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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Top 15 Sci-Fi movies of all time
Posted by Kevin Hopp on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 1:04 PM
Be sure to check CL's Movies & Television site for reviews of this summer's biggest movies.
There is only one genre that is able to entertain us, capture our imagination and provide a glimpse of the world after the machines take over and enslave mankind. Of course, I'm talking about Sci-Fi. The genre has many different subsections, and Wikipedia can fill you in if your curious about what constitutes "science fiction." For my purposes, a Sci-Fi movie is one that includes some combination of time travel, space adventure, futuristic ray guns and aliens. All of the following movies have proved influential on the genre and society in general — not to mention my childhood.
So, here's my Top 15 Sci-Fi movies of all time, starting with one honorable mention. Please let me know what you think in the comments section!
Honorable Mention: Galaxy Quest (1999)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6hlTb7AUj8[/youtube]
No list of the best Sci-Fi would be complete without this comedy starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shaloub and Sam Rockwell as a Star Trek-like crew of actors who come upon some real world space drama. Galaxy Quest mocked those corny Star Trek movies and forever made laughable the plodding space drama. This is great Sci-Fi-comedy for any occasion or audience.
15) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU4TQ1NTo50[/youtube]
A movie that understood society's fear of emerging technology and exploited it. Hal is one of the most iconic machines in film history, and possibly the first time the audience really felt something (good or bad) for a computer. 2001 has a slow, methodical pace that somehow manages to keep you on the edge of your seat, even without explosions every few seconds (take note, Michael Bay). Film fans would have to wait until 1984s Terminator for another movie that would make us truly terrified of our machines. While the ending is just plain weird, 2001 is iconic enough to make the list.
14) Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Kahn (1982)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJTi7KJPx_E[/youtube]
On of the very best Star Trek movies of the 11-movie series, Trek II has everything a Sci-Fi movie needs: space action, laser guns, plenty of drama, and a great villain in Kahn. (I bet you just yelled "Kahn!!!!!" at the top of your lungs. if not, why not?) Trek II worked as the true start for the Trek series, because most people chose to forget the nightmare that was Star Trek: The Motion Picture. You know you're in trouble when a movie has to tell you it's a movie right in the title.
13) Minority Report (2002)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn2sLUJ-eLk[/youtube]
Minority Report is a great Sci-Fi action movie with future gadgets, flying cars, fantastic guns and a good chase scene or two. Minority Report clearly deserves to be on the list for the well thought-out concepts of futuristic justice and pre-crime alone. On the down side, the movie does star Tom Cruise, but I think we can over look that for this entry.
12) Planet of the Apes (1968)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9FS7cqHfU0[/youtube]
Let's forget about the Marky-Mark remake, and concentrate on a movie that starred the immortal Charlton Heston and made, “Take your stinkin' hands off me, you damn dirty ape!” a household expression. Planet of the Apes is a movie about a spaceman who crashes on an alien planet run by apes, only to find the Statue of Liberty at the end and realize he was actually on Earth the whole time! Hey, we’ve all seen a thousand variations on the this, but Apes did it first, and in the process became one of the most beloved movies Sci-Fi movies of all time.
11) V for Vendetta (2005)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rRn8kM4-ds[/youtube]
V for Vendetta is a movie by the The Wachowski Brothers set in a futuristic London controlled by a tyrannical government. In this setting one man vows to seek vengeance, and in so doing free the people. Along the way, V would be accompanied by Eve, brilliantly played by Natalie Portman. V For Vendetta is set in the future, but it's obviously a commentary on our own troubled times. At the time of Vendetta's 2005 release, the country was still very much in the middle on the War on Terrorism and not ready for a movie that posed the question “what if terrorism is the only way to achieve freedom.” Hence the somewhat disappointing performance at the box office. "Remember, Remember the fifth of November…”
10) Star Trek (2009)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP8L7aLDvAU[/youtube]
I can already see the comments I'm going to get calling fowl on this one due to the newness of the movie. I ask the haters: How many movies can resurrect a dead franchise and turn it from a fetish object of the truly nerdy (including yours truly) into something everyone is talking about, all without a complete reboot? Star Trek has everything a good Sci-Fi movie should have: action, drama, space battles, laser guns, a crazy monster-thing, hot alien women (the greener the better), and yes, some lens flare.
9) Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aD1ZphC0g8[/youtube]
Yes, I know, this is the one with the Ewoks, but Jedi is still one of the most influential movies of the genre — and also one of the best. This movie has the space battles, Carrie Fisher in her golden bikini slave costume (still every man's fantasy, don’t kid yourself), laser gun battles galore, and by far the coolest future weapon of all time, the Death Star. Jedi also has some great characters (Jabba, Lando, that desert mouth thing), and provides a great ending to a great trilogy. And yes, it has those cute teddy-bear lookin’ Ewoks.
8) Back to the Future (1985)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SrV13F3x7Y[/youtube]
Few movies deal with time travel with as much style as Back to the Future, one of my favorites of all time. Back to the Future works as a hilarious comedy and features great performances by Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox, but this movie is also great at the Sci-Fi and has fun with time travel. Top it all off with a really cool car, Huey Lewis and the News and a pair of sequels. "Run for it, Marty!"
7) Alien (1979)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eIpvZsEky4[/youtube]
The perfect Sci-Fi-Horror movie, Alien has some really creepy elements, a great alien bad guy running amok on a space ship, and it has robots. What more could you ask for? H.R. Giger's penis-head monster still gives me the creeps, but Alien it is great fun to watch. The sequels would all add their different twists to the first movie, but none of them came close to the horror and dread of this single, horrifying alien.
6) Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWutJqsk0IE[/youtube]
This movie had to make the list. T2 has robots that look like governors, robots that look cops, robots that look weird, liquid metal. Add in some time travel elements and what more could a Sci-Fi fan ask for? The special effects are incredible and stand up well after all this time. Despite lame sequels, this movie is still considered one of the best in every category, from best villain, to best hero, to best chase scene. It also has one of the most quoted lines in cinema history. “Hasta la vista, baby.”
5) Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gvqpFbRKtQ[/youtube]
The Godfather of the modern space opera (and summer blockbuster), Star Wars ushered in a new wave of movie making and special effects and while relying on the oldest elements of storytelling. After 32 years, the space battles are still incredible, and has there ever been a better villain than Darth Vader? As a kid, everyone wanted to be Luke Skywalker, just so they could get their hands on one of those lightsabers.
4) Serenity (2005)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BvP99-Ci6k[/youtube]
This movie took the Sci-Fi by the reins and never let go, but the part that made this movie stand out is the western theme added into the mix; add two parts great acting and one part fantastic writing, with a whole lot of love, you have a recipe for one of the greatest Sci-Fi movies of all time.
3) E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4yUQJeKZNs[/youtube] The most heart-warming alien invasion story on the list is possibly Steven Spielberg’s best movie of all time. E.T. made me laugh, cry and cheer as the story of a boy who discovers an alien unfolded. This movie started the career of Drew Barrymore, and made me crave Reeses Pieces for years afterwards. E.T. is one of the most popular movies of all time and certainly deserves the bronze medal on this list.
2) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK0MLkYOz3g[/youtube]
The silver medal on the Sci-Fi list, this is arguably the best movie in the franchise. Empire has a great story, rich characters, and a great lightsaber duel followed by one of the greatest (and most-often misquoted) twists in cinema history. (The correct line reading is, “No, I am your father.”) This film also has something very few others have: a perfectly unsatisfying ending that closes a truly dark, and menacing movie.
Finally, the moment you have been waiting so patiently for, the number one Sci-Fi movie of all time …
1) The Matrix (1999)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM5yepZ21pI[/youtube]
My favorite movie of all time, and the perfect Sci-Fi movie. The Matrix is special due to the smarts of the writers and the philosophical elements present in the plot, hidden behind the great action and amazing special effects. Say what you want about the rest of the trilogy, but this movie is perfectly done and even makes Keanu Reeves look good. The Matrix has the aspect of being set in the future, with great futuristic weapons, hovercrafts and crazy machinery that is somehow interwoven into the here-and-now. The Matrix also has, in my opinion, one of the greatest villains in cinema history in Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith.
So, there you have it, the best of the best in Sci-Fi. Let me know which movies you would have put on the list. And thanks for reading!
Comments (50)
Showing 1-50 of 50
The constricting definition of sci-fi offered by the author notwithstanding, "Blade Runner" and Soderbergh's remake of "Solaris" definitely deserve to be on this list. And 2001 should at least make the top 5. Also, it's curious that of the two Spielberg-directed films that made the list, neither is "Close Encounters."
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If you are talking about the newer, George Clooney version of Solaris, I was bored to tears. As far as Blade Runner goes, I didn't hate that movie, but I thought that movie was terribly overrated. The newer, extended cut added some good stuff, but not enough to break the top 15.
