In film, some of the best films with some of the best visuals are sci-fi films and with recent release of Ender's Game I thought it would be fitting to make a list of My Top 10 Favorite Sci-Fi films. So without further ado....
10. The Matrix
This film literally re-wrote the book on stunt fighting and visual effects. It depicts a dystopian future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality called "the Matrix", created by sentient machines to subdue the human population, while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Computer programmer Neo (played by Keanu Reeves) learns the truth and is drawn in to a rebellion against machines, which involves other people who have been freed from the "dream world". This film is just a beautiful cinematic masterpiece. The Matrix was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Film Editing, Sound Effects, Sound Editing and Visual Effects, while winning all 4 and it has a rating of 87% on rottentomatoes.com.
9. Alien
This film is literally a space version of Jaws (and we all know how good Jaws is). The film tells the story of the commercial towing spaceship Nostromo, owned and operated by the Earth mega-corporation Weyland-Yutani, is on a return trip to Earth hauling a refinery and twenty million tons of mineral ore, with a seven-member crew in stasis. After Detecting a transmission of unknown origin from a nearby planet, the crew is sent to investigate, but they find that the ship isn't what it seems to be. This film comes to us from one of the greatest Sci-Fi directors of all-time in Ridley Scott. Alien was nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects, while only winning for Best Visual Effects and it has a rating of 97% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
This film is one of my favorite sci-fi films of all-time. Terminator 2 follows Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton) and her ten-year old son John (played by Edward Furlong) as they are pursued by a new, more advanced Terminator, the liquid metal, shapeshifting T-1000 (played by Robert Patrick), sent back in time to 1995 to kill John and prevent him from becoming the leader of the human Resistance against the machines. An older , less advanced Terminator (played by Arnold Schwarznegger) is also sent back in time to protect John. The film is absolutely mind-blowing and James Cameron proves that he is one of the best director of all-time. Terminator 2: Judgement Day was nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Cinematography, Make-Up, Sound, Sound Editing, Visual Effects and Film Editing while winning 4 (Best Make-Up, Sound, Sound Editing and Visual Effects), it also has a rating of 92% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. Star Trek
This film is awesome and a great addition to the Star Trek film franchise. The film follows James T. Kirk (played by Chris Pine) and Spock (played by Zachary Quinto) aboard the USS Enterprise as they combat Nero (played by Eric Bana), a Romulan from the future who threatens the United Federation of Planets. The Film takes place in an alternate reality due to time travel by both Nero and the original Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy). This is one of the best films in the franchise and I absolutely loved the alternate reality twist. Star Trek was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Make-Up and Visual Effects, while winning one (Best Make-Up) and it has a rating of 95% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. The Thing
This film comes to us from the man who created the Halloween franchise so you automatically know it is going to be pretty scary. The story is about a group of American researchers in Antarctica and they discover the remains of there Norwegian counterparts base that has been burnt to the ground. They discover the remains of a humanoid corpse and quickly the corpse mutates and things get worse from there. The film stars Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, and Keith David (as MacReady, Blair, and Childs). The Thing has a rating of 79% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope
As a kid this is one of the first films I ever seen and for the longest time it was my favorite film of all-time. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away the film tells the story of a group of freedom fighter known as the Rebel alliance as they plot to destroy the powerful Death Star space station, a devastating weapon created by the evil Galactic Empire. This conflict disrupts the isolated life of farmboy Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) when inadvertently acquires droids carrying the stolen plans to the Death Star. After the empire begins a cruel and destructive search for the droids, Skywalker decides to accompany Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Alec Guinness) on a daring mission to rescue the owner of the droids, rebel leader Princess Leia (played by Carrie Fisher), and save the galaxy. This film is absolutely amazing and quite possibly the greatest Sci-Fi film of all-time. Star Wars was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Art Direction, Costume Design, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Original Score, Sound and Original Screenplay, while winning 6 (Best Art Direction, Costume Design, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Original Score and Sound) and it has a rating of 93% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey
This one of the most visually stunning films that I have ever seen. The story deals with a series of encounters between humans and mysterious black monoliths that are apparently affecting human evolution, and a space voyage to Jupiter tracing a signal emitted by one such monolith found on the moon. This film came to us from one of the greatest directors of all-time in Stanley Kubrick and is most remembered for two things 1. It is considered the greatest film never to be nominated for Best Picture and 2. for its villain in the computer known as HAL9000. 2001: A Space Odyssey was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Visual Effects, Art Direction, Director and Original Screenplay, while winning only 1 (Best Visual Effects) and it has a rating of 97% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. Blade Runner
