July 8th, 2011
10:18 AM ET
Friday's Top Five: Space movies[Editor's Note: If you're just joining us, Friday’s Top Five is when we boil down your favorite pop culture gems into a quintessential list of all lists. The topic will vary from week to week depending on what’s going on in the world. We may end up with “the stuff that dreams are made of” or maybe just a great coffee table book. At the very least, we'll have fun kicking off the weekend by wasting some time...I mean, helping to contribute to this interactive conversation.] Today marks the end of an era in space exploration. NASA’s iconic shuttle program will have one final lift-off. It seems the future of space travel will now rely on taking commercial steps for mankind and probably charging extra for luggage. Nevertheless, there’s another form of space travel that’s been around and affordable for generations. Movies have been launching armchair astronauts into space for more than 100 years. Georges Méliès, a motion picture pioneer, took audiences on their first sci-fi voyage with 1902's “A Trip to the Moon” long before the Cold War’s Space Race.
This week’s topic crosses multiple genres, including sci-fi, horror, comedy, action and drama; therefore, the candidates to choose from are as vast and boundless as the category itself. Whether you’re partial to Captain Kirk, Luke Skywalker, Duck Dodgers, or even an unforgettable duo like Lone Starr and Barf, get ready to defend your favorites. Now prepare for the jump to light speed and may the Schwartz be with you as you compile your top five space movies! Here's mine: 1. "The Right Stuff" (1983): “And as I was sayin', whoever controls the high ground of space controls the world.” – Lyndon Johnson 2. "Star Wars" (1977): “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...” – Title card 3. "Aliens" (1986): “Get away from her, you b*@#%!” – Ellen Ripley (Am I alone in thinking that this sequel is superior to its singular titled predecessor?) 4. "Flash Gordon" (1980): “Flash, I love you, but we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth!” – Dale Arden 5. "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968): “I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.” – H.A.L. Honorable Mention:
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Hello,
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Well, I may be a bit biased, but here's my list:
1. Star Wars (Episodes 4, 5 & 6 – they cannot be separated)
2. Spaceballs
3. Aliens
4. Enemy Mine (If you haven't seen it, you should)
5 Star Trek (2009)
Honorable Mention:
1. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (not in space, but had the best spaceship visuals of all time)
2. 5th Element (because as terrible as this movie was, there was still something endearing about it)
3. The Chronicles of Riddick (Vin Diesel's acting left much to be desired, but the storyline and space-themed cinematography was excellent)
4. Armageddon (the part that actally happened in outer space was great)
** Event Horizon started off promising, but then got WAAAAAY too creepy and end up just plain stupid and therefore did not make my list.
Moon!
Deep Impact
Forbidden Planet
When Worlds Collide
Serenity
Event Horizon
Red Planet
yeah sunshine should have definitely been on this list. awesome reference to spacecamp though. young Joaquin phoenix with his robot friend jinx lol
Of course "Aliens" is better than "Alien." 🙂
One of my favorites is "Galaxy Quest" with Tim Allen.
All of you on here have a great list of top Scifi films. But the people at CNN are looking for the best space films. That means movies that take place in outerspace with planets, stars and spaceships.I'am going to put down my top 10 films that take place in outerspace. Because I seen alote of good one like from 30 years ago.
1) Star Wars a new hope
2) Star Trek the motion picture
3) Battlestar Galactica
4) The Right stuff
5) The Last Star Fighter
6) Wall-e
7) Mystery Science Theather 3000 the movie
8) Spaceballs
9) The Black Hole
10) Airplane 2
Yes – you are alone in thinking that Aliens is better than Alien.
Come on Guys and Girls BLADERUNNER hasto be in the Top 10. 🙂
1. Star Trek: First Contact
2. 2001 (Far out FX !)
3. Flash Gordon (1980)
4. Right Stuff (Real American Heroes)
5. Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan
6. The Empire Strikes Back
7. Star Wars (1977)
8. It came from Outer Space ('50s with Richard Carlson)
9. Forbidden Planet (classic '50s film that every guy should see, with hottie Anne Francis !)
10.Apollo 13 (love that line – "Houston, we have a problem..."
11. The Thing (1950s film with James "Gunsmoke" Arness as the monster)
12. The Day the Earth stood Still (1950s version, not the horrible remake !)
TV SERIES:
1. Duck Dodgers (the series)
2. Star Trek: The Next Generation (series)
3. Babylon 5
4. Battlestar Galactica (1978)
5. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (great cast)
I agree with most user recommendations (2001 & Moon are A++), including the original 1972 Solaris, if you can suspend your disbelief for nearly 3 hours given the Soviet era SFX, but....stay the HECK away from Silent Running unless you like to watch grass grow for half the film. The script is just as weak as Avatar, but it does have some good SFX.
Space Cowboys has as much right here as Flash Gordon, or Space Balls – pure fantasy or er, comedy.
I'm surprised that nobody pulled Barbarella out of the old VHS drawer for this one...
OK...here's the top 3 BEST Sci-Fi movies:
1) 2001
2) 2001
3) 2001
Now for the top 3 WORST Sci-Fi movies:
1) Starship Troopers / Independance Day (a tie)
2) Event Horizon
3) Anything by Michael Bey
Now, for the best Sci-Fi movie NEVER made:
1) Childhood's End
Just because they happen in space, doesnt make them space movies. Is The Godfather an Earth movie because it happened on Earth? I would lean toward 2001, Moon, Silent Running, (Tarkovsky's) Solaris, Apollo 13.
Josh from CNN's list is great, but here are some others, in no particular order:
1. Contact
2. Meatballs Part II
3. Fire in the Sky
4. Spaced Invaders
5. MST3K The Movie: This Island Earth
6. Suburban Commando
Dark City
Blade Runner..Clockwork Orange... The Thing... The Day the Earth Stood Still...
Flash Gordon? Surely you jest...
2001 Odyssey has to be #1. Huge breakthru and still unparalleled. But I only see "Marz" adding "Contact", by Carl Sagan, also unparalleled and a must for any list like this, along with the original "Planet of the Apes".
1) ANY of the Star Wars movies
2)Most of the Star Trek movies
3)The Black Hole
4)Alien
5)Flash Gordon
Thats my list and for those who dont think Star Wars should get the top billing all i can say is look at the amount the Movies brought in total. More than any of the others...
My list would go:
1. 2001; A Space Oddysey
2. Alien
3. Solaris (1972)
4. Empire Strikes Back
5. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
1 Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (YMMV on whether or not it's technically a space movie, but since a good portion of the movie takes place in space I consider it one)
2 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
3 Apollo 13
4 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
5 Alien
well..............
1) The Empire Strikes Back
2) Apollo 13
3) Aliens ( I wish it had ended here. To me the others dont exist)
4) Star Wars
5) ET (the Extra Terrestrial) (ohh come on you still cry and you know it!
HM
Armaggedon – I know its abit cheesy but don't we all want to be Bruce Wills for abit and save the world?
1) 2001 – stil stands the test of time...THEE space movie
2) War of the Worlds (original)
3) Star Wars
4) Close Encounters of the Third Kind
5) Aliens
Here's my list
1) The Right Stuff (totally agree on this one)
2) Apollo 13
3) Star Trek: First Contact
4) The Day The Earth Stood Still
5) War of The Worlds (original, not Tom Cruise version)
THIS IS A BLOG
NOT NEWS
1) Apollo 13
2) The Right Stuff
3) Space Cowboys
4) Star Wars
5) Star Trek (2009)
Really? This poster must be a very young man. "The Right Stuff" ahead of "2001?" "Aliens" superior to "Alien?" Maybe he should watch more movies rather than the ones he's told to put on the list.
Anyone who says The Right Stuff should not be on this list, let alone number one on that list, is smoking crack. If it hadn't been for the events portrayed in that film the rest of films would have no context or significance.
1. The Right Stuff
2. Apollo 13
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey
4. Outland
5. Space Cowboys
While I have a great deal of respect for Aliens, I have even greater respect for its predecessor Alien. I consider Alien to be one of the greatest gothic science fiction films ever made. You rarely see such quality today.
Flash Gordon??? Set the bong down and back away. Enemy Mine of Krull were better than Flash Gordon!
Surprised Buck Rogers or Barbarella weren't on that list.
Space Cowboys, Apollo 13, one of the various Star Trek's, Spaceballs, Forbidden Planet... couldn't come up with something better than Flash Gordon?
SPACEBALLS!!! may the schwartz be with you
from the earth to the moon – hbo movie 10 hs long awesome........armageddon, space cowboys, star trek, star wars.
Literature is better, yes, even in the sci-fi genre.
Three of those choices are suspect:
Star Wars – Belongs on the list, but Empire Strikes Back is a better movie and certainly does too.
Aliens – Alien is a better movie, period. Why does alomst every Cameron movie feature a squad of stereotypical jarheads?
Flash Gordon – Doesn't even warrant an honorable mention. Might as well include Battle Beyond the Stars and Krull if you're going to include this dreck.
Not for nothing, but Planet of the Apes was a space movie until the very last scene. That, Forbidden Planet, 2001, Star Wars (1977), and Destination: Moon round out my list (in no particular order). Flash Gordon was just *bad*, in my opinion.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
War of the Worlds (original)
Pitch Black
Aliens
there are many more to consider, but these five come to mind immediately. Others would include Silent Running, Star Wars, Dark City, Forbidden Planet, many others.
.: Agree with you that Aliens is a better film than Alien. Disagree with the inclusion of The Right Stuff, and would consider 2001: A Space Odyssey to be at #1.
Want to know another thing that's better than another? People who know how to spell "sequel" over those that don't.
Outland,...with Sean Connery. Maybe not the top five space movies, but top five crime movies:)
Outstanding pick! I thought I was the only person in the universe who liked Outland. Great movie!
Didn't make it to a movies, but man, it should have...Pigs in Space. Classic. Haha, for all the ones who take this list to seriously. 🙂
Space Jam
Starship Troopers
Rocketman
Really impressed with the folks who mentioned "Outland". To me, it's always been the best example of what real outer space settlement would look like. Yes, it's "High Noon" in space, but on the other hand it's a real gritty blue collar mining operation with corrupt local officials fighting a federal law enforcement authority. Take away the space ships and space suits and it's just good, realistic drama. Very few space movies can really make that "it could happen" claim.
