Optimus Prime, leader in the battle of Good vs Evil in 'Transformers'.

Visual effects in modern motion pictures are as important as casting, directing or producing. Many of the blockbuster films of the last 15 years have been driven by visual and special effects with famous flicks, such as Titanic, Jurassic Park, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, all having picked up Oscars for Best Achievement in that category.

The category was called Best Special Effects when it was created in 1939. In 1963, it was split into two: Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Effects.

Then, in 1972, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science stopped giving out awards for Visual Effects and instead gave Special Achievement awards.

But, in 1996, it changed again to Best Visual Effects. Emphasis is placed on the artistry, skill and fidelity with which the visual illusions are achieved.

Today, I share my take on the 10 best special-effects Hollywood films.

1 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968). This landmark film, directed by the legendary Stanley Cherubic from a story by Arthur C. Clarke, provided the ultimate trip and inspired the United States' space exploration programme to this day. Who can forget Al, the rebellious computer with human emotions, or for that matter, the opening sequence in which an Ape from the Stone Age throws his bone into the air and this is transformed into a spaceship?

Tobey Maguire reprising the role of Spider-Man.

Visually stunning, this film was ahead of its time. Won an Oscar for visual effects.

2 TITANIC (1997): Director James Cameron's masterpiece has become the most profitable film of all time, grossing over US$1 billion worldwide. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet provide the love interest aboard the ill-fated Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage in 1912. The special effects in the second half of the film are something to behold. Won a slew of Oscars, including Best Picture and Visual Effects.

3 STAR WARS (1977), starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Sir Alec Guinness. Inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, George Lucas' epic space adventure broke new ground in technical achievements and spawned a highly successful series, which included The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Episode II: Attack of The Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

4 THE MATRIX (1999), starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Ann Moss and Hugo Weaving.The ultimate digitally manipulated film, made famous for Reeves' fantastic bullet-dodging and fight scenes, has become a classic in the genre. This huge money-maker mushroomed into two sequels: The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.

5 INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996): Starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Vivica A. Fox, Jeff Goldblum and Randy Quaid. The United States, and ultimately the world, are invaded by alien ships and utter destruction unfolds. The actors are outdone by the impressive special effects.

Elijah Wood in 'Lord of the Rings'.

6 LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2005): Starring Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Cate Blanchett and Sean Astin.

The third and final in the popular series directed by Peter Jackson, this one took visual effects to another level and swept the Oscars, winning all 11 (including Best Picture) for which it was nominated.

7 EARTHQUAKE (1974), starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, Richard Roundtree, George Kennedy, Genevieve Bujold. The only 'oldie' on the list, this disaster epic depicting a major earthquake destroying the city of Los Angeles, California, is memorable for its spellbinding imagery. The Academy duly obliged.

8 JURASSIC PARK (1993), starring Sam Neil, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sir Richard Attenborough. Steven Spielberg's chilling tale of dinosaurs on an island elevated special effects of gigantic proportions. This one was the real deal and was followed by two sequels, which were just as popular, or should I say, scary.

9 SPIDERMAN 3 (2007), starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco. The third and easily the best in the blockbuster series, thanks to better characterisation and superior visual effects. Maguire is even more convincing as the comic-book hero who discovers his demons.

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in 'Star Wars'.

10 TRANSFORMERS (2007): Starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. Tenth place on any list is always the most difficult as it involves so many considerations. Should it be The Terminator, ET, Blade Runner, Alien, The Fly or King Kong? The nod goes to this noisy, special effects-driven mega hit about a young man who gets caught up in a titanic autobot war. Take that, Megatron!