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Best Sci-Fi films in the Star Wars era

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HAL9000 said:
The Thing.

Perfect film.
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oh noes i agree with neck beard

this depends on how you define Sci-Fi

Donnie Darko
Moon
Sunshine
Event Horizon
Predator
Avatar - for special effects and pushing image quality limits
The Abyss
Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind
Children of Men
Equilibrium
Stargate
Voices of a Distant Star - Its an anime, get over it and watch it
 
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Hmm out of curiosity, why do people rank Bladerunner so highly? I didn't think it was a bad movie, and maybe it's because of its age, but it didn't really stand out at me when I watched it (on Blu-Ray). I feel the same way about Dark City... the movie didn't seem all that great, and the usual comment I hear is that it was "unfortunately overshadowed by The Matrix."
 
Whoozyerdaddy said:
I'll give another nod to Gattaca and Dark City. And let's face it... The Matrix was a direct, hip-hop rip-off of Dark City.
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Couldn't be a ripoff since they came out at the same time. The Thirteenth Floor is similar and came out the same time too.
 
Aikouka said:
Hmm out of curiosity, why do people rank Bladerunner so highly? I didn't think it was a bad movie, and maybe it's because of its age, but it didn't really stand out at me when I watched it (on Blu-Ray). I feel the same way about Dark City... the movie didn't seem all that great, and the usual comment I hear is that it was "unfortunately overshadowed by The Matrix."
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For me - I grew up in that era. Bladerunner was one of the few movies which I thought accurately predicted what the future would be like - dark, gritty and very dirty. I can't think of any parts of the movie which drag on or speed up to fast - it has the perfect pace and the ending on the roof was epic.
 
forgot about the 13th floor, enjoyed that one

also Being John Malkovich can be classified ad Sci-Fi
 
Aikouka said:
Hmm out of curiosity, why do people rank Bladerunner so highly? I didn't think it was a bad movie, and maybe it's because of its age, but it didn't really stand out at me when I watched it (on Blu-Ray). I feel the same way about Dark City... the movie didn't seem all that great, and the usual comment I hear is that it was "unfortunately overshadowed by The Matrix."
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Well as I understood it, one of the definitions for science fiction is portrayal of human drama - a character study at its core - in a new setting where one can explore/focus on the human condition without any connotations/implications attached were the story set in modern times.

Put it this way; if you took the Matrix and took out the sci-fi elements, what would you have? I'd say a simple, if not well-done, action flick. Movies like that depend on the setting and special effects to carry the movie.

In my opinion, movies like Dark City, 12 Monkeys and Blade Runner do it differently - the setting and the technology enhances the story, certainly; but even taking it to a different setting it would be a great story in itself. I think that's what makes the difference.
 
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Another one not mentioned yet is Logan's Run. It's got some 70s cheese, but makes up for it with a very strong plot and a gorgeous Jenny Agutter and Farrah Fawcett.

If you're going to allow anime, let me add Ghost in the Shell (the 2.0 rework) and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. Both of these are outstanding scifi.
 
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ProfJohn said:
Name a better one since 2000.


Not including Inception and District 9 since I have yet to see them and can't comment on them.
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Moon, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Sunshine, Children of Men came to mind right away.. I know I'm forgetting many, many movies better than Minority Report (which admittedly wasn't God awful).
 
You exclude ET as kids movie but then include the Star Wars series? 😀

The SW movies worked quite well if I couldn't fall asleep, always fell asleep during those.
 
Leaving out superhero, animated, fantasy, stuff which has sci-fi but really isn't sci-fi (Ghostbusters, Eternal Sunshine, BTTF), and Inception, which I have not seen yet:

1. Star Trek II
2. The Empire Strikes Back
3. Terminator 2
4. The Matrix
5. Aliens
6. Return of the Jedi
7. The Terminator
8. Robocop
9. Twelve Monkeys
10. E.T.
 
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ProfJohn said:
Back to the Future is more a comedy. You didn't go see it because you wanted to watch a Sci-Fi film. You went to see it because it was funny.
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Now you telling us what we do and don't? :awe:

I went to see it to watch Fox go back in time, and then try to figure out how to get back. Requires a time-traveling machine. Sure, it is a comedy, but are we to believe science fiction cannot have comedy elements in it?

There goes Spaceballs. :biggrin:
 
1)Star Trek 2
2)Terminator 2
3)IJ: Search for the holy grail
4)Star Trek 2009
5)Independence Day
6)Back to the future
7)Star Trek 4
8)Return of the Jedi
9)Empire Strike Back
10)Ghostbusters
 
What if you could just delete sequels from existence? Just delete all the new star Wars and the last 2 matrixes. The world would be a better place.
 
Malak said:
And a movie that requires a double post: Sunshine.
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+1 for Sunshine
Children of Men
Equilibrium
Dark City
GATTACA
The Fifth Element
Blade Runner
The Matrix (I don't acknowledge the 2nd and 3rd one as Matrix)

Edit: Forgot, I liked The Man from Earth. Though a lot of people disagree 😛

SandEagle said:
surprised no one mentioned Transformers
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Really?
 
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