Buzz
Despite the high number of sci-fi releases, the 2000s lacked truly exceptional science-fiction films compared to the iconic works of the 1970s and 1980s. Many adaptations of books that had the potential to be better missed the mark, including Planet of the Apes, The Time Traveler, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (which was nearly as bad as Vogon poetry). Other adaptations that didn’t live up to expectations include Attack of the Clones, V for Vendetta, The Matrix sequels, Terminator Salvation, Transformers, and the 9th and 10th Star Trek films. And of course, the 2000s featured one of the worst sci-fi films ever made — Battlefield Earth. That disaster makes Plan 9 from Outer Space seem like a masterpiece by comparison.
Exclusions: Films with scientifically implausible special effects like The Day After Tomorrow, The Core, Sunshine, and 2012, where the science, plot, characters, and situations were so poor that the impressive special effects couldn’t redeem the films’ absurdity. Additionally, I’ve excluded all superhero movies, since as noted in a 2009 comment on a previous list, they belong more to the fantasy genre than to sci-fi.
20. 28 Days Later 2002
Let’s begin with this British thriller about a rage virus that spreads throughout England. It became a surprising success and led to two sequels (2007’s 28 Weeks Later and the upcoming 28 Months Later). The virus is unintentionally released by animal rights activists, and the main character, Jim, wakes up from a coma to find London largely abandoned — well, not entirely. It’s worth noting that the infected in 28 Days Later aren’t zombies, but living people driven to madness and bloodlust by the virus.
19. District 9 2009
While the film lost momentum in its final act and descended into predictable shoot-'em-up action, District 9 offered a compelling narrative that explored themes of segregation and racism (or, 'species-ism'). The movie was widely praised by critics and achieved a solid box office performance.
18. I Am Legend 2008
The third adaptation of Richard Matheson’s novel, I Am Legend, was an improvement over the second version, The Omega Man, though it didn’t quite measure up to the first, The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price. I almost omitted this Will Smith version due to its altered ending, which contradicted the core premise: that Dr. Neville, the vampire killer, becomes a legend to the vampires. However, the first three-quarters of the film were excellent and effectively conveyed the isolation of a deserted city, making up for the unsatisfying conclusion.
17. Idiocracy 2006
Is Mike Judge’s futuristic satire a prime example of top-tier sci-fi? Not exactly, but it’s an enjoyable ride and has earned a solid cult following. After an experiment goes wrong, a man and woman find themselves waking up 500 years into a future that’s populated entirely by idiots.
16. Pitch Black 2000
While its sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick, went over the top—often the case when a surprise hit gets a bigger budget—Pitch Black was a solid action thriller that hit all the right notes. The antagonists were convincing, and the action scenes were grounded in logic rather than just spectacle.
15. Avatar 2009
It would be remiss of me not to mention Avatar. Despite its colossal worldwide box office success, this is a film that tends to divide people: you either love it or hate it. I fall into the latter camp, as I prefer my dazzling special effects to be paired with a believable, original plot. Some have labeled Avatar as 'Dances with Wolves in space,' but in my opinion, Dances was the far superior film. Nevertheless, if you’re all about flashy visuals, then this film is for you.
14. War of the Worlds 2005
At the risk of contradicting myself from #15, Cruise and Spielberg’s War of the Worlds is worth noting for its impressive special effects, which not only stood out but also advanced the plot. The 'everyman-in-crisis' theme was well executed, despite some frustrating and rather illogical plot choices, such as why the aliens buried their machines underground millions of years ago, survived tectonic shifts, and yet managed to remain undetected. Furthermore, the aliens failed to protect themselves from Earth's biology, despite having previously visited and seemingly monitored the planet. That said, the sight of the aliens’ tripods and their thunderous tripod-to-tripod communications make the film enjoyable.
13. Moon 2009
This captivating sleeper hit focuses on the isolation of a man named Sam, stationed on the moon as his three-year mission comes to an end. For most of the journey, his only companion is a robot named GERTY. However, Sam soon learns that he’s not entirely alone. Moon became a favorite at Sundance and received critical acclaim.
12. Cloverfield 2008
Although the buildup may have been more compelling than the actual finale, this fresh take on the monster-attacks-city genre is still quite engaging. If the shaky camera effect doesn’t bother you, Cloverfield offers a wild ride. After a prolonged and uneventful party scene, **something** starts terrorizing New York City, throwing it into total chaos. The entire film is shown from the perspective of a guy holding a video camera (with a battery and memory card that seem practically endless!). Throughout, we only catch fleeting glimpses of the monster and sporadic moments of the military’s attempts to combat it. Similar to Jaws, the monster is not fully revealed until the end. Definitely worth watching.
11. Children of Men 2006
This adaptation of the novel of the same name may not have been flawless, but it was still a significant achievement. The human race has become infertile, and society is on the brink of collapse, with oppressive governments ruling the remnants of civilization. Amid this dystopia, a man stumbles upon a pregnant woman and fights to keep her safe. Over time, the film has garnered critical praise and become a cult classic. (Personally, I feel the theme of a future totalitarian regime works better here than in V for Vendetta.)
