Al's Top 100 Sci-Fi Films Part 4

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
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40: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no Tani no Naushika)

What If: In the distant future, the world starts to become overrun with toxic jungles and giant bugs, and a princess has to stop warring kingdoms from incurring the giant bugs' wrath.

The Film: Despite its age, this anime film presents a world unlike anything that's been filmed before, straddling the line between an imaginative steampunk fantasy and harrowing post-apocalyptic future. In the midst of it all, the character of Nausicaa is most lovable, and provides a conduit to explore the bleak themes of war and environmental destruction. It's not subtle, but it is quite powerful and invoking, the film's vision is unique, and it is exciting the whole time.

My score: 5/5
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39: Contact

What If: Alien signals are intercepted from an array of satellite dishes, and they contain hidden instructions.

The Film: A strong character-based drama to the core, but with some plausible ideas and a firm focus on science-vs-spirituality. The characters come to represent all the different levels of those two opposing forces, but they come together to assert that we are not alone in the universe, because we have each other. Of course, the film also presents a fantastic view of the galaxy and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. It gets a bit sappy, the film definitely touches upon strong themes and concepts worth exploring.

My score: 4/5
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38: They Live

What If: Sunglasses make you see subliminal messages everywhere.

The Film: It's happening already. You can't go far in modern society without somebody trying to push a hidden agenda to you in secret. All our commercials, billboards, books, magazines, TV...it's all working to tell us what to do and how to live our lives. This film simply exposes that theme in a literal fashion, and crafts a small-scale action-packed thriller out of it. Despite the film's limitations, it boasts some big and fascinating ideas concerning modern consumerism and gentrification. Even today, these themes still resonate, and the film is still as exciting as it is interesting.

My score: 4.5/5
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37: The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2)

What If: After the fall of civilization, oil and gasoline become the most treasured commodities. A dude named Max has to protect a town, containing a huge amount of oil, from being pillaged.

The Film: The first Mad Max film was a pretty brutal dystopian flick, but this follow-up takes things a step further. It's a step further into the future, where the settings are more desolate and civilization is nonexistent. It's a step further into brutality, with even more savage gangs roaming the wastelands. It also steps up the action, with a plethora of awesome car-chase scenes with some of the most imaginative buggies and vehicles ever designed. It's a thrilling post-apocalyptic adventure, but I wouldn't be surprised if the search for precious oil could reach this level of mania some day.

My score: 4.5/5
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36: RoboCop (1987)

What If: A fatally-wounded police officer is reborn as a cyborg. Then he takes a huge, juicy bite out of crime.

The Film: It's a short film, but it's jam-packed with action and ideas. The plot is tight, simple, but well-executed. It's set in an extreme, over-the-top world where extreme commercialization does little to cover up the extreme violence and extreme gentrification. Not only is the film perfectly entertaining, but it's also well-composed and laden with so much satire that it'd put Kurt Vonnegut to shame.

My score: 5/5
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35: Soylent Green

What If: In the future, when cities are overpopulated and resources are thin, a murder mystery leads a detective to learn a horrifying truth about society.

The Film: The film is pretty rough around the edges and hasn't aged well, but its story is fundamentally interesting, and the ideas resonate more and more the closer we get to this scary future. Overpopulation and resource depletion are real problems that we may be facing, and the film shows us a harrowing view of what the possible solutions could be if things get out of control. Even though the film is going on forty years old, its ideas are still relevant.

My score: 4/5
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34: Dredd

What If: Megacity 1 is a massive walled metropolis where judges serve as judge, jury, and executioner. Dredd is one such judge who is called upon to investigate deaths surrounding the distribution of a new drug; when he's trapped in a block with his rookie partner, all hell breaks loose.

The Film: Much edgier, darker, and more intense than 1995's Judge Dredd, this rendition of the character strikes the right chord as a gritty, R-rated dystopian action movie. Borrowing the basic storyline of The Raid, Dredd uses its limitations to let the action flow, to let the characters speak for themselves, and to let the scuzzy world of Megacity 1 take on a life of its own. It is a beautifully brutal world, and Dredd is a badass hero who can bring justice to it; it doesn't get much more awesome than that!

My score: 5/5
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33: Fantastic Voyage

What If: A special project shrinks a submarine with a group of people inside so that it can be injected into a dying man's body. Internal surgery ensues.

