My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #1

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #1


By Ken Parker

I want to thank everyone who has followed my top 25 Sci-Fi Movie list. It was fun putting together the list and then trying to come up with things to write about. Hopefully you were half way entertained or informed. Feel free to comment on your own top lists and provide feedback on mine.

The choice for the top position on my list was not an easy one to decide. It could have easily been one of 3 or 4 different movies. I chose the one that has safely been on my list for many years and is the first one I think of when someone says Sci-Fi movie. It is, in my opinion, the definitive Sci-Fi movie that all other movies are compared to. For a work of art, it has so many incredible things going for it. Not only is the story so vast and thought provoking, but the direction and cinematography is stunning. The effects are the best in any Sci-fi movie before and since.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #2

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #2

by Ken Parker

From the very beginning of this series way back in January I mentioned that one element that I hold as a high standard for film is the visuals. The story must also hold water but the visuals can make or break a movie. They can also take a movie that extra step from being a great movie to a superb one. Films like Metropolis, Forbidden Planet, Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind are examples of this type of criteria. Visuals doesn’t mean just special effects. It is the entire composite which includes camera shot, colors, movement and so on. It is the visuals telling the story. Sci-Fi often relies on visuals to sell an idea. You may not believe in flying saucers but after seeing Close Encounters of the Third Kind, at minimum you now know what they may look like if they existed.

Visuals are also very important in the tone of the film. How it is shot and what the final image looks like is part of the blueprint of the film structure. Star Wars had a visual style with a very straight forward feel. Quick edits and throwback transitions helps set an “Exciting Days of Yesterday” and nostalgic old school feel. Couple that with stereotypical and yet re-imagined stunts and scenes and you have a classic adventure tale.

On the other hand, you take dark imagery along with slow sweeping and gloomy shots and you have a different type of movie. That is where we go today.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #3

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #3

by Ken Parker

Among my criteria of excellent Sci-Fi movies I include strong visuals, a soundtrack that envelopes the viewer and high concept ideas that are both thought provoking and exciting. So many movies on my list have elements from these but also may have great stories, top notch acting and just that magic touch. I am also a sucker for dystopian depictions and commentary on society of today. One thing that I may have not mentioned as a criteria in some Sci-Fi movies is realism. Not only do I like seeing a movie that could be real but when a film goes out of its way to sell the setting and ideas without going too far, I am happy. Movies such as Sunshine, The Abyss and 2010 are examples of this realism.

When a film takes place in the future it may be harder to sell the look of the film. You can certainly push your imagination to accept that a ship can travel faster than light or that time travel is possible. When a movie presents realistic settings, concepts and characters, that is when things can get very interesting. My final three films on my list all excel at realism. There is a look of each that could exist in the future. The concepts are within grasp of a possible future.

When a film bases some of its ideals in reality while expanding on the wonderous ideas of alien life, space travel and artificial life, it really hits a sweet spot for me.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #4

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #4

by Ken Parker


Here we are within the top 4 and I have noticed that at one point or another each of the following movies has probably been my #1 movie.  In the early 70's this movie was there and in the late 80's a different one held the spot.  This may be the movie I have seen the most on this list.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #5

 My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #5

by Ken Parker

As I have mentioned before, I am amazed on how many sequels are on my top 25 list. Two of those sequels stem from one movie and here is the look at the first sequel.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #6

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #6


by Ken Parker

When people think of Sci-Fi, many will probably think of Steven Speilberg as being a huge contributor to the genre. That may be true, but not on this list. You will see only one movie from him here. Sure, he was involved in many excellent Sci-Fi movies like A.I, Jurassic Park and Minority Report and shows up as Executive Producer for Back To The Future, but in my mind there is one film that is the definitive Speilberg Sci-Fi film and NO, it is not E.T.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #7

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time

By Ken Parker

I have already talked about expectations when going to see a movie. Sequels will often try to capitalize on the success of the original by trying to capture some of the magic that made those movies popular. You would more often than not see the same characters doing similar things in similar situations. Many times the sequels are amped up a bit with more of everything to try to outdo the original. Other times the situation may be much different but keep the same characters. The object of the sequel is to be different enough for people to not feel they are watching the original and yet be as similar as possible.

The following is a sequel that really did not do this. Instead it took some brand new ideas and put the same characters into that different situation.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #8

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #8

by Ken Parker

One thing that happens to me when I see movies over and over again – I start to appreciate them more and more. But eventually some movies start to become so embedded in my mind that I forget about them when thinking about my top 25 list, for example. The films are almost a given that they are in my best of the best lists. Four of the next eight films sort of fall into that category of being watched by myself so many times that I have become over exposed to them. Despite this, they are still part of my list and for most of them, are so important to my evolution of Sci Fi movie enjoyment that they reach very high on my list. Often I will watch these films when they are on TV but rarely do I sit down to watch them on disc. You will probably be able to figure out which movies I am talking about by the shear number of times I have watched them.

Just a reminder, I did mention in an earlier review that my estimates of the number of times I watched a movie are based on watching most of the movie (not just 15 minutes here and there) and the limited time within my life time. I have never kept a movie so close as to become obsessed with it that my numbers will reach 100 nor will I exagerate the amount like some people do. I do know people who have watched films many, many times and don't doubt some of these numbers. I do know some people who make it up.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #9

My Top Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #9

By Ken Parker

One of the common themes for Sci-fi films is to present a commentary of society today. Writers and producers can make statements about problems and issues of the day but in creative ways that at times, can be disguised in a fantastic world. The following film is one of the more obvious examples of this commentary. It is also probably one of the most influential films on this list for its imagery and themes. The fact that the film was made in 1927 and was silent speaks volumes in how superb it is. Couple that with the fact that the film gained appreciation in years later shows the staying power and the importance the film conveys.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #10

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #10

By Ken Parker

I have mentioned before that most of the movies on my list are safe bets for this type of list. The biggest controversy I expect are my omissions. I have already mentioned that The Day The Earth Stood Still and War of the Worlds are two I have left off for one reason or another. There are so many others that I just couldn't find room for.

