Your top 5 sci-fi movies (and why)

[Morrus]

This thread is for sci-fi—I’ll do fantasy movies separately. Superhero movies similarly.

5. Star Wars. It kicked off the biggest sci-fi franchise in the world. Sure, Empire is better. But this is the one which launched the franchise and the one I remember most from my childhood.

4. Bladerunner. I don’t ‘love’ this movie but I recognise it for its importance. It basically invented cyberpunk. The visuals are gorgeous. It drips with atmosphere. The worldbuilding is epic. This is such an important movie.

3. Terminator 2. The first was great but T2 is one of the top action movies of all time. And it still holds up today!

2. The Wrath of Khan. I enjoy Voyage Home more, but this is the better sci-fi movie. It’s not just a good Trek movie, it’s not just a good sci-fi movie. It’s a good movie.

1. Alien. It presented sci-fi to me in a whole new light. A horror movie with space truckers. It was this or Aliens, which I love even more, but--like Star Wars--I have to give it to Alien for inventing the franchise.

 

[Ryujin]

I'd feel better with a top 100 list, because there are just so many that I think are part of my "must be watched" list. In no particular order, except for the first:

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" - A true classic and the first anti-nuke movie.
"Forbidden Planet" - Shakespeare in space and a serious Leslie Neilsen? What's not to love?
"Silent Running" - As we work to wipe ourselves out of existence, there's still hope.
"They Live" - You just have to have a silly alien invasion story.
"Logan's Run" - SciFi is at its best when it holds a light up to society. Commentary on the cult of youth in modern society for the win.

 

[Morrus]

I'd feel better with a top 100 list,

Well I wasn’t trying to set 3-week homework assignments!

 

[payn]

Star Wars (A New Hope) Lucas pulled off a masterpiece here. It has myth and legend and the adventure story that was very pulp at the time combined with practical effects that blew the door off the imagination. Its impact across generations is obvious. I think much of the world building and move from practical effects has made SW the franchise a much smaller galaxy far away, but this original work launched it all and stands still today as a great launch into science fiction film.

Bladerunner. P.K. Dick gave us a collection of science fiction to pull from that asks more of the human psyche than what machines could man build. Scott did a great job of making a visually stunning film packed with ambiance with Dick's story. I think an example of a director and writing team not being faithful to a novel, but still doing it justice.

2001: Space Odyssey Probably a controversial pick, but 2001 is hall of fame science fiction. The effects at the time combined with ambiance, tense writing, mystery and philosophy, is just a film the leaves you thinking. Set a standard for science fiction of a less pulpy action flick sense. King Kubrick, what is left to say?

12 Monkeys. This fatalist tale is a journey and a half. Its beautiful, its sad, its mysterious, it hauntingly leaves you trapped replaying it over and over in your mind. Terry Gilliam at his best.

Dune part II It's hard for me to pick just which D.V. science fiction film to choose for this assignment. So, im going with the grandest of them. Dune part II picks up where DV left off in the first half of the story. Its paced well, the ambiance transports you, DV was able to deliver the journey that is Paul Maub'd in a way the past adaptions have failed.

Honorable mention:
Back to the Future
Children of Men
The Fifth Element
The Matrix
Robocop
Starship Troopers
Sunshine
The Terminator
The Thing
Total Recall

 

[payn]

"They Live" - You just have to have a silly alien invasion story.

A John Carpenter Classic! Definitely top 5 fight scenes of all time.

 

[Ryujin]

A John Carpenter Classic! Definitely top 5 fight scenes of all time.

"Put. On. The glasses."

 

[Ryujin]

Well I wasn’t trying to set 3-week homework assignments!

Noted. Those are the ones that immediately came to mind, but I know that I'm slighting some that would likely rate higher on my list. There are just so many great SF films.

 

[Deset Gled]

5. Metropolis. The silent classic. Visually amazing from sets to characters to special effects (and holds up just fine). A timeless story. The definition of "iconic".

4. WALL-E. A masterclass in visual storytelling.

3. Alien. It's my #2 horror movie of all time. Of course it made this list, too.

2. 2001: A Space Odyssey. We just had a Kubrick thread.

1. Star Wars. Not even "A New Hope". The original, before it was Episode 4.

Honorable mention list:
Forbidden Planet
Akira
Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
Terminator
The Matrix
A Trip to the Moon
The Thing
Ghost in the Shell

 

[dragoner]

Blade Runner, Alien, Stalker, The Fifth Element, 2001; though so many more, such as Outland, Annihilation, Riddick, The Empire Strikes Back, etc..

 

[Ryujin]

5. Metropolis. The silent classic. Visually amazing from sets to characters to special effects (and holds up just fine). A timeless story. The definition of "iconic".

4. WALL-E. A masterclass in visual storytelling.

3. Alien. It's my #2 horror movie of all time. Of course it made this list, too.

2. 2001: A Space Odyssey. We just had a Kubrick thread.

1. Star Wars. Not even "A New Hope". The original, before it was Episode 4.

Honorable mention list:
Forbidden Planet
Akira
Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
Terminator
The Matrix
A Trip to the Moon
The Thing
Ghost in the Shell

"Metropolis" definitely crossed my mind, as did "Things to Come", but the cap was 5.