By Lauren Michaels
Contributor

Computer-generated imagery has revolutionized how movies are made. Imagery that seemed impossible to create only a couple of decades ago is brought to life in realistic fashion through CGI. One of the advantages that CGI technology offers is the chance to go back and redo movies that couldn’t reach their full potential because of the practical limitations on visual effects.

These five movies offer the greatest potential for a visual feast if remade with a liberal dose of CGI effects…

1. The Last Starfighter (1984)
One of the most underrated sci-fi movies of all time. The original released in 1984 had a compelling story, likable characters, memorable dialogue and decent visual effects. Think what it could be now! A video game used to recruit the lead character into fighting an extraterrestrial war could feature some impressive graphics The space battles could be out of this world. The aliens could look truly alien instead of the usual rubber suit characters. Few other films would sparkle so much with the addition of CGI.

2. Dune (1984)
If Michael Bay ever wanted to do a Star Wars style epic, this would be a good choice. Dune inspired many elements that made the Star Wars franchise so popular. The basic plot centers on a nobleman who is foretold to be the messiah for a desert planet at the center of a highly lucrative galactic spice trade. The sheer volume of characters and interstellar settings makes a reboot a strong candidate to be infused with mind-blowing CGI and 3D images from a director like Michael Bay, who’s used to working on projects with such large scope and massive budgets.

3. The Running Man (1987)
Reality television has made the concepts behind The Running Man seem more plausible than ever. The original movie starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as a man forced to battle to the death on a sadistic game show as punishment for a crime he didn’t commit. Infusing CGI into a reboot would create a fantastic re-imagining of the story. It could incorporate all sorts of mobile technology and interactive visual imagery that would no doubt be a part of futuristic game shows. The trained killers could be drawn from all sorts of training backgrounds, such as MMA fighting or Navy SEAL training.

4. Super Mario Bros (1993)
If there was ever a video game franchise that deserved a better movie, this is it. “Super Mario Bros” offers a whole range of possible visual effects. Mario and Luigi can use power-ups to sprout wings and fly, turn red and shoot fireballs, or grow to gigantic proportions. Their villains are an assortment of interesting characters- especially Bowser, the dinosaur-like arch-villain in many of the Mario video games. One rule is the reboot has to remain true to the spirit of the popular video games. No more attempts like the ’90s bomb that distorted the entire story and removed the magic feel from many of the popular power-ups in the games.

5. IT (1990)
Plans are underway to remake the 1990s classic “IT,” base on the best-selling Stephen King novel. That’s good news for anyone who was frustrated by the limitations of the 1990 TV mini-series adaptation. CGI effects could really bring to life the spider-like monster that is the true form of Pennywise the dancing clown. IT was capable of taking multiple forms that struck fear into the monster’s eventual victims. Using CGI, the possibilities for those forms are limitless!

Front page image from nintendo-gamer.net. Image 1 from msn.com. Image 2 from wuog.org. Image 3 from thatfilmguy.net. Image 4 from x-entertainment.com. Image 5 from collider.com.