The Ten Best Movies Involving the Future

Science fiction movies about the future are not easy to choose from. My husband and I watch a lot of sci fi movies and TV. shows so I enlisted his help in making this list.

1. Stars Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The first Star Wars movie was released in 1977. The movie was written and released by George Lucas. This was the first of the Star War movies that would be released in later years and decades. Two of the six films that follow continue on to what happens in the characters' future while four involve the back story. A farm boy named Luke Skywalker is enlisted to help freedom fighters of the Rebel Alliance to destroy the death star in the Galactic empire. Skywalker and Obi Won Kenobi rescue the leader of the resistance movement, Princess Lei Organa.. Skywalker himself destroys the death star by "using the force"--advice given to him from Obi Won Kenobi. It would be difficult to have a list of best futuristic movies without including Star Wars. When it was released, it was a phenomenal hit and it has remained a fan favorite for many years. My dad rented the movie when I was a young girl and I loved watching it then as now.

2. Planet of the Apes. Planet of the Apes was released both in 1968 and in 2001. The 2001 version is the only one I have seen. In 2029, a man named Leo Davidson works closely with apes,monkeys, and chimpanzees that are sent into space. After losing his favorite chimpanzee, Leo goes in search of him. He enters a storm and lands in the year 3002. He finds the world is ruled by human-like apes. Leo hears talk among that apes about an area their rulers do not allow them to enter named Calima. Calima is actually the remains of Leo's former space station from when they went in search for him after he we to look for his ape. When he returns to Calima, he notices a video left where a coworker speaks of the apes leading a revolt. This revolt was led by Semos, an ape the current apes consider a God. A few apes do know the truth and that is why they try to keep Calima a secret. Leo's chimpanzee's pod returns to the planet and Leo ultimately uses that pod tor return home to 2029. The movie ends with Leo seeing a statue similar to the Lincoln Memorial in honor of a chimpanzee named General Thade. Thade was last seen on Leo's former space station and one is left to question what Thade did to the world as chimpanzees are now in charge of the planet. Planet of the Apes was one of the most fabulous movies of all time, in my opinion. The ending of the movie was perfect in leaving the viewer with questions yet feeling satisfied at the same time.

3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Terminator 2 Judgment Day was released in 1991. The film is set eleven years in the future from The Terminator as the main characters attempt to prevent a day when machines begin to exterminate humans. It was a very big success and my husband believes it was better than the first Terminator movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and Robert Patrick star in the movie. Sequels are rarely better than the original but with Terminator 2 that is not the case. Terminator 2 is a great movie because of its effect on popular culture. It has an amazing story line that is fairly quickly to follow.

4. Back to the Future. Back to the Future was released in 1985. The film relied heavily on a time travel theme. The main character, Marty McFly is sent into the past 30 years. While there, he encounters his mother and father as teenagers. He is instrumental in their coupling. When he is in 1955, McFly's mom develops a crush on him and this leads comic relief to the story. Back to the Future has also had an impact on popular culture. The movie sparked two sequels as well as an animated series and a theme park ride. Back to the Future is in a class by itself in regard to science fiction mystery movies.

5. 12 Monkeys. Twelve Monkeys is a science fiction, mystery movie released in 1995. The film is set in 2035. The movie depicts a world that has been devastated by disease. Humans are forced to live underground to escape the disease. The movie makes clear that convicts have been allowed to enter the devastation above ground in an effort to find samples of the disease so an immunization can be worked on. This trip is done on a volunteer basis and James Cole is one of the convicts to take that trip. He arrives in the wrong time (1990 as opposed to the 1996 he wanted to be at). A series of problems and misunderstandings leaves him in a mental institution where he meets Dr. Kathyrn Railly. Ultimately he is sent back to 2035 to tell them he was in the wrong year. He then returns to 1996 and sees the doctor again. He takes her prisoner but they ultimately fall in love. Since he was a child, James had a recurrent dream of being in an airport with a blonde haired woman. He is always shot and killed in the dream. While on the run, Railly dyes her hair blonde. When they go to the airport in an attempt to stop Dr. Peters from spreading the virus, James is shot. The film ends with Dr. Kathryn Railly screaming the word "No" and then looking at the young James who is also at the airport. Twelve Monkeys is one of my favorite movies of all time. It is fascinating to watch what an almost completely silent world is like as well as to imagine traveling between years.