How about "The Day the Earth Stood Still." The original, not that execrable remake with Keanu Reeves. And how about the granddaddy of them all, the one that started it all, "Forbidden Planet." An absolute class that still stands up very well 60 years later. "Flash Gordon?" You've got to be kidding me! Cheesey, campy, stupidly entertaining, but certainly not one of the greatest of all time.
I'm afraid so. Now, bring me... the bore worms!
Absolutely disagree with that list, accept for 2001. Star Wars was the beginning of the dark era of death and destruction instead of a future of hope and the power of technology. Aliens was just plain Horror. Blood and guts with suspense. The Right Stuff might have been about the business of being an astronaut but it wasn't even sci fi. Other people have listed much better SciFi movies in this forum.
Ok, I mixed up the topic of 'Space Movies' and "SciFi Movies". But Hollywood mixes them up too. No wonder the genre is so confusing.
Heres my list:
2001- one of the best movies of all time. Period.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (the original, not the Keannu Reeves re-make)
Apollo 13
The original War of the Worlds (1957)
Alien (The original-although the sequel is pretty good too)
Honorable Mention: 2010, The Right Stuff, Star Wars ( the first 3 only), Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
Wow, what a terrible list. I loved the Star Wars movies, but they were terrible "space" movies. There is no sound in space but Star Wars had far too much. Putting Flash Gordon on the list takes away all credibility from the author. At least the greatest space movie of all time, 2001, is on the list at number 5.
"In space no one can hear you scream."
Unless you're Kirk: "KHAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN!!!"
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy??
The Last Starfighter was a great movie.
And I prefer the second Aliens to the first Alien.
5th Element
Flahs 'ahhhh' Gordon
First 3 Star Wars (who watches one without watching the others?)
Galaxy Quest
Serenity
All for entertainment.
By Grabthar's hammer, by the sons of Warvan, you are right.
YES! 5th Element!
The Right Stuff at No. 1!?!?!? Are you kidding us?
1. Star Wars
2. 2001 Space Odyssey
3. Star Trek
4. Apolo 13
5. The Last Starfighter
Aw, dang! How could I forget The Black Hole!? (I'm sure I'm still forgetting good stuff.)
1. Star Wars
2. 2001 Space Oddyssey
3. Star Trek
4. Apolo 13
5. The Black Hole
6. The Last Starfighter
Yes, you are alone...the first Alien was way better than any of it's successors. Aliens was more of a bone-cruncher action flick,the first outstripped it and then some on the suspense scale.
1. 2001
2. Empire Strikes Back
3. Star Wars
4. Aliens
5. Alien
Flash Gordon? Really?
If we're throwing Flash Gordon up there, guess we should add Airplane II, Lost in Space, and Battlefield Earth. Seriously, it would be pretty tough to grind down a list to five space movies and end up with Flash in the four spot. Apollo 13 must have drawn a bad seed and got bumped in an early round.
Sunshine? Event Horizon?
Plan 9 from Outer Space is the best of all 🙂 Far better then Flash Gordon.
Did you actually put "Flash Gordon" on this list! I'm pretty sure I can randomly pick a dozen space movies that would be for superior to this joke. About the only decent thing in this move was the Queen soundtrack.
What the hell? How does Spaceballs not make this list?????
1) The Right Stuff
2) Empire Strikes Back
3) Star Trek II Wrath of Khan (Khaaaaaaaaannnnn !!!!!!!!!!)
4) Space Balls (I see your swartz is a big as mine !)
5) Aliens (Get away from her your B$tch)
Honorable Mention in no order
6) Star Trek 2009
7) The Last Satr Fighter
9) Close Encounters
10) Space Cowboys
11) Appolo 13
12) Wall-e
13) Critters
space cowboys.......what? huh? did i just say that out loud....old men in space.....lol...oh man im losing it....i just saw a movie it seems nobody mentioned .....i dont even like this one.....lets see....Alien is way better than the sequel, Armageddon was junk, Apollo 13 i hear is an awesome movie but i would not know cuz i keep falling asleep during it, Starship Troopers...hahaha.... i enjoyed it for the bugs and over the top-ness but no....The last Starfighter....good mention, Space Oddysey 2001/2010... i am sure they were astounding and all but again fell asleep....snoozers!!!, and all i can say about Flash Gordon is ......NO.
Howsabout Apollo 13? Destination Moon? Star Trek (pick a number from 1-6 except no 5). 2010: The Year We Make Contact wasn't bad either.
2001
Star Wars: Episode V
Fifth Element
Alien
Silent Running
Two words, Space Balls....
2001
2010
(thats all that needs to be said)
Oh!
"Battle Beyond the Stars"
I kid...
Somehow I feel "Close Encounters" and "ET" should receive some sort of honorable mention here. Also:
– "Alien" instead of "Aliens"
– "Galaxy Quest" instead of "Flash Gordon"
Lastly, this is the second recent list I have seen with Space Camp on it (the other list being one about movies starring kids). Why? The movie sucked rocks.
There are some movies I recalling seeing the theatres in the 1970's which I can not find out if they even exist anymore. One had a moon life setting where the main character was an illegal cargo smuggler and he had a space ship that looked like the lunar lander except he did not leave the base behind. The rock song Frankenstein was the theme song for the movie and the main plot was an asteroid made mostly out of Diamonds and a gangster who lived on the moon contracted him make it crash on his part of the moon. Second was a mission to mars movie where man landed for the first time and found giant sunflowers that reflected the lethal rays of the sun and cooked the men. And then when a mysterious asteroid landed on the planet they could not lift off and inorder to be allowed to leave one of them had to be given over to the asteroid occupants. That was a good and scary one.
Has anyone else seen the very early comic sci-fi gem by a young George Lucas called "Dark Star", which includes the ship commander trying to "talk down" a renegade mega-atomic planet-destroying bomb using existential philosophy.....Absolutely brilliant and hysterical. The run-down space ship is probably what real ships will look like, not bright clean and white like those seen in Star Trek or Star Wars. One of my favorites, which also include Apollo 13, Alien, 2001, and Forbidden Planet.
Sorry, but Dark Star is NOT a George Lucas movie. No relationship with him at all. It's actually a John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon film. Dan O'Bannon went on to co-write Aline, and Dark Star is considered the "catalyst" that got Dan to write Alien. Dark Star is a dark comedy/sci-fi flick. Dan wanted a more serious movie with the alien being the central character in the film. That's where Alien came from....the need for a more serious and much higher budgeted film.
I have the DVD that has both the original theatrical release and the Special Edition.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Apollo 13
Alien
Contact
2010: The Year We Make Contact
SPACE BALLS!!
Galaxina; best @ss in space!
I would have certainly included "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Contact".
Come on people. Space movies not the matrix, war of the worlds.... What have they to do with space. 1.star wars. 2.star trek. 3.Armageddon. 4. Appolo 13. (Not in order)
Another one they missed is the most provoking of all, 1951's "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Michael Rennie was there to tell Patricia Neal "Klaatu barada nikto." Gort would not be happy about this omission.
Yeah, well, "Gort" (or whatever) wasn't too cool with the idea of playing second fiddle to a grade "B" British movie "actor" either. That cheesy, hokey *ss movie was so bad... how do you spell ... l-o-w b-u-d-g-e-t.
Contact should be number 2 after 2001 a space Odysesey
You forgot about 'Sunshine'
The one that they totally missed is "Forbidden Planet." Robbie would not be pleased with that. Leslie Nielsen and Anne Francis were there to see Morbius'dreams come true.
I guess Neil Armstrong's “one small step for a man” film doesn’t even rate an ‘honorable mention” (beat out by "Spacecamp" and "The Last Starfighter" LOL) in a contest of “Top Space Movies”. Now I see why the US space program is toes up.
You should be alone. Alien was a much better movie, with better acting. It kept you on the edge of your seat with constant chills. Aliens was just a really good horror/monster flick set in space with little depth or story compared with its predecessor. But I'll give you points back for picking The Last Starfighter for an honorable mention. That's an underappreciated classic!
The Alien series is really just a horror movie, so Aliens doesn't belong on the list. If you want to have Sigourney Weaver on the list, you should consider Galaxy Quest, which is better any any of the Star Trek movies it satirizes.
Flash Gordon, a remake of the old space opera serial, does not belong on the list either. You would have done better to include Dune (with Kyle MacLachlan and Sting), which is visually striking even though it probably doesn't make sense unless you have read the book. Back to Flash Gordon, it is really Star Wars that really captures the feel of the old-time serial in a modern movie, and without being a remake.
If The Right Stuff belongs on the list, then Apollo 13 should be there, too.
Forbidden Planet is an early but still watchable science fiction movie, with the best production values attainable at the time it was made. It would be required in any course on space movies.
No, author: you're not alone in thinking "Aliens" is superior to "Alien," but you *are* incorrect. Cameron's sequel is a great sci-fi action film, make no mistake. It's a minor classic in its own right. But the original "Alien," directed by Ridley Scott, is a true masterpiece of oppressive mood, incredible production (and creature) design, and originality of concept and story. Unlike its sequel–a sort of rock'em sock'em "squad" movie–"Alien" is a movie that captures the terror and wonder of space.
I liked the scene in alien when the guy gave birth. All the deliveries I have seen were women giving birth!
As a few have already observed, for the last time: BLADE RUNNER IS NOT A SPACE MOVIE!!! Now off to the polo match....
Alien the best science fiction movie ever made. I especially like the line by Ripley early in the film "Everyone will get what they deserve". I belive they call this foreshadowing.
Ok... Here it is the Top 5 " no if's ands or Butts "
1. 2001 Space Odessey
2. Apollo 13
3. War of Worlds ( Original )
4. Star Trek ( Original )
5. Capricorn One Really made you think ??
Honorable mention... Planet of Apes, Alien, The day Earth Stood Still , Star Wars, Close Encounter 3rd kind.
I still watch Aliens 2-3 times a month. my favorite by far. Now if i can just convince the wife to let me find and buy the alien queen prop and put it in my den....
re: cajr
"I still watch Aliens 2-3 times a month. my favorite by far. Now if i can just convince the wife to let me find and buy the alien queen prop and put it in my den...."
cajr... poor, cajr... you need a life... cajr....... get away from the tv screen, cajr...
Okay, I love the band Queen and I love the movie Flash Gordon. But I love it because it's a BAD MOVIE. It is not in any possible way one of the best space movies of all time. It's also not even one of the best "bad sci fi" movies out there. How is Flash Gordon better than "Starship Troopers"? It had two sequels!
It's also INSULTING that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan did not make this list. It's a classic and is considered the best Trek film by pretty much everybody.
