George R. R. Martin, author of Song of Ice and Fire, posted a list of the eight best science fiction movies over on his blog recently. His post comes in response to Star Wars being named "the best science fiction movie of all time." Not to be outdone, I thought I'd throw my 2 cents into the hat. Here's my list of the 7 best science fiction movies since Star Wars' initial release in 1977.
7. Fifth Element - Action, comedy, romance, this film has it all. Blazing battles, a gruff anti-hero (Bruce Willis), a deliciously evil villain (Gary Oldman), and a deliciously...umm...delicious heroine (Milla Jovovich). This film is more space opera (in one scene, quite literally) than than the original Star Wars trilogy combined.
6. Minority Report - That's right, I said it. Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg teamed up to make one of the best science fiction films to come along in years. Of course the real thrust behind this film is Philip K. Dick's brilliant story. Regardless, this is Spielberg's redemption for Artificial Intelligence: AI.
5. Serenity - Fans of Firefly rejoiced when it was announced that Joss Whedon would conclude his short-lived series on the big screen. Unfortunately the film did about as well at the box-office as the series did in the ratings. That's why we have DVD.
4. Twelve Monkeys - One of the best science fiction, and in my mind the best time-travel film ever. Hats off to director Terry Gilliam for paying attention to, and getting the time line right. Even non-sci-fi fans should enjoy the best support acting of Brad Pitt's career.
3. The Matrix - This film revitalized science fiction in 1999 in much the same way that Star Wars did in 1977, with stunning visual effects and unforgettable action sequences. I give it extra nerd-cred for featuring a hacker as the world's savior. Watch the original film three times if you don't want to be disappointed by the bolted-on feel of the sequels that round out the trilogy.
2. Alien - The original film relied more on suspense and solid performances than action and visual effects, as in the later installments of the series. This film gives us one of the most memorable movie monsters, the best film heroine, and one of the most shocking scenes in film history all wrapped up in one tight little science fiction classic.
1. Blade Runner - Author Philip K. Dick and director Ridley Scott's dark vision of a not-too-distant future stands up 25 years later as the best science fiction film of all time. The story follows Deckard (Harrison Ford), an out-of-retirement blade runner, on his last mission to "retire" four fugitive replicants, androids that appear human in every way. This film tackles the difficult theme of what it means to be human, and ends up asking more questions than it answers. Fans should be looking forward to the 25th anniversary director's final cut coming later this year.
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I've received comments on digg.com and reddit.com saying that "Children of Men", "Total Recall", and "Terminator" should all be on the list. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Do you totally disagree with any of the films I selected?
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