Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

This pleases me for so many reasons. Not only is Serenity a great film of a great series but it beat Stars Wars to the number one spot which is a series of films I think are vastly over-rated and would have been far better had George Lucas not written the script.

The only thing that would make me happier at this moment in time would be to see all the little Hobbits and their little villages being given the Vietnam Treatment.

In conclusion: Serentiy and Napalm ftw!

Edit: Link for extra goodness

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

What?

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Serenity was voted best ever sci-fi film by Sci-Fi magazine, I believe. I'm renting it out to see for myself. I've looked at its website, but I can't see it being better than star wars. It seemed a bit like farscape to be honest.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Mainly because Star Wars isn't really that good, especially if you take the franchise as a whole. Even just

Serenity won because it's relatively new and also because there are quite a lot of internet active Whedon / Firefly fans out there who take this sort of thing quite seriously (I don't doubt there was some kind of bloggers campaign). This faction is probably disproportionately common in SFX's audience given that SFX tends to adore Whedon too (or did when I read it for a while).

Of courser, that doesn't mean Serenity isn't an enjoyable movie, but it's doubtful it will be even in the top five in a similar poll in five or ten years, or even a larger poll with a wider audience. In the longer term I suspect films like Blade Runner, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Alien, Solaris, Space Odyssey 2001, Metropolis, etc would tend to dominate.

My personal faves, to turn this into a banal ranking thread are probably Blade Runner, 12 Monkies and maybe Terminator 2. I hate Space Odyssey 2001 and everyone who likes it too. And yes, that includes you.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Oh SFX, yeah that makes sense.

I'd say the best science fiction film was Blade Runner or 12 Monkeys, because both of them have plots which are significantly affected by the science fiction of the world in which they take place, unlike something like Alien (monster movie in space) or the Star Warsy/Firefly-y space cowboys kind of jazz (Cowboy Bebop, boom boom). That's not to say that Alien is a poor movie, it's just not a film I'd choose to be a paragon of science fiction on film.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Serenity was doubtless an excellent film, especially since they had a relatively small budget and the fairly difficult task of creating a film to suit the fans who had inspired its creation as well as sufficient numbers of the public to make it a worthwhile deal. They succeeded.

However, it seems to me that it wasn't even necessarily the story that was the compelling thing about the film but the universe within which it was set. And that universe, and all of the groundwork in developing the characters to the stage that they are in the film, was crafted for and during Firefly. You'd have to contrast that with coming up with the right story and the right universe to set it in a one-er, as most other sci-fi films have done by way of not having come from an established series.

Also, if we're being honest, it'd only have been half as good if Jewel Staite hadn't been in it.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Yeah, Bladerunner, Alien, 12 monkies should be high up there. Also Starship Troopers. I haven't seen Serenity though and ofcourse I've got a weakness for Starwars but that's partly due to the fact that it's part of my youth like a lot of people my age.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Silly rabbit, Pumping Iron isn't sci-fi

:salute:

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Serenity was a good film. Problem was it was only really good if you had seen the series and already knew the characters, seeing as there was little to no character development in the film itself. This probably partly explains why it didn't do too well at the box office. Shame really seeing as if it had done well we probably would have seen a sequel (or sequels!).

When I think of sci fi the first film to pop into my head is Star Wars (A New Hope, which is what I assume the ranking is referring to, not the trilogy as a whole), which is why I'd have it as number 1 on my list. Sure, it doesn't have any deeper meaning than just being an adventure in space but what it does it does well. Star Wars has had a lot of flak over the years from people saying it's overrated, not to mention the damage that the prequels have done to it, but it's still a very enjoyable film.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Funny thing, the first film I thought of after I read the title of the thread was Serenity.

