My Top 20 science fiction movies: Part 1, #16-20

My Top 20 science fiction movies

The good thing about science fiction is that nothing is off limits. You can change history, visit other worlds, have characters that live as long as you like, and change almost any rule you can think of. Some of my favorite movies fall into this genre because they spark my imagination. Like any genre, there's good and bad, but the best science fiction movies can rank alongside more serious films.

I'm still waiting to see an adaptation of Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game on the big screen, but I'm beginning to wonder if it will ever happen.

So let's focus on what has been released. The remaining 15 movies on my list will be revealed over the coming week, but here are the first five:

20. 12 Monkeys (1995)

Directed by Terry Gilliam

Starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe and Brad Pitt

Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys is 130 minutes of confusion and action, but it all makes sense in the end. We are shown a glimpse of the future and it’s not a very nice place. A plague wiped out most of the world’s population in 1996 and the surviving humans are forced to cower underground due to the inhospitable conditions above. Although the setting seems primitive, the technology available is not. Cole (Willis) is chosen to travel back in time in order to stop the plague from happening. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a lot of accurate information available. To make things worse, he initially arrives in 1990 rather than 1996. His ravings about the impending disaster are ignored and he’s considered mentally ill and dangerous. Gilliam’s world is interesting and the plot is intelligent. Willis is great as Cole and I consider this Gilliam’s best movie. He’ll keep you guessing, but you’re always rooting for Cole. It’s a captivating tale.

19. Deep Impact (1998)

Directed by Mimi Leder

Starring Téa Leoni, Robert Duvall, Elijah Wood and Morgan Freeman

If you followed my Top 10 Horror series, you will know that I’m fascinated by how society breaks down when it’s threatened by something serious. Jenny Lerner (Leoni) is a reporter who is hoping to advance her career. She gets her chance when she inadvertently discovers that a comet is threatening life on Earth. The president (Freeman) confirms her discovery and addresses the nation to talk about the threat. A mission, led by veteran Spurgeon Tanner (Duvall), is planned to intercept the comet and blow it apart before it gets close to Earth. The reason that Deep Impact works is the human stories involved. Some involve family, some romance, and others survival. There’s enough to make you care whether these characters live or die. Special effects are good when needed, but this is more about the characters than the effects. Duvall is superb in his role and the story is mostly believable.

18. War of the Worlds (1953)

Directed by Byron Haskin

Starring Gene Barry, Ann Robinson and Les Tremayne

War of the Worlds hasn’t aged well. The special effects look terrible when compared to those produced by modern technology. The scenery is obviously fake; the alien machines are clearly held up by wires; the acting is weak, and the music is overly dramatic. I think it deserves this ranking because it’s an imaginative story which was ahead of its time. The initial sense of mystery and discovery surrounding the first “meteor” landing was handled well. I always find myself wanting to see how everything unfolds. I don’t believe for a minute that today’s military would consult a priest, a professor and his niece, but that doesn’t matter. This was made in a different time. The novel by H.G. Wells has an interesting ending which is entirely possible should an invasion occur, but it doesn’t work particularly well on film. The ending feels rushed and too abrupt. Overall, War of the Worlds was effective and holds an important place in cinema history. How many things have you seen that were influenced by it?

Click here to see a full review for War of the Worlds.

17. I, Robot (2004)

Directed by Alex Proyas

Starring Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan and Bruce Greenwood

I strongly considered three Alex Proyas titles when compiling this list, but Knowing and Dark City narrowly missed out. I, Robot is loosely based on an Isaac Asimov novel. Detective Spooner (Smith) is not entirely convinced that the robots will obey the three laws, and fears that they could eventually become a threat to humans. The year is 2035 and the view of the future is quite convincing. Smith proved that he’s more than a comedian or an action star in such dramas as The Pursuit of Happyness and Seven Pounds, and he shows some of that range here. One of the robots, Sonny (Alan Tudyk), is suspected of committing a crime. Spooner’s hatred of robots initially clouds his opinion, but he shows that he’s capable of change. The story is an action-packed thriller in which Smith tries to solve the crime and discover whether Sonny is innocent or guilty. The movie is a perfect choice if you want to show off your home theater, boasting one of the best live action images available on Blu-ray. The sound isn’t too shabby either.

16. Star Trek (2009)

Directed by J. J. Abrams

Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana and Leonard Nimoy

I grew up watching the original Star Trek crew and feared that this reboot would ruin the franchise, but after watching it, I had a smile on my face. There are just enough references to the original crew, but the movie doesn’t make the mistake of trying to impersonate the old characters. Kirk (Pine) is sure of himself and not afraid to express his opinion, and I could easily see Shatner’s Kirk doing the same thing in his youth. Some of the details that we do learn add something to the original movies. It’s good to know how McCoy got his nickname and why Kirk and Sulu have always been friends. Uhura (Saldana) was another good casting choice. In fact, I was pretty happy with all the casting decisions. Spock (Quinto) has an important role to play in the story, especially when Nimoy shows up. The plot was fairly basic and isn’t the reason I rank the movie in my Top 20. It works because it establishes the new actors in a believable way. It looks better than any Star Trek movie ever has because technology has moved on since the original series. The repeated use of lens flares might annoy some, but I liked the overall presentation. The plot left the future of the franchise completely open and it’s no longer necessary to worry about matching every event that happened to the original crew. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

Click here to see numbers 11-15 on the list.
Click here to see numbers 6-10 on the list. 
Click here to see numbers 1-5 on the list. 