I am personally offended you shared your opinions and that they are not EXACTLY like mine. lol :) ;)
Hey, you leave Pluto Nash alone! Rosario Dawson could make the list just because she's standing around in a space suit! lol And, I do love me some Secret of the Ooze, but I'm pretty sure Loafing would fire me (they made me take the 'Creative' out). :)
Nice work on all the trailers by the way. Did you notice the light saber effects in the Empire trailer weren't done???
yeah, it cracked me up. That technically wasn't the trailer I was going to use, but by that point, they all started to blend together. And, the Back to the Future one I had never seen...and I liked it!
HA! That Star Wars trailer is awesome. "From the man who brought you American Graffit" (Never hear that again one SW hit) "The story of a boy, a girl, a universe" (OMG I am NEVER talking about SW without quoting this ever again.) "A billion years in the making" Interesting how the saber effects were incomplete on all the SW trailers above and poor Obi Wan was just a dude in the Return one, not a blue-glowing ghost dude.
I would have to agree on Bladderrunner, without it and the addition of Minority report the list loses all creditiablity... But I was happy to see the New Star trek movie. But where's a Close Encounters of the third kind? Far better in my opinion to E.T. And the orginal "The Day the Earth Stood Still" Hell I'd even put the classic Frankenstein in there somewhere... And one of my favorites only because it pits religious faith against scientic belief, "Contact" But then again opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and they all stink.
Although I dislike E.T. and find both The Matrix and Minority Report to be extremely overrated, I agree with pretty much everything else on your list. However, you left off a number of films that I would say are far better than either of those three: * Time After Time * Blade Runner * Twelve Monkeys * John Carpenter's The Thing * The Fly (the remake) * Godzilla (the original) * The Day the Earth Stood Still (again, the original) * Brazil * Westworld * Jurassic Park * Forbidden Planet * Conquest of the Planet of the Apes * Close Encounters * Aliens Still, great list! Sincerely, Rich Handley Author: Timeline of the Planet of the Apes--The Definitive Chronology AVAILABLE FROM HASSLEIN BOOKS http://www.hassleinbooks.com
Great list, Rich! Thanks for the comment. I liked a lot of those movies on the list, but I have to say Blade Runner is no where near my favorite list, despite being on everyone elses, I dunno, I just find that movie really overrated. I guess the philosophy really got me on the Matrix, as well as the special effects. When you can make Keanu Reeves look good, imagine the possibilities!
Kevin: You don't mean "dessert." You mean "desert." Sentences begin with capital letters. "Take your hands off me you damn dirty ape!” is not the correct quote. Did CL fire all the editors? Even if they did, you should care enough about your work not to make such mistakes.
Ned, thank you so much for the notification. I do appreciate your attention to detail. I am actually aware of the correct quote, but somehow it got altered slightly in the process, but I'm sure we can get that taken care of. In fact, there is another quote that is incorrect in there as well, since your attention to detail is so fine, I'm sure you can find it. I'm also assuming that since those were the only mistakes you found, you agree with my list. Let me be the first to congratulate you on your fine taste in movies!
I did not take the time to point out every error. I'm sure that had I done so, I would have received an even snottier reply. There are many people who actually consider "attention to detail" a good thing; I am not the only reader who notices these things. You write for a large audience; would it really be such a drag to try to write carefully? Really? Yes, the list is great. Well done (seriously).
To be be fair Hopp I thought you meant "dessert" but I am a dirty ape with a one track mind.
I monkeyed around and messed up the quote! It's my error, not Kevin's. (Sorry Kevin.) I'll repair it now. Jeez Ned, what a killjoy. ;-)
And "dessert" was mine as well. God, I had a bad morning. Both errors are now fixed. One other thing: Ned, can you please provide a link to some of your writing online?
Hey Ned, While you're in the mood of being "attentive to detail", maybe you can critique my blog. I have no editor and sure could use the help of someone as savvy and perfect as yourself. I can only afford to pay in sarcasm and criticism, but the reward of helping a blogger-in-training like myself greatly negates the need for real pay, don't you think? Me thinks Ned's just jealous he doesn't get paid to write. Great list, Hopp! I would beg to differ on a few of your selections, but then again, I'm not a movie guy and no one ever agrees on lists, so no need to debate whether you're right on wrong. Opinions are like assholes named Ned...just kidding, Ned - someone's gotta be the scapegoat and you just opened yourself for it! Speaking of "scapegoats," are you the one who got the other quote wrong ("No, I'm your father!"), Joe, or did Hopp actually misquote the misquote? ;-)
That was me, too. And here's the best part: I pulled up the fucking YouTube clip, watched it, then wrote the wrong quote. (It's fixed now.) Many apologies again Kevin! Maybe you would like to edit me from now on? And anyone else got something I messed up? If ever there was a comment thread for my mother to post on, this is it!
