Home Opinion Midweek Mouth-off: Your Sci-five

Midweek Mouth-off: Your Sci-five

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With the death this past weekend of moon-walking astronaut Neil Armstrong, today we’re thinking “To infinity and beyond!”

What is your favourite science fiction film of all time? If that’s too hard, give us your Top 5. And at the same time, what’s the biggest genre dud in your opinion?

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Critical Hit as an organisation.

Last Updated: August 29, 2012

22 Comments

  1. Matewis Jubilai

    August 29, 2012 at 10:58

    1. 2001 A Space odyssey (obviously)
    2. Blade Runner
    3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    4. Terminator
    5. Alien

    Reply

  2. Wayne Bossenger

    August 29, 2012 at 11:04

    Back to the future.
    that is all…

    Reply

  3. Kervyn Cloete

    August 29, 2012 at 11:12

    Bloody hell, this would be a tough list for me. I’m gonna need some serious time to think about it.
    I can tell you what’s definitely in the top spot though: 2001 A Space Odyssey

    Reply

  4. Erwin Kempff

    August 29, 2012 at 11:22

    As long as its a good SciFi, I’m sold.
    SciFi ftw!

    Reply

  5. Sonny Bonds

    August 29, 2012 at 11:30

    The Matrix
    T2
    Predator
    Aliens
    Back To the Future

    Reply

  6. WernerE

    August 29, 2012 at 11:35

    In no particular order:Gattaca
    Dark City
    Star Wars IV – VI
    Moon
    … and for the arty scifi lover; Stalker

    Reply

    • James Francis

      August 29, 2012 at 11:47

      I’m of the school that argues Star Wars is not Sci-Fi, but Fantasy.

      Reply

      • Matewis Jubilai

        August 29, 2012 at 11:56

        You and me both! Glad to meet someone who agrees with me. The driving force if you will is not the science as much as it is the force – the same role that magic plays in a fantasy film.
        edit : glad to see Blade Runner in your list – not sure what ‘cube’ is doing there though…

        Reply

        • James Francis

          August 29, 2012 at 13:41

          Cube has to be one of the best mind-bending ‘puzzle’ movies ever made. It in fact pretty much started that genre. And the concept was genuinely sci-fi…

          Reply

      • WernerE

        August 29, 2012 at 12:05

        hmm… you (as well as @facebook-100002325722170:disqus ) make an interesting point. I would like to know what makes a film a true scifi? I would like to hear more.

        Reply

      • Kervyn Cloete

        August 29, 2012 at 12:25

        I’m in two minds about this. Structurally, it certainly follows more the more fantasy quest tropes than sci-fi, but then you have the advanced tech which is definitely more sci. And there’s the fact that it’s in a galaxy a long, long time ago, which goes against conventional science fiction which is usually set in the present or future.

        But it’s precisely this kind of confusion that results in sci-fi and fantasy often being bundled together. In fact, a lot of modern fantasy authors who have eschewed the template laid down by Tolkien, very often merge the 2 genres in their works. For example, China Mieville’s work definitely falls under both camps.

        Reply

        • James Francis

          August 29, 2012 at 13:43

          Star Wars never struck me as sci-fi. It’s essentially swords and sorcery, just with a different location and some mild flirting with space-ships. I don’t regard things like Flash Gordon as Sci-Fi either.

          Reply

  7. James Francis

    August 29, 2012 at 11:46

    Cube
    Dark City
    Solaris
    Blade Runner
    Robocop

    Reply

  8. Lourens Corleone

    August 29, 2012 at 11:55

    Event Horizon
    The Fifth Element
    Dark City
    Stargate
    Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    Serenity
    Starship Troopers
    Donnie Darko
    The Thing
    The Fly

    Sorry, I couldn’t cut the list more than that I am pretty sure I am missing a heap. As a genre though, I prefer sci-fi as a series.

    Reply

  9. Kervyn Cloete

    August 29, 2012 at 12:19

    Ok giving it some thought, here’s a top ten of my favourites:

    1. 2001 A Space Odyssey
    2. Empire Strikes Back
    3. Planet of the Apes (original)
    4. Alien
    5. Back to the Future

    6. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

    7. Close Encounters of The Third Kind
    8. Brazil
    9. Blade Runner
    10.Jurassic Park

    Reply

  10. Tracy Benson

    August 29, 2012 at 13:59

    Favourite Sci-Fi books & TV series, I could easily name, Sci-Fi movies are more difficult.

    Reply

  11. Noelle Adams

    August 29, 2012 at 15:25

    I have a long list of runners-up but these are my personal best of the best (in no particular order):

    1) Aliens
    2) The Matrix
    3) Terminator
    4) Terminator 2
    5) Event Horizon

    Runners-up:
    District 9, Total Recall, RoboCop 2, Brazil, Back to the Future trilogy, Butterfly Effect, WALL-E, Starship Troopers, Children of Men, E.T., Jurassic Park, Alien.

    Worst/Most disappointing (in recent years):
    Splice

    Reply

  12. Christo Kruger

    August 29, 2012 at 15:57

    This is too hard:

    Jurassic Park,
    Starship Troopers
    Independence Day
    Blade Runner
    District 9

    There are loads more. Don’t make me choose!

    Reply

  13. Kervyn Cloete

    August 29, 2012 at 16:26

    How the hell did I leave Children of Men and Stargate off my list? Stupid Kervyn!

    Reply

  14. James Francis

    August 30, 2012 at 11:16

    After seeing it last night, I also want to add Iron Sky…

    Reply

    • Hendrik Cordier

      September 12, 2012 at 15:24

      Iron Sky was awesome. Nazis from the dark side of the moon and space zeppelins! It is without a doubt my favourite Finnish-German-Australian movie of all time:)

      Reply

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