10. The Road 2009
The Road stays true to the essence of its source material, Cormac McCarthy’s hauntingly bleak novel. A father and son embark on a journey south through a decimated United States, long after an unspecified global disaster. Along the way, they face brutal weather, starvation, cannibals, and disease. Despite a limited U.S. release (though it was expected to debut soon in Australia and other regions), the film has received widespread acclaim.
9. Revenge of the Sith 2005
The concluding chapter of the Star Wars prequel trilogy was a considerable improvement over its two predecessors. The opening 25 minutes and the final lightsaber duels (Anakin vs. Obi-Wan and Darth Sidious vs. Yoda) stand out as some of the most memorable scenes across the entire six-film saga. While the persistent issues with wooden dialogue and acting amidst green screen settings are evident in some moments, Revenge of the Sith at least wraps up the prequels in a satisfying—though not quite Empire-level—fashion. Ian McDiarmid's portrayal of Palpatine/Sidious is one of the best performances of the decade, which is why this film holds such a prominent spot on the list.
8. 2009 Lost Memories 2002
This thought-provoking South Korean film takes place in an alternate reality where Korea remains under Japanese rule. The backstory reveals that an assassination in the early 20th century altered the course of history, with Japan siding with the Allies during WWII against the Nazis (which led to Berlin being nuked in 1945 instead of Japan). This allowed Japan to maintain its WWII conquests. The story follows Sakamoto, a Korean man raised in Japan, and his Japanese partner as they unravel a mystery involving an archaeological artifact and uncover a shocking truth about the historical timeline.
7. Star Trek 2009
J.J. Abrams’ reboot of the Star Trek franchise proved quite popular, despite many deviations from the established characters of Kirk and Spock, as well as a silly plot. (Well, it IS a Star Trek movie, after all.) The reboot earned more at the U.S. box office than the previous four Trek films combined, which bodes well for the continuing journeys of the USS Enterprise. The two standout performances: Simon Pegg (from Shaun of the Dead – the decade’s best zombie film) as Scotty and Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy.
6. Avalon 2001
This Polish/Japanese film centers on a future where people escape reality through an illegal video game, which is outlawed because players often become catatonic in real life. (Imagine if World of Warcraft or another huge online gaming community was outlawed.) One player, Ash (a lady, and no, Evil Dead fans, she doesn’t wear a chainsaw on her arm) goes on a quest to find the mythical level of Avalon. The movie was a selection and winner at numerous film festivals, including Cannes.
5. Toki o kakeru shôjo The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, 2006
I’m sure that once again, many will say that anime (“cartoons”) are not sci-fi, but I strongly disagree. (Of course, it depends on the anime, too.) Usually, I don’t go in for silly “school-girl-in-love-for-the-first-time” movies, but this film, based on the 1976 novel of the same name, follows a Japanese school girl who accidentally acquires the power to “leap” through time. Makoto uses her newfound ability to avoid embarrassing situations, get good grades, let the good times roll repeatedly and even have her mom serve her favorite meals. But Makoto discovers to her horror that she can leap only a pre-determined number of times, which leads to tragedy. The film won numerous awards and is a critical favorite.
4. Serenity 2005
After Joss Whedon’s Firefly was canceled (unfairly and prematurely, hard-core fans cry), Whedon took his concept to the big screen with Serenity. The film succeeds both as a standalone experience and as a fitting end to the short-lived series. Serenity went on to win several accolades, including the Nebula for best screenplay and the Hugo for best presentation.
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004
I realize that this might stir some controversy, but here it is: one of Jim Carrey’s most outstanding performances (no rubber-face zaniness here) is in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Carrey portrays a man who meets Clementine (Kate Winslet, in one of her more unconventional roles), who seems oddly familiar to him—even though he has no memory of her. What unfolds is a deeply satisfying, albeit slightly slow in parts, sci-fi film. In fact, Gardner Dozois, the multi-Hugo-winning editor of the renowned anthology 'The Year’s Best Science Fiction,' called it the best sci-fi genre film in years.
Notable mentions: Wall-E, Attack of the Clones (just for the final 45 minutes of almost non-stop combat) and Signs, which had a great setup but a laughable payoff.
2. Voices of a Distant Star 2002
This brief yet extraordinary film stands as one of the finest examples of any genre. It unfolds a simple love story intertwined with the vast, incomprehensible distances of space travel. A young couple falls in love, but when the woman, a soldier, departs with the fleet for a far-off planet, the gap between them widens, and their communications take increasingly longer to reach one another. It's a deeply moving and poignant experience. For the full effect, try watching it in its original Japanese. Fun fact: Makoto Shinkai single-handedly wrote, directed, and animated the entirety of Voices of a Distant Star using his Macintosh computer, with the voice work provided by Shinkai and his wife. Now that's what true sci-fi creation looks like!
1. Minority Report 2002
Though it strays quite far from Philip K. Dick's original short story — packed with car chases and action sequences not present in the source material — the collaboration between Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg delivers a film that works on multiple levels. It's also far superior to their later joint effort, War of the Worlds. Set in the future, the movie introduces a system that prevents murders before they happen, thanks to a trio of psychic mutants. If one of them disagrees with the outcome of a vision, it's known as the 'minority report.' Cruise plays a police officer who apprehends potential murderers before the crime occurs, until the psychics predict that he will commit a murder himself.