6. The Matrix. The Matrix is a movie released in 1999. The setting is the future where human perception of reality is created by machines in order to satisfy their needs. The Matrix is the name for that simulated reality. One computer program learned of this reality and began a resistance led by others who had been released from that reality. Keanu Reeves plays Thomas A. Anderson, a computer hacker who goes by the name of Neo. He is led to Morpheus who tells him to swallow a red pill to learn the truth about his reality. He wakes up in a liquid filled pod with his body connected to wires and tubes on a mechanical tower also covered by pods. Neo learns the year is not 1999 but 2199 and that machines and humans are at war. Neo is eventually shot dead in the real world by agents on the side of the machine. A crew member named Trinity kisses Neo and he awakens to destroy Agent Smith, who shot him. No list of top ten futuristic movies is complete without the Matrix. It has a compelling story line and is loved by many people.

7. Independence Day. Independence Day is a movie released in 1996. It is about a hostile alien invasion of earth. The last chance for the humans in the movie is July 4th-the day the United States celebrates its independence. Two days before the holiday, an alien ship enters earth's orbit and deploys aircraft. It is eventually revealed after catching one of the aliens that they travel from planet to planet, destroy all life, and harvest the planet's resources. The aliens then travel to a different planet and repeat the process. Ultimately the humans attempt to gain access to the underside of the spaceship. The underside of the spaceship fires on these humans and destroys all missiles except one. A man named Russell, played by Randy Quaid, is the last to retain a missile and chooses to fire on the ship his plane in a suicide mission after his firing mechanism jams. Independence day was a remarkable movie all the way around. A star filled cast such as Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, and others makes the rich story line come to life.

8. Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence, or A.I. is a movie released in 2001. The film depicts a time in the future when androids are a common household item. The story is based on David, played by Haley Joel Osment, who has the quality to love. The human population has been reduced by global warming and these androids have helped the species to survive. David is not the only android to have the power to love as mechas such as he abound in this world. David has conflicts with his family's son, Martin, who eventually convinces his parents to leave David. Davis is left in a forest with other unwanted mechas and caught for an anti-mecha flesh fair. David, unlike the other mechas, pleads for his life and is spared. He then sets out to find the Blue Fairy (a character he remembers from The Adventures of Pinocchio) in hopes of becoming a real boy and returning to his family. David takes a submersible in New York City to the fairy that turns out to be a part of a ride from Coney Island. David becomes trapped and stays there as ice covers the city for 2000 years. While David is down there, human beings become extinct. David and his teddy bear are the only two known to have met real humans. The robots use David memories to reconstruct his family's home. Monica, the woman he considered his mother, is reconstructed from a lock of hair that was saved by Teddy. She lives for a single day as does David. The robots told David they could not make humans survive longer than a day because they were not of the time the robots were. David also survives only one day returning to the time in which he belonged. This movie tugs on the heart strings. Because it deals with the power of love, it is one of my favorites.

9. Armageddon. Armageddon is a movie released in 1998. A group of deep-core drillers are sent by NASA to stop an asteroid that is on a collision course with earth. The asteroid will kill everyone on earth is no one is able to stop it. The drillers are taught about space and are sent to stop the asteroid's path. After many unfortunate occurrences, the crew realizes the only way the asteroid is to be destroyed is if someone stays to detonate the bomb. Harry Stamper, played by Bruce Willis is the one to stay behind and ultimately save the world. Armageddon is an amazing, action filled movie. It even has a love story between characters played by Liv Tyler and Ben Affleck.

10. Minority Report. Minority report is a movie released in 2002. The movie is set in 2054. John Anderton (Tom Cruise's character) is a member of a group that investigates precrime as is discovered by the visions of precognitive human beings who can visualize the future. The precognitive humans are the children of drug addicts who used experimental drugs many years before. The three "precogs" do not always see the same future but they rely on similar visions from two of them as fact. Anderton himself becomes a suspect when during the audit of the system he is expected to kill a man named Leo Crow within 36 hours. Anderton goes on the run. He disables the "precogs" minds and goes in search of this man named Crow. He finds photographs on the bed of a motel room Crow was staying in including one of his son who had been killed by a serial murderer. The theme of how if you know your future you can change it was inspiring. Minority Report is probably my favorite movie of all time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_IV:_A_New_Hope

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_of_the_Apes_(2001_film)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminator_2:_Judgment_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_future

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_monkeys

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_matrix

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_(film)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.I._Artificial_Intelligence

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armageddon_(1998_film)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minority_Report_(film)

Note: I used the website www.rateitall.com to be sure the movies I chose were actually considered futuristic movies. I filled in the blanks from what I forgot using Wikipedia.