I do concur on Star Wars and Aliens. However, Alien deserves to be there before Aliens does because of how groundbreaking it was. No one ever painted space as gritty blue collar place to be before Alien. This same grittiness can also be seen in Sean Connery's underrated "Outland", which also made clear the connection between space faring sci fi and the western (space ships and wookies aside, they're basically the same genre. Seriously, challenge me on this if you don't believe me as I've got evidence up the wazoo to prove this thesis).
So, this list is wack, the writer lacks knowledge of sci fis impact on popular culture and it's relationship to other genres.
Of course it parallels a western...see High Noon.
When I saw 2001, they were handing out explanations of the movie in the lobby of the theater. It was very Kubrick, very weird but very memorable. "Open the pod bay doors Hal."
Star Wars but no Star Trek......really.
Most people I know think that Aliens is better than Alien.
All,
Shocked there is no love for "Enemy Mine" – a really good story with parallels to war today. The idea of dehumanizing an enemy, enemy's turning into friends...and a coming to an understanding of universality of freedom and sentience. A great story, with some cheesy special effects, but a good story nonetheless.
Not only is "2001: A Space Odyssey" THE greatest space movie of all time, it is for my money the purest expression of cinematic art ever captured on film. But "Flash Gordon???" Oh, BROTHER.
You have to put Forbidden Planet in the top five if for no other reason than Anne Francis was some kind of hot. And if you are going to go with campy/cheesy, Indepedence Day is a legit contender.
MOON.....????....movie is amazing on so many levels....and this has to be a joke since you mention spaceballs but leave it out. "what's the matter colonel sanders? Chicken?"
How about Moon or Gattica?
Flash Gordon? The Right Stuff? The Last Starfighter? Your list sucks. The writer probably doesn't even like space movies. Everyone knows that the Wrath of Kahn is DEFINITELY in the top 5....
Starship Troopers
The Fifth Element.... also deserve mention
ALso... to add to my comments above... October Sky DEFINATELY belongs on that list.
The only movie of the 5 picked that is a space movie is The Right Stuff... the other 4 are fantasies.
How Apollo 13 and the TV Mini-series (yeah... still a movie...) From the Earth to the Moon was left off shows how weak this list really is.
CNN... stick to sensationalizing murder trials... you're good at that... NOT picking space movies!
Aliens by far better then the first, but give the director a ton of credit, older scifi movies so much better then the new CGI stuff
Am I the only one who remembers...Santa Claus Conquers the Martians??
No doubt a quality flick, however this category is space movies not Christmas movies.
"The Last Starfighter" was such a cool movie. My boys had that VHS tape in their "favorites" rack.. a good one to watch on snowdays, too hot days, sick days, whenever! We all loved "Grigg" and his laugh. Alex Rogan was a good role model too.
No Josh, you're not alone in your thoughts about Alien vs Aliens. I believe Aliens was WAAYYY better than Alien in almost every way. Except Newt. GOD I wish they didn't have Newt. "They mostly come out at night... mostly". Stupid accent ruined it.
1962 Czech Sci-Fi "IKARIE XB 1" directed by Jindrich Polak was named(30 years ago) by the British Magazine Sight and Sound superior to 2001:Space Odyssey.The story line is not dissimilar to Star Track, but many yeare earlier. Today the great mid-century 60's art direction looks very hip again, and all the roles are taken by top Czech actors of the period. Check out parts of it on YouTube. Criterion Collection will finally bring it to US theaters and DVD.
in no particular order
Total Recall
Avatar
Planet of the Apes
Moon
Starship Troopers
"Forbidden Planet" is a classic 1950s space sci-fi that should be on a top 5 list. This movie introduced the concept of warp drive and featured one of the first robots ('Robby') with artificial intelligence. The extraterrertrial technology was astounding for it's time and the monster (dredged from Dr. Morbius' mind) would have eaten alien and predator for breakfast. The concept of a machine that could immediately transcribe thought into mass (objects) and how that was ultimately controlled by the unconscious mind (leading to total destruction) is way ahead of almost anything before or after, and for these reasons 'Forbidden Planet' gets my vote (Oh, and Anne Francis too !)
Yes, and the underlying theme of man's better nature struggling with his insidious one. A theme that was carried forward in Star Wars.
I like the list but no way Flash Gordon is top 5. Its campy and that is nice, but way too many other quality films.
Solaris (1972)
Yes, you in fact ARE alone in thinking Aliens > Alien.
My Mother is a Space Alien!
Exar Kun has the right idea. Ditto!
The very first space movie I remember as a kid was Earth VS the Flying Saucers. A Ray Harryhausen masterpiece. Got me hooked on scifi. And who can leave off Forbidden Planet. Don't kick Robbie the Robot to the curb!
I LOVED Earth vs Flying Saucers !! That is also one of the first sci-fi movies I remember from my youth. And Forbidden Planet ABSOLUTELY belongs on a top-5 sci-fi list ! (See my post a little further down !) Daves know best, I guess .. lol
Only idiots compare Aliens to Alien. They are two totally different movies.
Forbidden Planet
Agree 100% .. see my post below ..
I think you forgot the most memorable movie that was actually the start of space flight "October Sky" which mentions Marshall Space Center's Director Wernher von Braun as the influence for the main character of the movie Homer Hickman. Remember the crowd in front of the Hickman home watching Sputnik flying across the night sky?
You kinda forgot about Starship Troopers, very entertaining campy sci-fi space flick.
Nice list, but I cannot support a list without The Planet of the Apes on it.
Journey to the 7th Planet, The Black Hole, R.C. on Mars, Star Trek TMP, Moonraker...
KKKKKKKKHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Shot of the moon) KKKKKKHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!
"And I shall go on...hurting you" Man they just don't make Sci Fi movies like ST2..
I think a "space" movie should include space as a character in the film. Cold, airless, black and impossibly endless, "space" should impact the plot and affect the characters' actions.
1. 2001: A Space Oddyssey
2. Aliens
3. Silent Running
4. Marooned
5. Apollo 13
What, no "Santa Claus conquers the Martians", or "Plan 9 from Outer Space"!!
Silent Running
Definitely!!! Totally under-rated and almost forgotten movie.....and that's a shame!!
AS IF! #1 Spaceballs!
Serenity should have been named.
ice pirates
Moon 44
Serenity
Dune
Blade Runner
Blade runner was long and slow but I always liked the ending "All those moments will be lost, like tears in the rain" Time to die.
@ Julio–loved Ice Pirates as a kid... you, sir, are among the film elite in my book.
1–Star Trek (2, 6, 8, and the reboot are the best)
2–Star Wars (ep 4 for the younglings out there)
3–Flash Gordon (another fav when I was a kid, hard to watch nowadays)
4–Apollo 13 (epic tale of guts and the American way before we lost it)
5–Wall*E (Pixar has done little wrong, save A Bug's Life and both Cars flicks)
HM: Last Starfighter–my 9 yr old just watched it for the first time this past weekend, and even he said it was awesome.
Battlestar Galactica.......yeah I know it's not a movie but it's the best space TV show of all time!
BSG 2.0 is arguably one of the best TV shows of all time ... for any genre. If not the best.
Agreed. Of course to try and cash in on the series Glen Larson recut the pilot and first episode into a feature length movie. I hate to admit it ... but I really liked the reboot series as well. I started watching it in order to be able to have an informed reason for disliking it but ended up loving that series too!!!! 🙂
Agreed kazz. I actually bought the entire BSG 2.0 series on blue ray because it was THAT good!
But they did put out the original BSG as a movie. I think they took the first two or three episodes and combined them for the big screen.
Space 1999! GREAT show for it's time, and my all-time favorite "space TV show" (at least the first season)!!!
I must admit, I think the original Alien was more suspense whereas Aliens was more of an action flick. I prefer Alien simply for the atmosphere. I also would like to say that 2001, while one of the best movies ever, is a bit of a snoozer – it's more art film than straight-up sci-fi. I like it, but watching it is a major commitment. To those who think that Starship Troopers and Armageddon were great, I can't even fathom why you'd think so. The only thing I remember about Starship Troopers is a ton of gratuitous decapitations and some truly horrendous dialog. Armageddon.....let's just say I couldn't even make it through to the launch, it was so bad. To each their own, though.
But it gave us the acting talents of Denise Richards!
Serenity.
Blade Runner
Flash Gordon? That was hard to turn off because it was so bad. Like watching a train wreck.
Lots of good movies mentioned (and some that don't QUITE have anything to do with space). Here's my list (sorry but I refuse to limit myself to 5 lol):
1) Empire Strikes Back
2) Star Wars
3) Wrath of Khan
4) Wall-E
5) Apollo 13
6) Independance Day
7) The Day the Earth Stood Still (original)
8) Forbidden Planet
9) Alien
10) Armageddon
HMs:
Misson to Mars, Last Star Fighter, Starship Troopers, Blade Runner, When Worlds Collide, Total Recall, Star Trek (2009), and Silent Running
Most overrated:
1) Avatar
2) 2001: A Space Odyssey
3) Serenity
4) Dune
5) ANYTHING George Lucus did after Jedi!!!!
I wouldn't even call Avatar a space movie... there was like one scene on a space ship. The rest was on Pandora.
And yes, the Dune movie(s) sucked, but the book is amazing enough to compensate for that. THE best sci-fi epic ever written.
Barbarella?
Can't go wrong with a young Jane Fonda prancing around doing a naked zero-G workout!!! Kinda reminded me of Flash Gordon on LSD. lol
"Marooned" gets little credit; hardly anyone remembers it, but it was terrific. Gregory Peck, Gene Hackman, James Franciscus, Richard Crenna, David Janssen and Lee Grant in a story of an Apollo shot that goes bad. Excllent all the way around.
I LOVE Marooned! Great piece of Sci-Fi/Fact based type movie! The acting is top notch, and the story is almost too real!
Loved MAROONED! One of my all-time favorites. Truly a space classic.
Oh, Thank goodness! I thought 2001 was 1st. It's a decent movie but for about 10 minutes all you can hear is breatheing and then the guy turns into a fetus while returning to earth. haha
BLADERUNNER!!!!!!
How about "Enema Bandits from Mars" starring Sarah and Bristol Palin?
How about "Star Trek CXIX: the Search for Intellegent or Original Comments from palintwit"
"Forbidden Planet" and "The Day the Earth Stood Still" should be in there.
What about forrest gump? how could you not include that on a top space movie list?
Patrick Doyen is right on, both in selection and insightful comments.
