CGI has truly altered the movie landscape over the past several decades. It's allowed studios to build armies of life-like orcs, transform ordinary actors into superheroes and generally make the impossible happen on the big screen in live-action movies that purport to be set in a "real world." Sure, CGI can often be used as a crutch, but when applied properly it's been responsible for creating some of our favorite movie characters.

The 18 Best CGI Characters in Live-Action Movies 18 IMAGES

With new films like the Will Smith-starring Gemini Man and Martin Scorsese's The Irishman reminding us just how far special effects have come, we figured it was time to update this rundown of our favorite CGI characters in live-action movies. We've included both motion capture performances and entirely digital creations here, so check out our full list -- including everything from Terminators to Gollum to the T-Rex to good old Yoda himself -- in the slideshow below:Gemini Man may well be among the most technically impressive films of 2019, with director Ang Lee using CGI to pit a middle-aged Will Smith against his younger clone. The film is so ambitious, in fact, that only a handful of US theaters can screen Gemini Man in its intended format.Not to be outdone, The Irishman has set a new gold standard for the use of de-aging special effects in Hollywood. This highly ambitious, highly expensive crime drama focuses on several points in the life of mobster Frank Sheeran, with the film using CGI to age or de-age stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci as needed. That approach pays off, with IGN reviewer Mike Dougherty praising The Irishman as "a story of epic proportions that benefits from subtly brilliant special effects."Of course, the art of CGI will only continue to improve in the coming years, and we can't wait to see what new creations are coming next.Until then, let us know your favorite CGI characters are in the comments below.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter , or Kicksplode on MyIGN