I'd have to agree with posters above though, as good a film as it was, titles such as Blade Runner and Terminator 1/2 must surely be up there.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

I'd probably rate the Matrix fairly highly, I watched it the other day and you forget how good it was due to those two terrible sequels.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Pumpin Iron is quite an inspirational film, still it has way too much (I felt quite gay watching it) posing scenes and not enough insight on the training and lifestyle itself :(

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

idd just watched equilibrium recently but is pants compared to matrix

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

My brother bought it on DVD and it's actually very entertaining. Especially with Arnie meeting the Ferrigno family for breakfast.

They don't make documentaries like that any more =(

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Yeah I love that scene as well, Arnie is such a cock :)

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Don't get me started on that pile of shit. It was the worst film I think I have ever seen. That they managed to make such a terrible film without including Nicholas Cage is the only original thing about the whole sorry mess.

'If I crouch down like I'm trying to shit myself then no bullets can hit me.'

If it's that ****ing difficult to shoot the inanimate bitch then why don't the criminals get some ****ing grenades. Calculate the shrapnel from that, mother****er.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Serenity was wank

Equilibrium was decent and thought provoking.

Predator and Terminator 2 are simply great movies.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Please. There is nothing in that film that you couldn't get from a better source which would deal with the issue a million time better.

If you want:

Totalitarian Government: 1984
Supression of Ideas: Fahrenheit 451
A Dark Hero: The Matrix
Emotionless People: Any other Keanu Reeves film
Violent Christian Bale: American Psycho

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Of course, I didn't say it was the best, I said it was decent \o/.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Serenity was an decent movie, but certainly not the best sci fi movie ever made.
It could have been alot better.

My personal top5 of all time would have to be:
Predator
Alien 2 (best on in the series)
Solaris
The Matrix
Wing Commander the movie (ok I admit it, i'm a huge fanboy of everything connected to Wing Commander)

According to me all those movies are alot better than serenity, except for maybe wing commander for the neutral viewer.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Wing Commander was betetr than serenity I thought because it had better space action \o/.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

I will seriously kill anyone who claims Wing Commander is the best science-fiction movie of all time.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

I thought Serenity was pretty mediocre actually. Having said that, I've never seen any of Firefly. Is the film made significantly better by having seen the series? If so, you can't really rate it against things like Star Wars as they didn't have an entire series of TV shows behind them.

Sci-Fi films I still find myself getting out and watching:
Terminator 1&2
Starship Troopers
Star Wars 3,4,5,6
Aliens
Robocop
Logan's Run
Westworld
Dune

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

noone's mentioned Waterworld yet :salute:

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

There's a good reason for that...it's 3 hours of sheer boredom.

I just watched Idiocracy, which is a Mike Judge film about how instead of getting smarter, humans get dumber in the future. It's scary how realistic it was, and the fact I've seen some of the trends leading to this might happen. I'd say it's now one of my favorite Sci-Fi movies.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Oh yes, Robocop. I love the dark cold atmosphere in that one. Lovely.


Total Recall is rather decent as well.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

this thread makes me want to see 12 monkeys.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

The old Star Wars films.
Blade Runner.
The 5th Element.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

my top 5 movies in sci-fy would be :

1) War of the world (1967+) not the new one.. by orson wells
2)alien 2
3)westworld
4)terminator 2
5)starwars 3

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Honourable mention for The Running Man, one of Arnie's first films.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

I'm terribly confused. Orson Welles didn't make a WotW film, he made a radio play version. In 1938. Although there was an earlier film version than the Spielberg. But that was made in 1953.

It's one of the few wonderfully consistent and thought through time travel films. The first time you watch it, chances are you'll think it's mediocre, but if you watch it more your opinion of it will rise ineffably every time.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

He must mean Transformers :salute:

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

For me personally it is one of the best, but like i said i'm a huge fan of anything Wing Commander related.

PS: How the hell I forgot to mention The fifth element in my list is beyond me
I think it's one of the best ever made, maybe even better than the ones i mentioned

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

The fifth element was really quite enjoyable. And what's wrong with 2001: A Space Odyssey? It's either that, Bladerunner or one of the original Star Wars filems for my personal choice.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

It could be because they're both popular science fiction films!