"2001"... a pompous bore. "Forbidden Planet" please.
"War of the Worlds" both the 1956 original and the new Tom Cruise version.
2001 is the most overrated garbage. I cannot believe it continues to make these lists.
Daniel, guess you wouldn't know good Sci-Fi, huh? 2001 is one of the all-time classics. And Forbidden Planet is the grand-daddy of all modern Sci-Fi!!
@ Ex Con – I know exactly what a good Sci Fi is...and that ain't it.
Daniel, well, it simply proves we all have differences in tastes. I think 2001 and especially Forbidden Planet are two of the greatest of all time. But, that's simply my opinion, though there are a lot who seem to agree.
So, what you're saying is there hasn't been a good space movie made in 25 years? What about Apollo 13?
Where is Apollo 13?
Really No Apollo 13 makes this list completely invalid.
How can you compile a list of the best space movies and leave off "Office Space"? Anyone who does so should be sent to prison – and I mean federal pound you in the -- prison!
For some reason it posted mine as a response, so I have re-posted it and this time it looks correct. Here's my list:
I am one who thinks that Aliens, though a great movie, was NOT better than the original Alien. Alien is one of the all-time classic Sci-Fi films, and one of the greatest movies ever made!
My list would be as follows:
1) 2001: A Space Odyssey
2) Forbidden Planet
3) Alien
4) The Right Stuff
5) Apollo 13
Honorable mentions(in no particular order):
Star Trek: The Motion Picture(my favorite of all the Star Trek movies)
The Empire Strikes Back
Marooned
Moon
Silent Running
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
This Island Earth
When Worlds Collide
And absolutely THE most overrated movie of all time:
Avatar (horrible movie)
"Journey to the Far Side of the Sun" had the best-ever plot!
Escape to Witch Mountain.
The Apple Dumpling Gang.
The Worlds Greatest Athlete.
Friday the 13th.
Poseiden Adventure.
...moron...
Barbarella
Did they steal your tractor?
I was a kid back then but have to say,no offense, that to this day "2001" was the absolute most boring movie I have ever seen. It was literally painful to sit through it...soooooo slooooooowww......
100% agree. I can't believe everyone gushes over it.
2001 makes you think, a lot. As I mentioned in a reply somewhere up the list Kubrick wants you to get the information from symbolism and the way the the film is shot versus dialogue.
Where's Logan's Run?
Where's Liquid Sky?
Sacrilidge!
What, no talk about The Ice Pirates?? Should at least get a honorable mention.
Dude! I soooooo wanted to be the one to say that! Ice Pirates is one of the great classics!
For me, it's 2001: A Space Odyssey, with (most) everything else a distant second. The first, and still one of the very few, to get the technical details right (no sounds in a vacuum, for example). Incredible visuals for the late 60s and a great story by Clarke.
I'd give honorable mention to Silent Running, which is more of a cult classic with Bruce Dern. It's just a cool movie and really the same concept as Alien many years before Alien. It was a TV movie but worth watching.
SPACE BALLS!!!!!!!!
Kevin you sound very level headed and cute. Would you like to shine my knob, suck my goober then finger my hineyhole before you slam it...
Sounds like great fun...what is your phone number?
With the exception of 2001: Space Odyssey (painfully low on the chart I might add), this is probably the worst top 5 list I have ever seen. Then again, I expected it to be bad coming from a news network.
The Black Hole and Dune are taken over by SpaceCampy and ... erm.. Explorers?
What are you smoking???
Best space movies
1. Space Odyssey: 2001
2. Moon (which does seem to be on many lists)
3. Close Encounters
The rest seem really dated
Moon was great, as was Sunshine.
haarkonen
I couldn't get into "Sunshine" I gave up after 10 minutes. I'll have to try again.
1. Star Wars (as a series)
2. Moon
3. Wall-E
4. Alien
5. Sunshine
STARSHIP TROOPERS!
You know, one movie that shaped my love for all things Sci-fi, and imo one very underrated movie, is 1979's "The Black Hole". I mean you want to talk about a great space movie, the whole thing happens in space! And name me anyone who didn't shed a tear when Bob and Vincent took on Maximillion near the end of the movie. That flick instilled a love of that genre of movie in me that i still have, and now i have passed it on to my children.
The only thing I can say about that list is wow. Just wow.
My Personal Top Ten:
1. Empire Strikes Back (1980)
2. Star Wars (1977)
3. Close Encounters of the Third KInd (1978)
4. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. (1982)
5. Aliens (1986)
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
7. Apollo 13 (1995)
8. 2010 (1984)
9. Blade Runner (1982)
10. Star Trek (2009)
this list is ridiculous. too bad a real-live movie critic/historian couldn't have been tasked by the editor to take this piece on.
I've seen three of those in the last month.
freaking Flash Gordon beat 2001, arguably one of the greatest movies ever made? LOL to that.
1. Space Odyssey: 2001
2. Star Wars
3. Apollo 13
4. Wrath of Kahn
5. Event Horizon (just left me with a creepy feeling, ya know)
It's obviously clear here with a lot of these comments that certain people require education on the differences between a "space movie" and a "sci-fi movie".
I agree...and even after making a similar observation, I'm second guessing my inclusion of some on my list.
You left out Apollo 13? Really?
Assuming that a requirement for list is that a significant portion of the movie took place in _space_, then lots of wonderful films don't qualify in this category: Blade Runner, ET, The Right Stuff, etc.
1. Apollo 13
2. 2001
3. Empire Strikes Back
4. Wrath of Kahn
5. Aliens
Honorable Mention:
6. Serenity
7. Star Wars
8. Star Trek (2009)
9. 2010
10. Alien
I wouldn't argue with anyone who rearranged 1, 2, and 3. In my mind Apollo gets the nod for incredible realism.
ARMAGEDDON
You are absolutely alone in thinking that Aliens was better. Alien (the original) was great because, when you in a small space, like a tube, and your friends are screaming: "its getting closer"! You look around and can not see it until you look down, and find it comming up the tube to kill you. That was some scarry stuff in a large dark 1980's theater.
Also, when someone is sitting at the table eating and feels a gas bubble rising from his stomach, you kind of push away from the table, and draw your guns. what ever is comming out better be just gas.
In Aliens, they had a budget to do the movie some real justice. It was filmed in better quality, but you kind of expected the eggs, the aliens, and all of the other horrible stuff that could happen. It was not a surprise, but it was good. In the third one, you might as well call it Aliens 3 "the search for more money"
Finally! Someone who shares my love of Flash Gordon. That movie changed my childhood.
I'm an idiot: ...know as space.
Moon
Most of you forgot "The Black Hole" or "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" should be mentioned...
No STAR TREK????? Ridiculous!
Did we forget about some movie called "Apollo 13", huge cast, compelling real life story unlike Aliens and Flash Gordan, plus two of the three honorable mentions I'd never heard of. Why not throw in Spaceballs, while your at it?
Some of the movies listed besides the original author's are great Scifi movies, but not necessarily great 'SPACE' movies. I agree with most that the exclusion of any of the Star Trek movies is an oversight. My list would look something like this (again, following the argument of this being a great SPACE movie list):
1. Star Wars (not as good as ESB, but much more space action)
2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey
4. Aliens (liked this much better than the original)
5. Star Trek VI – The Undiscovered Country
Note: Loved Flash Gordon, again, not sure if it qualifies as a Space Movie. While the action is certainly otherworldly, it does not technically take place in what we no as space.
Top 5:
1.) 2001: A Space Odyssey
2.) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
3.) Apollo 13
4.) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
5.) Alien
HM:
6.) Forbidden Planet
7.) The Right Stuff
8.) Moon
What a generic list.
no Spaceballs?
YOu missed the Classic 50's Sci-Fi hit "Forbiddon Planet".
Forbidden Planet . . one of the best ever. (See my post at 4:29 PM)
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. Blade Runner
3. Solaris (1972)
4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
5. The Empire Strikes Back
Pro Tip: Blade Runner is NOT a 'space' movie.
1. Empire Strikes Back
2. KHAAAAAAAAANNNNNN!
3. Alien
4. 2001
5. Solaris (the original without Clooney)
Honorable mentions – Moon, Sunshine, Serenity,Galaxy Quest, Outland, Total Recall, Enemy Mine
and to answer why the original Planet of the Apes isn't on my list – it took place on EARTH! (damn, dirty apes)
@Andulamb, You should read the Dark Horse comic Aliens. Its totally what you were thinking of. Supposedly this was supposed to be Alien 3, but then there were all these franchise rights blah blah blah. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_%28comic_book%29
"We don't need other worlds. We need a mirror."
From Andrei Tarkovsky's "Solaris" (1972)
Flash Gordon? PU! Id say Right Stuff and Star Wars are interchangeable at top spot, one historic the other fantasy/fiction. As for Flash G, how could it possibly beat out Forbidden Planet, Wrath of Khan or Apollo 13?
How on Earth could you have overlooked the original greatest space movie ever made? Forbidden Planet! God, would I love to see what Hollywood could do with special effects in a remake of that one!
When 'Wired' magazine asked producers, directors and "techies" several years ago for their favorite SciFi movie, it was, hands-down Blade Runner. I still agree. It has a great cast, action, suspense, and a view of a gritty, dark future...very much in keeping with what this planet will probably end up like. But, it still had heart and hope as well. THIS list is a joke.
I love Blade Runner too, but this is a list about Space movies, not Sci Fi in general.
Star Crash staring Marjoe Gortner.
WHAT?! No "Amazon Women On The Moon"?
Why do people bother screaming My Movie Is Not on the list, he does say "as you compile your top five space movies"...so create your own favorites.
Wow, this list is missing some classics.
Plan 9 from Outer Space
Astro Zombies
Moon
Doom
Sunshine
Gattica
The Day the Earth Stood Still
The Watchmen
Darkstar
WTH does 'The Watchmen' have to do with space?
Glad you asked, my friend. Part of The Watchmen takes place on Mars, and it's one of the coolest scenes. So I consider it a space movie. I'm glad you did call me on it. Bravo for you, sir.
You all are forgetting about the 1997 classic. Rocket Man, starring Harland Williams.
Sunshine...
This list is bunk. "Dark Star" blows 'em all out of the universe.
I don't know who you are, but I love you.
Flash Gordon beat out: Wrath of Khan?!?! W T F???
Who (at least of those who saw the movie in the theater, not many years later on DVD) will ever forget the tag line, "In space, no one can hear you scream?" Alien...what a great, imaginative, unparalleled (at the time) movie.
