# best sci-fi films ranked



## mrhnau (Apr 3, 2007)

Ranking of the best Sci-Fi films ever

Here is the short of it



> *1. *Serenity
> *2. *Star Wars
> *3. *Blade Runner
> *4. *Planet of the Apes
> ...



What you guys think? Missed anything major? Aside from sequels, I'll mostly agree here. I must admit, I've not seen Serenity, so I can't really judge that one  I'd definately place Close Encounters and ET -WAY- in front of Back to the Future. I also thought Event Horizon and Dark City were great movies. Neither one got much notoriety though...


----------



## exile (Apr 3, 2007)

I think _This Island Earth_ and _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ both merit a place in the list...


----------



## Andrew Green (Apr 3, 2007)

Serenity was good, but that list is skewed.

Empire Strikes back is usually considered the best of the Star Wars movies, and it is not there. Terminator? I would have thought T2 would be the one from that series.

Dune? Stargate? Not one Star Trek? (some where bad, but a couple where good) 12 Monkies? King Kong (the original)

But back to the future is there?

So no, I don't think the list represents much.

And with Serenity, it does stand alone ok, but without seeing the series first its not the same.  And even with that its no Empire Strikes Back.  The prequel Star Wars series on the other hand, Serenity definately beats it


----------



## mrhnau (Apr 3, 2007)

Andrew Green said:


> Serenity was good, but that list is skewed.
> 
> Empire Strikes back is usually considered the best of the Star Wars movies, and it is not there. Terminator? I would have thought T2 would be the one from that series.
> 
> ...


well, I hope they are assuming sequels in this... I thought the second Planet of the Apes was great too  The rest were poo-poo.

Dune, Star Trek, Stargate were great too, but with so few slots, its hard to place them! I'd have Close Encounters near the top 5...


----------



## mrhnau (Apr 3, 2007)

My list

1. Star Wars (the series)
2. Alien (the series)
3. 2010 (I don't like 2001 nearly as much)
4. Close Encounters
5. Stargate
6. Star Trek (the series, TNG included)
7. Blade Runner
8. Dark City
9. The Matrix (series)
10. Event Horizon


----------



## CoryKS (Apr 3, 2007)

I would have had Alien 2 up there as well.


----------



## Andrew Green (Apr 3, 2007)

Assuming the series is taken into account, then the star wars prequels might bump Star Wars below Firefly / Serenity.

And the 2nd / 3rd Matrix bumps it down a little... Planet of the Apes was good, but the tv show based on it...

Bringing the tv series related to movies definately brings Stargate up, and probable X-Files would be getting in there as well.

And, with all stuff in the franchise, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy has to make the list. No arguments, it just does.


----------



## CoryKS (Apr 3, 2007)

My list:

Alien
Alien 2
Star Wars
2001
The Matrix
Planet of the Apes
Westworld
Blade Runner
The Day The Earth Stood Still
Stargate


----------



## Touch Of Death (Apr 3, 2007)

The English version of "Dune" needs to be in there somewhere.
Sean


----------



## CoryKS (Apr 3, 2007)

Wish I had room for When Worlds Collide.


----------



## exile (Apr 3, 2007)

CoryKS said:


> I would have had Alien 2 up there as well.



There seems to be a strong current of opinion that Alien 2 was definitely the best of the series, although it seems to me that the first film in the series had a slightly greater shock value (less of what was coming was telegraphed, and the very restricted views you actually got of the Alien increased the horror quality of the confrontations that did occur, especially the final scene in the escape vehicle), and the claustrophic scene shooting was very effective. Both of them were outstanding.


----------



## crushing (Apr 3, 2007)

I'd put _Spaceballs_ in there before _Back to the Future_.

I've heard about _Serenity_ from others, but have seen it yet.  I think I'll check it out sometime.  After reading _Destination Moon _recently, I think I'll look for it too.


----------



## MA-Caver (Apr 3, 2007)

I saw Serenity after hearing word of mouth praises for it. What I thought of it... :idunno: I could've lived the rest of my life and died a happy man had I not seen it. 
Obviously I'd have to see the series first and THEN be a FAN of the series to go ga-ga over it like everyone else did. 

The Day The Earth Stood Still definitely merits being on that list. 

There are far too many GREAT Sci-Fi movies to limit the list to the top 10. Problem with it is that one person's great Sci-fi is another's "ehh, so-so" movie. So the list should be expanded to at least include 25 films

Another very good one was K-PAX (2001) starring Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacy. 

This list is from imdb.com also has the bottom ten...  My selection is in *bold* Though some I still haven't seen. 

