10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s

Unless your most impressionable days were spent in the decade you probably think that the 1980s were a pretty weak era for movies. There are movies that are "classic" to anyone that was young at the time, but matched up against the all-time classic they fall short. The one genre that is the exception is sci-fi. In the 1980s sci-fi movies went from B movies to some of the most classic Sci-Fi movies of all-time.

10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s: #10 E. T.
Most movie expert would say that E. T. is the best movie on this list. That is possibly true but on a best sci-fi list E. T. is only worthy of ranking 10th simply for not being as sci-fi-ish as the other movies on the list.

10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s: #9 Predator
Maybe Predator as a whole was not quite as good as the other movies on this list but the Predator itself is possibly the coolest looking alien of all-time. Certainly only the aliens from the Alien movies can compare, which is why the Aliens vs. Predator movies were an epic fail.

10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s: #8 Spaceballs
Spaceballs is a rare comedic sci-fi movie and certainly the best of that particular genre. The Mel Brooks parody of Star Wars is the best parody movie of all-time and a highlight in the great career of Mel Brooks.

10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s: #7 Akira
Akira is possible the best anime film of all-time. It certainly was the movie that introduced anime to a large percentage of Americans that are now fans of the genre.

10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s: #6 Back to the Future
Mix sci-fi with one of the biggest stars of the 1980s and you have a hit on your hands. Unfortunately this sci-fi classic was stretched out to three movies and the last two would be pretty poor if it wasn't for Michael J. Fox, but the original Back to the Future stands up pretty well against its sci-fi brethren.

10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s: #5 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Honestly I'm not a big fan of anything Star Trek related and even less of a fan of anything starring William Shatner but considering how many times I've seen Star Trek nerds do their "KHHHHAAAANNNNN" impression it was impossible to come to any conclusion other than it deserves to be in the top 10.

10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s: #4 Aliens
The original Alien movie could stake claim to the best sci-fi movie of all-time but unfortunately it missed the 1980s by one year. The second Aliens movie is still close to the top but not quite the best.

10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s: #3 The Terminator
The Terminator is one of the most popular sci-fi movies, most quotable sci-fi movies and has one of the biggest sci-fi stars. Terminator 2 was even bigger than the original but the first is still a sci-fi classic.

10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s: #2 The Empire Strikes Back
Empire Strikes Back features some of the most memorable moments in movie history, not just sci-fi history. Darth Vader is Luke's father, Luke's hand gets chopped off, Han Solo is frozen in carbonite and Yoda makes his first appearance. Empire Strikes Back still comes just a hair short of the best sci-fi movies of the 1980s.

10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s: #1 Blade Runner
The Blade Runner is definitely in the argument for the best sci-fi movie of all-time no matter which one of the three thousand versions you've seen. Ridley Scott's direction combined with Philip K Dick's source material is a perfect blend of sci-fi goodness.