I immediately thought of The Andromeda Strain. I watched it in my high school anatomy class, and I remember being completely riveted, while my classmates slept (admittedly, I'm a bit of a nerd). Thinking back, I don't really remember if space had anything to do with it at all...
Also have to agree with WALL•E and The Fifth Element. Both great movies.
My submission for worst space movie: Battlefield Earth. What a massively awful fail of a movie.
No space per se... The life form came from space though... (the original Andromeda Strain! the new one sucks rocks!)
"Flash Gordon"? You gotta be kidding me. There are much better "space" movies than this. And although Blade Runner is one of my ATFs, it's really not a "space" movie, it's Sci-Fi, it all takes place on Earth. Here's some of my favs
Original Star Wars Trilogy
Outland (Sean Connery, really underrated film IMHO)
Alien and Aliens ("Game over, man, game over!" one of the most classic lines, ever)
Spaceballs ("Use the Schwartz!")
How did Planet of the Apes (the original, not that garbage with Marky Mark) not make this list but Flash Gordon did?!?
Here's the real top 5:
1. The Right Stuff (merely for historical purposes)
2. Alien (NOT ALIENS. Captured the true essence of space isolation)
3. Contact (it is afterall a 'space travel' movie, isn't it?)
4. Sunshine (grim eco-space narrative)
5. Starship Troopers (if there is an alien presence in space it will likely be bugs)
1. Aliens vs Predator
2. Armegeddon
3. Alien 3
...
Oh wait, is this the worst space movies, or the best?
1) Star Wars, 2) 2001: A Space Oddity, 3) Alien, 4) Star Trek II :The Wrath of Kahn, 5) Apollo 13. Honorable Mentions: Space Camp, Spaceballs, The Black Hole, Enemy Mine, Dune, Flash Gordon, and Space Cowboys.
How about "Bowling for Cow Pies" starring Bristol (the dancing porker) Palin?
Did we mention OUTLAND – with Sean Connery... EXCELLENT for its' time.... and CAPRICORN ONE, for a twist on the space race – CLASSIC 70s conspiracy...
Before Spielberg, before Lucas, long before Bay or many others...there was Roddenberry.
List fail items: (most obvious)
1. Lack of Star Trek, the Wrath of Kahn.
2. Lack of mention for Forbidden Planet
3. Inclusion of Flash Gordon
I also thought of Forbidden Planet – a retelling of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" in outer space.
Alien was genuine unknown space SCARY. Never got a clear look at it. Not sure what it even was till almost the end. Totally alien, who could have thought of something like that. Brillant movie making. The sequels were space action cowboy and indian stuff.
Right on, LouAz. Alien was definitely ground-breaking in the same way The Exorcist was in its genre. For pure entertainment, I enjoyed Aliens more, but Alien was definitely a great movie. Didn't care that much for the rest of them.
How could "Apollo 13" not be on this list??? And "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan???" And you put "Flash Gordon" on this list instead of either film?
"Alien" and "Aliens" were too different kinds of films. The first relied on suspense and the unknown to jolt the audience. The film still gives me the creeps. The second was an all-out action flick. Both are outstanding on their own terms.
Five Space Faves:
1. Apollo 13- Murphy's Law in space- with a vengeance! But NASA team's ingenuity saves the day.
2. The Right Stuff- great movie about the early space program. You feel you were right there with the guys.
3. Starship Troopers- space marines glory, blood and guts story from science fiction author Robert Heinlein.
4. Alien-terrifying. glued to my seat. Ripley-space heroine-kicks alien butt!
5. Deep Impact-great special effects. Especially the tsunami that ate New York.
I have to put "Serenity" on the top of that list, not because I'm a cool loner and like cheezy movies, but because never has cheezy been done as masterfully.
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. Star Wars
3. Dune
4. Alien
5. Solaris
Dune was an awesome book, but there was too much there for a good movie. I can't believe the movie made much sense to people who hadn't read the book.
You people gotta be kidding. Starship Troopers,,, Enemy Mine. Must be the pre puberty bunch posting. No mention of Forbidden Planet or Robinson Crusoe on Mars. How can one take this list serious.
Hahahaha, I could not agree more.
"Dutchy
..." No mention of Forbidden Planet or Robinson Crusoe on Mars. How can one take this list serious."
"Forbidden Planet "has been mentioned several times, stunning film for it's time and still mind boggling. "Robinson Crusoe on Mars"? Yes. Also agree with those recommending the original (and only the original) "Planet of the Apes," which was a real ground breaker.
Flash Gordon?? C'mon. Without a doubt, 2001 and Star Wars had the most impact to everthing that followed.
Dude...hate to say it...buuuuut...uh....Star Wars was influenced by the Flash Gordon serials back in the day. So....really...Flash Gordon influenced Star Wars.
I'm a die-hard Star Wars fan, but we must face the truth at some time.
Even Jesus had a father.
Yeah, but there's a long gap between black and white Flash serials and the campy color movie.
Two space movies I really love but haven't seen on any lists yet:
The Fifth Element–it's rare to find such a great Sci Fi movie that also doesn't take itself too seriously.
Silent Running–from about 1971 I think. Anybody remember it? Super social commentary on our penchant for self destruction. Also where the idea for R2D2 came from.
you're not alone in considering Cameron's sequel to be better than Scott's original Alien (i too feel that way) but you are crazy to be leaving the best space film off of the list, one of the greatest masterpieces of all of cinema in Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972, metaphysical masterpiece SOLARIS.
I completely agree. Tarkovsky's "Solaris" was nothing short of breathtaking. After looking at the imdb I remember one of my favorite sections of dialogue in the film was this: "Science? Nonsense! In this situation mediocrity and genius are equally useless! I must tell you that we really have no desire to conquer any cosmos. We want to extend the Earth up to its borders. We don't know what to do with other worlds. We don't need other worlds. We need a mirror. We struggle to make contact, but we'll never achieve it. We are in a ridiculous predicament of man pursuing a goal that he fears and that he really does not need. Man needs man!"
Spaceballs did not make the list. Real shame.
Spaceballs was a hoot and everybody who likes to laugh should see it. But it was not one of the top five best space movies, not by a long shot.
I love that Apollo 13 was left off the list. What Ron Howard did to the legacies of Deke Slayton and the flight surgeons by turning them into a bunch of bumbling idiots was a complete abomination and completely ruined the movie. These men were responsible for making sure the astronauts on the flight crews were the best of the best and were all absolutely exemplary in their job performances.
2001: A Space Odyssey is in a class by itself!
Yeah, "Low" class.
"Contact" with Jodie Foster is definitely worth seeing. It's based on Carl Sagan's novel.
i second the motion 🙂
"Aliens" a better film than "Alien"??? LMAO! That's the most absurd thing I've heard since yesterday when Obama sided with the UN in traitorous defense of a Mexican murderer.
I was wondering how long it would take for some mindless Repukelican turned this into a political discussion. I look forward to your responses.
How about "Dueling Dooshes" starring Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann?
Each of the original four Alien movies is original and brilliant in its own way. They great thing that Fox did was to give each film to a great new director and writer, and so each is different (and should be judged on its own merit). Alien is a great atmosopheric horror film from Ridley Scott (the precursor to his even more brilliant Blade Runner). Aliens is a great character-driven action movie, the kind of incredible fusion that James Cameron did so well in the 80's. Alien 3 is a dark, moody, fatalistic piece–typical of David Fincher at his best. And Alien Resurrection has the whimsy of Jean-Pierre Jeunet mixed with the a great proto-Firefly crew from writer Joss Whedon. Each a great film, but for different reasons. Comparisons really aren't fair.
I have a feeling the same people who are saying "Maid in Manhattan" and similar movies belong on this list will be the ones complaining that "Lost in Space" didn't make the top 5 Chick Flicks.
C'mon, people, this list is about SPACE movies. Now, if someone had complained that Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back wasn't on the list, I'd at least see their point...although that isn't the same kind of "space".
Patman, I agree. Sunshine w/ the excellent Mark Strong as a maniac starship captain had the best lines in any sci-fi movie. How can you beat a psychotic Mark Strong saying:
At the end of time, a moment will come when just one man remains. Then the moment will pass. Man will be gone. There will be nothing to show that we were ever here... but stardust.
The Right Stuff and Flash Gordon. Bwwaahahahaha!!! Yeah, this list is an effin' joke.
As many other agree, Apollo 13 should be on the list and NOT Flash Gordon. It was too stupid to be campy therefore not enjoyable. What about "Silent Running", other Star Wars and a couple of Star Trek movies, (especially the most recent one), "Forbidden Planet"? Although "Sapce Camp" has outer space scenes, isn't it mostly earthbound? You might as well add "Independence Day" and "Armaggedon" to my list. know we all have our favorites but this list is rank.
2001 should be #1. It was and remains the most scientifically accurate si-fi movie EVER made, period.
Yes, except it's now 2011...and in 2010 we should have received a message "All these worlds are yours except Europa" and be looking at two suns in the sky. So maybe not that accurate.
All kidding aside, I do believe 2001 is definitely a classic, and would love to see if 2061 or even better 3001 get made into a movie.
There is a lot of room for debate on here. But I agree with those who are talking about the failure to put Apollo 13 in the list. Along with 2001, it is an essential core on this list. I like the Right Stuff; certainly it has a lot of great lines in it ("No Bucks, no Buck Rogers"), but it covers so many characters and such a broad range of material, its hard to get emotionally invested in it... still, I think a strong case can be made for it. Though, I love them, I am actually going to argue against Star Wars and Star Trek II. While set in space, neither film really makes space integral to the plot (You could set Star Wars at sea, with the Death Star being a super powerful warship, and it plays mostly the same way... ditto Star Trek II.).
Snarky – Hilarious? He thought he just killed his pregnant wife. Plus, the light-sabre battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin, which we had been waiting for since 1977, over-rides everything.
Meh, the lightsaber battle in Phantom Menace was better.
I have to agree, the NYOOOOO!!! made you end the movie with a bad taste in your mouth. It was as bad as when Anakin finds out Padamine's (Is that the right person?) pregnant and pretends to act troubled, but happy. Terrible acting! Overall, the movie was epic, but was weighed down be stuff like that.
Too bad O'bumbles missed the history lesson on the quote from Lyndon Johnson...
