Best Ever Special Effects Scene

I thought the sequence from "The Empire Strikes Back" where the Millenium Falcon flew through the meteor shower while being chased by the T.I.E. fighters was pretty amazing
 
Some of the sequences in Blade Runner are astounding as was most of the work of Douglas Trumbull. What was achieved at the time was inspired and if you've seen the Blu Ray it really shows.

This is geeky but the shot of the Enterprise emerging from spacedock in Star Trek 3 is almost flawless given that it was done wholy with models. An almost total lack of matte lines and truly stunning work from an early ILM.

I could list many, many digital effect that have blown me away recently. The arrival of the Enterprise at Vulcan in the new Star Trek film springs to mind but I think the most impressive effects involve the largest models that budget and practicallity will allow and only tinker digitally when things can be done no other way. The same sort of way Jackson did with LoTR.
 
The plane crash scene from Knowing and the opening scene from Saving Private Ryan are awesome. Some of the FX in 2012 are great too despite it being a crappy movie.
 
A lot of the trickery in 2001 is still the business. The apes, the model work, the floating pen...

Also the end sequence of Mission:Impossible with the helicopter and train. A masterful blend of model work, stunt work, location shoot, studio shoot and CGI. It must've taken some skill to weave it all together, but this was ILM at their ambitious best.
 
A very subtle split-screen scene in Superman wherein Christopher Reeve simultaneously leaves Lois Lane's roof garden as Superman and enters as Clark Kent. Truly magical and almost invisible until it's pointed out.:cool:
 
The ship at the start of Avatar.

Anything Star Trek 11

Terminator 2 for the time was great.

Alien, i know the ships are models but they look good.

There are too many for me too choose just one.

The Airplane crash in knowing was good the first time but after worRAB it was a bit crap as you could see it was CGI

District 9 has plenty.
 
In 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' when the mother ship came in to land.

I'll never forget, sitting in the cinema, the magnificent sight, and even the cinema itself seemed to vibrate.

This was back in 1977, of course, and we weren't used to such an experience, that this special effect made. It isn't the same watching it at home, though. :D
 
I'd like to nominate The Valley of Gwangi when the cowboys are lassoing the Allosaurus, still looks fantastic today and imo Ray's best piece.

Another oldie is Rick Baker's masterpiece transformation scene in An American Werewolf in London.

In modern films the best sfx is the stuff you don't realise if effects and therefore hard to pick the best.
 
The whole cities blowing up scenes in Independence Day will always have a place in my heart.

The feature on how they filmed it is really interesting.

In fact, i'd say any special effect scene in Independence Day still holRAB up incredibly well.
 
THE Harryhausen sp effect movies for theIr time were good!....ie Mysterious Island , First Men On The Moon, Jason and the Argonauts,and Clash of the Titans to name a few !
 
that was shocking!! not a fan of the Final Destination films (only seen the first), but its properly worth seeing them for the openning sequences alone.
the bit where the first log that went through the cop car, spewing out bits of mashed cop was excellent.
 
they are many films with excellent special fx sequences - but one that came to mind was Star Trek 8: first contact. the fight on the outside of the ship with the crew and borg was excellent.

and also when the borg queen first enters - as just a head, spine and shoulders - to be fitted together to her body.
 
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