Top 10 sci fi films of the decade

[Monte Carlo]

I do mean the 70's original with James Caan BTW.

[Amentep]

Even though I didn't think it was as good as others did, I'm surprised that District 9 is missing from the proposed list.

 

I, Robot was actually pretty good if you can get past the fact it isn't actually based on the Asimov story.

I've always been fond of Signs

While not as good at the Tarkovsky version, Solaris isn't a bad sci-fi film.

Frequency is a good underrated sci-fi film.

I thought The Final Cut was actually a pretty good film (even if it goes pearshaped in the end).

Uneven The Signal was worth a viewing (the middle segment having some really great moments).

 

Those are a few strong sci-fi films I can think of from 2000-2009.

[Monte Carlo]

Don't want to be deliberately contrary, but Solaris was cinematic mogadon.

[Amentep]

So was the Tarkovsky original (and it was an hour longer!) Its still worth the slog through, IMO.

Edited May 7, 2010 by Amentep

[RPGmasterBoo]

Even though I didn't think it was as good as others did, I'm surprised that District 9 is missing from the proposed list.

 

I, Robot was actually pretty good if you can get past the fact it isn't actually based on the Asimov story.

I've always been fond of Signs

While not as good at the Tarkovsky version, Solaris isn't a bad sci-fi film.

Frequency is a good underrated sci-fi film.

I thought The Final Cut was actually a pretty good film (even if it goes pearshaped in the end).

Uneven The Signal was worth a viewing (the middle segment having some really great moments).

 

Those are a few strong sci-fi films I can think of from 2000-2009.

 

Explanation why the ones I have watched from that list weren't included:

 

1. District 9 - another case of sledgehammer subtlety in regards to politics. Do not like the simplistic portrayal of apartheid in the film. Such topics should be handled seriously or not at all. Did not like the actual storyline either.

2. I Robot - just another action movie starring Will Smith, no?

3. Signs didn't leave much impact on me for some reason.

4. Couldn't find the time to watch Solaris (2). I love the original.

5. Frequency is good. Dont think it has lasting value though.

6. The Final Cut and The Signal, I haven't seen. Both got under my radar in IMDB as I filter out all films that get under 6.5 in user ratings. Having limited time to watch films, I had to include some sort of filtering.

[Oner]

The Man from Earth was pretty good too. Also, where's the love for GitS 1?

[Amentep]

I have no love for anything with the title "Ghost in the Shell".

 

That said the original film was in 1995, so outside of the decade in question in the original post.

[Gromnir]

the last two decades has kinda been weak for sci-fi... at least as far as Gromnir is concerned. from late 60s (Planet of the Apes, 2001... to name a few) through the 70s (Clockwork Orange, Star Wars, Alien, Mad Max... and numerous others) and into the early 80s (Empire Strikes Back, Blade Runner, Terminator & Aliens) there were some absolute fantastic sci-fi films. sadly, we would have a hard time come up with even 5 sci-films we thought of as genuine fantastic since 1985... though it is nice that we finally got a decent star trek film.

 

proviso: if we throw comic book superhero flicks into the mix as sci-fi, then we can add a few recent movies into the pot. Dark Knight and Iron Man were excellent.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Monte Carlo]

What's the forum consensus on The Matrix?

 

It felt cool at the time but I saw one of them the other day and it just felt... bad.

[Oner]

That said the original film was in 1995, so outside of the decade in question in the original post.

Oh yeah, forgot that.

[Amentep]

I didn't like The Matrix - or I should say I thought it was okay and entertaining but frustrating watching at the same time.

[kirottu]

Another sci fi epic that gets slammed or ignored that I really like is Robin William's Bicentiennal Man which has the same basic themes as AI.

 

Sadly, it was released at 1999 december. I liked it more than AI.

 

The Man from Earth was pretty good too. Also, where's the love for GitS 1?

 

Suprisingly good movie where people just sit and talk. Tarantino could learn from this movie and not put random people talking about random **** at random place, but to talk about something actually interesting that is relevant to the story.

[Walsingham]

What's the forum consensus on The Matrix?

 

It felt cool at the time but I saw one of them the other day and it just felt... bad.

 

Loved it. Great film. Lousy sequels, but you can see why they became lousy. Fething producers boil down refine and ramp up keye elements while paring away the filler/impurities. If the fethwits were allowed near a bottle of laphroig they'd triple distill it and leave you with pure alcohol. ...then dump in a teaspoon of charcoal and peat and wonder why you punched them in the sac.

[Gromnir]

What's the forum consensus on The Matrix?

 

It felt cool at the time but I saw one of them the other day and it just felt... bad.

