Top 10 Must See Sci-Fi Movies

If you want to watch sci-fi, these ten films are a good place to start. This list will undoubtedly change with time since new movies are constantly being made. Sequels are included when applicable, so there are actually more than ten films listed here.

1) The Matrix

The Matrix is a fascinating story with jaw dropping special effects. Upon its release it set a new standard for sci-fi action movies. This was the movie everyone talked about, the movie filmakers wanted to emulate. By day Thomas Anderson ( Keanu Reeves), was a computer programmer. Secretely, however, he was a hacker known as Neo who sensed something not quite right with the world. What is the matrix? That is what Neo finds out.

2) The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day

During the first Terminator a cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time from 2029 to kill the mother of future leader, John Connor. What a roller coaster ride of action adventure! The second film takes place ten years later, with another cyborg being sent to kill John himself. The special effects are astounding, and the cyborg in the second movie is even scarier than the first.

3) Star Wars

Star Wars redefined sci-fi adventure when it was released in the 1970s. The story takes place in a galaxy far away where an evil emperor, Darth Vader, has a weapon called the Death Star which can destroy entire worlds. The only thing opposing him are rebel forces.

4) Total Recall

From memory chips to martians and mutants, Total Recall provides good sci-fi fun. I loved the futuristic world of 2084, and the exiting action on Mars. Arnold Schwarzenegger leads this movie as Douglas Quaid, a construction worker who dreams of mars and begins to question both his reality and his identity.

5) A.I.

Sentient robots and machines have been popular since the earliest days of science fiction. The theme still works, especially when the movie is creative like this one. A.I. features a unique artificial child with real feelings who exists in a future world populated by other intelligent androids the people call "mechas". Moral issues are raised in this film, and the special effects are good. The main character, David, is played by Haley Joel Osment. Jude Law co-stars as Gigolo Joe, and though the movie is by no means a comedy, he provides a couple of amusing moments.

6) Blade Runner

If you're looking for clones or "replicants" don't miss this classic which usually tops the list of sci-fi buffs. Though this film initially received mixed reviews, Blade Runner has become somewhat of a cult classic over the years. Harrison Ford plays Deckard a "blade runner" who hunts replicants. This movie raises some interesting issues about life.

7) Stargate

A portal to another world, scary Egyptian gods, and James Spader. Yes folks, before the Stargate SG1 series there was a movie. In Stargate, an Egyptologist, Daniel Jackson (James Spader), decodes symbols on an ancient alien device allowing it to be activated. Once the device (aka "the stargate") is on, a portal to another world opens up allowing a military team and the geeky Dr Jackson to travel to it. They discover a culture led by a ruler who has powers and claims to be the Egyptian sun god, Ra.

8) Back to the Future

This movie has adventure, time travel, and likeable characters. In Back to the Future, highschool student Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), is an average teenager from the 1980s with an eccentric scientist friend, Doc Brown. The Doc accidentally sends Marty to 1955 where he meets younger versions of his parents.

9) Alien(s)

The Alien films are not fun spaceship-adventure movies. These aliens are terrifying predators. The movie takes place in the future where a spaceship receives a distress call from a distant planet. The crew awaken from hypersleep to explore the planet, and while there one of the crew becomes infected with a parasite. Sigourney Weaver stars in this fusion of sci-fi and horror.

10) E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

E.T. is a movie loved by kids and grown-ups. The story begins when a group of peaceful aliens accidentally leave one of their crew behind on earth. The little alien wanders around until he's discovered by a ten year old boy. A close friendship develops between the two, and all the while E.T., the name the boy calls the alien, tries to find a way to call home. I went back to the theater three times to see this movie when I was a kid.

If you're new to sci-fi movies, and not sure where to start, I recommend these classics.