*1 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back *(1980) 8.8/10 (153705 votes) 
*2 Star Wars *(1977) 8.7/10 (191096 votes) 
*3 Matrix, The *(1999) 8.5/10 (207735 votes) 
*4 Metropolis* (1927) 8.4/10 (19361 votes) 
*5 Alien* (1979) 8.4/10 (93044 votes) 
*6 Aliens* (1986) 8.3/10 (91496 votes) 
*7 2001: A Space Odyssey* (1968) 8.3/10 (91042 votes) 
*8 Terminator 2: Judgment Day* (1991) 8.2/10 (113889 votes) 
*9 Blade Runner (1982)* 8.2/10 (103311 votes) 
10 Donnie Darko (2001) 8.2/10 (99426 votes) 
11 Incredibles, The (2004) 8.2/10 (66829 votes) 
12 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) 8.2/10 (121340 votes) 
*13 Back to the Future* (1985) 8.1/10 (102247 votes) 
14 V for Vendetta (2005) 8.1/10 (87201 votes) 
15 Stalker (1979) 8.1/10 (7444 votes) 
*16 Bride of Frankenstein* (1935) 8.1/10 (7955 votes) 
*17 Day the Earth Stood Still, The* (1951) 8.1/10 (15353 votes) 
18 Children of Men (2006) 8.0/10 (42247 votes) 
19 Solyaris (1972) 8.0/10 (8740 votes) 
*20 King Kong (1933)* 8.0/10 (19379 votes) 
*21 Frankenstein (1931)* 8.0/10 (10982 votes) 
22 Kin-Dza-Dza (1986) 8.0/10 (1890 votes) 
*23 Fail-Safe* (1964) 7.9/10 (4488 votes) 
*24 Invasion of the Body Snatchers* (1956) 7.9/10 (7789 votes) 
*25 Twelve Monkeys* (1995) 7.9/10 (90149 votes) 
*26 Thing, The* (1982) 7.9/10 (31496 votes) 
*27 Terminator, The* (1984) 7.9/10 (87220 votes) 
*28 Young Frankenstein* (1974) 7.9/10 (32884 votes) 
29 Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004) 7.9/10 (15123 votes) 
*30 Invisible Man, The* (1933) 7.9/10 (4074 votes) 
*31 Planet of the Apes* (1968) 7.9/10 (30786 votes) 
32 Brazil (1985) 7.9/10 (45582 votes) 
33 Kaze no tani no Naushika (1984) 7.9/10 (7762 votes) 
34 Delicatessen (1991) 7.8/10 (16632 votes) 
35 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) 7.8/10 (105845 votes) 
36 Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta (1986) 7.8/10 (9541 votes) 
*37 Night of the Living Dead* (1968) 7.8/10 (19372 votes) 
*38 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial* (1982) 7.8/10 (61546 votes) 
39 X2 (2003) 7.8/10 (62293 votes) 
40 Serenity (2005) 7.8/10 (56446 votes) 
*41 Close Encounters of the Third Kind* (1977) 7.7/10 (35785 votes) 
42 Truman Show, The (1998) 7.7/10 (86641 votes) 
43 Spider-Man 2 (2004) 7.7/10 (71290 votes) 
44 Siworae (2000) 7.7/10 (1609 votes) 
45 Abre los ojos (1997) 7.7/10 (12448 votes) 
*46 Iron Giant, The* (1999) 7.7/10 (21567 votes) 
47 Holy Mountain, The (1973) 7.7/10 (1314 votes) 
*48 Forbidden Planet* (1956) 7.7/10 (9510 votes) 
49 Seksmisja (1984) 7.7/10 (1262 votes) 
50 Cité des enfants perdus, La (1995) 7.7/10 (15564 votes) 

Bottom 10 Sci-Fi movies
Rank    Title 
10 King Dinosaur (1955) 1.5/10 (342 votes) 
9 Moonchild (1974) 1.5/10 (90 votes) 
8 Dunyayi kurtaran adamin oglu (2006) 1.5/10 (622 votes) 
7 Evil Behind You (2006) 1.5/10 (73 votes) 
6 Brain of Blood (1972) 1.4/10 (244 votes) 
5 Capture of Bigfoot, The (1979) 1.4/10 (222 votes) 
4 Horror of the Blood Monsters (1970) 1.4/10 (285 votes) 
3 Death Dimension (1978) 1.3/10 (173 votes) 
2 Flesh Feast (1970) 1.3/10 (261 votes) 
1 Ultra Warrior (1990) 1.1/10 (181 votes)


----------



## CoryKS (Apr 3, 2007)

exile said:


> There seems to be a strong current of opinion that Alien 2 was definitely the best of the series, although it seems to me that the first film in the series had a slightly greater shock value (less of what was coming was telegraphed, and the very restricted views you actually got of the Alien increased the horror quality of the confrontations that did occur, especially the final scene in the escape vehicle), and the claustrophic scene shooting was very effective. Both of them were outstanding.


 
I agree!  Alien was not only my favorite sci-fi movie, it also tops my horror list.  _Very_ scary movie.  Alien 2 is more sci-fi or action/adventure than horror, and I like that they were able to go off in that direction after the first one because horror sequels are rarely scary.  Since you've already seen the monster, what's left?  James Cameron's best movie, IMO.  Plus it had Marines!  Space Marines!  With kewl weapons!  

The one thing they messed up with Alien 2 was the alien blood.  One little drip of it burned through three steel floors of a space ship in Alien, but when a character gets sprayed with the stuff in A2 he receives third degree burns?  WTF?


----------



## Andrew Green (Apr 3, 2007)

MA-Caver said:


> I saw Serenity after hearing word of mouth praises for it. What I thought of it... :idunno: I could've lived the rest of my life and died a happy man had I not seen it.
> Obviously I'd have to see the series first and THEN be a FAN of the series to go ga-ga over it like everyone else did.



