List: 18 Great Sci-Fi Movies

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE by Bennett Campbell Ferguson

Above: Ken Watanabe and Marion Cotillard in Chistopher Nolan's "Inception"

 

“Pacific Rim.”  “Gravity.”  “Her.”  “Interstellar.”  If those films and the past two years have shown us everything, it’s that science fiction—with its uncanny blend of majestic spectacle and uneasy allegory—remains one of the richest genres in cinema.  Sure, it’s made many contributions to Hollywood’s collective trash can (“Elysium,” anybody?), but it’s also opened new avenues of thought and feeling, in visual, intellectual, and emotional terms.

            You know what’s next.  With “Interstellar” rocketing across screens worldwide and “The Martian” and “Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens” already waiting in the wings, he’s something to start the debate—a list of my favorite science fiction movies.

“Ender’s Game” (Gavin Hood, 2013)

“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (Garth Jennings, 2005)

“Inception” (Christopher Nolan, 2010)

“Interstellar” (Christopher Nolan, 2014)

“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (Nicholas Meyer, 1982)

“Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (Leonard Nimoy, 1986)

“Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” (Nicholas Meyer, 1991)

“Star Trek: First Contact” (Jonathan Frakes, 1996)

“Star Trek: Insurrection” (Jonathan Frakes, 1998)

“Star Trek” (J.J. Abrams, 2009)

“Star Trek Into Darkness” (J.J. Abrams, 2013)

“Star Wars” (George Lucas, 1977)

“The Empire Strikes Back” (Irvin Kershner, 1980)

“Return of the Jedi” (Richard Marquand, (1983)

“WALL-E” (Andrew Stanton, 2008)

“X-Men” (Bryan Singer, 2000)

 “X2” (Bryan Singer, 2003)

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (Gavin Hood, 2009)