The Film: Sci-fi films have explored space and time, but Fantastic Voyage is one original picture that explores one place that few other films are able to: inner space, or the human body. With this clever premise of shrinking scientists and implanting them into a body, the film makes an odyssey out of the human anatomy, exploring all the different systems. There is peril to be had, as the characters fight against white blood cells and other anomalies. It's an insightful view of the microscopic world, and it makes for one refreshingly original concept.

My score: 4/5
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32: Forbidden Planet

What If: Space explorers land on a planet and wind up fighting an invisible monster.

The Film: When it comes to the sci-fi craze of the 50s, it doesn't get much more classic than this. The film features one cool flying saucer, one cool robot, and a cool planet with cool features and animals. The ending, however, presents one cool idea that unifies the whole picture and gives it more relevant meaning; despite all the dangers on Forbidden Planet, man might be the most dangerous thing of all...

My score: 4/5
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31: Dune

What If: In the year 10,191, royal houses fight over control of a desert planet called Arrakis (aka Dune), which is the only source of the Spice Melange, which makes space travel possible.

The Film: This film was a pretty major flop at its time, and many would still call it gaudy, boring, or misconceived. Regardless, the film covers the basics of Frank Herbert's story, and it does so with a phenomenal amount of flair and style. David Lynch did his best to craft dreamy images and strong emotions, making the film immensely powerful.

My score: 5/5
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30: Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan

What If: In the 24th century, the starship Enterprise encounters an old adversary named Khan, who commandeers the starship Reliant and project Genesis in a frantic bid for vengeance.

The Film: While Star Trek: The Motion Picture brought back the original Trek crew in one intriguing space opera adventure, it was a rather dry picture with a gaudy production value and pacing issues. This sequel sets the tone perfectly for a more action-packed adventure; the space battles are cool, the conflicts are tense, and Khan remains one of the most iconic villains of the lot. The film also has its share of cool ideas, including a warhead capable of terraforming a dead planet; with this as the centerpiece, the film underscores its dual-sided nature, as both a tool of creation and a weapon of mass destruction. With these dynamics at work, the film ultimately digs up some very strong death and rebirth themes, which in the grand scheme of the cosmos, is profound indeed.

My score: 4.5/5
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29: Star Trek (2009)

What If: In the 24th century, a young Jim Kirk takes control of the starship Enterprise, and goes on an adventure to stop a Romulan adversary from destroying Earth.

The Film: After countless years of Star Trek adventures, JJ Abrams brings back the classic crew with fresh new faces and a fresh new look. The film is as vivid and stylish as they come (almost to the point of being annoying, with the lens flares and camera moves), and the action is phenomenal. The characters are as lovable as ever, brought to life perfectly by a fresh young cast. As far as the science goes, the classic gadgets of the Trek universe are on full display as always, but the film plays around a lot with alternate universes and time travel, which connects the new franchise with the old and clears the slate for a whole new series of adventures. It's a clever play on the classic sci-fi series, and given the success of both this film and Into Darkness, this new series will be here to stay for a while.

My score: 5/5
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28: Book of Eli

What If: A lone wanderer in the wastelands has to escort a special book to some special people.

The Film: Very few films have captured a post-apocalyptic landscape as bleak and desolate as this; Book of Eli is set in a vast, expansive, and drab world that has only otherwise been seen in the Fallout 3 video game. The film has its share of thrilling action (some of which might be a bit too unbelievable). It tells a story that's simple and fundamental, but with strong themes of faith. Combined with the film's smooth style, this is one of the most seminal end-of-the-world tales on film.

My score: 4/5
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27: Gravity

What If: Astronauts become stranded in space.

The Film: With the simple premise of astronauts struggling to survive in Earth's orbit, this film makes the most of its limitations and expands it greatly to become a thrilling, awe-inspiring spectacle. It is visually fantastic and harrowing to watch entire space shuttles and space stations being obliterated, and it is immensely suspenseful to watch the characters' fight for survival. It's not always 100% scientifically accurate, but a disaster like this is very plausible, and the film does its best to turn it into an invoking thrill ride.

My score: 5/5
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26: Prometheus

It's so pretty...

What If: Human beings were originally created on Earth by an alien race called the Engineers; in the future, we send a mission in deep space to literally meet our makers.

