Top 10 Science-Fiction Films
March 29th, 2008, 6:52 am · Post a Comment · posted by Charlton
You will likely notice the conspicuous absence of many films that are generally considered to be in the science-fiction category. Films like The Thing, Frankenstein and Invasion of the Body Snatchers could be called sci-fi but are better categorized as Horror. And so it goes for many “sci-fi” films. To narrow the scope in the selection process the film had to involve advanced technology or concepts in the subject matter, in other words the science part of science-fiction had to figure prominently.
10. Gattaca - In a world where only the most perfect and most intelligent genetically engineered people are desired, Vincent is defective with a congenital heart ailment that will keep him grounded on earth. Gattaca is a smart film designed to depict an antiseptic future. The sets are stark and pristine, the establishment itself is void of dirt and germs.
9. Sunshine - A recent entry, Sunshine is a 2007 release that saw limited screenings. Set in the not-to-distant future it is a story of our sun dying and a mission sent to hopefully jumpstart it again. Sunshine is a smart film that teeters between action and drama. On the one hand it wants to be another 2001: A Space Odyssey and on the other hand it wants to be Mission to Mars. Somewhere between the two Sunshine finds a home.
8. Alien - Alien is the one film on this list that could have fallen into the horror genre, but because of it’s strong leaning and use of advanced technology it makes this list. While the buzz about Alien was all about the dinner scene at the start when the first “Alien” pops out, this now classic sci-fi masterpiece has stood the test of time based upon its entirety - not just one scene. P.S.: Alien is not for young children.
7. Jurassic Park - While the subject matter of Jurassic Park is quite obviously pre-historic, the advanced technology used to bring about the park and the dinosaurs definately isn’t. Spielberg is at his very best with this film based upon the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. This film likely has the very best CGI animation of any film ever put together. The dinosaurs are life-like and believeable and keenly convey their horrifying characteristics to the screen.
6. The Abyss - With the exception of a very few films like Waterworld and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, there are very few science fiction films that delve into the deep blue sea. Filmed almost entirely in an old water storage tank, The Abyss is a marvel of undersea photography and computer generated effects. While the aliens are not seen until mid-picture (and then only briefly) this movie manages to catch you up in the drama of clashing personalities. The ending is a bit over-the-top, but then it IS a science-fiction movie.
5. The Matrix - The Matrix makes you realize that just when you think you’ve seen everything in science-fiction - you really haven’t. The Matrix and its two subsequent sequels was strong on story, imaginative, packed with action and opened a whole new can of worms with it’s inventive 3D-ish presentation. It was a science-fiction movie that forced you to think and question “just what is reality?”
4. Metropolis - If there is one film that can be be said to have given birth to the science-fiction genre it would have to be the 1927 classic Fritz Lang masterpiece Metropolis. What makes this black and white film so unbelievably beautiful is that it was also a silent film, making the visual presentation of ideas so much more dynamic. The story, set in what would have been the distant future of the year 2026, is a stunning vision of a world that is divided between the two social classes of the thinkers and the doers. With it’s heavy use of art-deco and portrayal of an industrial society, Metropolis is a feast for the eyes and the brain.
3. 2001: A Space Odyessy - 2001 heralded a new beginning for science-fiction, a genre that had previously been largely relegated to tacky TV shows and wacky B-movie matinees. When Stanley Kubrick crafted 2001: A Space Odyessy he gave the genre respectability and set the bench mark for science-fiction movies from then on.
2. Star Wars IV - Just as Kubrick had set the standard before him with 2001, George Lucas raised the bar and brought science-fiction to a new height with an emphasis on the fiction. Star Wars successfully combined advanced technology, action and a storyline of good versus evil in a way that was nostalgic for the matinee movies of years gone by. Over time Star Wars proved to be resounding success with two sequels, three prequels and vaults of money for Lucas.
1. Blade Runner - Any serious science-fiction fan will tell you that the pinnacle of sci-fi movies is Blade Runner, the 1982 adaptation of acclaimed sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick’s novel titled Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Blade Runner is futuristic, yet current. It deals with love, life, death and the eternal question - “Who Am I?” The film is set in a Los Angeles of the future, in a time that is dirty, crowded and unforgiving. Just a year removed from Raiders of the Lost Ark and a year before Return of the Jedi Harrison Ford (as Decker) is neither the daring care-free adventurer of the former or the sly swashbuckling rascal of the latter. His character is flawed, yet redeemable. He is conflicted between his job and his conscience. In the end it is his quarry that gives him life. By all accounts Blade Runner ventures little from the Dick novel and truly deserves the title of the “Best Science-Fiction Film of All Time.”
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