Ohhhh, how soon we forget that your boy Gee-Dub had so many word and quote screw ups, that a new term was created to properly express them all: Bushisms
Flash Gordon and 2001 Space Odyssey? Admittedly, 2001 had great special effects and had a profound influence on a lot of people, but in reality, it was poorly written, poorly acted and except for the special effects, would have been a "B" movie. And Flash Gordon??? What the... that movie was a joke! I can think of a hundred sci fi movies that were better than either one of those.
It's actually funny that you say this because while the special effect were far superior to anything of the time the story was also perfect. Kubrick never meant for there to be a lot of dialogue, instead it was replaced by symbolism. I was lucky enough to have taken a Science Fiction class that went over this movie in great detail and after that everything else is number 2 and below because this is a masterpiece.
This list: not written by a hard core sci-fi fan. The inclusion of "Flash Gordon" (1980's version) was a dead give away. Not to mention "Space Camp" and, speaking of "camp"...The Last Starfighter. This is the best list this guy could come up with?
Amateur....
Man – I forgot about Lost In Space..........I actually liked the re-make!
eddantes: Generations sucked! One of the worst Star trek movies.
My 5:
1. Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
2. Aliens
3. Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home
4. Apollo 13
5. Galaxy Quest
HM: Star Wars Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Contact, Star Trek : First Contact, 2010
Whoaaaaa... Revenge of the Sith? Do you not remember Darth Vader's unintentionally hilarious Nyoooooooooooooooooo!! in that movie? Absolutely killed any good will the film had built up prior to that.
Ha ha, Galaxy Quest was one of the funniest movies ever. Loved it!
How about "Naked Hot Tub Biscuit Bumping" starring Sarah Palin and Casey Anthony?
Since nobody mentioned Lifeforce, here's my list of space movies:
1. Tremors
2. The Descent
3. Journey to the Center of the Earth
4. Fantastic Journey
5. The Matrix
Oh wait...
Okay, that was a cool show about getting lost in the Bermuda Triangle back in 1977. But what about Fantastic Voyage? That's the movie in which I wore my blood diamond! I'm in touch with my inner space, but obviously you are not!
Star Trek Generations with Patrick Stewart and William Shatner, perhaps of all the star trek movies the best.
No one mentioned Jodie Foster's "CONTACT"
Absolutlely, Contact should be on the list, Bandia! Thanks for bringing that up!
Add me to the list of those who think that Forbidden Planet should be on this list!
Why isn't star wars at the top of this list? The Right Stuff is a terrible movie.
I was going to say they should have Flight of the Navigator, but thats more of an alien movie than space. Whenever I think of space movies, I think aliens, 2001 and Event Horizon
Love Friday's Top 5!
Here are mine:
1. Star Wars
2. The Right Stuff
3. Apollo 13
4. WALL-E
5. Alien
HM:
Moon
Spaceballs
I was wondering if anyone would throw Wall-E in there.
Well done!
How Star Trek (Wrath, Voyage, Undiscovered, First Contact... take your pick) is not mentionned is an attrocity. It was probably the inspiration for getting a large majority of NASA scientists interested in space to begin with. Plus no Apollo 13!!! Agree with Right Stuff and Star Wars. Flash Gordon!!! Give me a break...
Doesn't anyone here like Star Trek IV, with the whales? And nobody has mentioned Revenge of the Sith. I must agree that you have to include a Star Trek movie in there somewhere.
I agree – In my book ST IV earns the nod over ST II. I also like Empire Strikes Back from the Star Wars group. How about Moonraker or Deep Impact? Also, while I agree it is a stretch to include Flash on the list, I liked it and am partial to anything with Topol in it (except my toothpaste).
“…computer, oh computer……ah keyboard, how quaint.”
Brad, nothing personal, but I think Star Trek IV is an awful movie, and next to Star Trek V, quite possibly the worst of the bunch!
Revenge of the Sith was incredible, IMO, but not quite as good as either The Empire Strikes Back or A New Hope.
Star Trek IV was okay; neither great nor terrible, but very much a one-trick pony, i.e. "let's have a laugh at the future people misunderstanding our present day world." It played more like a comedy than a science-fiction movie.
RotS loses points for me from the huge departure from logic the movie takes in the second half. Anakin wants to save Padme, right, I get that. And in a moment of desperation he acts to preserve the life of the one man he figures can do that for him; I can buy that too. But then to willingly become a cold-blooded killer who slaughters anyone and anything, including friends, comrades, and children without even a moment's hesitation? No moment where the heat of the moment passes and he thinks, "Holy crap. What have I done? I have to stop this before it gets worse!" Or at the very least, "OK, this is bad...I need to get Padme, find the fastest ship out of here, and just disappear forever. I'll find my own way to save her!" Riiiiight.
Or a woman who led an entire planet for several terms, guided her world through an occupation and war, and held a seat in the Imperial Senate, is such a wilting flower that she loses the will to live, because Anakin goes bad. No believing she could turn him around at some point, no living for the sake of her UNBORN CHILDREN, just giving up. "Anakin...you're breaking my heart!" Padme, you're breaking my brain!
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (the original one)
"War of the Worlds" (the original one)
"Forbidden Planet"
"2001"
"Star Wars – A New Hope"
Honorable Mentions
"Sunshine"
"Rocketship XM"
"Earth vs. The Flying Saucers"
"Serenity"
"This Island Earth"
"When Worlds Collide"
"Silent Running"
"Macross – Do You Remember Love"
But three of your top 5 are just alien movie or exploration. Not so much Space movies.
Just saw Sunshine...great movie
Nobody mentioned Avatar Seriously?. Also the Abyss.
Serenity. (I miss Firefly)
2001 and 2010 was also terrific.
All of the Aliens movies had something going on but the first 2 were the best.
Independence day was fun.
I would have put Star Wars as number.
How could you forget a classic like "Forbidden Planet"? One of the top on my campy list would be Earth Girls are Easy...
1. Star Trek II
2. Armageddon
3. Flash Gordon
4. The Fifth Element
5. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Fifth Element...good call; forgot all about that one.
Cowboy Bebop movie
"Serenity" but then
"Everyone Say Cheese"
"God's Twin Brother"
"Does This Make My Uranus Look Big?"
"Tonight The Sun!"
1. Aliens
2. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
3. Star Wars IV: A New Hope
4. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
5. The Last Starfighter
That list sucks.
Besides 2001, every movie on that list is a space opera. They might as well call the list the greatest moneymaking space films ever because this is absurd.
Excuse me, but I don't see the grand daddy (and best sci-fi) of them all, "Forbidden Planet," 1956. Still the best science fiction (space) movie of them all, hands down! ...thanks in advance for adding it to your list.
You are totally wrong!! 2001 Space Odyssey belongs at the TOP of that list. Star Wars maybe, but The Empire Strikes Back was way Superior. Alien was better than Aliens...and Flash Gordon???? You are an idiot!
1. Return of the Jedi
2. Star Wars
3. Star Trek II – The Wrath of Khan
4. Aliens
5. Moon
HM: Apollo 13, Spaceballs, Alien, The Right Stuff
What about "When Worlds Collide", "War of the Worlds" 1953. "The Thing from another planet", "Mission to Mars","Red Planet", "Robinson Crusoe on Mars", and "Independence Day".
The original Thing (from another planet) is a great movie. It has one of the best dialog tracks I've ever seen... Constant overlapping and intervening conversations... Absolutely Brilliant!
Star Trek II should be on this list instead of flash gordon
top five with out Star Trek =Get another job. and how can anyobe choose just five best of all the great sci-fi movie made
Here's what I would have chosen:
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
3. Apollo 13
4. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
5. Aliens
HM:
1. Star Wars
2. Alien
3. The Right Stuff
4. Star Trek (2009)
5. The Last Starfighter
Take that "S" off Alien and you have I have the same list in the same order.
SpaceCamp sucked! It was not even CLOSE to being accurate! The flight crew is on board during ET loading/main engine firing and children would NEVER be allowed anywhere NEAR it! That stupid little robot could NEVER have effected a launch, no matter WHAT it did!
Interesting that no one has voted for the highly ballyhooed and overrated Avitar.
"Flash Gordan" is on the list but not "Apollo 13"? Maybe I'm missing something.
Flash Gordon, Really??? That isn't a space movie it's a campy mess of a movie.
October Sky: you can't have space movies if no one wanted to be a rocket scientist in the first place!
Running Silent: saving part of earth for posterity
I'm surprised no one mentioned "Marooned" Great film.
Mars Attacks
Invasion Uranus.
Crabs Nebula.
Kiss The Moon.
Rocket Ride.
Head Cheese.
...mmmmmmmm... head cheese
mmmmmm...Spaceballs
...It's worth mention one of the greatest sci movies..it is "Forbidden Planet" ( 1956 ). The great actor Leslie Nielsen has played also. When you look that movie which has been made 55 years ago you will be impressed how fantastic it is...
Armaggedon > Flash Gordon
–From Germany with love (you mustn't agree with my choice):
1. Star Trek: Generations ("Haben wir etwas bewegt?" "Ja, haben wir")
2. Star Trek: 1st contact (–for FREEDOM!! For all that "is", for everything that lives, america stands for that!!)
3. Star Wars: The empire strikes back ("question ourselves")
4. 2001 – a space odyssey (I *do* DEEPLY believe in our lord *AND* in *LIFE OUT THERE*)
5. 2010 – the year we make contact ("contact" for ourselves? Maybe to overcome prejudices??!? 🙂
–and furthermore–
6. Apollo 13
7. The time machine (H.G. Wells, somewhen in the 1960's, the "older ones" will know that one, "elois" and "morlocks")
8. Blade Runner (rights for everything that "is", for everything that lives)
9. Running man (see 8.)
10. Planet of the apes 1-3, charlton heston, the "older ones" will know them probably, too.
All the best from "good old" germany.
–"life itself will find ways"–
Good list! I would add:
1.Logan's Run
2. War of the Worlds (The Original)
3. Forbidden Planet
Honorable Mention:
1.Outland
Good additions, however, I would argue that Logan's Run is not a "space" movie. Its set on earth "in the future"
Great list Sven, thanks for sharing!
Another one i just thought of........Friday the 13th 10 or simply put Jason X.