That was what I did, saw the film first.  The series before hand gives it a better feel, a lot of the things in the movie won't make as much sense without the series first.

That's ok in my mind.  Empire Strikes Back was awesome, but it would have lost something if you hadn't seen Star Wars first.  Not known who the characters where or what the force was.

But still, I think the series was stronger then the movie at times


----------



## bushidomartialarts (Apr 3, 2007)

the list is full of good movies, but lacks some context.  there are a number of older sci fi flicks that should have been on there  _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ has been mentioned, and I'd definitely throw _Forbidden Planet_ on near the bottom.

and much as i loved _Serenity_ it relied on fans' love of the characters for much of its quality.  without already loving mal and his crew, the movie fails to grab.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Apr 3, 2007)

I Robot
Men In Black (the first movie)


----------



## mrhnau (Apr 3, 2007)

Xue Sheng said:


> I Robot
> Men In Black (the first movie)



How could I forget MIB? That movie rocked 



			
				CoryKS said:
			
		

> Wish I had room for When Worlds Collide.


you know, I absolutely love that movie, but I don't know if it makes my top 10. I've seen it SO many times


----------



## Sukerkin (Apr 3, 2007)

CoryKS said:


> The one thing they messed up with Alien 2 was the alien blood. One little drip of it burned through three steel floors of a space ship in Alien, but when a character gets sprayed with the stuff in A2 he receives third degree burns?


 
Something that'd never occurred to me in all the times I've watched those films :tup:.

I was thinking that maybe it was a different host physiology but both circumstances arose from the same egg brood via human hosts so that can't be it.

Are you talking about Hicks in the scenario you describe?  After all it did have to get through his armour and that wouldn't be simple steel ... would it?


----------



## Sukerkin (Apr 3, 2007)

Favourite sci-fi film lists are always going to be hard to compile and even harder to agree on as there's the pesky "What's a sci-fi film anyway?" judgement to make.

For example, I love "The Omega Man" but is it sci-fi really?  I think so but others may not.  

"Soylent Green" is another one - is it future history or social commentary?  I still consider it sci-fi even tho' there's very little hard-SF techno stuff in it.

How about all those classic monster/phenomenon movies from the 50's & 60's e.g. "Them!", "The Incredible Shrinking Man", "On the Beach" or "Fantastic Voyage"?  Are they sci-fi or a sub-genre of their very own.

You can tell from the example's I'm citing that one of the things I find jarring with the 'list' mind-set is that they seldom delve back very far into the history of the genre (or am I just old?) .

Sometimes I feel that the list compilers get too hung up on visual quality and lose the fact that the story or the idea can sometimes be more important.  

Another favourite of mine is "Silent Running" (nature reserve in space destined to be blown up because of budget cuts ... pretty releveant to now in some ways).  The effects are very poor by modern standards but the core idea is very engaging.

On the subject of "Serenity", it *is* a much better film if you know the characters and the events they've been through in the series.  For example, avoiding spoilers as best I can, the deaths of characters you've grown to love is really shocking.  However, I relish the 'Traveller'-like background to the Serenity universe and I just hope that we get some more of Mr. Whedon's SF.

One final comment on the Alien series of films.  The first was a marvellous shocker, the second a brilliant action-adventure with some memorable lines, the third ... erm ... the fourth, good right up to the end (plus, that should've been the entry for Earthwar and what a romp that would've been !).  

Oh and Alien vs Predator was an enjoyable watch as a stand alone but it would've been nice if they'd made it have some semblance to the book that spawned it (Little Fang reminds me of some lady martial artists I know ).


----------



## CoryKS (Apr 3, 2007)

Sukerkin said:


> Something that'd never occurred to me in all the times I've watched those films :tup:.
> 
> I was thinking that maybe it was a different host physiology but both circumstances arose from the same egg brood via human hosts so that can't be it.
> 
> Are you talking about Hicks in the scenario you describe? After all it did have to get through his armour and that wouldn't be simple steel ... would it?


 
That's the scenario, but there were others:  when the armored transport ran over one of the aliens; when the automatic sentries unloaded on the hordes converging on the base (this was on the director's cut DVD.  should have been in the theatrical release, IMO.  Very intense. ).  When the shooting started, half the base should have been reduced to slag.  I understand why they did it that way, but it sticks out because the acid blood was crucial to the storyline of the first movie - they couldn't kill it outright.  The Hicks scene was just too much of a cheat for me.


----------



## Sukerkin (Apr 3, 2007)

Aye, the sentry guns in the tunnel scene is *very* dramatic indeed, especially with Hudson's commentary as the ammo bins run dry... nail biting stuff.  

But you're right, the corridors would've been awash with acid - I thought that the first time I watched it but I allowed the omnipitent 'suspension of disbelief' to win the day.


----------



## mrhnau (Apr 3, 2007)

MA-Caver said:


> 11 Incredibles, The (2004) 8.2/10 (66829 votes)
> 42 Truman Show, The (1998) 7.7/10 (86641 votes)
> *46 Iron Giant, The* (1999) 7.7/10 (21567 votes)


I highlighted movies I thought very odd for this classification.

Can a cartoon be considered great sci-fi? I'm having a hard time classifying any cartoon as a sci-fi classic. 


