3 Very Good and Underrated Sci Fi Movies

[Crown Royal]

That were lost in the last decade to Star Wars mumbo jumbo:

1) The Fifth Element - OK it is quite obvious that this script was written in the writer's study hall in high school. Very cheesy and stylized. But VERY fun and enjoyable. Good action, very cool to look at. The French director (forgot his name) took the 'serious feel' back out of sci-fi for a little while to bring us a great look.

2) Pitch Black - Hey, Vin Diesel's best movie. True story. This was a very fun movie - it was science fiction, but you didn't really care. It was just an action movie in space. Very original, edge of your seat. Too bad the Chronicles of Riddick had to come out and take a little of that gritty feel away.

3) Serenity - I just saw this movie about a month ago, and it's been coming on HBO, but this might be the best of the three. It's so funny, enjoyable, and ....funny. Never saw the series (prolly never will) but the movie was a great time. Too bad it didn't get a good strong following outside of the cult it had, because a sequel would be fun.

Feel free to add to the list if you want - I was just bored on a Friday night in a town I don't live in, one of these was on, decided to post something.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

That were lost in the last decade to Star Wars mumbo jumbo:

1) The Fifth Element - OK it is quite obvious that this script was written in the writer's study hall in high school. Very cheesy and stylized. But VERY fun and enjoyable. Good action, very cool to look at. The French director (forgot his name) took the 'serious feel' back out of sci-fi for a little while to bring us a great look.

2) Pitch Black - Hey, Vin Diesel's best movie. True story. This was a very fun movie - it was science fiction, but you didn't really care. It was just an action movie in space. Very original, edge of your seat. Too bad the Chronicles of Riddick had to come out and take a little of that gritty feel away.

3) Serenity - I just saw this movie about a month ago, and it's been coming on HBO, but this might be the best of the three. It's so funny, enjoyable, and ....funny. Never saw the series (prolly never will) but the movie was a great time. Too bad it didn't get a good strong following outside of the cult it had, because a sequel would be fun.

Feel free to add to the list if you want - I was just bored on a Friday night in a town I don't live in, one of these was on, decided to post something.

I never watched the series, I think it was called Firefly, but I did like the movie.

I have heard that the people who did follow the series did not care for the movie so who knows.

Anyone remember the cheesy 80's space comedy Ice Pirates...used to make me laugh.

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

CR, you my dog, but The Fifth Element?

Bruce Willis is da man... makes a lot of crappy movies bearable. But that movie..... Let's see, how can I make my movie stand out? Oh yeah, insert as many gay neon colors as possible and make Chris Tucker an androgenous alien and hope that peeps think it's original.

Since I endured the whole movie not once thinking it's "artistic" as something like Sin City, it makes it only worse to find out in the end that I've wasted 2 hours only for some alien to spurt out the biggest cliche in sci-fi history. "You're such a noble species capable of anything, yet you're so violent, you need the way." I'd say more frank comments about this self-congratulatory human love fest, but this message board would censor it. By the way, didn't I hear that line in that new Superman trailer I saw this summer? :

Pitch Black I can't comment on because I'm still trying to watch the whole Riddick line. I saw the sequel and thought it sucked but the original movie might be better.

Serenity I agree on. I have it on my TiVo. Hell, I've had that sucker on my TiVo for months now. The beginning blew me away! Very cool introduction before the credits. I don't know what the TV storyline is but I know a lot of poeple who have recommended this film to me, and one day when I have the attention span, I'm going to sit down and watch the entirety.

My choices, in no particular order:

Running Man - Ahney at his best. This movie appeals to any wrestling fan. This is one of those movies that you watch back in the day and say our society would never stoop to its level, and then you watch that reporter Nancy Grace cause some poor lady's suicide and tell yourself, yup, we're on our way!

Krull - Corny movie, but I can still watch it 20 years after the fact. There is something too cool about a sci-fi ninja star someone uses as a weapon.

The Forbidden Planet - I loved this movie when I was a kid. Old school movie watchers know what it is, and it by no means matches up to the CGI of today, but this movie was the bomb back in the day when Star Wars space battles were as far as we knew down the special effects timeline.

Gattaca - It may not be underrated when you check out the review from Ebert and the Fat Guy, but this movie was about as close to perfection as you can achieve with a five dollar sci-fi budget.