Don't take it too hard, Joe. Everyone has a bad day; Lord knows I've had my share. I just enjoy reading these blogs and these are some of the first mess-ups I've seen. The Loaf does a great job otherwise!
Hey, Joe, it really cracks me up, actually. Thanks for getting corrected, but after looking at all the things you fixed....trust me, I think we're more than even! And, Jimbo, where's the link, man?
of your picks, i LOVED the latest Star Trek movie, The Matrix, Back to the Future and V for Vendetta. i'm glad Blade Runner was NOT on the list. it took me 3 weeks to try to watch that movie in its entirety. note i said try. the completion was not a success.
I appreciate it Kevin. Still, I feel bad. In the future, I promise to watch all Star Wars & Planet of the Apes clips twice to be sure I get the quotes correct. As a side note: The most interesting outcome from the response to your list is all the dissing of Blade Runner. I too am not a giant fan and would not have included it on the list. I have taken much shit over my non-love of Blade Runner over the years, and it seems like your list has provided cover for all the haters out there. I'm loving it!
Yeah, I am so happy I wasn't lynched for not including Blade Runner. Not only was I not lynched, I have some that agree. Party On! I did leave out Muppets in Space, so, I'm still kinda worried about that one coming back on me.
Don't tell me you wouldn't put Muppets in Space on your list, Joe. I mean, Kermit is a very versatile actor. Good Donald Trump impression, though! ;)
Geeze, guys, I get it -- never point out errors. I'm sorry I pissed you off, but honestly, I think some of the backlash here is overkill. Everybody makes mistakes, but I think more care could have been taken here. If the mistakes don't matter, why have Joe fix them? If I had made similar errors -- which of course I have -- I'd be embarrassed by them, not furious that someone noticed them. I do not for a moment consider myself a serious or important writer. Most of what I've written is commercial crap, although probably no worse than many blogs. But to the guy who said I'm pissed because I don't get paid to write: I've made my living as a writer for 25 years. If indeed I am an asshole, it has nothing to do with being jealous of Kevin; although as I said, I did appreciate his list and enjoy it. And I didn't call him names. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Ned%20Snell
... and now that I think about it, yeah, I can see how those criticisms came off mean, and I'm sorry for that. (No sarcasm -- I think part of the trouble here is that sarcasm is being seen where none is intended.) I just want to point out how weird this is. If I had posted a comment calling Kevin an idiot for leaving my favorite film off his list, nobody would have jumped on me. And honestly, I enjoyed his writing. But yeah, it shows a certain lack of professionalism to be this sloppy. I'll agree that I shouldn't have said so. Going away now so as not to keep this going. Have at me.
Sorry to be a hater...but since everyone else is jumping on the bandwagon, you misspelled Vendetta twice in the paragraph on V for Vendetta (you spelled it Vendatta) Oh Yeah, and I have a hard time taking Back to the Future seriously, but its your list.
Ok, I call a cease fire! Ned, you are correct that errors matter. The reason I corrected the mistakes is that NO ONE likes to screw up — especially publicly. I can't speak for everyone else, but on a personal note: I have an idea of how much time Kevin put into this and I know for certain how much time I put in. It wasn't Moby Dick or anything, but it was more than just an hour or two. I tend get defensive when we post something with a lot of food for thought and then get comments that ignore all of the thinking to focus on a spelling mistake or a mangled quote. That doesn't mean those things aren't important. They are. But of all the things you could have said, you chose to focus squarely on something that was immaterial to the content. That is why you got jumped when others who questioned the content did not. So, can no one can point out errors? Of course not. I actually welcome it. (It improves the writing.) But when you make that correction the entirety of your comment (especially when you write it in such a way that it comes off as "mean" — something you did not intend), flame wars break out. As such, I apologize for my snide request that you post a link to your own writing. Not because you ponied up (impressively, indeed), but because what does it matter? That was me acting in the same manner for which I just chastised you. Being a hypocrite is easy, and I really struggle to avoid it. In any event, I hope you will stick around these parts Ned. I even hope that you will continue to offer critiques when necessary. (Feel free to e-mail me at joe.bardi@creativeloafing.com if you don't wish such corrections to be public.) In the end, the more voices we have sounding off on posts like this, the better (and more fun) the conversation becomes. This conversation has done nothing but enhance the quality of this post for future readers, and for that I thank everyone. Oh, and Serenity blows. Have I mentioned that? ;-)
Joe, I couldn't have said it better myself. Sometimes, I get so worked up in the story, it is very hard to focus on "Vendetta" (Thanks Mike! ;) But, I do enjoy a good bit of B.S. about movies, in fact, I expect there to be a bit of fire when it comes to something I am so passionate about. It makes me sleep better at night when other people comment and show as much passion as me. Anywho, now, I have this horrible problem of trying to take Joe seriously after that Serenity comment, I mean, who doesn't like Serenity?!? A crazy person, thats who! :) And, Mike, while I see your point on Back to the Future, that is one of those movies that I love and cherish from my childhood, which may have pursuaded me to move that up the list, but the movie is solid. In my opinion, anyway. And, again, thanks to everyone who has commented so far, I have enjoyed reading them and hope for many more!
