History Main / StarringSpecialEffects

* The vast majority of movies by Creator/RayHarryhausen. Creator/RayHarryhausen treated each monster as a character in and of itself, giving them operatic deaths when he could. Special mention goes to:

* Downplayed with ''Film/TheFly1986''. For the bulk of the film, the DoomedProtagonist Seth Brundle is played by Creator/JeffGoldblum via a makeup-based SlowTransformation that incorporates PeopleInRubberSuits in the later stages. Seth's OneWingedAngel form of "Brundlefly" -- a completely inhuman-looking, voiceless monster -- is realized via animatronic puppets for the final minutes, and the transition between techniques is so smoothly handled that the audience just sees one single tragic character all along. The special effects team is listed first in the end credits to acknowledge its importance.

* Downplayed with ''Film/TheFly1986''. The once-human DoomedProtagonist is realized via extremely elaborate puppetry come his final OneWingedAngel transformation into an insectoid beast, but this only takes place in the film's final minutes (until that point he's played by Creator/JeffGoldblum via a makeup-based SlowTransformation that incorporates PeopleInRubberSuits in the later stages).

* While the titular character [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] this, being a mix of [[Creator/RyanReynolds Ryan Reynolds']] physical performance and CGI, ''Film/{{Deadpool}}'' [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the trope in the opening credits, with "A CGI Character" listed among the cast (this refers to Colossus, who was [[SerkisFolk Serkis Folk'd]] into the movie).

* The live-action ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' movies are mainly a [[IncrediblyLamePun vehicle]] to show off a whole set of special effects characters. Some critics actually claim they didn't do this ''[[TropesAreNotBad enough]]'': Who came here to see a bunch of humans we don't actually care about? [[JustHereForGodzilla Give us the robots]]!

* ''Film/DetectivePikachu'' with not only its eponymous character, but a large number of other Pokémon species in secondary or supporting roles.

** The policy of working with Muppets is that one has to treat them as legitimate people, to the point that many Muppeteers don't break character during the outtakes of the production.

** Rocket and Groot were BreakoutCharacters in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' and ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2''.

* WarHorse, though the story and other performances are perfectly good, is most famous for the magnificent horse puppets, and Joey the horse is ''at least'' a deuteragonist, if not quite the full protagonist of the story.

* The Ride/DisneyThemeParks are famous for having several shows that feature a cast comprised entirely of audio-animatronics, including ''Ride/TheEnchantedTikiRoomm'', ''Ride/CountryBearJamboree'', and ''Ride/CarouselOfProgress''.

* The Ride/DisneyThemeParks are famous for having several shows that feature a cast comprised entirely of audio-animatronics, including ''The Enchanted Tiki Room'', ''Country Bear Jamboree'', and ''Ride/CarouselOfProgress''.

** Caesar in ''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes''. The trailer even said "From Weta Digital: the Visual Effects Company for ''Film/{{Avatar}}''"
* Pretty much any {{Kaiju}} movie qualifies as this. In the [[Film/DawnOfThePlanetOfTheApes two]] [[Film/WarForThePlanetOfTheApes sequels]] that followed, he actually did get top billing.

* Pretty much any {{Kaiju}} movie qualifies as this.

* The trailer for the remake of [[Film/TheDayTheEarthStoodStill2008 The Day the Earth Stood Still]] made it clear that the special effects had the starring role, not KeanuReeves.

That's right, folks: You don't need to be a human being or even technically ''alive'' to be the star. With a big enough budget, a little imagination and some talent to provide a memorable voice ([[{{Vocaloid}} though this may not be the case for much longer]]), you can take a prop and turn it into a ''character''.

* ''Film/{{Dragonheart}}'', where SeanConnery voices a CGI dragon.

* The live-action ''RockyAndBullwinkle'' movie

* The majority of ''LazyTown's'' main cast are puppets.

** ''Film/{{Clash of the Titans|1981}}'' - ''Also'' starring LaurenceOlivier, but [[MoneyDearBoy he didn't much care]]...

** ''Film/ClashOfTheTitans'' - ''Also'' starring LaurenceOlivier, but [[MoneyDearBoy he didn't much care]]...

* Rod Taylor and Guy Pearce are leading men who found themselves playing second-fiddle to their respective [[TheTimeMachine time machines]].