The Truman Show? Were they joking? That's sci-fi?


----------



## Sukerkin (Apr 3, 2007)

It just struck me, unless I missed it, that "War of the Worlds" is not on these lists .  The modern version is more flash (but has plot holes you could stick a tripod in) and the old ones a bit too 'messianic' but either is brilliant SF.  Of course, in this case it's better to go and read the book ...


----------



## HKphooey (Apr 3, 2007)

Logan's Run


----------



## Sukerkin (Apr 3, 2007)

Excellent choice, *HK* - I reminded that there are so many forgotten gems being washed away in a sea of modern, idea bereft, special effects .


----------



## Steel Tiger (Apr 3, 2007)

Sukerkin said:


> Oh and Alien vs Predator was an enjoyable watch as a stand alone but it would've been nice if they'd made it have some semblance to the book that spawned it (Little Fang reminds me of some lady martial artists I know ).


 
There was one thing that bugged me so much with this film it took away much of the enjoyment.  Everytime the archaeologist talked about Aztec stuff we were shown images of Mayan stuff.  The long count is Mayan, the glyphs are Mayan, the pyramid features from mesoamerica were Mayan.  It may not seem like much, but it drove me crazy and absolutely basic research would have resolved the error, or just changing the Aztec references to Mayan.  Apart from that it was one of those films I really enjoy, exotic location, mysterious ruins with strange inhabitants, really cool.  Sorry, the archaeologist in me snuck out for a moment.


----------



## HKphooey (Apr 3, 2007)

Steel Tiger said:


> There was one thing that bugged me so much with this film it took away much of the enjoyment. Everytime the archaeologist talked about Aztec stuff we were shown images of Mayan stuff. The long count is Mayan, the glyphs are Mayan, the pyramid features from mesoamerica were Mayan. It may not seem like much, but it drove me crazy and absolutely basic research would have resolved the error, or just changing the Aztec references to Mayan. Apart from that it was one of those films I really enjoy, exotic location, mysterious ruins with strange inhabitants, really cool. Sorry, the archaeologist in me snuck out for a moment.


 
I was watching it tonight.  Is it just me, or did the Predators look better (more realistic) in the first two Predators?


----------



## HKphooey (Apr 3, 2007)

Mars Attacks.  Jack is classic!


----------



## elder999 (Apr 4, 2007)

HKphooey said:


> Mars Attacks. Jack is classic!


 
Funny flick, but 1953's _Invaders From Mars_ is a real _classic_, and scared the living crap out of me as a kid!! 

_The Blob_ was pretty cool, too..._The World, the Flesh,and the Devil_ might make that list, but maybe not....


----------



## Shaderon (Apr 4, 2007)

I'd have to put my number one as Pitch Black, but then I am a HUGE Vin Diesel fan.  I reckon it does stand up on it's own merits though, I jumped like heck in various parts of that film.

I do agree with Logan's Run too though, I loved that film for years and even recently watched it again and thoroughly enjoyed it.


----------



## Zida'sukara (Apr 4, 2007)

I love Sci-Fi and Fantasy movies. 

My number one is still Stargate and of course the series of it. Cant loose my love for the Tokra, even when they are not activ anymore after Season 8.
(Ive got all the series from SG1 on collectors DVD's upto Season 10)

Further I love:

Armorgeddon (hope I spell this right)
Species
Matrix
Blade
Serenity
The series "V"
The series " Battle Star gallactica" (old and new versions)
The series "Andromeda"
Alien - but not all of them, after 3 parts I find it boring.

I think I am still forgetting a lot.


----------



## althaur (Apr 4, 2007)

What no one wants to put Battlefield Earth on their top ten list??????



J/K


----------



## Zida'sukara (Apr 4, 2007)

althaur said:


> What no one wants to put Battlefield Earth on their top ten list??????
> 
> 
> 
> J/K


 
I have never heard of Battlefield Earth before.


----------



## Blindside (Apr 4, 2007)

Zida'sukara said:


> I have never heard of Battlefield Earth before.


 
It is one of the worst reviewed films of all time, and it flopped incredibly badly in the US market.  Really, really bad.

Lamont


----------



## Zida'sukara (Apr 4, 2007)

Blindside said:


> It is one of the worst reviewed films of all time, and it flopped incredibly badly in the US market. Really, really bad.
> 
> Lamont


 
Perhaps it is not available in Euope for that reason. Or I simply did not hear about it. Thanks for the Info and warning.


----------



## Sukerkin (Apr 4, 2007)

Battlefield Earth is available over here *Zida* (we have a copy on DVD) and as a piece of Hollywood sci-fi/action is not too bad.  

The real problem is that it is based on a very good book indeed (of the same title) and does an appalling job of bring the story to the screen.


----------



## Kreth (Apr 4, 2007)

Shaderon said:


> I'd have to put my number one as Pitch Black, but then I am a HUGE Vin Diesel fan.  I reckon it does stand up on it's own merits though, I jumped like heck in various parts of that film.