–From Germany with love (you mustn't agree with my choice):
1. Star Trek: Generations ("Haben wir etwas bewegt?" "Ja, haben wir")
2. Star Trek: 1st contact (–for FREEDOM!! For all that "is", for everything that lives, america stands for that!!)
3. Star Wars: The empire strikes back ("question ourselves")
4. 2001 – a space odyssey (I *do* DEEPLY believe in our lord *AND* in *LIFE OUT THERE*)
5. 2010 – the year we make contact ("contact" for ourselves? Maybe to overcome prejudices??!? 🙂
–and furthermore–
6. Apollo 13
7. The time machine (H.G. Wells, somewhen in the 1960's, the "older ones" will know that one, "elois" and "morlocks")
8. Blade Runner (rights for everything that "is", for everything that lives)
9. Running man (see 8.)
10. Planet of the apes 1-3, charlton heston, the "older ones" will know them probably, too.
All the best from "good old" germany.
The STAR TREK:TNG features top your list!?! Are you nuts!?!
1. Star Wars
2. Star trek (I like the remake)
3. Aliens
4. Moon (Duncan Jones)
5. Solaris (Tarkovsky) – great film remade by Steven soderbergh in 2002
I totally agree about "Solaris." Tarkovsky was a brilliant filmmaker. Anyone serious about film should see "Andrei Rublev" and "The Mirror" as well.
Herbie The LoveBug.
Pale Rider.
Bachelor Party.
Convoy.
Smokie and the Bandit.
Starship Troopers...definitely #1 in your heart
Armageddon???
Deep Impact??
Superman 2??
Com'on people
Barbarella.
The Abyss.
Walking Tall (the original).
Space Girls without Underpants.
Planet of the Apes (the original).
Dumb and Dumber – "We landed on the moon!!! YEAH!!!"
How can you leave off Heinlein's "Destination Moon"? You can't be a real space geek without knowing who Heinlein was! The movie predates the Apollo landing but had so much "right."
And I agree, Forbidden Planet did such a great job of showing a science fiction story on film, for all the primitive FX.
You mean to tell me that no one here liked Event Horizon???
Top five:
1. Star Wars
2. Star Trek II
3. Aliens
4. The Last Starfighter/Apollo 13
5. Event Horizon
II liked Event Horizon despite some of its flaws. I'm hoping that one day they will remake it and up the ante visually. I want to see what Hell looks like.
I definitely like your list better. Event Horizon is awesome. One of the scariest movies I've ever seen.
Did you know that the studio cut up Event Horizon from being too long and goreish. Quite sad really as I would have enjoyed the Director's cut even more.
You pick Flash Gordon, Space Camp AND The Last Starfighter over ANY Star Trek movies? Is this a best list or a worst list???
There are a lot of space movies being overlooked, especially for today's shuttle launch...
What about Space Cowboys? I thought Clint and the gang did a good job.
And I agree with Apollo 13, as well as Wrath of Khan. Any good Trekkie appreciates the first time, ship to ship battle at close range was done within the ST realm!
You really think Aliens is better than Alien? You must be joking...
Forbiddon Planet was years ahead of everything else when it came out in the 50s. Other than the slow laser burst speeds, still top notch special effects 55 years later.
Agree – Forbidden Planet set the standard, which really only was surpassed by 2001 a decade later.
I still chuckle when I see Leslie Neilson quick step down the stairs
You Trekkies make me sick...Flash Gordon could kick Kirk's butt, and throw a long bomb TD pass, ANDDD get girls that aren't blue.
Great list; How about these?
1. E.T. This movie makes me cry every time
2. Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind...I can't get those 5 notes out of my head
3. Total Recall "Damn it Kohagen, give these people their air!!!"
4. Apollo 13...I agree with Ron Howard up there, even though Tom Hanks' sideburns freak me out
5. Stargate...it's the only movie I've ever seen where James Spader plays a good guy and it's better than the 5th Element
ET and Close Encounters are both great movies, but while they are SCI-FI movies, they don't qualify for this list of SPACE movies, as they don't take place in space...
Armageddon?
Worst movie I've ever seen, and I'm a Bruce Willis and Owen Wilson fan.
More recent, but I thought Moon was fantastic. If this were a top 10 list, I would include it.
2001, A Space Odyssey, placed below first, or at worst second, place is bizzare, to say the least. Who's writing these lists? What are they smokin'? How old are they? Not a matter of opinion: Simple fact.
Why on earth is Flash Gordon on there? It's terrible. Should be Apollo 13 instead.
Agree on inclusion of Apollo 13 just for historical art (as JFK should be in the top 5 presidential movies, regardless of one's politics). HOWEVER, the biggest flaw of this list HAS to be 2001 not being number 1. Here's my argument:
1. '68!! Had a space station orbitting earth (2001 was the year of the decommission of MIR and handover to ISS)
2. '68!! 2003 beta version of Skype released to public. When I saw this movie for the first time about 1990, i thought "yeah, right: video phone. Whatever." This guy had it going on.
3. '68!! 2004 the first orbiter of Saturn arrived, launched in 97. Granted, it wasn't manned, but still. This guy had it going on.
So, thought complete. Thoughts? B
Another thing that I always like to add when referring to how well Kubrick did with 2001 is that he got the image of the earth almost perfect even though no one had ever seen it from space at that point in time.
The Empire Strikes Back
What about the original Dune? And I totally agree with erich2112x about Serenity, probably my #1. And I know I am going to get some scoffs at this one, but I used to love Critters.
No scoffing from me! Critters is a camp cult classic.
Aliens: It was a slow day at work and the boss was out of town, so we shut down the office and went to an afternoon matinee. Definitely one of the few sequels that's as good as or maybe even better than the original.
2001: My favorite movie of all time.
Agreed with 2001... 2010 was also very good I thought. Both too cerebral for most though.
2001 is number one by far. The direction is flawless and it still is very impressive 42 years later. Alien is great too.
Agreed that Star Wars should have been first, and that there needed to be something from the Star Trek franchise. I would go with either Wrath of Kahn, or surprisingly, the newest Start Trek movie – what a ride that was. But I certainly agree with the choice of Aliens – great film.
1. Star Wars
2. Star Trek
3. Aliens
4. The Last Starfighter
5. Enemy Mine (With Dennis Quaid and Lou Gosset Jr.)
I also loved Enemy Mine but I think we are in the vast minority!
Flesh Gordon do got good boobies.
I LOVED ENEMY MINE TOO! AND WHAT ABOUT "CONTACT?" IT WAS MOSTLY ON EARTH, BUT ABOUT ALIENS
Enemy Mine...great choice, how could I have overlooked the Dracs!
I'd vote for "Moon", Duncan Jones' first movie, for psychological tension, keeping me guessing to the end, and portraying space (well, the moon, but whatever) as I think it would really be: cold, lonely, quiet, somewhat creepy.
Good call on Moon
Agreed on Moon. I definitely expected to see it on the list. Although, this is a fairly solid list (minus Flash Gordon). Sunshine is another good one.
moon...excellent
WHAT?? No Apollo 13?? No Spaceballs?? No OUTLAND or Santa Claus Conquers the Martians??? How about Howard the DUCK/?? List is just so LACKING!!!!! HA HA HA..Flash Gordon?? Really?? Then why not tell us that Plan 9 from Outer Space is a OSCAR WINNER>>>
2001: a space odyssey was the most surreal movie when i saw it five times in1968. Back then, we all hoped that 2001 will be the year where technology will give us the space station rotating and creating artificial gravity..
Great list–agree with Apollo 13 but sometimes just not enough space for all the great stuff. Love the FAV 5.
Bridesmaids
How about Tim Allen's "Galaxy Quest"? Have a couple of your fav beverages & watch that crazy movie! @ palintwit, I have to admit, that made me chuckle! (Shame on me! Lol)
Ditto on Galaxey Quest! Now I too am.... "going to find the nearest pub"....
Anybody remember Apollo 13? "Houston, we have a problem"
Brilliant movie. Doesn't even get an honourable mention. Hmmm.... wonder who compiled this list?
Flash Gordon? Seriously??
Agree Wrath of Khan is better. Also too, Outland.
TEEN WOLF 1 & 2
" The Human Centipede 2 " starring the entire Palin family.
ROFLOL...you made my week!
You would be perfect for the last segment.
Terms Of Endearment.
Nicholson as the astronaut stole the film. Bravo Zulu erich.
What about Silent Running, it had great special effects for the time.
Good movie as space movies go, but a little too PC for my taste.
Outland!
Outland! How could I have forgotten about Outland? Or Saturn 5? Probably not good enough to make the top 5, but both were decent movies.
I was under the impression everybody thought Aliens was better than Alien. How about we throw some Starship Troopers into this mix too? I actually thought that film was kinda underrated
No, not Starship Troopers. Nothing like the book it was supposed to be based on. It could have been SO much better.
Both Alien and Aliens are great, but they are different kinds of movies. Alien is much more realistic, and thus is very slow-paced. Aliens is more in line with today's sci-fi/action movies. Then there's Alien 3, which ruined the franchise. I like to pretend it doesn't exist. I'm sorry, but you don't make an entire movie about rescuing someone, and then kill that person off at the beginning of the next movie. Just dump all over the preceeding movie, why don't you. Furthermore, there was a build up from Alien to Aliens - from one alien to a slew of aliens. Alien 3 should have upped the ante again by having an alien hitch a ride to earth. An alien running amok on a prison planet? Who cares?
@ Andulamb
I liked Alien 3. It was pretty good. At was Alien Resurrection (4) that was too much. I liked Winona Ryder in it but some of the stuff in it was stupid. Alien is classic. There is so much suspense because we don't see the alien during most of the movie. And Aliens is awesome because Ripley kicks butt in it.
Starship Troopers should have gotten an honorable mention, and as mkleve says, it is nowhere close to the book. Campy fun with plenty of action, gore, and even some T&A. The two sequels, however, were absolutely horrible!
No "Wrath of Kahn"? The entire list is suspect.
"From the depths of Perdition I spit hooey at you!"
haha
"KHAN!!!!!!"
Khan... I'm Laughing at The Superior Intellect!
"He Task Me...He Task Me" love that movie took less money to play the villain. Sad the killed him off wish he was in III
Are you kidding?! "Flash Gordon" makes the list, but nary a mention of Star Trek? Ok, there are some crap ST movies out there, but 'Wrath of Khan' is outstanding.
And kudos on Last Starfighter getting at least an honorable mention!
And The Right Stuff was good, but there is NO topping the original Star Wars.....unless you mean the short 'Hardware Wars!'
Spaceballs anyone?? May the schwartz be with you.
My schwartz is bigger than yours!
Spaceballs one of the top 5 outer space movies of all time – riiiiiiiight. May good taste, common sense, and some basic intelligence find you.
One of Mel's worst.