Contact- It made over a $100 million (I think), it had generally positive reviews, but how can people ignore the movie that is as close to sci-fi reality as any movie will ever come? There's something special about a movie that captures the human desire to explore the unknown and not insert a bunch of Jedis, Klingons and Agent Smiths to prove its point.

 

[calico]

I am currently watching Firefly now. I had a friend basically force me to borrow the set and I am about halfway through it. It is actually very good. A few aspects of the show are cheesy, but I have be dreading the last disc of the set.

I still need to catch the movie on HBO.

 

[Reality]

I never got into Firefly when it was out though that wasn't long. I had several friends who loved it and pleaded with me to watch it but I just don't find that many sci-fi TV shows interesting. I do like the Stargate SG1/Atlantis shows but not much else. Movies are a different story.

Anyway, I caught the flu last year and a friend loaned me his Firefly DVDs to pass the time. I really liked the show and fully understand why everyone was so disappointed when it was cancelled. The movie (Serenity) helped but it still should have stayed on TV longer.

It's amazing to me that TV is filled with reality TV shows and ratings that are sinking faster and faster yet good shows with solid followings are cancelled prematurely. I refuse to watch regular TV now and haven't in over a year beyond the few TV shows I download until they come out on DVD.

-Reality

 

[Rack]

That were lost in the last decade to Star Wars mumbo jumbo:

1) The Fifth Element - OK it is quite obvious that this script was written in the writer's study hall in high school. Very cheesy and stylized. But VERY fun and enjoyable. Good action, very cool to look at. The French director (forgot his name) took the 'serious feel' back out of sci-fi for a little while to bring us a great look.

2) Pitch Black - Hey, Vin Diesel's best movie. True story. This was a very fun movie - it was science fiction, but you didn't really care. It was just an action movie in space. Very original, edge of your seat. Too bad the Chronicles of Riddick had to come out and take a little of that gritty feel away.

3) Serenity - I just saw this movie about a month ago, and it's been coming on HBO, but this might be the best of the three. It's so funny, enjoyable, and ....funny. Never saw the series (prolly never will) but the movie was a great time. Too bad it didn't get a good strong following outside of the cult it had, because a sequel would be fun.

Feel free to add to the list if you want - I was just bored on a Friday night in a town I don't live in, one of these was on, decided to post something.

Agree with all three. Although I'd have Serenity as #1. Serenity is a rarity nowadays... it's original. I loved that show, and the movie kicks butt.

 

[Rack]

I never got into Firefly when it was out though that wasn't long. I had several friends who loved it and pleaded with me to watch it but I just don't find that many sci-fi TV shows interesting. I do like the Stargate SG1/Atlantis shows but not much else. Movies are a different story.

Anyway, I caught the flu last year and a friend loaned me his Firefly DVDs to pass the time. I really liked the show and fully understand why everyone was so disappointed when it was cancelled. The movie (Serenity) helped but it still should have stayed on TV longer.

It's amazing to me that TV is filled with reality TV shows and ratings that are sinking faster and faster yet good shows with solid followings are cancelled prematurely. I refuse to watch regular TV now and haven't in over a year beyond the few TV shows I download until they come out on DVD.

-Reality

Once you watch it (I highly recommend it) you'll see that eventhough it's set in the future and on a spaceship, there really isn't THAT much "SciFi" to it. They don't focus on the "SciFi" aspect of it. Hell the ship doesn't even have weapons. It was a great show. Fox dropped the ball with that one.

 

[Khartun]

Agreed, Firefly was a great series. I absolutely loved it. Serenity was good too. I keep hoping that Sci-Fi will hire the cast to start the series up again.


Briscoe County Jr. was another show like firefly that was a good show, had a big following and got cancelled.

Edit:

The new Battlestar Galactica is another great series.

 

[Rack]

Yep the new BSG is great.

At first I hate that Starbuck was a chick, but now I like the character.


Boomer's a hottie too, and I tap that toaster 2 times.

 

[Reality]

Once you watch it (I highly recommend it) you'll see that eventhough it's set in the future and on a spaceship, there really isn't THAT much "SciFi" to it. They don't focus on the "SciFi" aspect of it. Hell the ship doesn't even have weapons. It was a great show. Fox dropped the ball with that one.

If you read my post, I said I watched it I own the DVD series and movie in fact.

 

[Rack]

If you read my post, I said I watched it I own the DVD series and movie in fact.

 

[Kangaroo]

I never watched the series, I think it was called Firefly, but I did like the movie.

I have heard that the people who did follow the series did not care for the movie so who knows.