I like it for the fact that it features Claudia Black from Farscape, for about 20 minutes, anyway... 
IMDB's list is silly. King Kong is sci-fi? Or Frankenstein? Well then, so is Re-Animator. :lol:


----------



## Bigshadow (Apr 4, 2007)

Shaderon said:


> I'd have to put my number one as Pitch Black, but then I am a HUGE Vin Diesel fan.  I reckon it does stand up on it's own merits though, I jumped like heck in various parts of that film.
> 
> I do agree with Logan's Run too though, I loved that film for years and even recently watched it again and thoroughly enjoyed it.




Pitch Black was great!  I also liked the prequel to that "The Chronicles of Riddick".


----------



## Bigshadow (Apr 4, 2007)

mrhnau said:


> Ranking of the best Sci-Fi films ever
> 
> Here is the short of it
> 
> ...



I can see how they came up with the list as those were popular.  Although many are NOT any of my favorites, actually very few.


----------



## JBrainard (Apr 4, 2007)

If it hasn't been mentioned yet, John Carpenter's remake of "The Thing" is great.



CoryKS said:


> I would have had Alien 2 up there as well.



With the original Star Wars trilogy at #1, Aliens deserves the #2 spot. It had pretty much everything you could want in a sci-fi movie: space travel, nasty aliens, cool weapons, good character development, and plenty of "edge of your seat" moments.


----------



## exile (Apr 4, 2007)

JBrainard said:


> With the original Star Wars trilogy at #1, Aliens deserves the #2 spot. It had pretty much everything you could want in a sci-fi movie: space travel, nasty aliens, cool weapons, good character development, and plenty of "edge of your seat" moments.



I see a kind of interesting connection between the _Alien_ series, particularly the first one, and _The Forbidden Planet_. Most space movies (as vs. sci-fi literature) have storylines built on the premise that space, and space travel, can be terrifically dangerous (not an unreasonable assumption, lol!) But these two movies are based not on the sense of danger per se, but on the idea that there are horrors in space&#8212;biological in the case of the _Alien_ movies, technopsychological in the case of _The Forbidden Planet_&#8212;that we're shielded from in our cozy planet bound lives. 

Both movies were&#8212;for me, anyway, and most of the (admittedly few) other people I've ever talked about them with&#8212;extremely _disturbing_, the kind of thing that stays with you for a long time. In the _Star Wars_ and _Star Trek_ films, the special effects, and the spectacle they produce, are a big part of the kick, even when things get hairy. But with _Alien_ and _The Forbidden Planet_, I don't remember the impression by the special effects (though these were quite remarkable for the time they were made and crucial to both movies' impact) so much as the kind of... skin-crawling response that the films both evoked, the feeling that you had just seen something almost sickingly awful about how the universe might actually turn out to be.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Apr 4, 2007)

Shaderon said:


> I'd have to put my number one as Pitch Black, but then I am a HUGE Vin Diesel fan. I reckon it does stand up on it's own merits though, I jumped like heck in various parts of that film.
> 
> I do agree with Logan's Run too though, I loved that film for years and even recently watched it again and thoroughly enjoyed it.


 
OK so now its 
I Robot
Men In Black (the first movie)

and

"Pitch Black" not because of Vin Diesel however more because of Claudia Black, and it was a good movie.


----------



## MA-Caver (Apr 4, 2007)

I would say that Omega Man is sci-fi because of the SCIENCE of microbiology... 
The original War of the Worlds puts Tom Cruise's to shame... hokey yes in many ways and they still haven't gotten rid of those piano wires but damn it was a great movie. Perhaps someday someone will digitally remaster it all and clean up the effects. 

Was thinking about a remake of Them! Thinking of a scene for scene remake but of course digital/CG ants and a lot faster and a lot more of them... 

The giant nuclear mutant bug movies are still considered Sci-Fi. Andromeda Strain... another great one as well.


----------



## Sukerkin (Apr 4, 2007)

If you chaps want to hear anything sensible out of me in this thread, you're going to have to stop mentioning Claudia Black .

*Exile*'s point, about the lasting effects a movie has on you being an important consideration, is a very important one.  'Alien' transmits a feeling of bone deep fear throughout ... and that took an awful long time to fade for me (even now I don't like going into dark places ).  Oddly enough, 'The Blob' did a similar job on scaring the bejeezus out of me when I was a kid (as did the Moorlocks) :lol:.

A film doesn't have to have the fingerprints of 'Hollywood Blockbuster' on it to be 'memorable'.  

It can even be just a short section that wins you over (e.g. the meeting of Zero's and Tomcats in the 'Final Countdown' and the courage necessary *not* to stop the attack on Pearl Harbour has stuck with me all this time).  

Sometimes it's a negative or warning message that stays - the 'barbarians' in Mad Max 2, for example, are Evil writ large and what I get from that is that we have to guard our sense of morality or that is what we can easily become.

All to rarely, sometimes it's a story or a character that uplifts us and makes us optimistic.  Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi does that for me (an unpopular choice I know amongst Star Wars fans ) at that point where he reins in his anger and throws aside his weapon, refusing to sacrifice his nobility in the face of the Emperors power.

We had a spate of very well made, big-name acted, high budget SF in recent years but nearly all of them were soulless.  Sorry *Xue* but (my opinion only) 'I Robot' and 'Minority Report' were examples of what I'm on about.  