Agreed, Spaceballs is one of the greatest comedies, nay, movies of all time!! Space themed or not. Any of the fools who knocked your comment have serious issues and should consult a therapist ASAP!
"Funny, she doesn't look Druish..."
The little "Jews in Space" bit at the end of Mel's "History of the World: Part I" was funnier than the whole movie "Spaceballs" (except the "Michigan J. Alien" scene close to the end)
I bet SHE gives good helmet!
Maid in Manhatten should be on the list
I can't believe they left out mannequin
Amazon Women On The Moon – Classic!
"There ain't no f*****' Thelma here!"
THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS
I think a good one would be Justin Bieber: Never say Never
What about 'Serenity', that's a good one.
Gorramit, you got that right! >:-(
You can't stop the signal!
Serenity was good, but the TV series (Firefly)was awesome. I keep hoping it'll come back some day.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a good one
Good movie, yes (thank you, Phoebe Cates, from every red-blooded man around at the time, and since) but it is not a space movie, which is what this list is.
Cars 2
Don't look now Cletus, but someone's trying to hotwire your tractor.
I love the Friday Top Five! Give me something to look forward to every week. You are spot-on this week with the Top 5. I also have to agree that the sequel to Aliens was better than the original – only movie I can say that for. Keep up the great work and I'll look forward to next weeks. "Funny, she doesn't look druish"!!
Empire Strikes Back...
Aliens is so good. Saw that movie in my science fiction literature class at college, so even the snooty, out of touch prof. knew how good it was.
Sorry but you are dead wrong! 2001 is by far the best science fiction film of all time – Kubrick and Clarke were geniuses! Also, the first Alien pic is better than the second and the 3rd is best of all 4. I do agree that Apollo 13 deserves to be on the list.
Why isn't Apollo 13 on this list? That is the greatest space movie of all time and disappointing it isn't on the list or even get an honorable mention.
Agreed. Apollo 13 should have been on the list. Going by pure space movies (movies that have significant time in space, and not just on an alien planet):
Apollo 13
Star Wars (ESB is better, but the original has more space time)
Star Trek II
2001
The Right Stuff
Alien/Aliens (both are equally good IMO) and Last Starfighter get HMs
You can't have a list of space movies without Apollo 13 – in my opinion it's a classic at least for space enthusiasts. A pretty good timing for this list as we are witnessing the historic closure in the shuttle missions.
100% agreement on Apollo 13.
Is this Ron Howard?
Agree that Apollo 13 has to be on list. Geez, they're making calculations of thrust fires using slide rulers!
Actually, when I read this; it was the first movie I thought about....then 2001...then Star Wars. LOL, I loved Flash Gordon. Campy as ever...what a soundtrack...go Queen.
remember Marooned with Richard Crenna and Gene Hackman back in the 70's and James Franciscus
Agreed. Apollo 13 deserves to be on this list. Flash Gordon, on the other hand, does not.
Apollo 13 has more excitement, tension and drama than any of the Sci-Fi movies, and it really happened.
Because Tom Hanks is a tatty fecking botch, that's why.
Apollo 13 is real miss here.
"I think ol' Swigart gave me the clap"...Apollo 13 was a little too Hollywood-ized, but they took pains to get technical details right. Should have been on this list, near the top.
I agree with Apollo 13 being worthy of this list. I like that Flash Gordon made the list, though. I just watched it the other night, after the wife and daughter fell asleep. Great soundtrack! Blade Runner was great, but all of the action took place on Earth, so it shouldn't be on a list of Space movies, as some people suggest. Star Wars A New Hope is a classic, though any of that trilogy are worthy. I'm also glad The Last Starfighter made the list, as it is one of my favorites.
SERIOUSLY!!! I can't believe Apollo 13 isn't anywhere on this list! Definitely in my top 5, along with Alien, Armageddon, The Right Stuff and Star Wars.
Maybe the trashy costumes in Flash Gordon won out over the substance in Apollo 13?
Not a movie but I can't get enough Exosquad.
Sunshine with Cilian Murphy from 28 days later where a team of astronauts are sent to re-ignite the dying sun 50 years into the future.
God bless Armenia indeed, NeoWar.
@NeoWarComByGod, did you forget to take your meds today?
@FFLoyd, what language is that? It sure isn't English.
reason why you no got do Ameriac. PLease limit mex to low people and paris to limitations. god bless uss and godd bless making babies.
NOwar = Epic Fail!
The Right Stuff and Flash Gordon. LOL ...this list is a joke.
Brain Diseased Good For Nothing – why do you got so much English language abuse? Naff off and speak proper.
Yes, Christopher, I agree. Surely Forbidden Planet rates above the camp comedy Flash Gordon.. And The Right Stuff was a brilliant exposition of fifties American can-do culture, but not really a space movie.
patman : You do got so must visit with fried poultry.
How did Planet of the Apes (the original, not that garbage with Marky Mark) not make this list?!?
What about "Galaxy Quest"? Who can forget the best space camp movie of all time?
bdgfn:
"...did you forget to take your meds today?"
God, that's original!
I guess "You suck!" was already taken, huh?
The scintillating, Wildean wit of the knucklewalking proles.
How in the world can you leave out apollo 13? Whoever edits the list needs smacked!
MAD.... get a life
Yes, you are alone – Aliens was horrible compared to Alien, a true classic.
Oi! Where is my NeoWarComByGod contribution? Are you deleting UnAmercium comments, by The Sky Fairy? Nuff said, move on to the next ammendment if you must.
Empire strikes back blows the original star wars out of the water. AT-ATs and boba fett > picking up power converters from the tashi station.
Alien is far more suspenseful and effectively done than it's sequel, hands down. I'll take the chestburster scene over newt's high pitched screaming any day... besides... Ridley Scott > James Cameron, I suppose this is mostly subjective... mostly.
What really throws me is this spacecamp nomination.... I'd have put Explorers (three kids make a spaceship out of a tilt-a-whirl), on the list before spacecamp! Both sucked but River > Joaquin, and besides.. neither are worthy of pushing spaceballs out of mention.
I wholeheartedly stand behind flash gordan being up there.
I've gotta put my 2 cents in here. By any standard, 2001 has to top the list. It was the first real attempt to show an audience the possibilities of space exploration (and in color). I would have to go with APOLLO 13 next. It was also about the possibilities of space exploration going 'not so good,' and it really happened. Next would be The ANDROMEDA STRAIN. Numbers 4 & 5 are a toss up for me. One would be CLOSE ENCOUNTERS-about the possibilities of space exploration that will eventually happen, and finally ARMAGEDDON, for the same reason.
The #1 film in science fiction in my opinion is The Empire Strikes Back.
Hey sonylegend, still fighting the good fight against the illuminati/neo-sapien/reptoid invasion?
I am one who thinks that Aliens, though a great movie, was NOT better than the original Alien. Alien is one of the all-time classic Sci-Fi films, and one of the greatest movies ever made!
My list would be as follows:
1) 2001: A Space Odyssey
2) Forbidden Planet
3) Alien
4) The Right Stuff
5) Apollo 13
Honorable mentions(in no particular order):
Star Trek: The Motion Picture(my favorite of all the Star Trek movies)
The Empire Strikes Back
Marooned
Moon
Silent Running
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
This Island Earth
When Worlds Collide
And absolutely THE most overrated movie of all time:
Avatar (horrible movie)
Serenity, the sequel to the Firefly TV series, was an amazing tale.
2010 was terrific also, ending with the most stunning and audacious act of thinking beings ever portrayed on film. Only Clarke could out-Clarke himself.
I thought Sunshine was very good until the deranged killer showed up. Then it degenerated.
Alien was far superior to aliens. Forget about the fact that sequals are never better. It depends on the audience, if you're a teenager who spends hours every day playing video games and you think starship troopers is a good movie, then yes, aliens was better. Also, how can anyone put the right stuff above classics like 2001, star wars and empire? These were ground breaking original movies
Sunshine ala Danny Boyle. Brilliant. Also of notable mention, Event Horizon which was a box office flop but went on to be a cult film.
Pips for Star Wars and Aliens. But the rest? Do you even watch space movies?
No, You are not alone in thinking "Aliens" is superior to "Alien". A classic westen played out in space. Maybe greatest ever, except 2001-A Space Odyessy
Does Blade Runner count? They were "OFF WORLD"
I disagree that Aliens, Star Wars, and Flash Gordon are even space movies. But more to the point Flosh Gordon sucked. No question. It really sucked. Adding Flash Gordon and not Apollo 13 makes this list a joke.
Apollo 13!!!! how could you forget that movie?
I love space movies ,here are some more,
Mission to Mars
The Red Planet
Sunshine
Outland
The Right Stuff
The Black Hole
Saturn 3
These would all make my top 5
I do think the original Alien superior to any of its sequels. Also I'd mention "Silent Running." I also liked the new "Star Trek" movie for some reason. I'd put 2001 A Apace Odyssey as #1.
I guess we could spend all night and STILL find the one or the the other forgotten "must have" movie.
I just remembered one which i think deserves mentioning, it's "Silent Running" . It's old, but if you haven't seen it you should. And of course, there is NO way to make a SciFi/space list without mentioning Star Trek. And if we're at it..what about BSG? 🙂
2001 is so boring and sucks, but has a place in history. Flash Gordon you can't be serious.
what about Apollo 13!
I think 70% or more of the film needs to be in space or on another planet, for it to be considered a space movie.
Here is my list. More than 5 because I don't like limits
1.) Empire Strikes Back
2.) Sunshine
3.) Disney's The Black Hole
4.) Flash Gordon
5.) Alien (The original Alien not that compromised second draft)
6.) Event Horizon
7.) The Last Starfighter
8.) Forbidden Planet
9.) Star Trek The Wrath Of Khan
10.) Star Trek First Contact
11.) Lifeforce
12.) Ice Pirates
13.) Space Balls
Enemy Mine! Louis Gosset Jr.'s character was classic.
Moon gets my vote
1) 2001: A Space Odyssey
2) The Right Stuff
3) Apollo 13
4) 2010: The Year We Make Contact
5) Solaris
What the H***??? lol wow
EVENT HORIZON!!!
Ice Pirates is one of my all time favorites.
surprised "Wing Commander" hasn't gotten a mention. only the most epic film ever, underrated.
You are very correct about Aliens being superior to Alien. The sequel blows the original away. The original is a classic. The sequel is legendary.
"Moon" with Sam Rockwell. Should be #2 after 2001: A Space Odyssey