The Film: Highly-anticipated as the prequel to Alien, Prometheus offers its share of scares, as alien life seems to evolve out of control and consume the crew of the starship Prometheus. At its core though, it's a marvelous sci-fi picture with its heart firmly set on exploration, even into the deepest and darkest truths of life's existence. The story is a fascinating parallel to the Prometheus myth. Plus, it has an awesome style and a top-notch production, making this one of the slickest and best-looking sci-fi/horror pictures ever made.

My score: 4.5/5
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25: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

What If: Aliens are coming.

The Film: Alien encounters have been documented with a wide range of responses; there have been fearful tales of abductions and otherworldly intrusions, and tales of wonderful spectacle. Close Encounters provides both, with a lot of mystery and conspiracy, which drives the story to a awe-inspiring show of light and music. It's probably one of the more realistic movies available regarding alien encounters, and it's refreshing that it's not always a threatening picture. By its end, it leaves the audience in a state of wonder, and it might make you look to the stars and wonder what life might up up there. It means something...this is important...

My score: 4/5
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24: The Time Machine (1960)

What If: Some guy invents a time machine and plays with it for a while.

The Film: A faithful adaptation of H.G. Welles' novel, the original Time Machine features some phenomenal special effects and a solid production value that brings this story to life in an imaginative way. Despite the film's age, it's still cool to see the time-lapse footage simulating the rushing passing of the years. The rest of the film is a pretty unique adventure, with signature themes of utopia and human progress. The story provided an insightful view of what could be lost in the passage of time, and what could be given to the future; the film is an admirable telling of this classic tale.

My score: 4/5
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23: Logan's Run

What If: In the distant future, everybody lives in domed cities, where life is perfect...and nobody lives past the age of 30...

The Film: The film hasn't aged that gracefully - it is laden with some rather weak and cheap-looking SFX and sets - and parts of it are a bit laughable. Regardless, it is a pretty cool story that emphasizes the dark side of a utopic society. The film offers its share of adventure and futuristic spectacle, and still has enough interesting ideas to make it a seminal sci-fi favorite.

My score: 4/5
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22: Akira

What If: In the futuristic city of NeoTokyo, some punk kid is picked up by the government and experimented on, unlocking latent psychic power that threatens the entire universe.

The Film: The film is long, it's densely-packed, and the story goes off in wild directions, but it still tells a hell of a tale with loads of incredible mass destruction. The settings are incredibly dystopic, the technology on display is really slick, and the ideas gets really far-out. It's not an easy film to understand, but it is easy to enjoy, and it is one of many that's helped western audiences break into anime films. For its thrilling action and concepts, the film stands as one of my favorite dystopian films of all time.

My score: 5/5
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21: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

What If: For a second time, robots from the future send back an assassin to terminate the leader of the future resistance. And this time, another machine is sent back to protect the target.

The Film: While the first Terminator film presented an original story with a fresh, original style, this follow-up really cranks up the stakes and the action to a whole new level. Among the film's highlights, there are thrilling car chases, lots of shoot-outs, and scary encounters with an imaginatively-rendered liquid-metal robot. In between all the running-around and shooting, however, the film still has time to breathe and contemplate the deeper issues concerning nuclear war and humanity's destructive nature. With a cast of heartfelt characters, the film is as invoking as it is exciting, and it offers a pretty scary glimpse of what a robot-pocalyse could look like.

My score: 5/5
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To be concluded...

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Al's Top 100 Sci-Fi Films Part 3

Part 1
Part 2
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60: Moon

What If: A man resides on a moonbase all alone, running things, but one day discovers something startling about his job.

The Film: It's a small-scale film staring just one man, one robot, all alone on a moonbase, but the film is still very clever and tense in the way it digs up one interesting mystery after another. The conspiracy that's unravelled presents some interesting implications, and it gives the plot and character room to breathe and contemplate the greater issues concerning life and loneliness. Duncan Jones' debut film is a worthy intellectual sci-fi film.

My score: 4/5
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59: The Road

What If: After the world comes to an end, a father travels across the wasteland with his son.

The Film: Faithfully adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel, The Road is a bleak film drenched in ash and grayness. Little is said about what actually happened to the world, but what matters is that the aftermath is a brutal place full of violent gangs and cannibals, and the characters' journey through it all is a trial that puts their humanity to the test. It's not always a standout film, but it is a solid adaptation, and a very sobering view of one possible future.

My score: 4/5
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58: Looper

Pew pew pew

What If: Futuristic gangsters send people back in time to get whacked.

