# Best SF Film you have seen **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 13, 2018, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514 "2018-08-13T14:00:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/21 "2018-08-13T20:22:28Z")
As I’ve said on this Board many times, my favorite SF movie oscillates between **2001** and **Forbidden Planet**. One is the best movie adaptation of 1950s science fiction, the other the best of 1940s science fiction (the movies are a decade behind the literature). I disagree with a lot of the other suggestions, but here’s a list of others I think good: \*\*The Terminator The Day the Earth Stood Still It! The Terror from Beyond Space Quatermass and the Pit/Five Million Years to Earth The Thing \*\* (both versions, ignoring the third film of the same name) **Robocop** (1987 version) \*\*Aliens 2010 Source Code Gattaca Predestination \*\* There are lots of others that I like, and lots of tried-but-not-quite-there films ( **Dune** , both versions, **The Puppet Masters** , **Destination Moon** , **Operation Moonbase** etc.) and films I love but wouldn’t classify as science fiction, like the original **Star Wars** trilogy. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/22 "2018-08-13T20:25:00Z")
Moon ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/23 "2018-08-13T21:28:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **eunoia** : > > Well then, if there’s no debating… To be clear, we can debate whether _Star Wars_ was good. I don’t imagine there would be too many debators taking the “no” side, but it could be debated. But regardless of whether it was good, it was definitely great. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/24 "2018-08-13T21:31:26Z")
(Aside: **CalMeacham** , I get that your avatar is a portrait of your namesake. But I was kind of expecting that you’d pick a Gorgon-face.) ---
**Author:** ![Batano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@Batano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batano)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/25 "2018-08-13T21:48:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > To be clear, we can debate whether _Star Wars_ was good. I don’t imagine there would be too many debators taking the “no” side, but it could be debated. But regardless of whether it was good, it was definitely great. Screw Star Wars as Science Fiction. You have space craft “banking” in space as they turn, sound in a vacuum, blasters that seem to travel slower than bullets never mind at the speed of light. Nothing about it makes any sense from a science point of view. Those giant walking things? WTF is that about? You could take the story set it on earth and substitute ships for space craft and it would make more sense. It’s mildly entertaining, but not scifi. Back to The Future has more science than Star Wars. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/26 "2018-08-13T21:50:45Z")
EX MACHINA made me feel like I should smoke a cigarette while staring at ruins. And I don’t smoke. ---
**Author:** ![bionic\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/49beb7/32.png) [@bionic\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bionic_man)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/27 "2018-08-13T22:12:35Z")
planet of the apes robinson cruesoe on mars day earth stood still ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/28 "2018-08-13T22:48:08Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > EX MACHINA made me feel like I should smoke a cigarette while staring at ruins. > > And I don’t smoke. I mis-read that as “staring at Nuns”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/29 "2018-08-13T22:54:01Z")
> [@Batano](#): > > Screw Star Wars as Science Fiction. You have space craft “banking” in space as they turn, sound in a vacuum, blasters that seem to travel slower than bullets never mind at the speed of light. Nothing about it makes any sense from a science point of view. Those giant walking things? WTF is that about? You could take the story set it on earth and substitute ships for space craft and it would make more sense. It’s mildly entertaining, but not scifi. > > Back to The Future has more science than Star Wars. Like the science is any better in many, if not almost all, of the films mentioned? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/30 "2018-08-13T22:54:40Z")
\*Forbidden Planet Invasion of the Body Snatchers Star Wars Phase IV Arrival Dark Star A Boy and His Dog Galaxy Quest Incredible Shrinking Man The Fabulous World of Jules Verne A Clockwork Orange Time Bandits E.T. Brazil 12 Monkeys Dark City Looper The Martian \* ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/31 "2018-08-13T22:59:23Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > I’m going to jump on the bandwagon with _2001_ and _Forbidden Planet_. > > I would also like to mention _It Came From Outer Space_, a film that neatly subverts the “alien monsters invading our planet” trope. And I’m going to be contrary 😉 Personally I much prefer the sequel 2010: The Year We Make Contact, I fully recognise that 2001 deserves all the recognition it gets and that its certainly a more ‘worthy’ movie, but if I had to sit down and watch one or the other I would choose 2010 every day of the week and twice on Thursdays. Also fav sci-fi movies: Aliens _(its pity that with such rich source material the sequels have been so poor)_ Contact Robocop _(with the benefit of a bit of removal in time I think Robocop 2 isn’t nearly as bad as its generally thought to be, it has some of the best moments in the series, for example Robocop/Murphy turning his wife away because he knows he can never be a husband to her, that part of his life is over)_ War of the Worlds _(all versions have their merits, I don’t get the dislike for the 2005 Tom Cruise version)_ Speaking of Tom Cruise, he has a record for choosing good or at least watchable Sci-Fi movies, I really hope something comes of the proposed Yukikaze movie he has been linked to. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/32 "2018-08-13T23:08:12Z")