This is one of the most visually stunning movie I have ever seen. The film depicts a dystopian Los Angeles in November 2019 in which genetically engineered organic robots called replicants (visually indistinguishable from adult humans) are manufactured by the powerful Tyrell Corporation as well as by other "mega-corporations" around the world. Their use on Earth is banned and replicants are exclusively used for dangerous, menial or leisure work on off-world colonies. Replicants who defy the ban and return to Earth are hunted down and "retired" by police special operatives known as "Blade Runners". The plot focuses on a brutal and cunning group of recently escaped replicants hiding in Los Angeles and the burnt-out expert Blade Runner, Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford), who reluctantly agrees to take on one more assignment to hunt them down. This film is breathtaking and stunning. Blade Runner was nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction and has a rating of 91% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
I'm a huge Star Trek fan (not as big as a Trekkie) and this film is the reason why I am. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan is not only a sequel to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, it is a actually a sequel to an episode in the Star Trek TV series entitled "Space Seed". The plot feature James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner) and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise facing off against he genetically-engineered tyrant Khan Noonien Singh (who was the villain in the episode and is played by Ricardo Montalban in both the episode and movie). When Khan escapes from a 15-year exile to exact revenge on Kirk, the crew of the Enterprise must stop him from acquiring a powerful terraforming device named Genesis. The film begins a story arc that continues with Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock and concludes with Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan has a rating of 91% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back
I am one of the biggest Star Wars fans in the world (but not to big in the sense I don't overly obsess over all of the merchandise). The film is set three years after Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope, The Galactic Empire, under the leadership of the villainous Darth Vader (Played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones), is in pursuit of Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) and the rest of the Rebel Alliance. While Vader chases a small band of Luke's friends (Han Solo (played by Harrison Ford), Princess Leia Organa (played by Carrie Fisher) and others) across the galaxy, Luke studies the Force under Jedi Master Yoda (played by Frank Oz). But when Vader captures Luke's friends, Luke must decide whether to complete his training and become a full Jedi Knight or to confront Vader and save his friends. This film s one of the first films that I ever saw and I absolutely love it. Star Wars Episode 5 was nominated for 3 Academy Awards including Best Sound Mixing, Original Score and Production Design while winning 1 (Best Sound Mixing), it also has a rating of 97% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of my list and what are your favorite Sci-Fi films of all-time? Let me know in the comments and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
10. The Matrix
This film literally re-wrote the book on stunt fighting and visual effects. It depicts a dystopian future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality called "the Matrix", created by sentient machines to subdue the human population, while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Computer programmer Neo (played by Keanu Reeves) learns the truth and is drawn in to a rebellion against machines, which involves other people who have been freed from the "dream world". This film is just a beautiful cinematic masterpiece. The Matrix was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Film Editing, Sound Effects, Sound Editing and Visual Effects, while winning all 4 and it has a rating of 87% on rottentomatoes.com.
9. Alien
This film is literally a space version of Jaws (and we all know how good Jaws is). The film tells the story of the commercial towing spaceship Nostromo, owned and operated by the Earth mega-corporation Weyland-Yutani, is on a return trip to Earth hauling a refinery and twenty million tons of mineral ore, with a seven-member crew in stasis. After Detecting a transmission of unknown origin from a nearby planet, the crew is sent to investigate, but they find that the ship isn't what it seems to be. This film comes to us from one of the greatest Sci-Fi directors of all-time in Ridley Scott. Alien was nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects, while only winning for Best Visual Effects and it has a rating of 97% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
This film is one of my favorite sci-fi films of all-time. Terminator 2 follows Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton) and her ten-year old son John (played by Edward Furlong) as they are pursued by a new, more advanced Terminator, the liquid metal, shapeshifting T-1000 (played by Robert Patrick), sent back in time to 1995 to kill John and prevent him from becoming the leader of the human Resistance against the machines. An older , less advanced Terminator (played by Arnold Schwarznegger) is also sent back in time to protect John. The film is absolutely mind-blowing and James Cameron proves that he is one of the best director of all-time. Terminator 2: Judgement Day was nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Cinematography, Make-Up, Sound, Sound Editing, Visual Effects and Film Editing while winning 4 (Best Make-Up, Sound, Sound Editing and Visual Effects), it also has a rating of 92% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. Star Trek
This film is awesome and a great addition to the Star Trek film franchise. The film follows James T. Kirk (played by Chris Pine) and Spock (played by Zachary Quinto) aboard the USS Enterprise as they combat Nero (played by Eric Bana), a Romulan from the future who threatens the United Federation of Planets. The Film takes place in an alternate reality due to time travel by both Nero and the original Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy). This is one of the best films in the franchise and I absolutely loved the alternate reality twist. Star Trek was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Make-Up and Visual Effects, while winning one (Best Make-Up) and it has a rating of 95% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. The Thing
