Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
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20: Inception
What If: There are thieves out there who steal ideas in people's dreams. Then, one day, they stage a daring operation to do the opposite: plant an idea in a person, via their dreams.
The Film: Some viewers have griped that this film is nothing more than a 2 hour slideshow, since it takes its time to introduce all its concepts and ideas with exposition. They are pretty slick ideas though, and they come together to rush the characters through a surreal labyrinth of multi-leveled dreamscapes. Each level has its own set of rules, which makes for a visually awesome spectacle. The story may not entice everybody, but the film is very slick, and it explores some fascinating implications of what it would be like to control and live through dreams.
My score: 5/5
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19: Brazil
What If: Some dude goes after the woman of his dreams, but after a series of bureaucratic mishaps and a sad twist of fate, he winds up being chased by the government.
The Film: This is a vision of the future that's simultaneously weird, crazy, funny, and sad. It's a world where bureaucracy runs everything, and even the slightest misspelling could mean life or death for a hapless citizen. Technology is just off-the-wall, with tubes, wires, and screens ordaining every cramped office space. The film does have a lot of bold vision, especially with the fantastic dream sequences, which contrast so much with everything else that it becomes clear that the future is an industrialist nightmare. The ending gives the film a lot more oomph as well (thank goodness Terry Gilliam fought to keep that ending intact).
The Love Conquers All version of the film can be seen on the Criterion Collection DVD and Blu-Ray editions, which cuts out nearly an hour of material, to represent what the studios would have originally wanted to release. It's extremely skimpy, and it'll make you appreciate the director's struggle to keep his original vision intact in the theatrical cut. Various other cuts are also available, varying in length.
My score: 4.5/5
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18: The Abyss
What If: Aliens are alive and well at the bottom of the ocean.
The Film: For whatever reason, tons of space movies have been made, but there have only been a few set in the deep ocean. The Abyss is the most definitive of the lot, for director James Cameron went through great lengths to give the film depth, texture, and realism. The film uses real underwater sets and diving scenes, filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor; the entire cast and crew were strung-out and exhausted during the filming. More importantly though, the film offers a unique story full of excitement, suspense, wonder, and palpable tension. It has top-notch special effects (including some of the first-ever CGI effects). It tells a good story, with strong themes of humanity's destructive nature.
The director's cut of this film includes loads of additional footage, including an expanded ending that really ties up the film's themes and storyline in an invoking fashion. The film was great as it was, but this edition is better yet.
My score: 4.5/5
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17: Total Recall (1990)
What If: A man gets a virtual vacation implanted in his head, only to find that the implant awakens latent memories of a forgotten past. Or is it?
The Film: What an adventure; Total Recall is jam-packed with explosive action, bloody fights, imaginative SFX, and tight storytelling. The plot wanders from one thing to another fast and furiously, always dishing out a plethora of interesting and far-out ideas - everything from memory implants to mutants on Mars to instantly-changing fingernail polish to triple-breasted ladies, and more! The film has aged a bit, but thanks to its vision, its fast pacing, and a remarkable twist ending that'll make you double-guess the entire film, the film is pulp sci-fi adventure at its finest.
My score: 5/5
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16: Ghost in the Shell
What If: An elite cyberterrorist team hunts down a hacker with the ability to enter other people's minds and alter them.
The Film: This is not a film that particularly makes sense; the technobabble, the politics, and the brooding pacing makes it a pretty tough watch. However, it is a visually cool and intellectually-interesting piece of cyberpunk sci-fi, the likes of which has been influential in the Matrix trilogy. GITS has cool action and visuals, but in between, it gets into some deep philosophical questions regarding existence and the human spirit, especially in the context of cybernetic bodies and minds. The ultimate conclusion presents a pretty trippy element of death and rebirth.
Version 2.0 of this film features some updated animation and graphics. Purists may hate the changes, especially regarding the altered color scheme, but I thought it was pretty neat.
My score: 4.5/5
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15: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
What If: A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, an evil Galactic Empire is at war with the Rebel Alliance, and have built a moon-sized superweapon capable of destroying entire planets.
The Film: Back in 1977, an adventure like this hadn't been seen in a while, and a film like this had never been seen before. With phenomenal special effects and a lot of imaginative worldbuilding, Lucas' film set a new standard for filmmaking, and captivated thousands of people in an exhilarating world of fast spaceships, whimsical aliens, cool-looking robots, and a deeply mystical mythology. The story's been done before, but never with as many lovable characters or as much heart, and these aspects cemented this series as a perennial favorite of many to this day. In sci-fi terms, the film won't offer a whole lot of insight, but it is phenomenal for its overall vision.