The Film: The film has a pretty unique idea, which ultimately contorts the plotline in interesting directions and makes some interesting observations about the flow of time. There is action to be had, but the characters bring the film to life really well, and their interactions prove definitively that what goes around literally comes around.

My score: 4/5
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57: Outland

What If: On the moon Io, a security officer investigates some mysterious murders, and uncovers a conspiracy.

The Film: When director Peter Hyams was denied the chance to make a western, he did the next best thing: he took the regular tropes of a western and applied them to an outer space setting. Outland is a bit of a slow-burner, but it has some awesome model work, some good action, and some very interesting settings. It's a pretty cool glimpse as to what future mining colonies could look like, and what possible issues could arise when companies push their workers beyond ethical lines. And for a western/sci-fi hybrid, it makes for a thrilling tale.

My score: 4/5
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56: Rollerball (1975)

What If: There's a futuristic death sport where athletes ride on rollerskates and motorcycles in a huge arena, trying to throw a little ball around while they murder each other.

The Film: Sports are violent by nature, but as technology moves along and the media continues to thrive on sporting events, it might be inevitable that we make a sport out of death. Why not? It happened before in ancient Rome. With Rollerball, the athletes will literally do anything to win. By the film's end, a somber tone is struck, underscoring the inhumanity of this level of sportsmanship. It's a horror that's only been explored in few other films, such as The Running Man, or Death Race.

My Score: 4/5
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55: The Butterfly Effect

What If: A guy finds a way to go back in time and change his past, but with drastic results.

The Film: There's no real science to this bizarre and brutal tale of time travel, but it is thought-provoking in its own right. By nature of the "butterfly effect" - where a butterfly's wings is said to cause hurricanes on the other side of the world - the whole movie is about universal balance. The protagonist tries so hard to fix the horrid things that happened in his childhood that he winds up making his adult life worse and worse. The final solution is pretty anticlimactic, but by taking a certain part of his life out of the equation, he wound up reaching a satisfying yet somber conclusion. And if you watch the alternate ending, it's even more invoking. It's a harsh film, but still very interesting from a theoretical standpoint.

My score: 4.5/5
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54: The Island

What If: A group of people in a utopic facility are selected by a lottery to win a trip to "the island," where they can live in paradise. Or is it?

The Film: Most would probably say that this is the one really "good" film Michael Bay has made. The man still shows a penchant for style, explosive action, crazy car chases, sex appeal, and gratuitous slow-motion, but the film still has a decent story attached to it. It is a pretty cool premise that challenges the notion of utopia, and digs up interesting implications regarding cloning technology. It's fast, exciting, interesting, and a decent sci-fi thriller overall.

My score: 4/5
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53: Equilibrium

What If: In the future, all human emotion is repressed.

The Film: A bit of a rip-off of George Orwell's 1984 and Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, but the film is still cooler than anything. It features some of the awesomest gunfighting imaginable, thanks to the "gun-kata" where characters rush through and shoot at everything in wild kung-fu style angles that supposedly maximize their efficiency while dodging enemy gunfire. Even though the action stands out phenomenally, the story is still very solid and carries a strong emotional impact, as the main character discovers emotion for the first time and eventually learns to defy the system he works for. It's as moving of a story as it is exciting, and I think the film is pretty darn awesome that way.

My score: 4.5/5
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52: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

What If: In the 24th century, Captain Kirk is framed for the assassination of the Klingon chancellor, and has to race against time to uncover a conspiracy to disrupt peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.

The Film: In the last classic Trek adventure, the film starts off darkly and strong with a magnificent sequence showing the moon Praxis exploding. From then on, the film remains tense and thrilling as the characters unravel a mystery and race against time to save the future. Coming out just after the Cold War era, the film mirrors a lot of the events, fear, and paranoia that would have been going on at the time, while harkening to Shakespearian text to highlight themes of the uncertain future.

My score: 4.5/5
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51: Jurassic Park

What If: An entrepreneur creates a theme park full of cloned dinosaurs!

The Film: Spielberg takes Michael Chrichton's thrilling novel and turns it into an gripping adventure. The film has a few notable weaknesses, but it has smashing special effects, a solid plot, and an endearing cast of characters. Although the notion of bringing dinosaurs back to life carries a sense of whimsey, which is conveyed well at times, the film underscores the harrowing dangers of trying to control nature. With chaos theory as a thematic parallel, the film proves that there are certain areas of genetics and science in general that we probably shouldn't mess with.