The 'Robot' series of books is very deeply rooted in what is the nature of humanity and Daneel has a huge role in the development and fate of human kind - the film threw all that aside for a 'robots rebellion' with a side order of 'fear the AI'.

I'm sad to say that the cinema does not have a very good record of bringing ace SF novels from the page.  Sometimes the films are good and maintain the essence of the 'message' e.g. The Time Machine (the old one, not the poorer new one) but often, as noted, they stray very far indeed from the 'path'.


----------



## Sukerkin (Apr 4, 2007)

MA-Caver said:


> I would say that Omega Man is sci-fi because of the SCIENCE of microbiology...
> The original War of the Worlds puts Tom Cruise's to shame... hokey yes in many ways and they still haven't gotten rid of those piano wires but damn it was a great movie. Perhaps someday someone will digitally remaster it all and clean up the effects.
> 
> Was thinking about a remake of Them! Thinking of a scene for scene remake but of course digital/CG ants and a lot faster and a lot more of them...
> ...


 
Get out of my head *MA*! ROFL ... Where's my tin foil hat, darned telepaths are everywhere .

Of course, mentioning telepaths has made me think of 'Babylon 5', probably the best SF series ever created.  The movies for it are really just extended episodes tho', so I don't know if they should be included in a discussion about Sci-Fi _films_.


----------



## HKphooey (Apr 4, 2007)

Rumor has it they are supposed to remake Omega Man.   Tom Cruise had been rumored to play the lead role.  Do not know what happened to that.

Great Movie.  Anyone recognize an actor in the Matrix  who may have been in Omega Man ?


----------



## HKphooey (Apr 4, 2007)

And we have Logan's Run......


----------



## LawDog (Apr 4, 2007)

1- Aliens,
2 - Star Wars
3 - The Forbidden Planet


----------



## exile (Apr 4, 2007)

Sukerkin said:


> The 'Robot' series of books is very deeply rooted in what is the nature of humanity and Daneel has a huge role in the development and fate of human kind - the film threw all that aside for a 'robots rebellion' with a side order of 'fear the AI'.



Sukerkin, I'm with ya 200%. IMHO, one of the very greatest moments in the history of science fiction is the very end of _The Caves of Steel_remember, when Daneel turns to the Commissioner and saysapparently surprising even himself`Go, and sin no more'. The whole narrative that leads up to that point, Lije's own hostility towards Daneel to begin with and his changing views of robots and humanity in general, are probably utterly beyond any moviemaker to capture. Similarly with the very end of the _Foundation_ trilogy. Even with the best will in the world, I don't think anyone could make a movie of _The Caves of Steel_ that captured the essence of the problem Asimov tackled, which is all about humanity's self-definition in the face of its apparent vulnerability and limitiations.



Sukerkin said:


> I'm sad to say that the cinema does not have a very good record of bringing ace SF novels from the page.  Sometimes the films are good and maintain the essence of the 'message' e.g. The Time Machine (the old one, not the poorer new one) but often, as noted, they stray very far indeed from the 'path'.



Because the really great SF novels involve themes which the use of imagination and speculation serve to underscore in unexpected ways, whereas film as a commercial medium always yields to the tempation to treat them as the primary angle. You can bet that anyone foolish enough to try to make a movie of _Childhood's End_ would wind up having to throw in a space battle or two. The means becomes the end, and that's gonna be fatal every time.


----------



## Shaderon (Apr 5, 2007)

Bigshadow said:


> Pitch Black was great! I also liked the prequel to that "The Chronicles of Riddick".


 
Chronicles was the Sequel, not the prequel, Jack was grown up as Kyra in Chronicles remember?

There was a prequal to Chronicles which happened after Pitch Black but it as done in animation form and called "Dark Fury", and the game "Escape from Butcher Bay" was in the series too.

You can't catch me out, I TOLD you I was a huge Diesel fan... :lol:


----------



## Kreth (Apr 5, 2007)

exile said:


> You can bet that anyone foolish enough to try to make a movie of _Childhood's End_ would wind up having to throw in a space battle or two.


This is one of my favorite sci-fi books of all time. I'd love to see it done (and done right) as a movie.


----------



## exile (Apr 5, 2007)

Kreth said:


> This is one of my favorite sci-fi books of all time. I'd love to see it done (and done right) as a movie.



Who would you pick to direct it, if you had your choice (any director, living or otherwise)?


----------



## sankaku-jime (Apr 5, 2007)

Here's 2 more

Starship Troopers
Cone Heads

and what was that old black and white film about an android or something ?

just remembered it was Metropolis, Fritz Lang


----------



## Bigshadow (Apr 5, 2007)

Shaderon said:


> Chronicles was the Sequel, not the prequel, Jack was grown up as Kyra in Chronicles remember?
> 
> There was a prequal to Chronicles which happened after Pitch Black but it as done in animation form and called "Dark Fury", and the game "Escape from Butcher Bay" was in the series too.
> 
> You can't catch me out, I TOLD you I was a huge Diesel fan... :lol:


 

I was just testing you!   Seriously though, I messed up, thanks for the correction.


----------



## Blindside (Apr 5, 2007)

sankaku-jime said:


> Here's 2 more
> 
> Starship Troopers
> Cone Heads
> ...