 

the first matrix had a kewl factor due as much to the aesthetic as the material. we loathe keanu reeves... and the story as a whole had that kinda ridiculous anime quality that keeps us from being able to appreciate Japanese sci-fi. nevertheless, matrix, at the time, looked amazing... and Larry Fishburn and Joe Pantloliano were excellent... as were Elrond. "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson."

 

HA! Good Fun!

[RPGmasterBoo]

the last two decades has kinda been weak for sci-fi... at least as far as Gromnir is concerned. from late 60s (Planet of the Apes, 2001... to name a few) through the 70s (Clockwork Orange, Star Wars, Alien, Mad Max... and numerous others) and into the early 80s (Empire Strikes Back, Blade Runner, Terminator & Aliens) there were some absolute fantastic sci-fi films. sadly, we would have a hard time come up with even 5 sci-films we thought of as genuine fantastic since 1985... though it is nice that we finally got a decent star trek film.

 

proviso: if we throw comic book superhero flicks into the mix as sci-fi, then we can add a few recent movies into the pot. Dark Knight and Iron Man were excellent.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

That's correct. Ridley Scott commented that sci fi was going the "way of the western" and he was most likely right. No truly prominent director has invested his talents into the sci fi genre for a while now. The only masterpiece in the last decade IMO Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is only sci fi because it uses an unexisting gimmick to explore relationships. Its barely, if at all science fiction.

 

Now the films you mention are somewhat of a mix of pure commercial cinema (Terminator, SW, etc.) and the more artistic stuff (Clockwork Orange, Blade Runner). I tend to like the latter, with my favorites being

1. Blade Runner

2. Stalker

3. Solaris

4. Brazil

5. 2001 A Space Odyssey

6. Clockwork Orange

7. Alien

I think its by these, artistic sort of "classics" that you can see the "vitality" of a genre and, that's the way it sorta affirms its value.

 

But the last two decades in sci fi have no absolute classics. At best there is great stuff, but nothing to blow your mind.

I'm of the opinion that the genre is petering out.

 

Since it'll probably interest people, there is a very good top 1000 list

http://www.theyshootpictures.com/gf1000.htm - made by prominent directors and critics.

I extracted all the sci fi titles from the top 400:

 

4. 2001: A Space Odyssey

40. Blade Runner

69. Metropolis

90. A Clockwork Orange

104. Star Wars

112. Stalker

122. E.T.

135. La Jetee

139. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

163. Brazil

216. Alien

227. Solaris

259. The Terminator

274. The Empire Strikes Back

303. Aliens

347. Mad Max 2

361. Back to the Future

 

It seems to support our theory as well.

[Orogun01]

What's the forum consensus on The Matrix?

 

It felt cool at the time but I saw one of them the other day and it just felt... bad.

 

the first matrix had a kewl factor due as much to the aesthetic as the material. we loathe keanu reeves... and the story as a whole had that kinda ridiculous anime quality that keeps us from being able to appreciate Japanese sci-fi. nevertheless, matrix, at the time, looked amazing... and Larry Fishburn and Joe Pantloliano were excellent... as were Elrond. "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson."

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

The Matrix is; IMO, one of the best movies of all times. Not only for the visual effects which painted all the movies that came afterwards, but by the efficiency of the visual "language" that had been missing from films for so long. The sequels were moneymaking whores (A.K.A. blockbusters) but the original by itself is a great piece of cinema, with great shots and a great storyline taken right out of The Prisoner.

 

Plus I disagree with the notion that the 90's were bad years for sci-fi, they were plagued by a lot of B-rated films but amongst them gems of hardcore science fiction can be found.

 

Johnny Mnemonic

 

Flatliners

 

12 monkeys

 

The island of Dr. Moreau

 

Independence day

 

Cube

 

Gattaca

 

PI

 

The 13 floor

 

Dark city

 

That's excluding all the spoofs that plague the genre and all the animes that defined the era.

Edited May 7, 2010 by Orogun01

[RPGmasterBoo]

the first matrix had a kewl factor due as much to the aesthetic as the material. we loathe keanu reeves... and the story as a whole had that kinda ridiculous anime quality that keeps us from being able to appreciate Japanese sci-fi. nevertheless, matrix, at the time, looked amazing... and Larry Fishburn and Joe Pantloliano were excellent... as were Elrond. "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson."

 

I agree. When it appeared I watched it at least 5 times, but with time I noticed the actual shallowness of its storyline. Seeing Dark City afterwards, which did many similarly, but better only reinforced this notion.