My score: 4/5
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50: Avatar

What If: Humans invade aliens, for a change.

The Film: Avatar has gotten some flack for being an unoriginal rehash of such classic stories as Dances With Wolves and The Last Samurai. As I see it, however, Avatar is a sci-fi adaptation of the Pocahontas story, and it proves just how timeless and fundamental the story is; it's one of those stories that can apply to any genre or era. Set in a distant world in a distant future, Avatar really makes the story shine in fresh new light with its trippy color schemes, fantastic alien settings, and deep worldbuilding. The film is none too subtle about its themes regarding war, industrialization, and the destruction of the environment. It does introduce a few unique ideas as it focuses on a marine swapping bodies with an alien "avatar" to effectively become one of the Na'vi. Despite the complaints about the story, the film has plenty of action, some bright moments, and a lot of imagination.

My score: 4.5/5
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49: The Fifth Element

What If: A taxi driver has to unite five elements to stop evil from destroying the world!

The Film: If nothing else, The Fifth Element is one of the most stylish, exciting, and imaginative sci-fi adventures made. It takes us from the towering futuristic cities to far-away planets, with loads of action and impressive special effects. The story's pretty odd, but with Luc Besson's direction, the film overall comes off as hip and cool. It's pretty sobering to see how crowded, big, crazy, dirty, and bizarre the future can be, but it makes for a heck of a show.

My score: 4.5/5
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48: I Am Legend

What If: One of the last-surviving men on Earth struggles to find a cure for an epidemic that has turned everybody else into zombies.

The Film: This is the third time Richard Matheson's novel was turned into a film; it's still not a perfect adaptation, but it's still a darn good film. Its post-apocalyptic vision of crumbling, overgrown cities is still a sight to behold, and it's consistently gripping to watch the main character's daily struggle for survival. The film's style gives it a good amount of heart and power, and it provides a compelling view of what a zombie-infested future could look like.

My score: 4/5
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47: Starship Troopers

What If: We wage war against alien bugs.

The Film: The film is a pretty far cry from Robert Heinlein's novel, but Paul Verhoeven really made it his own with all the same level of bloodshed, satire, and craziness that made RoboCop such a hit. The universe of Starship Troopers is a zany gung-ho society where brutality is gleefully rewarded; it all serves to showcase a potential future where fascism is embraced, and despite all the excitement and glamor, it is pretty stark and crazy.

My score: 4.5/5
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46: Aliens

What If: Space marines are deployed to fight xenomorphs!

The Film: The first Alien film was quite an effective horror film. For this list, however, I favored the sequel the most; it makes for a really cool action picture, with plenty of thrilling fights with the powerful alien creatures. James Cameron brings a lot of awesome hardware and concepts to the table, arming the colonial marines the best he can to make a fairly badass adventure. This even extends to the main heroine, Ellen Ripley, who learns to overcome fear and become a hardened maternal figure; it's a theme that mirrors the PTSD issues that affected Vietnam veterans, and was carried over effectively in this picture.

My score: 4.5/5
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45: The Fly (1958)

What If: A scientist suffers a tragic transporter accident.

The Film: How cool would it be if you could step in one place and wind up in a totally different place the next instant? Transporter technology could provide fast and easy transport anywhere, but The Fly uncovers one terrifying ramification. The film maintains tension and suspense as it explores this terrifying notion.

My score: 4/5
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44: The Source Code

What If: A man keeps reliving the same 8 minutes over and over again, so he can stop a bomb from going off on a train.

The Film: A very clever thriller, the likes of which could have been a pretty cool Twilight Zone episode. The Source Code doesn't divulge much technical secrets about how this man is able to live through the same disaster over and over again (something about alternate universes), but it is a neat storytelling dynamic. The film proves to be greatly nuanced as it makes the same 8 minutes unique and thrilling every time, until it reaches its interesting conclusion. Overall, it's as thrilling of a film as it is fascinating sci-fi.

My score: 4.5/5
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43: Doomsday Book (In-lyu-myeol-mang-bo-go-seo)

...it could happen...

What If: One movie can show you a zombie love story, a Buddhist robot, and a giant 8-ball impacting the planet.