Ill mention some others haven’t (unless i missed it) The Quiet Earth Soylent Green The Omega man The Incredible Shrinking Man Goldman’s…The Fly ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/33 "2018-08-13T23:22:40Z")
> [@Atomic\_Alex](#): > > And I’m going to be contrary 😉 Personally I much prefer the sequel 2010: The Year We Make Contact, I fully recognise that 2001 deserves all the recognition it gets and that its certainly a more ‘worthy’ movie, but if I had to sit down and watch one or the other I would choose 2010 every day of the week and twice on Thursdays. Larry King agrees with you. Or so he said when he hosted a showing of 2010 on TCM. You can now be ashamed. 🙂 2010 is a good movie, and true to the book, but not a great movie. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/34 "2018-08-13T23:27:20Z")
2001 number one, definitely. Forbidden Planet comes close behind, especially since it was so far ahead of other movies made during that period. SW:ANH because it was the first true space opera movie done with high quality. The science was no worse than most of Planet Stories and all of Ray Bradbury. That doesn’t make it bad. The Day the Earth Stood Still, original version. Too bad they messed up Bates’ original ending, but still good. Remake was a total mess. I’m also quite fond of ET, The Martian and Galaxy Quest. ---
**Author:** ![Sloe\_Moe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sloe\_Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sloe_Moe)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/35 "2018-08-13T23:31:01Z")
Hands down the time travelers (1964.) It had everything a 5-year old needed for his first science fiction movie: the concept of time travel, robots, the first time I learned of hydroponics, the first time I heard of Alpha Centauri, mutation in humans. And Steve Franken as Danny McKee kept everything from looking too dire and frightful. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/36 "2018-08-13T23:31:33Z")
I really like the Fifth Element. While there are fantasy and comedy elements galore, the fact that the little, daily things have been given a thought, make the film special (long cigarette filters, fast microwave ovens, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/37 "2018-08-13T23:37:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > To be clear, we can debate whether _Star Wars_ was good. I don’t imagine there would be too many debators taking the “no” side, but it could be debated. But regardless of whether it was good, it was definitely great. I think the “greatness” of _SW_ lies in its original impact on industry standards (production and marketing, esp. merchandising) and viewer expectations. As a movie, it’s not “great.” Indeed, most people tend to think _The Empire Strikes Back_ is a better movie. I would also point out that _SW_ is a very derivative film, taking its cues from the movie serials of old. Yes, they have been dressed up in (what was then) state of the art VFX, but they are the same old thrills, the same old tropes. By way of comparison, this same criticism cannot be leveled at, for example, _Close Encounters of the Third Kind_. I doubt you have seen _Battle Wizard_. It came out the same year as _Star Wars_. I will not try to describe this movie for you; the trailer should suffice: https://www.youtube.com/embed/XPVZxf5o2AE?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=PL20mo9R8Fn84HcM89TPheajzKlvD8WdhO Bottom line: I found this movie far more original, imaginative and fun than _SW_. And to preemptively clarify here, I do not take the position _SW_ is a “bad” film; just that, as movie entertainment goes, it’s not really all that good and far from “great.” ---
**Author:** ![Panther\_Modern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@Panther\_Modern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panther_Modern)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/38 "2018-08-14T01:01:44Z")
Recently watched Blade Runner 2049 recently. Wow. What a film. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/39 "2018-08-14T01:30:52Z")
_Alien_ (1979, U.S., dir. Ridley Scott) _Blade Runner_ (1982/95/2007, U.S., dir. Ridley Scott) _E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial_ (1982, U.S., dir. Steven Spielberg) _Fantastic Planet_ (1973, France, dir. Rene Laloux) _Forbidden Planet_ (1956, U.S., dir. Fred McLeod Wilcox) _Her_ (2013, U.S., dir. Spike Jonze) _Invaders from Mars_ (1953, U.S., dir. William Cameron Menzies) _La Jetée_ (1962, France, dir. Chris Marker) _Mad Max: Fury Road_ (2015, Australia/U.S., dir. George Miller) _The Terminator_ (1984, U.S., dir. James Cameron) _They Live_ (1988, U.S., dir. John Carpenter) _2001: A Space Odyssey_ (1968, U.K., dir. Stanley Kubrick) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514/40 "2018-08-14T01:46:34Z")
Best: 2001 Favorite: Close Encounters Funniest: Paul [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sf-film-you-have-seen/819514.md?page=3)