 

Plus I disagree with the notion that the 90's were bad years for sci-fi, they were plagued by a lot of B-rated films but amongst them gems of hardcore science fiction can be found.

 

Johnny Mnemonic

Flatliners

12 monkeys

The island of Dr. Moreau

Independence day

Cube

Gattaca

PI

The 13 floor

Dark city

 

I don't exactly see why Johnny Mnemonic, Flatliners, Dr Moreau and Independence Day are gems but I'll agree that Dark City, Gattaca and 12 Monkeys are pretty good. The 13th floor and Cube were interesting, and I haven't seen PI.

 

I'd add Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, Ghost in the Shell, City of Lost Children, Total Recall, The Fifth Element, Galaxy Quest, Men in Black and Starship Troopers as notable additions.

 

None of them however present what any of the aforementioned classics meant for the development of the genre. The Matrix is the only one with wide reaching consequences but purely in the visual sphere.

[Pidesco]

I thought District 9 was better than Aliens, so from where I'm standing things aren't quite as bad as they might appear. Sunshine was also pretty great at showing the loneliness of spaceship life. Additionally, if you were to include Children of Men in the genre (I wouldn't), it would make things look a lot more positive for the genre today.

 

Anyway, even in the late 70s to early 80s, which I think was the best period for film sci-fi, the truly good science fiction films were pearls in a sea of crap.

 

 

 

As for K-Pax, it was a shallow, phoned in Hollywood machine attempt at making a quirky, sappy, yet smart movie about life and belief.

[Amentep]

Why wouldn't Children of Men be sci-fi?

 

Also along the lines of City of Lost Children mentioned above I'll throw out Delicatessen as another gem from the decade.

[RPGmasterBoo]

As for K-Pax, it was a shallow, phoned in Hollywood machine attempt at making a quirky, sappy, yet smart movie about life and belief.

 

I guess it does follow an overused formula but Jeff Briges and Spacey did a really good job nonetheless. I liked the use of color and the sound effects.

 

I'm still not sure if I'll include it when I write part 2. Yet another problem when you don't have clear cut masterpieces to choose from.

 

Even the much vaunted Moon and Children of Men left me cold.

 

Man from Earth was interesting, but its not really a fully realized feature film.

 

Why wouldn't Children of Men be sci-fi?

 

Also along the lines of City of Lost Children mentioned above I'll throw out Delicatessen as another gem from the decade.

 

Watched it today - great stuff. All very similar in style but still great.

[Pidesco]

Why wouldn't Children of Men be sci-fi?

 

 

It would be in the stricter sense that it's set in the future with higher technology than seen today. However, for me that's like saying that, for example, Annie Hall would be sci-fi if it was set in 2020s with a scene where a futuristic object makes an appearance. It's true, but it's also meaningless.

[Hurlshort]

I am glad to see Wall-E on the list as well. I honestly never would have thought of it, but after seeing it on the list, it definitely fits.

[RPGmasterBoo]

I am glad to see Wall-E on the list as well. I honestly never would have thought of it, but after seeing it on the list, it definitely fits.

 

To make what's practically a silent sci fi film for children in this day and age and for it to be successful as well, is an endeavor few would dare contemplate. Since Pixar pulled it off there's nothing left to do but bow down to their ingenuity.

 

UP blew me away even more, especially with the phenomenal first 20 mins.

[Orogun01]

I really don't see the Sci-fi on Wall-e. Is a children movie with some scientific themes which are not treated in the film.

 

Has it really been that bad for science fiction the last years that there isn't anything better than Wall-e.

 

P.S: Avatar would had been a great Sci-fi if it had focused more on reality and the duality of the main character instead of all that treehugging nonsense.

[RPGmasterBoo]

I really don't see the Sci-fi on Wall-e. Is a children movie with some scientific themes which are not treated in the film.

 

Has it really been that bad for science fiction the last years that there isn't anything better than Wall-e.

 

P.S: Avatar would had been a great Sci-fi if it had focused more on reality and the duality of the main character instead of all that treehugging nonsense.

 

Sometimes all a film has to be categorized as sci fi is aesthetics.

Children of Men has nothing to do with science, actually its a drama heavily infused with religious allegory - yet for the lack of a better label it gets dumped into sci fi.

 

Wall-E is successful on many levels, I'd not dismiss it so easily.

 

Avatar is 100% pure commercial, no brains required, action adventure. Much the same as Terminator 2, Aliens or anything else Cameron makes. Regardless, its well made.

 

I tried to balance the artistic, thoughtful side of sci fi cinema with the commercial "entertainment only" titles, even though I favor the former.

 

 

If we were going to be strict about it only Moon and Sunshine would really be 100% sci fi.