The Film: It took six years to craft this anthology of bizarre short stories. Each one offers a little bit of something; the first segment shows a pretty unique zombie outbreak, while the middle section offers a truly thought-provoking tale, and the last one is just so far out-there that it's fun. I think all three shorts are great, and I would heartily recommend them to sci-fi fans.

My score: 4.5/5
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42: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

What If: People's bodies are being taken over by alien creatures!

The Film: Although this version of the story doesn't carry the same themes of Cold War paranoia as the original 1956 film, it is still a chilling sight to watch people being consumed and transformed on a mass scale. In the gritty world of the 70s, the film is even more uncompromising. The story's familiar, the characters are great, but above all, the final scene will stay with you long after the credits start rolling.

My score: 4/5
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41: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

What If: People are being taken over by creatures that look like giant sea-pods!

The Film: This classic tale of paranoia touches upon the fears of its time. In a time when the communist scare was still in full-swing, the Invasion of the Body Snatchers isn't so much an alien invasion, as it is an invasion of anybody wanting to subvert the masses to become drone-like slaves of a seemingly-inhumane doctrine. The film's themes are subtly but exquisitely expressed through its basic storyline, with characters we can root for, and the film's style overall is solid. As such, it is a solid sci-fi classic.

My score: 4/5
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To be continued...

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Al's Top 100 Sci-Fi Films Part 2

Part 1
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80: V for Vendetta

What If: A freedom fighter named V exposes the crimes of a dytopian British government and takes revenge on key politicians.

The Film: Adapted loosely from the comic, this film presents a pretty dense story filled with action, interesting mysteries, heartfelt characters, and a rebellious spirit that mirrors the tale of Guy Fawkes. The dystopian nature of the futuristic London is subtle, but menacing enough to make us root for the main character. Maybe not a groundbreaking film, but it is a satisfying adventure with a unique vision.

My score: 4/5
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79: John Carter

What If: A Civil War soldier is teleported to Mars, where he becomes involved in a conflict between warring factions and has to save a princesses of Mars.

The Film: This film was 100 years in the making, but budget issues and poor marketing turned this into a flop and disappointment for many. Despite its shortcomings, the film is most adventurous. The story itself has been cited as a huge influence for many modern-day films, like Star Wars and Avatar. On its own merits, the film is pretty cool as soft sci-fi; it never takes itself seriously enough for scientific realism to become an obstacle (because, seriously, there's no air on Mars, so what the hell?). It is most noteworthy for its imaginative, highly-detailed world, full of awesome airships, aliens, creatures, and mythology. It is a really fun and inspiring glimpse at what otherworldly cultures could look like, and the story is by nature fundamental.

My score: 4.5/5
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78: Serenity

What If: In the distant future, a crew of renegades harbors a girl with a powerful secret, and has to go up against a whole bunch of enemies to save her.

The Film: This film follows up on the TV series Firefly, which was cancelled before it could really find its audience and go anywhere. The franchise overall is a slick and exciting hybrid of sci-fi and westerns; it takes us through many imaginative worlds on many imaginative adventures. In this last adventure, the crew of the Serenity face their toughest challenges, and each character is as endearing as ever. Even though the film remains open-ended for more potential sequels, it does round off the original series well. With awesome big-scale action and SFX, the film is a successful fan favorite, and might remain so for years to come.

My score: 4.5/5
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77: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

OH S&*T, PULL UP!!!

What If: Medical experiments cause an ape to be born with advanced intelligence. After a series of tragedies and torments, the apes revolt.

The Film: We're all familiar with the Planet of the Apes, and the background was covered in the phenomenally dystopic Conquest for Planet of the Apes. With Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a fresh new series starts off hard and strong, chronicling the birth and rise of Caesar and his rebellion against the human race. It's always been a ridiculous story, but the film plays it straight enough, and it is evenly entertaining. More importantly, it's easy to emphasize and root for Caesar; his initial act of defiance is probably one of the most triumphant scenes in recent memory. This film shows that, after messing around with nature, nature fights back, and it could be the beginning of the end.

My score: 4.5/5
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76: Pacific Rim

What If: A race of monsters from another dimension invade Earth. We deploy giant robots to stop them.

The Film: Borrowing heavily from the classic kaiju movies and robot anime from Japan, Pacific Rim is a massive spectacle with larger-than-life battles. It's a silly film at times, but the characters are endearing, the production is highly imaginative, and the film overall has palpable heart and soul. The film lays out a detailed universe with a lot of rules and concepts that bring the giant Jaegers and the world of Pacific Rim to life vividly.

