Top 10 Science Fiction Movies ~

January 2nd is National Science Fiction Day, named so, according to The Year of Living Unofficially, in honor of the birthday of famed science fiction author Isaac Asimov, who wrote such stories as “Nightfall” and the “I, Robot” collection. In celebration of this glorious day, I have comprised my list of Top 10 Science Fiction Movies of all time. These are just my opinion, of course, so feel free to disagree and offer your opinions. After all, I might forget one or two good ones along the way!

Top 10 Science Fiction Movies For Science Fiction Day

1. Return of the Jedi

I loved all the Star Wars films, even the new ones (well, except for the first of the new ones, The Phantom Menace. It was lame) and although everyone else went googoo over The Empire Strikes Back, which was a good film, I preferred this one overall because it finally brought everything together. If you haven’t seen this film then SPOILER ALERT: Luke turns his father back from the dark side, Princess Leia and Han Solo finally hook up, and of course The Emperor gets his in the end. I love a good ending where the bad guy gets what’s coming to him!

2. Avengers

This movie was just freaking awesome and definitely earns a place in my Top 10 Science Fiction Movies! If you haven’t seen it, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Yes, I know, for a newer film to make this list is odd, but this one is well worth it! Tony Stark’s  one-liners, a very believable and quite scary Hulk, and better developed characters in Captain America and Thor made this one of Marvel Film’s best ever! If you get a chance, sit down and watch it!

3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

I can remember when this movie came out, I was so excited. Now, not that I am one to sit here and talk about how great an actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is (please!), but in this movie he did a decent job. He reprises his role of a futuristic cyborg-type machine sent back from the future. Only this time he is here to save Sarah Connor’s son, John, from another more advanced Terminator, portrayed by Robert Patrick. To boot, the movie also had an awesome soundtrack!

4. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial

Who can forget the lovable, friendly alien known as E.T.? This was Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, and well deserving of all the attention it received. Besides introducing us to Drew Barrymore, this film took us through a whole gambit of emotions, from fear to excitement, happiness and sadness. I guess if you were going to pick a science fiction film that was well-written, well-directed, and had a wonderful storyline, this would be your best pick. But, I also take into consideration the special effects and action sequences in picking my Top 10 Science Fiction Movies. That’s why this one ranks a bit off the top for me. The special effects weren’t the best in this one, and it was not the best action film I have ever seen, but the story more than made up for that.

5. Frequency

Imagine talking to someone on a c.b. radio for months only to find out later that the person you were talking to was your father, who had passed away several years ago. That is the premise of this movie. It sounds pretty strange, but it was a really good movie; one of those that you want to watch over and over again. When I am watching this movie, I kind of get lost in it, if you know what I mean. I tune everything else out and just want to watch it.

6. Star Trek: Nemesis

Unlike the series, most of the Star Trek films were kind of hit or miss. This one was definitely a hit! I loved the storyline. It had a good amount of emotion, action, even comedy. And the bad guy in this one was pretty bad. The acting, on the other hand, was pretty good. I have to say that I loved Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard, from the series right down to the films! Although he is probably more well-known now as Professor Xavier in the X-Men films, I still see him as Captain Picard. This film ends in a sad way, but it is still a classic in my book and makes my Top 10 Science Fiction Films to Celebrate Science Fiction Day List.

7. The Butterfly Effect

Until this movie, I had never seen Ashton Kutcher do anything but comedy. He is a pretty decent all-around actor, though. This movie is based upon the premise that each and every decision we make throughout our lives affects our future. If we were able to change some of the decisions we made, as Kutcher’s character does in the movie, then the outcome is different. However, it doesn’t mean that the change in outcome will be the outcome we want…

8. 2012

I had to include one of those movies about the end of the world. I think this one may be the best. I liked “Deep Impact” and “The Day After Tomorrow” as well, but it was this one that scored the biggest with me. It had plenty of action, and it was loosely based on the whole Mayan Calendar thing. It talked about the super volcano underneath Yellowstone National Park, and that quite frankly is really scary. I don’t know of any other disaster film that touches upon that.

9. Short Circuit

I just love this movie for its clean-cut comedy. I remember getting a lot of one-liners out of it. And the robot No. 5 was so funny. I have laughed at this film several times, and still enjoy watching it even to this day. If you are looking for a light-hearted laugh and an interesting movie to boot, then check this one out. It’s about a robot that comes “alive” after being struck by lightning. Steve Guttenberg and Ally Sheedy are wonderful in it, and it is great for children to watch as well!

10. Star Wars

The original film that started it all. This is without a doubt a sci-fi classic. I don’t know what it is about this movie that it just keeps hanging around in my Top Ten Science Fiction Movies, but for whatever reason, I do love it. More and more movies with better special effects and more action come out every year, but they just can’t knock this one off my top ten list. Here’s to you, George Lucas, for creating a masterpiece!

Other Great Movies Not On My Top 10 Science Fiction Movies List

No, I did not forget any of the Alien films. They just don’t rank among my top ten. Sorry if you are a fan of these or Sigourney Weaver or whatever. I will give them an honorable mention, however, as top science fiction films not on my list, along with The Running Man, Close Encounters of The Third Kind, and Poltergeist. All good movies, just not in my top ten.

What Will You Be Watching For National Science Fiction Day?

See a complete list of January 2013 Holidays!