Over the years, the film has been modified to include new footage and new SFX. Such changes have caused outrage among many fans; I personally was never bothered that much by them.
My score: 5/5
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14: 2001: A Space Odyssey
What If: In the future, we send a deep space mission to Jupiter to check out some weird monolith thing. Then the computer goes nuts, and the film goes nuts along with it.
The Film: It's a long and slow-burning odyssey, but it is still a sight to behold. It's still one of the most realistic space movies available, paying close attention to how gravity, life support, and basic propulsion would actually work in space. The film uses some of the most beautiful model-work and photography, and the effects toward the end are extremely surreal and off-the-chain. It gets a little hard to understand what's going on with the film's finale (leading many viewers to formulate such far-out theories such as the "space zoo" idea). At the very least though, the film tracks human progress from the stone age to the space age, and suggests that the human odyssey through space and time is only just beginning...
My score: 4/5
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13: Cloud Atlas
What If: You have six different people from six different eras doing six different things, but everything is connected...
The Film: Adapted pretty closely from David Mitchell's sprawling novel, the Cloud Atlas film takes a really random, seemingly unfilmable story, and brings it to life phenomenally. It is presented as a mosaic of multiple time spans and characters (as opposed to a nested structure; the random nature of the movie has not sat well with many viewers). Some of these stories are set in the past, some in the present, and some in the future. The most fantastic scenes show a dystopian era in cloned people serve a class of consumers. Some time later, after an apocalyptic cataclysm, the film focuses on a native and his chance meeting with space-faring settlers. Those are the most sci-fi driven aspects of the whole thing, but the film also explores a modern-day investigation on a power-plant conspiracy, an old fart getting incarcerated in a retirement home by accident, a dude hanging out with a famous composer, and a man on a voyage to find a cure for a parasite. It all seems random, but with the themes of past lives (reinforced cleverly by having the entire cast play multiple parts, crossing lines of race and gender even), the film maintains solid connections. It all serves to show a world that's simultaneously compassionate and brutal; it's a high-flying narrative that shows the best and worst of the human race.
My score: 5/5
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12: District 9
What If: An alien craft appears, full of refugees, and humans conveniently contain them in a place called District 9.
The Film: Filmed with a lot of mock interviews and faux stock footage, District 9 purposefully looks as real as it can, and it is a pretty ugly picture. The film explores a harsh slum full of filth, poverty, corruption, and violence. The inhumanity and social decay shown on-screen is a very hard-hitting parallel to other slums and shantytowns around the world. To see this thinly-veiled as a story about aliens, however, is something refreshingly original and invoking.
My score: 5/5
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11: Planet of the Apes (1968)
What If: Astronauts land on a crazy planet where apes are the dominant intelligent species, and humans are stupid.
The Film: It's a ridiculous and absurd idea, but with Rod Sterling's sharp script, it's actually one of the smartest films in sci-fi history. Most of the film serves as a platform to underscore key themes on civil rights, as Taylor struggles to convince his captors that he's not just some dumb animal. The ending, however, is most iconic, and puts an invoking spin on the entire story. Despite the crazy camera work and some cheesiness, the film is as classic as they come.
My score: 4.5/5
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10: A.I.: Artificial Intelligence
What If: Scientists build a robot child with real human emotions.
The Film: A rather weird experience. This was originally a Kubrick idea, but adapted by Spielberg after the man's death, so there are elements of both directors in this film, and it makes for a rather bittersweet experience. Split into three acts, the film strikes a proper emotional tone in the first hour or so, showing the robot child trying to hard to bond with his parents. The second act becomes a Pinocchio-inspired journey, full of visual-effects wizardry and a dark sense of whimsey. The final act is just so far out-there, I thought it was brilliant. A.I. is a lengthy and meaty piece of sci-fi with lots to think about and a lot of feeling.
My score: 4/5
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9: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
What If: A UFO lands in Washington DC, and there's an intense standoff between it and the Army.
The Film: In the midst of Cold War paranoia, this film presents the chillingly apocalyptic scenario in which trigger-happy human beings may inadvertently tick off the wrong aliens. Fear and paranoia permeate the whole picture, as Klaatu explores and discovers the best and worst of human society. Ultimately, the film makes a compelling plea for all people to disarm themselves and give peace a chance.
My score: 4.5/5
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8: Metropolis (1927)
What If: In a futuristic metropolis, a woman is replaced by a robotic doppelganger, which instigates a revolution.
The Film: Fritz Lang's film is not only an engrossing, visionary, epic piece of early sci-fi, it's also the one silent film I've enjoyed the most. It is pretty incredible to see how far things have come; what people envisioned for the future in 1927 is a pretty far cry from what we can envision now, in 2013 (where's all the biplanes and art deco buildings, come on!). The sets are huge and the action is ambitious, but what really makes Metropolis timeless is its impressionist visuals, which sublimely connect timeless ideas and emotions to the narrative. It is especially neat how it incorporates the passages of the Bible in the main plot. With great-looking visuals and an intriguing story, Metropolis is an essential classic.