 One movie in particular was a film I had not seen until the start of this year. It was the film that I had to see before I started this list because I heard so many good things about it. The original Solaris is certainly an ambitious film and attempts to be the Russian version of 2001: A Space Odyssey but boy, is it boring. I know people also call 2001 boring but the differences include the fact that 2001 is a visual delight and Solaris isn't. Rather than berate a film that I thought was just okay and not great let me go on with the next film on my list. Oh, and by the way, the following film is the only Star Trek film on my list– talk about controversy. We finally break into my top ten with....

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #11

My Top 25 Movies of All Time - #11

By Ken Parker

So many TV shows, novels and movies helped my interest in Sci-Fi grow throughout my childhood and into adulthood. The following is one of those movies that captured my imagination, being one of the earliest Sci-Fi movies I ever saw. Years later I revisited the movie after seeing visually stunning movies such as Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and 2001: A Space Odyssey and was amazed at how incredible the effects and sets were in this movie, A movie that came out more than 10 years earlier than the earliest of those films.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #12

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #12

By Ken Parker

I have already mentioned how important it is to have a great movie viewing experience. An unforgettable time watching an excellent movie can shape the way you perceive the film forever. I already mentioned one time I saw a double feature of The Road Warrior and Blade Runner. That experience, coupled with the fact that they were excellent movies helped shape how I see them today. Of course I have fond theater going memories of Battlefield Earth but that film is on an entirely different list. A bad list.

The experience and what mood you are in can also influence the perception. I also stated before that expectations can alter the final perception, either making the film seem better or even worse than it really is.

The following film is the only film on this list that I actually took a day off from school to see. It was a major event in my movie going history, probably more so than any other movie on this list. The expectations were sky high and for me it happened at a time in my life where a lot of changes were going on. It would be the end of my childhood at around this time (although I did continue to buy toys until sometime a few weeks ago.....) but I would never again enjoy the adventures of childhood as much as I had during this time period.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #13

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time

By Ken Parker

 If you have kept up with my series of top 25 Sci-Fi movies you may have noticed that I have not included too many sequels. Actually I have only listed one sequel (Mad Max- The Road Warrior). I guess you could call Serenity a sequel to the series Firefly if you want. For my remaining list of 13 I have a total of five sequels so I guess that means I hold sequels in high regard. Interestingly of the sequels on my list a total of four have their original counterpart also on the list and the following is one of them.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #14

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time

By Ken Parker

You ever see a list of top movies or TV shows and barely recognize any of the list? Or perhaps you see movies and shows so obscure or so odd that you wonder how would someone pick those? I know some reviewers go out of their way to make picks that are controversial. Also some people love to show that they are more of an expert and stay away from the classical choices. For the most part they just have their own opinion and may choose less obvious picks.

With that said, the following movie is probably the number one movie on this list with the least amount of familiarity. It will probably be by most controversial pick. Very few people have seen it and less have it on their top list. In my opinion it is an outstanding movie in many ways.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #15

 My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #15

By Ken Parker

As you will see on my completed list, I have very few sequels and only two of these sequels without their originals making the cut. This is the first. I love many sequels but will often steer more toward the original because of the ground work it has created. In this case, the original is an outstanding and bleak look at the future but that is but a setting and no more. This sequel amps up the 'future' and puts the sci-fi elements into the plot .

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #16

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #16

By Ken Parker

As time goes on we may experience a film in a different way. Personally my top 25 list is in constant flux with movies moving up and down the list. Usually the moves are minor, moving a few spots up or down. A new incoming movie on my list will obviously push others off the list. This ever changing list is bound to be different 10 years from now.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #17

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time

by Ken Parker

Some of my favorite movies are the ones that sneak up on you. These are movies you have heard little about or may not even be looking forward to. Expectations can sometimes ruin a film especially if you are hoping for much more. Hype and positive reviews can also dampen your viewing of the movie. Some films on my list are movies I went into not knowing much about them and may have gone to see them because that was the movie of the week. This film certainly fills this description. I know that I was interested from the trailer and was always eager to see true Sci-Fi movies as a change from the action packed movies with Sci-Fi elements in them.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #18

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All time - #18

By Ken Parker

One thing my list is lacking is sci-fi comedies. One could argue there have not been that many good ones and while I would agree that Galaxy Quest, Sleeper and Dark Star are all funny and pretty good, only one comedy made my list.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #19

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - A Tie for #19

By Ken Parker

I always have trouble with these types of lists because as time goes on I remember movies I had forgotten about or have second thoughts on where a movie should be placed. This resulted in this particular list going from top 20 to top 25 and then ultimately with this ranking which is my only tie on the list. I felt both movies deserved to be placed in this spot.

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #20

My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #20

By Ken Parker

Some of my favorite sci-fi movies are mysteries. They have an almost Twilight Zone feel to them as the story unfolds and a major reveal happens. Most movies have some kind of story that reveals answers as they go along. A movie like The Abyss sets up some strange happening and the audience gets to see the answer by the films end. The following movie has this type of mystery that includes a very good pay off.

I don't always like cut and dry answers and as you will see in this and many reviews, endings don't have to be spelled out all the time.