 
Starship Troopers!?!?!?  In a list of top 10 movies?  Lets ignore the rather huge deviation from the book of the mobile infantry not having what makes them MOBILE, their armoured jumpsuits, and lets ignore the entire sub-point that it is service to your country/planet makes you worthy to be a citizen, not just being born.  Anyway, you've got a race of bugs that is apparently advanced enough that it can shoot astroids across multiple star systems and hit an enemy planet.  (Lets go ahead and ignore how long that would take.)  But when it comes to fighting on the ground their entire strategy against enemy ground troops is to run up and die.  
The producer wanted a giant spiders vs. Melrose Place alumni movie and he got one, all other logical inconsistencies aside.  

Coneheads the SNL skit was funny, but like most things SNL should never ever have been made into a movie.

Lamont


----------



## sankaku-jime (Apr 5, 2007)

Blindside said:


> Starship Troopers!?!?!?  In a list of top 10 movies?  Lets ignore the rather huge deviation from the book of the mobile infantry not having what makes them MOBILE, their armoured jumpsuits, and lets ignore the entire sub-point that it is service to your country/planet makes you worthy to be a citizen, not just being born.  Anyway, you've got a race of bugs that is apparently advanced enough that it can shoot astroids across multiple star systems and hit an enemy planet.  (Lets go ahead and ignore how long that would take.)  But when it comes to fighting on the ground their entire strategy against enemy ground troops is to run up and die.
> The producer wanted a giant spiders vs. Melrose Place alumni movie and he got one, all other logical inconsistencies aside.
> 
> Coneheads the SNL skit was funny, but like most things SNL should never ever have been made into a movie.
> ...



Starship troopers, despite all of that still manages to be a classic, 

Coneheads OK, you got me there,

Metroplolis was amazing for its time, a true classic,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9_6qtrimrQ&mode=related&search=

But best Sci Movie IMO would be Blade Runner,


----------



## JBrainard (Apr 5, 2007)

Sukerkin said:


> Get out of my head *MA*! ROFL ... Where's my tin foil hat, darned telepaths are everywhere .


 
That reminded me of the tin foil hat scene in "Signs." Despite what others I've talked to thought about the movie, I feel that Signs did a really good job portraying what the human reaction to an immanent alien attack would be like.


----------



## Blindside (Apr 5, 2007)

sankaku-jime said:


> Starship troopers, despite all of that still manages to be a classic,
> 
> Coneheads OK, you got me there,
> 
> ...


 
Absolutely and completely disagree that "Starship Troopers" could ever be considered a classic (movie).  The only saving grace of that movie would have been if they managed to contrive Denise Richards' character to just happen to be sharing the co-ed shower scene in the infantry barracks.

But I'm right there with you on Blade Runner, possibly one of my favorite movies, I like the monologue from the studio release, but I like the dark ending from the Director's Cut.  Perfect example of a translation of interesting premise in a rather dull sci-fi story into a intelligent, engaging story for the big screen.  

Lamont


----------



## tshadowchaser (Apr 5, 2007)

What no one liked  Attack of The Killer Tomatos


----------



## CoryKS (Apr 5, 2007)

Also noteworthy:

The Cube
The X-Men series

And, of course, TimeCop.  Kidding!  I kid!


----------



## JBrainard (Apr 5, 2007)

CoryKS said:


> Also noteworthy:
> 
> The Cube
> The X-Men series


 
Personally, I was *very* disappointed with X3. There was so much potential in bringing in the Phoenix character from the comic books but they completely botched it. And the end? Why did Wolverine kill Jean when he could have just stabbed her with a "cure" dart or two and taken away her powers. It made no sense at all.


----------



## Blindside (Apr 5, 2007)

JBrainard said:


> Personally, I was *very* disappointed with X3. There was so much potential in bringing in the Phoenix character from the comic books but they completely botched it. And the end? Why did Wolverine kill Jean when he could have just stabbed her with a "cure" dart or two and taken away her powers. It made no sense at all.


 
The movie was very disappointing, but within the framework of the movie, I think Jean wanted to die.  She had killed Cyclops and Xaviar at that point, her lover and father figure, along with tens maybe hundreds of strangers (if anyone is a stranger to a telepath of her power.)  That desire to die may be what allowed that split personality to allow herself to die, where the raw emotion behind "losing my powers" isn't nearly as powerful.  Anywhoo, yes I am a geek.  

I was tired of Magneto by the third movie, I wanted to see the Hellfire Club turn Phoenix bad.


----------



## CoryKS (Apr 5, 2007)

JBrainard said:


> Personally, I was *very* disappointed with X3. There was so much potential in bringing in the Phoenix character from the comic books but they completely botched it. And the end? Why did Wolverine kill Jean when he could have just stabbed her with a "cure" dart or two and taken away her powers. It made no sense at all.


 
Me too.  I was glad to see Hank, though.  Wish they'd had a bigger role for Jubilee.  Overall, it felt like they were trying to wrap it up in time to get home for dinner.


----------



## zDom (Apr 5, 2007)

What about The Fifth Element and Event Horizon?

Also, THX 1138 was much better than I thought it would be (not exactly a candidate for any top ten list, however ...) Neat to see some of the elements he would later incorporate into the Star Wars movies.