My score: 4.5/5
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75: I, Robot

What If: A cop investigates the murder of a famous robot inventor, and eventually discovers that the robot-pocalypse may be upon him.

The Film: Aside from the famous three laws of robotics, the film has little to do with Isaac Asimov's stories. It is still a pretty fun thrill ride, with lots of great-looking action and effects. It is cool to watch cars that can roll on swiveling 360-degree wheels, trying to outrun hoards of robots. In between the action, however, the film does dig up a few interesting ideas concerning robots and their potential influence on future culture.

My score: 4/5
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74: Stargate

What If: An ancient Egyptian artifact is dug up that, when deciphered, opens a portal to another world.

The Film: I always felt that Stargate had an interesting concept, as it drew parallels between ancient Egyptian culture and extraterrestrial life. Who's to say that the ancients didn't look up to an alien as a god, and built the pyramids as a giant space-dock? Of course, all this sets the ground-work for some cool action and special effects, and the film is a solid thrill ride first and foremost. The film's concept does open the doors for questioning our perception of history and wondering if life in the stars could have influenced life here.

My score: 4/5
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73: Oblivion

What If: In the future, a technician goes around fixing drones to protect giant structures that's supposed to help the human race migrate to Titan. Or is it?

The Film: We've seen some of this before; chances are that you'll go through the film and say, yeah, that reminds me of Independence Day, and that reminds me of Logan's Run, and that's just like such-and-such. However, the film is still a very slick and visually-awesome picture, and it is a load of fun to watch. Many viewers found the story hard to understand, thanks to some of the twists that are pulled out, but I found it very sublime (and it all makes even better sense on repeat viewings). Despite being a bit derivative, I really admire the story, I love the way the film looks, and it is phenomenally entertaining.

My score: 5/5
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72: The Thing (1982)

What If: Explorers in the Antarctic become stalked by an alien that can consume organisms and assume their form.

The Film: The original film The Thing From Another World is classy as it is, but John Carpenter's version presents a more harrowing and chilling update on the tale. It's often times crazy and gruesome, highlighting the real terror of a shapeshifting alien and the paranoia that it would create. The film also emphasizes the fear of what could happen if the creature is let loose on the world. The Thing is an unforgettable horror picture, and a fine bit of sci-fi.

My score: 4.5/5
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71: War of the Worlds (2005)

What If: Aliens invade!

The Film: Once again, HG Welles' classic tale of alien invasion hits the big screen. This time, in Spielberg's hands, the experience is notably different. It's made to thematically reflect the harsh issues of the time, when the War on Terror was in full swing; some have noted that there's a parallel between the invading aliens and the troops that invaded Iraq. What's really surprising about this movie, however, is that the action (cool as it is) is mostly shoved in the background, allowing the characters and their plight to take the center stage. A lot of what they go through is tense and harrowing. Unfortunately, some of the ideas that made the original book and film so fresh won't work as well with the modern times (specifically, with the aliens being defeated by mere micro-bacteria; it's more likely that their diseases could wipe us out!). Still, considering the source material, this version of the tale is interesting in its own right.

My score: 4/5
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70: War of the Worlds (1953)

What If: Creatures from another world look upon Earth with envious eyes...

The Film: This classic picture brings HG Welles' novel to life with a lot of flash and thrills. Obviously, the biggest standouts will be in watching the Tripods rising up and wiping everything out with their heat rays. And as a modern take on the tale, we send everything we can at them: guns, tanks, planes, and even a nuclear bomb...but with no avail. Even though the film is pretty dated and a bit cheesy, it is still probably the most faithful adaptation of the book, and it remains the most original alien invasion story to date. In its original context, it is a pretty scary "what if" situation.

My score: 4/5
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69: Knowing

What If: A little girl writes down a seemingly-random series of numbers. Years later, those numbers are decrypted and reveal the exact date and location of major disasters. And the worst disaster might be coming...

The Film: This has been a love-it-or-hate-it film with most, but I thought it was brilliant. Most of it plays out as a suspense thriller, but by the end, it pulls out a few bold and far-out twists that pushes the film into the realms of thought-provoking speculation. The experience is brought down a bit by all the running-around toward the end, but the revelations of Knowing are quite profound.

