Top 10 sci fi films of the decade

[Orogun01]

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.

But it had other elements that made it more sci-fi. It was set in a dystopian future and it had strong fundamentalist human issues (which were in my opinion, the main villain of the movie).

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

Success doesn't mean that is sci-fi, nor i'm I denying the qualities of the film

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.

 

I think of "pure" science-fiction as having certain characteristic that are true since the beginning of the genre.

A central scientific or pseudo-scientific Idea around which a story is weaved packed with themes that question existence, reality and the human condition.

 

The Time machine is a perfect example of this.

[Walsingham]

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.

 

So the whole dystopian 'everyones stopped having babies', and the consequences thereof thing doesn't strike you as categorically scifi? Because although I only saw Annie Hall about twenty years ago I don't remember there being future-shocked crazed mobs on dirt bikes with molotov ****tails.

[Pidesco]

Future-shocked? They just seemed run of the mill violent extremists.

 

As for everyone stopping having babies isn't sci-fi at all. In fact, it's done in such a way that the cause of the infertility isn't made, in any way, explicit. It's essentially treated as magic or as an act of God.

[Amentep]

They don't know what caused the infertility, but to me the science fiction aspect is taking a possible scientific thing (biological infertility; there has been some press about modern males having less "capable" sperm and this is pretty much an extrapolation of those studies) and suppose what that does to society. In that sense its very much science fiction to my eyes.

[Monte Carlo]

If Children of Men isn't Sci-Fi, what is it?

 

It's a great movie, genuinely disturbing.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Dead Space.

 

Wait, that's not a movie. Too bad, it's better sci-fi than most of the crap on Sci-fi Sy-fy channel.

Edited May 8, 2010 by WILL THE ALMIGHTY

[Orogun01]

Dead Space.

 

Wait, that's not a movie. Too bad, it's better sci-fi than most of the crap on Sci-fi Sy-fy channel.

Well, they do have two or three good series.

 

Yeah they are crap, but they are the only crappy network that airs Merlin on this side of the Atlantic.

[Gorgon]

The matrix was definite sci fi and delved rather heavily into philosophy as well. It belongs there. Maybe it would have been easier if it had been just one movie, as people eventually got tired of them - and of Keanu Reeves - myself included, but # 1 is certainly part of what defines sci fi for the 00's

[Gorgon]

And it's from 1999.

 

 

Nevermind.

[Gorth]

28 days later was the only movie I knew from the top 10 list >_

 

I've probably only watched three other sci-fi movies that were made the last decade, Serenity, Supernova and Dark City.

 

That is, maybe there are more. Will have to check the release dates on dreg like Alien: Resurrection, Matrix sequels etc. that my memory is trying actively to suppress.

 

It seems like the tv series have been more memorable, oddly enough.

[Gorgon]

Dark city is from 1999 as well. You mean the one where Kiefer Sutherland discovers the truth about the strange city he lives in ?.

[Gorth]

Dark city is from 1999 as well. You mean the one where Kiefer Sutherland discovers the truth about the strange city he lives in ?.

Yes. 1999? Damn, time flies >_

 

Well, maybe it seems more fresh in my memory because it is less than a year ago I bought the Blu-Ray version (it was dirt cheap)

[Gorgon]

Yes I was feeling rather long in the tooth as well as I was trying to recall the movies I had liked.

[RPGmasterBoo]

Lemme jog your memory:

 

IMDB tells us that there have been no less than 298 Sci Fi films in the last decade. Here they are:

 

http://www.imdb.com/search/title?genres=sc...le_type=feature

 

I've seen a hundred of those, or so IMDB says.

[Gorth]

Lemme jog your memory:

 

IMDB tells us that there have been no less than 298 Sci Fi films in the last decade. Here they are:

 

http://www.imdb.com/search/title?genres=sc...le_type=feature

 

I've seen a hundred of those, or so IMDB says.

Your only redemption for reminding me of Star Wars episode III (which I until now had successfully forgotten) was that the list also reminded me of Planet Terror

 

Edit: I guess I can add T3, Underworld and The Island to the list. Those weren't too bad. Monsters vs. Aliens is probably one of those I would like to forget, but sometimes you have to take what you can get on flight entertainment (or watch the 17th rerun of something)

[RPGmasterBoo]

Lemme jog your memory:

 

IMDB tells us that there have been no less than 298 Sci Fi films in the last decade. Here they are:

 

http://www.imdb.com/search/title?genres=sc...le_type=feature

 

I've seen a hundred of those, or so IMDB says.

Your only redemption for reminding me of Star Wars episode III (which I until now had successfully forgotten) was that the list also reminded me of Planet Terror

 

I watched the first 3 episodes again, just to confirm they were the utter garbage I remember. I confirmed it.

 

Planet Terror was sweet.

[Gorgon]

So Donny Darko is sci fi.

 

By that definition almost any movie would count. Also, Iron man ?. Lets stick that under superhero.

Edited May 8, 2010 by Gorgon

[Gorth]

Now that my memory seems to be on a roll, Battle Royale (Batoru rowaiaru) was, if nothing else, something different for my "western perspective"

[RPGmasterBoo]

So Donny Darko is sci fi.

 

By that definition almost any movie would count.

 

Donny Darko is hard to categorize.

 

Since a large part of its fractured story deals with parallel universes, where else would you put it?

[Gorgon]

Hey V for Vendetta, that was a rather good adaptation. I forgot about that one.

[Gorgon]

It seems like the popular definition of sci fi is very wide, there is a lot on that list that most people would simply never think of when asked to name sci fi movies.

 

For instance, is Watchmen sci fi. Definately. Transformers, It's an action movie with robots, nothing even resembling social comment.

[Gorgon]

So Donny Darko is sci fi.

 

By that definition almost any movie would count.

 

Donny Darko is hard to categorize.

 

Since a large part of its fractured story deals with parallel universes, where else would you put it?

I dunno, but technology does not play a factor, neither does 'the future'. I would say it's a movie about the inside of Donny Darko's head.

[mr insomniac]

Lemme jog your memory:

 

IMDB tells us that there have been no less than 298 Sci Fi films in the last decade. Here they are:

 

http://www.imdb.com/search/title?genres=sc...le_type=feature

 

I've seen a hundred of those, or so IMDB says.

That list is flawed. How the heck does The Tuxedo - a jackie chan kungfu spy comedy - qualify as sci-fi?

[Walsingham]

They don't know what caused the infertility, but to me the science fiction aspect is taking a possible scientific thing (biological infertility; there has been some press about modern males having less "capable" sperm and this is pretty much an extrapolation of those studies) and suppose what that does to society. In that sense its very much science fiction to my eyes.

 

That's really what I was driving at.

[Meshugger]

Wow, i have pretty much missed all sci-fi movies for the last 15 years or so, yikes!

 

"Moon" is the only thing that intruiges me a bit to watch for now, and just maybe "Children of Men". There is only three sci-fi movies that i would claim to be fantastic though:

 

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey

2. Blade Runner

3. Ghost in the Shell

 

Alien/Terminator? Good. Serenity? Fun. District 9? do not care.

 

What i do not understand though is the hate against Ghost in the Shell. Did you guys which the english dub? if so, kill yourselves already.