave the dragon the most realistic demeanor on screen. Though he relies on his imagination on a set that lacks production design, he becomes a genuinely intimidating dragon.

9 Tom Hanks Played Multiple Characters In The Polar Express

Tom Hanks in mocap suit for Hero Boy in The Polar Express

The Polar Express is perhaps one of the most visually jarring but heartwarming Christmas movies. Despite its significantly large cast of characters, Tom Hanks surprisingly played a handful of them. It's a wonder how often he might have run back and forth to play two characters talking to each other.

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Hanks is everywhere, from the boy to the conductor and Santa himself. He remains a constant factor in each scene, sometimes in more than one place. His ability to perform as uniquely different characters in one film is a testament to his talent.

8 Ray Winstone Is A Frustrating Hero In Beowulf

Ray Winstone in mocap suit for Beowulf

In 2007, Beowulf was a Robert Zemeckis/Neil Gaiman collaboration, released as a fully computer-animated film using motion capture. Having never done motion capture before, Ray Winstone took the challenge like a champion. He portrays the titular hero, although the character is far from likable.

The cast's surroundings consisted of motorized set pieces and neon-colored props. Winstone gives Beowulf the humanistic qualities he needs, even if he has to wrestle with a giant wired robot to get there. He impresses as the warrior king, and behind-the-scenes footage would prove he had fun doing it.

7 Mark Rylance Is Heartwarming In The BFG

Mark Rylance in the mocap suit for the BFG

The BFG is Steven Spielberg's adaptation of a Roald Dahl novel. While the film was initially met with mixed reviews, it stays a solid family-friendly movie that paints a kind portrait of giants. Mark Rylance portrays the Big Friendly Giant or BFG. His depiction of the character is immensely heartwarming, as folkloric giants are typically terrifying in theory.

The film's most vital asset is the motion capture technology used to bring Rylance's performance to life. The actor's every emotion and expression is tracked, resulting in stunningly human animation.

6 Jason Cope Induced Humanity In District 9

Jason Cope as Christopher in mocap suit for District 9

District 9 featured aliens called "prawns" trapped in a downtrodden neighborhood in South Africa. The film has fascinating metaphors for real societal issues in the current world, but the film's CGI is genuinely remarkable. While not every animated character stems from a human actor through motion capture, Jason Cope portrays the single father, Christopher. He stood in for other roles as well, but his ability to convey emotion gave the alien father layers of human warmth. The visual effects combined with Cope's performance culminated in an unforgettable character.

5 Bill Nighy's Davy Jones Is Iconic To This Day

Bill Nighy in the mocap suit as Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest certainly stepped up their VFX game when they introduced Captain Davy Jones and his undead sea creature crew. Industrial Light & Magic utilized motion capture technology to create a genuinely haunting octopus-man out of Bill Nighy's performance.

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As silly as the actor looks behind the scenes, there's no doubt that he gave Jones a multi-layered personality. The character is just as impressive today as he was in 2006. In addition, Nighy's talent resulted in an iconic and unforgettable figure.

4 Josh Brolin Almost Gained Thanos Sympathy

Josh Brolin in the mocap suit as Thanos for Avengers

Thanos might have undergone a few visual changes over the years in the MCU, but Josh Brolin's performance elevated the character into a cultural staple. The photorealistic quality of the giant purple Titan would be nothing without Brolin's expressive features.

His characters' motives might be somewhat logical yet immoral. Josh Brolin can almost convince audiences that Thanos has a point through his articulated speeches and complex emotions. It's not easy to forget the tears in his eyes when he sacrifices his daughter, Gamora.

3 Toby Kebbell In Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes Is Terrifying

Toby Kebbell in mocap suit for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Andy Serkis is remarkable as Caeser in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but Toby Kebbell deserves recognition for his performance as Koba in the sequel as well. The villainous Bonobo is one of the film's most human and sympathetic apes. Kebbell truly breathes life into the character.

Koba's unhinged with his violent nature, but his hatred toward humans is justified, and Kebbell is able to emulate that emotion exceptionally well. His execution in every scene is scary and almost heart-wrenching, particularly for the human qualities he puts into Koba.

2 Zoe Saldaña Brings Tears In The Avatar Franchise

Zoe Saldana as Neytiri in mocap suit

Zoe Saldaña is a gifted actor, but her performance in both Avatar films is beyond extraordinary. The film's CG is stunning. However, it's hard to imagine Neytiri without Saldaña. Her nuanced expressions result in a character that is so realistic the visual effects are nearly indistinguishable from life. She truly emulates a non-human character from how she hunts to her expressions.

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In the most heartbreaking scenes in The Way of Water, she gives a performance so moving it'd be unsurprising if she were nominated for awards.

1 Andy Serkis Became King Of Motion Capture In The Lord of the Rings

Andy Serkis in variation of mocap suit for Gollum in Lord of the Rings

Andy Serkis is known as the king of motion capture for bringing some of pop culture's most famous characters to life. It all started with Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. His unforgettable performance cemented the character into cinematic icons. All he needed was the strange suit, a tragic backstory, and a unique vocal structure.

Serkis has a knack for physical performance, and audiences can see this in Gollum and Smeagol's characterization. From how he crawls around the set to his subtle facial movements, Andy Serkis helped create a phenomenal CG character.

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