Return to index of every review on the site.

My Top 20 Dramas: Part 4, #1-5

My Top 20 Dramas (final part)

5. American Beauty (1999)

Directed by Sam Mendes

Starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening and Thora Birch

American Beauty is the story of how Lester Burnham (Spacey) rebels against his boring lifestyle and acts to change it. He’s unhappy with his wife, Carolyn (Bening), while his daughter, Jane (Birch), barely acknowledges his existence. Mendes explores the difference between the image we present to other people and what actually goes on behind the scenes. There’s plenty of dark humor and this might just be Spacey’s best role. All three people make big changes and develop as characters throughout the film. It expresses feelings that a lot of people feel, but never do anything about.

My full review can be found here.

4. The Green Mile (1999)

Directed by Frank Darabont

Starring Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan and David Morse

The best Stephen King adaptations are directed by Frank Darabont. The Green Mile is set in a prison in the 1930s and all of the inmates are waiting to be executed in the electric chair. It’s not a traditional prison story as all of the prisoners have their own cell and don’t come into contact with each other. The warders, led by Paul Edgcomb, have their world turned upside down when John Coffey (Duncan) arrives on the scene. Edgcomb, now an old man, narrates the story and everything we see happened when he was a young man. Coffey is a giant of a man, but is exceptionally quiet and gentle. I won’t reveal how he shakes things up because it would ruin the surprise. It’s a wonderful drama and Darabont takes his time telling the story. Don’t be put off by the 189-minute running time because you’ll probably be sorry that it’s over when it ends. It also has the best performance by a mouse in the history of motion pictures.


Click here for my full review.

3. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis

Reservoir Dogs was a promising debut and Pulp Fiction sees Tarantino take a step forward. His screenplay deservedly won the Oscar and it’s full of the realistic dialogue that’s found in all of his films. Vincent Vega (Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Jackson) play two killers. The most interesting thing about them is their conversations and outlook on life. Bruce Willis is also in the mix, playing a boxer who is paid to fix a fight and goes on the run after failing to keep his promise. The film is full of interesting characters. Christopher Walken appears in just one scene, but you’ll never forget it. Uma Thurman hinted at the potential she would eventually realize in the Kill Bill movies. The non-linear plot is a sequence of bizarre events rather than a coherent story, but I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s hard to pick a favourite Tarantino movie, but this currently has the edge.

2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Directed by Frank Darabont

Starring Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins and Bob Gunton

Shawshank is another Stephen King story adapted by Frank Darabont and it’s also set in a prison. Andy Dufresne (Robbins) plays a man convicted of murdering his wife. Red (Freeman) befriends him and helps him adjust to prison life. The film has been criticized by some for manipulating our feelings, but don’t all movies aim do that? The pacing is slow, allowing us to feel the passage of time as Dufresne serves his long sentence. My favourite scene happens while several inmates are tarring a roof, but the film is full of memorable scenes. I doubt that Robbins or Freeman have ever delivered better performances. As with most Stephen King stories, there’s a real sense of justice by the conclusion. I’m not sure how many times I have seen Shawshank, but I know I’ll keep watching it on a regular basis.

1. Mulholland Dr. (2001)

Directed by David Lynch

Starring Naomi Watts. Laura Harring and Justin Theroux

David Lynch isn’t the easiest filmmaker to like. He doesn’t like explaining the meaning of anything and insists that you draw your own conclusions. Mulholland Dr. is particularly baffling on the first viewing. It’s unclear what’s happening and the whole film is turned on its head in the last 45 minutes. It makes the viewer question the validity of everything that has happened up to that point. Betty (Watts) plays a bright-eyed aspiring actress who befriends Rita (Harring); a woman suffering from amnesia following a car accident. Part of the story plays like a Nancy Drew mystery as the two try to find Rita’s true identity. In fact, the whole film is about identity. There’s an air of mystery throughout and numerous scenes filled with dark humor. It’s also actually quite frightening in places if you allow yourself to be drawn in. If it works for you, you’ll find yourself reading about the film and watching it again within a couple of days. If it fails, you’ll regret ever seeing it. I watched it two days running and have seen it many times since. This is the film that changed the way I think about cinema.

My full review can be found here.

 

See #16-20 on my list here.

See #11-15 on my list here.

See #6-10 on my list here.

I Hope that you enjoyed reading about my Top 20 dramas. Feel free to comment and add your own list.

Return to index of every review on the site.