Believe it or not Kevin, you are far from the first to label me crazy. I appreciate it, though!
First time I am familiar with EVERY item on your list. I agree with most, but I vote "no" on The Matrix. I love "Vendetta". I thoroughly enjoy "The Fifth Element" and would put it right up there near the top. I am so glad you didn't include any of those new Star Wars movies. I hated them all.
Karen, its wonderful that you are familiar with everything on the list, I think that is a good thing. I love the Fifth Element, so good call there! I think I am one of the few people who liked the Star Wars prequels. Don't get me wrong, compared to the movies on this list, and especially the original trilogy...well, they just don't compare, but I have seen worse. But, "No" on the Matrix?
I didn't like The Matrix. At all. I was bored. I tried to watch the sequels, too, but couldn't make it through.I live in a house filled with males, all of whom loved the series. I don't THINK my distaste for it was due to Keanu Reeves. I loved him in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" (speaking of time travel and the future...).
Atleast you tried to watch them, Karen, so, I commend you for the effort. And, you are not the only one with a tast for Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Although, for my money, the best Keanu movie is The Replacements.
What about Blade Runner and The Thing? And if your going to have V for Vendetta on there why not A Clockwork Orange.
The Matrix is playing back-to-back on TNT tonight. Did you have something to do with this, Kevin? Karen: Avoid TNT tonight!
Clearly, the people at TNT have great taste in movies. Except, they censored the crap outta that movie (yeah, I watched it, I'm a dork). Of course, it didn't hurt I know some people who know some people.
I'm still really pissed off that Muppets in Space didn't get on the list. Is it due to Swine flu and Ms. Piggy isn't it?? I see how it is, you're piggist.
I like most of the inclusions on the list, but an all-time favorite of mine is often overlooked: Enemy Mine. It may not deserve #1 or even the top 15, but is certainly deserves recognition. It is a perfect example of Sci-Fi at its best, plus it boasts some superb acting from Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett, Jr. While I'm as much a sucker for pure entertainment as the next person, the best Sci-Fi works because of the humanity of the characters and for what it says about the Human Condition. Rod Serling, the genius behind the original Twilight Zone, understood this well. How his characters perceived and acted within their predicaments was far more important to the plot than any speculative science. This is why the original and, for the most part, the late 80s series worked so well; their creators understood that people show their truest natures when faced with a technology - or situation - that makes them question everything. The 2002 series revival failed precisely because it never quite grasped this concept.
Empire strikes back. I'm surprised at the number of votes 12 monkeys is getting. I thought I was the only one who liked that movie.
Um, back to the movies.. Some other worthy contenders: Silent Running Forbidden Planet Fahrenheit 451 Brazil 1984 THX 1138 Soylent Green Tron Akira A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Those are some pretty good choices, there Mark. As cheesy as Tron is, I do have a special place in my heart for that movie. Although, that doesn't make me want to see the impending remake. I thought A.I. was really slow, though. Just me... I've been told I have the attention span of frozen broccoli.
I'm sorry I don't think any of those new choices should be added to the list save for the Muppets and thats for personal reasons, not because you know, it's cinematic achievement.
Ok Kev, though I've seem them all with you please tell me how or why the prequels are good? I understand you thinking they are not close to the OT, but what do you like? The dialog? Character development? Midiclorians? My list again: ==Empire Strikes Back ==The Matrix ==Planet of the Apes (Orig) ==Mars Attacks ==Return of the Jedi ==Star Wars ==Superman II ==Muppets From Space
yeah this list is ridiculous. you dont even have 12 monkeys as an honorable mention. which it should be at least number 3 on ANY all-time list. Also the new Star Trek? you have to be kidding. a hollywood dumbed-down version of a classic series. i can see all youre into is no story, all special affects, and all tag lines.
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