Over the years, parts of the film have been lost. Be sure to find the releases that boast the Complete Edition, which includes as much footage as is currently available. In the 80s, the Giorgio Moroder version was also released, which includes color tinting and a bunch of Queen music, but is about an hour shorter; it's worth a look for fans.
My score: 5/5
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7: Minority Report
What If: People can be arrested for crimes before they happen.
The Film: A moody and stylish flick with a ton of great action and thrills. There are a lot of neat futuristic cars and gadgets on display (including the ever-cool computer displays controlled by hand movements, which are in use in some places today). It is also a pretty clever story that digs up some fundamental themes regarding free will and predetermination. There are some interesting themes of perception, and the film hints at some pretty ugly truths behind a seemingly-utopic society.
My score: 5/5
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6: Wall-E
What If: A lonely trash-digging robot hooks up with a robot from space, and they go on an adventure.
The Film: The film has a few somber parts; it is pretty sad to see the Earth left behind as a massive trash heap, with only Wall-E to clean up the mess. Some viewers have even taken offense to the film's portrayal of people as fat lazy blobs on hovering chairs. Unlike every other sci-fi picture, however, this one has that certain Pixar magic working for it, and it makes the film incredibly endearing. The comedy is phenomenal, the romance is super-cute without being sappy, and the characters succeed at being endearing (even when they can't speak much). It does get pretty far out, showing humanity's fate as weak space-faring consumerists who have lost touch with the Earth. Above all, the film presents a certain compassion, especially in the robot characters, which serve as tools that could save us all.
Pixar also produced the short film Burn-E, which is bloody hilarious.
My score: 5/5
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5: The Terminator
What If: A cyborg is sent back in time to assassinate the mother of the leader of the future rebellion.
The Film: The first and most original feature by James Cameron (not counting Piranha 2), The Terminator is a fresh and original story with a very simple but effective execution. The film is very sublimely directed and full of thrills. It is a thoughtful story though, playing around with time in interesting ways, and underscoring the terror of confronting an unstoppable machine. It is truly one of the most original and interesting sci-fi pictures ever made.
My score: 4.5/5
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4: Children of Men
What If: The human race becomes infertile.
The Film: This is still one of the most depressing pictures I've seen. The film has some pretty strong violence, some extremely mean characters, and loads of incredible action scenes (most of which are shot with incredibly long takes). Beneath it all, though, the film has a somber undertone, as the entire world lives, fights, and dies for the seemingly last time. At the same time, the film is all about hope, and it does reach a satisfying climax. The experience overall is hard-hitting and bleak, and it's highly effective at immersing the audience in a world caught in a downward spiral.
My score: 5/5
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3: Blade Runner
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| "'More human than human' is our motto." |
What If: Bounties are dished out for androids.
The Film: A very liberal adaptation of Philip K Dick's novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which still stands as my top favorite book. Even the title begs the important question concerning artificial life. Do they dream? Do they feel? Do they fear death?
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| "That was my profession. Ex-cop. Ex-blade runner. Ex-killer." |
Blade Runner strips away a lot of things from the book (no mention is made of the extinction of animals, Deckard never invests in a robot sheep, he doesn't have a wife, and the weird stuff about Mercer is nowhere to be seen). Regardless, the film still delivers a fantastic vision of the future. From the opening shots onward, it is a dark, bleak future, with massive monolithic buildings, and crowded seedy streets. There are a ton of weird details to behold, as Deckard traverses above and below the dystopian sprawl. The really scary thing is, the future could really look like this; there are supposedly places in Asia that look just like this film.
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| "All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die." |
This is a pretty slow film, and the plot never really takes precedence, but there is still enough to deduce some deeper feelings and thoughts regarding the film's world and the notion of androids running amok. It may even go so far as digging deep into the human soul and questioning what makes us human, and what defines our reality. Blade Runner is a stylish and somber film-noir hybrid that evokes intriguing questions and deep empathy.
My score: 4.5/5
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2: A Clockwork Orange
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| "It's funny how the colors of the real world only seem really real when you viddy them on the screen." |
What If: A violent hoodlum is subjected to an experimental procedure that brainwashes him and makes it so that he can never be violent.