----------



## MA-Caver (Apr 5, 2007)

zDom said:


> What about The Fifth Element /QUOTE]
> 
> Oh hell yes! Definitely should be right up there. "Fire 500,000 employees.... on second thought fire a million of them."
> 
> ...


----------



## Kreth (Apr 6, 2007)

exile said:


> Who would you pick to direct it, if you had your choice (any director, living or otherwise)?


Hrm... how about Straczynski? He knows how to do sci-fi right...


----------



## exile (Apr 6, 2007)

Kreth said:


> Hrm... how about Straczynski? He knows how to do sci-fi right...



He certainly did right by _Babylon 5_. Yeah, he's one of the few around who wouldn't be tempted to turn _C'sE_ into a shoot'em-up-with blasters. 

There are very few directors out there who I think could capture the unspeakable _sadness_ of _C'sE_. He's probably one of them...


----------



## Kreth (Apr 6, 2007)

exile said:


> He certainly did right by _Babylon 5_. Yeah, he's one of the few around who wouldn't be tempted to turn _C'sE_ into a shoot'em-up-with blasters.
> 
> There are very few directors out there who I think could capture the unspeakable _sadness_ of _C'sE_. He's probably one of them...


I'm a Trek fan, but everything in the Trek universe is so sterile. Straczynski's B5 pretty much showed our current culture in the future, problems and all. Down Below, stim abuse, drug trade...


----------



## JBrainard (Apr 6, 2007)

Blindside said:


> The movie was very disappointing, but within the framework of the movie, I think Jean wanted to die. She had killed Cyclops and Xaviar at that point, her lover and father figure, along with tens maybe hundreds of strangers (if anyone is a stranger to a telepath of her power.) That desire to die may be what allowed that split personality to allow herself to die, where the raw emotion behind "losing my powers" isn't nearly as powerful. Anywhoo, yes I am a geek.


 
Good point. And don't worry, you are a geek in good company 



Blindside said:


> I wanted to see the Hellfire Club turn Phoenix bad.


 
Damn strait!



CoryKS said:


> Overall, it felt like they were trying to wrap it up in time to get home for dinner.


 
That was the impression I got as well.


----------



## exile (Apr 6, 2007)

Kreth said:


> I'm a Trek fan, but everything in the Trek universe is so sterile. Straczynski's B5 pretty much showed our current culture in the future, problems and all. Down Below, stim abuse, drug trade...



I agree 100% with both sides of this comparison!


----------



## ehsen (Apr 8, 2007)

you missed the Van Dam's "Universal Soldier : The Return". I think its way better than creepy Star Wars (I don't know why I hate this series so much)


----------



## CoryKS (Apr 9, 2007)

ehsen said:


> you missed the Van Dam's "Universal Soldier : The Return". I think its way better than creepy Star Wars (I don't know why I hate this series so much)


 
To quote a favorite non-scifi movie, "I wouldn't say I missed it."


----------



## mrhnau (May 4, 2007)

Another ranking of Sci-Fi movies


----------



## Sukerkin (May 4, 2007)

Many thanks indeed for this find, *mrhnau* - other than the Star Wars cartoons and "Brazil", not a bad thing in that 25 :tup:.

I knew I was going to approve as soon as I saw "V" on the list .

I wonder why "Dark Angel" didn't get a mention?  Like "Serenity" there was a series that the 'money men' didn't give a fair crack of the whip.  I'll remember the opening with Jessica Alba jumping off the top of that building 'till the day I die.


----------



## mrhnau (May 8, 2007)

Sukerkin said:


> I wonder why "Dark Angel" didn't get a mention?  Like "Serenity" there was a series that the 'money men' didn't give a fair crack of the whip.  I'll remember the opening with Jessica Alba jumping off the top of that building 'till the day I die.


I do't know... I really regret that Firefly did not go further. I thought the series was great. I was also a bit upset that no mention of Farscape, IMHO the best sci-fi series ever. I hate they pulled the plug on that one... and no Outer Limits? But Galaxy Quest is in there? Total Recall above Farscape? No mention of the modern Star Wars movies?

I also just have a hard time thinking of anything animation as being sci-fi... oh well 

I might have to wind up going out and getting Brazil... I keep hearing about it..


----------



## JBrainard (May 8, 2007)

mrhnau said:


> I might have to wind up going out and getting Brazil... I keep hearing about it..


 
Never seen Brazil!?! Great movie. Think 1984 on acid


----------



## mrhnau (May 8, 2007)

JBrainard said:


> Never seen Brazil!?! Great movie. Think 1984 on acid


Just priced it! I don't know if its worth $50!


----------



## JBrainard (May 8, 2007)

mrhnau said:


> Just priced it! I don't know if its worth $50!


 
$50 is for the super nifty boxed set, right? Having never seen it before, you could always go rent it.


----------



## Blindside (May 8, 2007)

mrhnau said:


> No mention of the modern Star Wars movies?


 
'Cause they sucked?  Sci-fi is about ideas, exploring humanity through fictional science, the last three Star Wars blew chunks and did little to explore humanity.  The computer generated droids managed more expression than the human actors, which come to think of it, is something that might make a really interesting premise for a movie, if it was intentional. 

I don't care for Galaxy Quest on there either.

Lamont


----------

