The best sci-fi movies make you leave the theater wondering if you should sneak back in for the next showing of the same movie. The last decade has had no shortage of such movies. Below are 10 movies that topped the box offices and had critics raving for weeks.
1. WALL-E (2008)
WALL-E is an animated film about a robot cleaning up a trash-filled Earth after all humans have left to live in space. There is surprisingly little talking throughout the movie. It relies a lot on body language and robot sounds, but this only serves to make the movie more compelling.
Perhaps the best part of this movie is the fact that humans were the temporary downfall of Earth. Their carelessness and laziness was disgusting and kind of offensive. Few people watch this movie and don't go, “I'm totally going to recycle.”
2. Serenity (2005)
Firefly is gone but not forgotten. Serenity is basically a two-hour long Firefly episode. If you liked the television series, you’ll like the movie. The movie gives a lot more insight into River Tam, a psychic teenager trained to be a deadly weapon. She fights good guys (oops!) and bad guys in a way that demands you pause and backtrack to watch it again. Movie-goers get the same adrenaline rush and occasional chuckle when watching movies like Kick-Ass, but with a healthy dash of sci-fi.
3. Super 8 (2011)
The Super 8 trailers leave much to be desired. The actual movie, however, is an original film that gives a lot of respective nods to classics like Jurassic Park. To summarize, townspeople and pets go missing and children help save the day. It's a bit cliché, but not in a bad way. The details of the plot itself overflow with originality, though, and make viewers appreciate the dull trailers that could have spoiled the movie.
4. Star Trek (2009)
Reviving an old favorite usually turns into a major disappointment. Not this time, though. As the most successful Star Trek movie to date, the movie has a fairly simple “save the planet” plot. It’s exciting and something both old and new fans of the franchise can enjoy.
The movie is stand-alone, but it references the original series in ways that should appease the Trekkies of previous decades. Best of all, the actors have signed up for multiple sequels. Live long and prosper, Star Trek of the 21st century.
5. Cloverfield (2008)
Cloverfield was a bit hit or miss with the critics. The film deviated from the norm by shooting documentary-style, and some people claim to have thrown up after becoming so motion sick during the movie. It’s a classic monster film, but the audience sees little of the actual monster. Most of the film is spent with various characters seeking shelter and hearing screams of terror nearby.
At first, the camera-style is annoying. Then it adds to the rush you get whenever something horrible happens. Besides the camera, the best part of this movie is how much the director left open to interpretation.
6. District 9 (2009)
District 9 is a “love it” or “hate it” movie with no middle-ground. A spaceship has mechanical problems and lands on Earth. They come in peace, but humans confine them to a camp and treat them like lesser beings.
This movie speaks volumes about xenophobia (fear of outsiders or foreigners because of their differences) and social segregation. It was inspired by real cases of xenophobia in today’s world. So not only is it an action-packed alien movie, which is usually enough to top the box office, but the movie gives us plenty to think about.
7. Source Code (2011)
Colter Stevens relives the last eight minutes of a man’s life over and over again. His mission is to find a bomb and defuse it before it can trigger an even larger explosion. This sci-fi thriller has a decent (but complicated) story and edge of your seat action. It's not Inception, but the action is gripping enough and most people won't regret spending $3 on a rental. Critics continue to praise the actors and plot.
8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Do you remember your last bad breakup? Of course you do. Now imagine that immediately after the break up, you erased each other from memory and started over from scratch.
The main characters in the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind undergo an experimental procedure to selectively wipe memories. Unfortunately, they’re probably bound to repeat their mistakes. It’s impossible to watch this movie without having some wishful thoughts.
Best of all, Jim Carrey plays a starring role and he’s actually good.
9. Watchmen (2009)
Watchmen is often viewed as a major disappointment to the people who read the comics before seeing the film. For many film-goers new to story, though, it was a hit. Every scene was a work of art, almost to the point that the story felt neglected because the director spent so much time making everything ridiculously beautiful.
10. The Cowboy Bebop Movie (2002)
Like the Firefly movie, this is basically a two-hour long episode of the animated show Cowboy Bebop. The great thing about it is that the story is simple enough that even people who haven’t watched the anime series can enjoy it. The movie follows the old crew doing what they do best, but this time they’ve probably taken on more responsibility than they can handle.
About today's Guest Writer:
Raychel Davis is a social media advocate at CreditDonkey. When she is not busy searching for gas credit cards, she's reading up on Warehouse 13's Upcoming Spin-off and hoping MGM and SyFy bring back SG1. Before heading to the theaters, make sure you read her team's costco american express review to see if the rewards are worth the cost.
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