Anyone remember the cheesy 80's space comedy Ice Pirates...used to make me laugh.

I know quite a few that followed the series including me and we loved the movie.

Whedon stuck to what made the tv series good he developed the characters; he mixed humor with the action. It was great the Tv series was very well done and is worth renting on Netflix.

The guy that played the captain was in Blast from the Past he was the old boyfriend Frazier kept punching :laugh1:

 

[Kangaroo]

Krull - Corny movie, but I can still watch it 20 years after the fact. There is something too cool about a sci-fi ninja star someone uses as a weapon.

I watched that one in the theater as a kid and loved it and I have rewatched it since the funny thing is seeing a very young Liam Neeson as one of the characters.

 

[DCowboyz]

Pitch Black was good.. I just don't know how it related to the Chronicles of Riddick.. Pretty lame if you ask me.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Yep the new BSG is great.

At first I hate that Starbuck was a chick, but now I like the character.


Boomer's a hottie too, and I tap that toaster 2 times.

I loved the first two seasons of BSG but I'm not that excited to see the new season. The season ending show/cliffhanger was terrible.

And yes Boomer is a hottie as well as Dualla (sp?).

 

[Crown Royal]

Gattaca - It may not be underrated when you check out the review from Ebert and the Fat Guy, but this movie was about as close to perfection as you can achieve with a five dollar sci-fi budget.

Contact- It made over a $100 million (I think), it had generally positive reviews, but how can people ignore the movie that is as close to sci-fi reality as any movie will ever come? There's something special about a movie that captures the human desire to explore the unknown and not insert a bunch of Jedis, Klingons and Agent Smiths to prove its point.

I forgot about those two - excellent choices. Ethan Hawke's best movie might be Gattaca. Also Jude Law's first film, IIRC.

Contact was amazing...came from an amazing writer and thinker, Carl Sagan. Well...maybe amazing isn't the correct word to describe Sagan, rather...someone who insisted on writing his thoughts while under the influence of marijuana. (True story)

 

[Crown Royal]

I guess with the response on Firefly, I need to rent the series.

BTW - another one I forgot. Event Horizon. Smaller, unsuccessful movie with Sam Neill and Lawrence Fishburne. Dunno that Sci Fi is the correct word, because as a teenager, that movie would come on late at night on a movie channel, and there would be no sleep. Terrified me. Cheesy, though, I know.

 

[Yeagermeister]

I forgot about those two - excellent choices. Ethan Hawke's best movie might be Gattaca. Also Jude Law's first film, IIRC.

Contact was amazing...came from an amazing writer and thinker, Carl Sagan. Well...maybe amazing isn't the correct word to describe Sagan, rather...someone who insisted on writing his thoughts while under the influence of marijuana. (True story)

I have too tell this story. My future wife and I rented what we thought was Contact. When we played the tape it was Home Alone. The tape was marked Contact and had not been altered that we could tell. The guy at the rental place didn't believe us until he played the tape. :laugh2:

 

[Kevinicus]

That were lost in the last decade to Star Wars mumbo jumbo:

1) The Fifth Element - OK it is quite obvious that this script was written in the writer's study hall in high school. Very cheesy and stylized. But VERY fun and enjoyable. Good action, very cool to look at. The French director (forgot his name) took the 'serious feel' back out of sci-fi for a little while to bring us a great look.

2) Pitch Black - Hey, Vin Diesel's best movie. True story. This was a very fun movie - it was science fiction, but you didn't really care. It was just an action movie in space. Very original, edge of your seat. Too bad the Chronicles of Riddick had to come out and take a little of that gritty feel away.

3) Serenity - I just saw this movie about a month ago, and it's been coming on HBO, but this might be the best of the three. It's so funny, enjoyable, and ....funny. Never saw the series (prolly never will) but the movie was a great time. Too bad it didn't get a good strong following outside of the cult it had, because a sequel would be fun.

Feel free to add to the list if you want - I was just bored on a Friday night in a town I don't live in, one of these was on, decided to post something.

Chronicles of Riddick was better than Pitch Black, PB was just ok. Firefly is a great series. Never saw it until after I saw Serenity. Firefly is better. It's far more comedic than the movie was. Sci-Fi or someone needs to get the rights to make new episodes.

 

[ROMOSAPIEN9]

Galaxy Quest- It's one of those that everytime you watch it you catch something different. Very funny, and Sam Rockwell steals the show. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.