I found 2001's plot quite ambiguous, and so more open to interpretation, something that I'm very keen on. 12 Monkeys is a great film, but its plot gets less and less appealing over time because of inverse reasons. 2001 is far more aesthetically pleasing also. I've not seen Akira, but I shall look out for it to satisfy my hankering for made-up philosophy!

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

I'd try and argue the case for 2001, as I bought the DVD a year or two ago (also I have a pretentiously stupid loyalty to Kubrick, even though he really has churned out a lot of shit).

I wouldn't have a leg to stand on though. Since buying the DVD, I've watched it only once (and then slightly obligatory, after all, I'd just PAID for the damn thing).

When tracing my finger down my DVDs, I often skip it, mainly due to it just lasting a long time and clinging onto a sliver of a plot - not enough of a plot to last 2 hours or so of feature film time. Lack of character development, it relying solely on the "man-made machine getting clever and rebelling" Frankenstein plot... it's decidedly mediocre. I'm sure it was wonderful and ground-breaking in its day. Now though? I don't think it's stood the test of time.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

how about some Will Smith movies?

Independence Day (ok, over the top melodrama, but had some good parts)
Men In Black
I Robot

A couple other others

Riddick series

or my wife gave me a duh moment - Dune

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Consider suicide.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

my narcissism wouldn't allow it :p

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Will Smith gave me the same reply :(

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

jesus, people liked The Fifth Element? It's been a running joke amongst my friends at home for years. If someone asks about a film and the film is bad, the stock response is a Fifth Element comparison. "How was that remake of The Hills Have Eyes?" "It was like the Fifth Element, only you'd be less concerned about taking young children to see it"

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Just listen to Jonny.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Would you like to elaborate on what you mean horn? Having only watched 2001 once in full I'm interested as to exactly how the movie having grandiose meta-themes interacted with your aesthetic viewing pleasure.

Of course you finish with a modified "personal taste subjective u cant insult my movies" line so maybe you're just disagreeing for the sake of it :(

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

I agree with Horn, 2001 was great. I personally like it as taking it in isolation the hazyness of alien contact* and the lack high-concepty type narrative means a lot is left to the imagination and that leads to an increased sense of wonder, which is good for sci fi. The music adds to this. As a quick rule of thumb i think genuinely good sci fi is inversely proportionate to the number of times a phaser/laser/gun/megablaster is fired.






*ie alien contact isn't done in an earth-centric sense, the movie doesn't conclude with aliens saying 'hay guyz' etc, clarke did a similar thing in rendezvous with rama, where rama is just passing through.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

I think you're confusing it with The Wizard of Oz and Darkside of the Moon.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

I see, and what themes did you feel existed in 2001?



And no, that's exactly how I would have responded to a post like yours. You chose not to argue the specific point, namely that it's pretentious and has delusions of grandeur and made a different point about how its themes helped the music make you feel better or something (this is what I'm attempting to ascertain with my posts).

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

2001 is god-awful, infact the only kubrick film i've really liked is dr strangelove. as far as sci-fi films goes, i really enjoyed children of men from films not already championed yet however that enjoyment wasn't really due to the sci-fi elements involved.

edit; some reasons for why 2001 is awful is highlighted in tomkat's post

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

I meant more specifically.


If you're referring to the original post made by T&F in reply to weeks you're just wrong. Weeks asked why T&F didn't like 2001, you're not obligated to write an epistle every time someone asks you what you find wrong with something. Personally considering the fact the film was devoid of dialogue for the first 25 and last 25 minutes of the film I find it quite easy to see how someone could consider it pretentious.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

Both really but I assume I'd be able to gather the second from your description of the first.

You can either take on some of the common areas where 2001 is accused of being pretentious and disagree with those or ask him to clarify himself.

Re: Best Sci-Fi Movie
 

As much as I love horn and his posting, he really does make me want to claw my eyes out with blunt spoons sometimes.