My score: 4.5/5
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68: Twelve Monkeys

What If: A guy travels back in time to stop the Army of the 12 Monkeys from releasing a virus that could wipe out humanity.

The Film: It's a weird, visceral, and dark film, but Terry Gilliam's signature zaniness and charm still exists. The time traveling aspects will be the most interesting, especially during the finale. Overall though, the film is pretty bleak, visually interesting, and it is quite an odyssey through time.

My score: 4/5
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67: Slaughterhouse-Five

What If: A man finds himself becoming "unstuck" in time; he jumps around between being his younger self in WWII, being a married man in his middle-ages, and being on another planet in the future.

The Film: Such a weird story, but it's ingenious the way the film takes numerous narrative strands and makes them flow in one continuous and sublime fashion. Adapted from Kurt Vonnegut's celebrated novel, the film focuses firmly on the character, as he faces horror while living in a literal slaughterhouse during WWII, before moving on and facing even stranger encounters afterward.

My score: 4/5
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66: Fahrenheit 451

Well, okay, you can burn that boring book...

What If: In the future, firemen don't stop fires, they start them, because books are illegal and they burn them!

The Film: The film is a bit random and loses some steam by its end, but it's still a decent adaptation of Ray Bradbury's classic story. It's a sobering view of a dystopic future, with a firm focus on troubled characters who inevitably rebel against oppression. The story has always asserted that we might lose a significant portion of our culture and humanity if we destroy our literature; the story is also profound in the way the main character gains some humanity by abandoning his position and pursuing literature.

My score: 4/5
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65: Gattaca

What If: In the future, the human race becomes divided between those who are genetically perfect, and those who are "invalid." One invalid tries to thwart the system to become a spaceman.

The Film: Gattaca has a very original and interesting idea. I have heard speculation that we could design and genetically alter our children in the future, so I have no doubt that the world of Gattaca could be a reality some day. And it is a tough reality, given that our natural-born protagonist has to face discrimination at every turn, and resorts to some clever, but difficult means to pass off as a superior member of society. It is an exquisite film with cool ideas, but I always felt it got pretty dry as it went on, and then it seemed to fizzle out at the end. Other than that, it is a must-see.

My score: 4/5
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64: Silent Running

What If: A spaceship is trucking around the last of Earth's forests.

The Film: A bit slow, but still a solid story with lots of great-looking model work and designs. The film is one of the few that more realistically portrays space travel, and it does so with a relevant story. One can't help but to root for the main character as he struggles to save the last forest. With its unique premise and settings, Silent Running is a pretty cool space opera.

My score: 3.5/5
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63: Altered States

What If: Scientists experiment with hallucinogenic drugs, causing them to revert to a former stage of evolution.

The Film: Despite some drag, the film has some incredibly visceral imagery when the scientists get high on their own supply. More than that though, the film underscores the key primal characteristics of the human spirit: the brutal, bestial qualities that reside in our genes generation after generation, which might be invoked in dangerous ways. It's a very high-concept premise, told with powerful and invoking photography, and it makes for one trippy experience.

My score: 4/5
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62: Watchmen

What If: In an alternate 1985, Cold War tensions reach their apex, and it rests on a group of superheroes to stop the world from plunging into total destruction.

The Film: A very close adaptation of the original comic, the Watchmen film takes the classic tropes of superheroes and flips everything around. It's a bleak world where good guys do bad things, where bad guys work for the greater good, and everybody's actions have deep consequences. The story implies that the mere presence of heroes and supermen could alter history in profound ways - ways that might be more dystopic than the average superhero film would otherwise suggest. In sci-fi terms, Watchmen provides an interesting alternate history scenario.

A couple of side-features have also been made for the Watchmen.  Tales of the Black Freighter adapts the comic-within-the-comic.  It is a darn wicked cartoon.  Under the Hood adapts the subplot of Hollis Mason's background.  On home video, the Watchmen can be seen in its original theatrical edition, a three-hour director's cut with decent new scenes, or the Ultimate Cut which includes everything plus the Black Freighter cartoon.  They're all worth seeing, depending on personal preference.

My score: 4.5/5
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61: Primer

What If: Some guys build a mysterious machine.

The Film: This film is like an engineer's experiment, craftily-made with raw parts, but running efficiently. It is a stylish film, and it is quite a cerebral one that twists the timeline around and makes things unpredictable. It has got to be one of the densest and smartest time-traveling movies available.

My score: 4/5
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To be continued...

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