This film comes to us from the man who created the Halloween franchise so you automatically know it is going to be pretty scary. The story is about a group of American researchers in Antarctica and they discover the remains of there Norwegian counterparts base that has been burnt to the ground. They discover the remains of a humanoid corpse and quickly the corpse mutates and things get worse from there. The film stars Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, and Keith David (as MacReady, Blair, and Childs). The Thing has a rating of 79% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope
As a kid this is one of the first films I ever seen and for the longest time it was my favorite film of all-time. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away the film tells the story of a group of freedom fighter known as the Rebel alliance as they plot to destroy the powerful Death Star space station, a devastating weapon created by the evil Galactic Empire. This conflict disrupts the isolated life of farmboy Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) when inadvertently acquires droids carrying the stolen plans to the Death Star. After the empire begins a cruel and destructive search for the droids, Skywalker decides to accompany Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Alec Guinness) on a daring mission to rescue the owner of the droids, rebel leader Princess Leia (played by Carrie Fisher), and save the galaxy. This film is absolutely amazing and quite possibly the greatest Sci-Fi film of all-time. Star Wars was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Art Direction, Costume Design, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Original Score, Sound and Original Screenplay, while winning 6 (Best Art Direction, Costume Design, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Original Score and Sound) and it has a rating of 93% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey
This one of the most visually stunning films that I have ever seen. The story deals with a series of encounters between humans and mysterious black monoliths that are apparently affecting human evolution, and a space voyage to Jupiter tracing a signal emitted by one such monolith found on the moon. This film came to us from one of the greatest directors of all-time in Stanley Kubrick and is most remembered for two things 1. It is considered the greatest film never to be nominated for Best Picture and 2. for its villain in the computer known as HAL9000. 2001: A Space Odyssey was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Visual Effects, Art Direction, Director and Original Screenplay, while winning only 1 (Best Visual Effects) and it has a rating of 97% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. Blade Runner
This is one of the most visually stunning movie I have ever seen. The film depicts a dystopian Los Angeles in November 2019 in which genetically engineered organic robots called replicants (visually indistinguishable from adult humans) are manufactured by the powerful Tyrell Corporation as well as by other "mega-corporations" around the world. Their use on Earth is banned and replicants are exclusively used for dangerous, menial or leisure work on off-world colonies. Replicants who defy the ban and return to Earth are hunted down and "retired" by police special operatives known as "Blade Runners". The plot focuses on a brutal and cunning group of recently escaped replicants hiding in Los Angeles and the burnt-out expert Blade Runner, Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford), who reluctantly agrees to take on one more assignment to hunt them down. This film is breathtaking and stunning. Blade Runner was nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction and has a rating of 91% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
I'm a huge Star Trek fan (not as big as a Trekkie) and this film is the reason why I am. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan is not only a sequel to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, it is a actually a sequel to an episode in the Star Trek TV series entitled "Space Seed". The plot feature James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner) and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise facing off against he genetically-engineered tyrant Khan Noonien Singh (who was the villain in the episode and is played by Ricardo Montalban in both the episode and movie). When Khan escapes from a 15-year exile to exact revenge on Kirk, the crew of the Enterprise must stop him from acquiring a powerful terraforming device named Genesis. The film begins a story arc that continues with Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock and concludes with Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan has a rating of 91% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back
I am one of the biggest Star Wars fans in the world (but not to big in the sense I don't overly obsess over all of the merchandise). The film is set three years after Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope, The Galactic Empire, under the leadership of the villainous Darth Vader (Played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones), is in pursuit of Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) and the rest of the Rebel Alliance. While Vader chases a small band of Luke's friends (Han Solo (played by Harrison Ford), Princess Leia Organa (played by Carrie Fisher) and others) across the galaxy, Luke studies the Force under Jedi Master Yoda (played by Frank Oz). But when Vader captures Luke's friends, Luke must decide whether to complete his training and become a full Jedi Knight or to confront Vader and save his friends. This film s one of the first films that I ever saw and I absolutely love it. Star Wars Episode 5 was nominated for 3 Academy Awards including Best Sound Mixing, Original Score and Production Design while winning 1 (Best Sound Mixing), it also has a rating of 97% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of my list and what are your favorite Sci-Fi films of all-time? Let me know in the comments and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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