The Film: Based pretty closely on Anthony Burgess' novel, Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange is one messed-up experience. As a film, it's extremely bold in its compositions, its extreme acting, and its visual extravagance. It's the story that's compelling though; the film has a pretty interesting and scary premise, and it illustrates the potential implications of brainwashing. In the end, you can't bottle up human impulses; the whole point of the story, and the meaning of the title, is that you can't go against one's own nature. The book goes on to explain that God reaps the juices from all of us, the oranges, but then what happens when He comes across an artificial orange? That is what Alex becomes: a person unable to function or defend himself in society, because he is nothing but a clockwork orange.
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| "It'll be your own torture. I hope to God it'll torture you to madness" |
The film is pretty ugly with its violence and rape scenes (sadly, it's still not the worst I've ever seen). It is necessary to underscore the violence of young men, if not all human beings in general, before subjecting the character to the Ludovico procedure. Even though Alex is a scumbag throughout the picture, I couldn't help but to pity him as he's relentlessly brutalized and rendered unable to fight back; he got what was coming to him, and then some. But what really makes this whole situation messed up is that nothing really worked. The Ludovico procedure is reversed by the film's end, and Alex simply goes back to his old ways, gleefully and mockingly crying "I was cured alright!" The book, with its final chapter reinstated, takes it a step further by having Alex mature naturally on his own. The film, which omits that part, still asserts that natural growth is ideal, because no amount of artificial conditioning can really change a person on the inside.
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| "A man who cannot chose ceases to be a man." |
The really sad thing about this is that Alex's problems could have been prevented through better parenting, but his parents are shown to be daft pushovers. Instead, Alex became a problem of society, and society took care of him in the most inhumane way possible. If values and discipline plummet even more than they already have, it wouldn't surprise me if things get this bad in the future.
My score: 5/5
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1: The Matrix
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| "Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?" |
What If: The world as you know it is a lie. What if we're all really living in a virtual reality being pumped directly into our brains, while a race of sentient machines feed off of our natural bodily energies? What's to stop us from bending, or breaking, the natural rules of physics? How would we know what's real and what isn't? Is this air we're breathing? Whoa.
The Film: It took a few viewings, but I learned to appreciate the finer nuances of The Matrix, and it has since found its place as my third-favorite franchise, and my top pick for favorite sci-fi film. If for no other reason than every viewing seems to dig up something fresh and new to observe and contemplate. Naturally, it will always be the action that'll draw me in; the special effects were really ground-breaking and inspiring at the time, the gunfights are explosive and incredible, and the kung-fu fighting is extremely well-choreographed.
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| "Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind." |
Beneath the surface level, however, The Matrix layers on numerous mysteries, some of which are solved, and others are purposefully left open. The big reveal half-way through the picture explains a lot of the crazy events that occur beforehand, and sets up the crazy action afterward, but the implications are pretty deep. Surely, if we are plugged into a virtual reality, with electric signals constantly streaming to our nervous systems, then how can we know we aren't living in a simulated world as we speak? Surely, this could account for all the weird mysteries of life (The Matrix Reloaded did explain that rogue programs account for such supernatural phenomenon as ghosts, aliens, werewolves, vampires, and other strange creatures). Above all, the film asserts that the mind transcends the body; only in believing in oneself and rejecting the constraints of the matrix did Neo learn to do the impossible over and over again.
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| "The body cannot live without the mind." |
With this clever concept, the Watchowskis developed a fresh, original, and really cool universe full of hovercrafts, squid-like robots, and they put a menacing spin on the Men in Black mythos. They also inputted some clever rules and dynamics that not only made for an impressive spectacle, but helped make the concept creditable in the context of computer programming. Yes, if everything is a computer program, surely you can fly. Surely, you can hack into the world and summon weapons and objects at a whim. Or even, the machine could hack into you. The sequels would go on to have actual "back doors" and viruses in the matrix.
On top of all that, the film poses some staggering philosophical implications. Drawing from multiple disciplines, the film challenges the perception of reality (remember the line, "It is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself"). It even draws a certain theological parallels, with its strong themes of death and rebirth, which morphs the main character from an average automaton office worker into "The One," a savoir to humanity. This prophecy comes full circle by the series' third film, in a rather unexpected fashion.
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| "Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself." |
At the time of its release, I remember everybody was blown away by the notions of The Matrix, for they were all pondering as to whether it is creditable that we could all be living in a virtual simulation. Scientists have actually given the theory credence. The film does a first-rate job of stimulating the senses with its epic action scenes and quality visuals, but it also stimulates the mind with its deep ideas and themes.
Watch the films. Question everything.
Free your mind...
Matrix Score: 5/5
Matrix Reloaded Score: 4.5/5
Matrix Revolutions Score: 4.5/5
Animatrix Score: 5/5
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But wait, that's not all! Allow me to present my list of Sci-Fi honorable mentions, and I'll show you how deep the rabbit hole goes...
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