Rottentomatoes "100 Best-Reviewed Sci-Fi Movies of All Time"

As many of you are more than well aware, I am a sci-fi junky. Rottentomatoes.com has recently got into the habit of making unofficial "lists" of the best-reviewed or worst-reviewed whatevers, and I couldn't ignore their sci-fi list. So here we go.

100. "Escape From Planet of the Apes"--I haven't seen this.
99. "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock"--This is one of the early Star Trek's I liked, mainly because Christopher Lloyd was the baddy.
98. "Primer"--I haven't seen this. Maybe I should.
97. "The Thing" (John Carpenter's version)--Both the classic version, and this remake/sequel are great sci-fi movies. This is a hugely entertaining horror-fest that features some really inventive and fun moments. I'd put it higher on the list, but oh well.
96. "A Boy and His Dog"--I HATED this movie, and found it boring as hell, but apparently a good deal of critics liked it.
95. "Dark Star"--I haven't seen this.
94. "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome"--A fun movie to be sure, but the weakest of the Mad Max trilogy.
93. "Dreamscape"--This is a movie that's been on my list for a long time, but I haven't seen it yet. I want to though!
92. "It Came From Outerspace"--Huh??? I haven't seen this one, but it sounds super-cheesy.
91. "A.I. Artificial Intelligence"--I'm surprised this one made the list because everyone I met seemed to hate it. I actually kind of liked it though.
90. "Death Race 2000"--Looks like I missed this one too.
89. "War of the Worlds" (Speilberg)--The first half-hour of this movie was pretty incredible, but it got more and more predictable as it went on, rehashing much of what Speilberg's done before (and better) in other movies. Not his best.
88. "Flash Gordon"--I've seen some old versions of the TV show, and they are campy fun, but I never saw the 1980s movie.
87. "Return of the Jedi"--I was shocked that this was THIS low on the list. Sure, it's not as good as "Empire," and it doesn't have the classic status of the original, but it's WAY better and more emotionally fulfilling than most of the movies above it. I guess those Ewoks just brought too many critics down.
86. "Starman"--This is a fun movie that I liked a lot, mainly because of Santa Barbarian Jeff Bridges' performance (his best aside from "The Big Lebowski").
85. "Innerspace"--A fun comedy not a lot of people have seen. Dennis Quaid gets shrunken down into hypochondriac Martin Short's body. Crazy huh?
84. "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow"--OK...this movie was AWFUL. Why did ANYONE buy into this one??? Bah.
83. "Signs"--Shyamalan's last good movie before he went WAAAAAYYYY downhill.
82. "Dark City"--I haven't seen this...yet.
81. "The Matrix Reloaded"--I actually liked this a good deal, mainly because the action was so incredible and I figured they'd make up for the lack of plot by putting it all in "Revolutions." Boy, was I wrong, because that final movie SUUUUUCKED!!!
80. "War of the Worlds" (50s)--Classic sci-fi movie that is still a good deal of fun, and WAY better than Speilberg's.
79. "Total Recall"--Call me crazy, but I HATED this movie. How did Verhoeven manage to get this one on here, but not "Starship Troopers"? Oh well.
78. "Gattaca"--A nice little sci-fi movie that'll make you think a bit afterwards. Glad to see it here.
77. "Videodrome"--I haven't seen this, but it is Cronenberg, and he's always interesting even when he's not good. I'll have to check it out.
76. "X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes"--OK, has ANYONE even HEARD of this movie???
75. "The Man Who Fell to Earth"--This has also been on my must-see list for a long time, because it has David Bowie as an alien!!! It's GOT to be good right? I'll see it sooner or later.
74. "Journey to the Center of the Earth"--This movie was made in the 50s, and unlike some other sci-fi classics, it REALLY dates itself. I didn't like it.
73. "Alphaville"--I haven't seen this.
72. "Seconds"--I haven't seen this either.
71. "Farenheit 451"--I read the book, and that was good. I saw the movie, and it was BORRRINGGGG. How is this above ROTJ again???
70. "Time After Time"--Some time-travel movie I haven't seen.
69. "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure"--I laughed out loud when I saw this made it on the list. I actually thought this movie was pretty stupid (and not "clever-stupid" like "Wayne's World" or "Zoolander") but I'm glad it's here as a matter of principle.
68. "The Abyss"--Some of my friends HATE this movie, but I thought it was pretty cool.
67. "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country"--Not a bad Star Trek movie, but not one of the best either. Still, it's better than ONE of the ones that inexplicably made it on here (you'll know when it comes).
66. "Escape From New York"--I've always wanted to see this movie, but I haven't yet.
65. "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"--This was my favorite live-action movie as a little kid, and it still holds a very special place in my heart. I don't care what you say about the Kraken in POTC...the giant squid fight here still takes the cake. I LOVE this movie with all the nostalgia I can muster.
64. "Pi"--Haven't seen it.
63. "The Thing" (50s)--I actually found John Carpenter's version more entertaining, but this has more "classic" value, and it's still pretty good too.
62. "Jurassic Park"--I was pretty surprised to see this was THIS low on the list. Come on! Everyone LOVES "Jurassic Park!!!"
61. "Open Your Eyes"--Some artsy sci-fi movie with Penelope Cruz that I haven't seen. Yawn.
60. "Robocop"--Yay! Glad this is here. Still...where is "Starship Troopers"???
59. "Altered States"--I haven't seen this.
58. "The Brother From Another Planet"--I saw this movie, and frankly thought it was one of the WORST movies I had EVER seen. Seeing this on the list made me very, VERY angry.
57. "Planet of the Apes"--Classic!!!
56. "Westworld"--Another one that's been on my list for a while that I haven't seen yet.
55. "Fantastic Voyage"--This movie is rather boring and really dates itself. I didn't like it.
54. "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home"--OK...time to bitch. This was the STUPIDEST Star Trek movie I have EVER seen (granted, I haven't seen them all). Yet somehow, everywhere I see it reviewed, the critics liked it. I mean, the crew of the Enterprise goes to Earth to save the WHALES??? How in the world did people EVER find this entertaining??? This movie SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS and critics are STUPID STUPID STUPID for putting it on here. Especially above some of these other great movies. Laaaaaaaaaaaame.
53. "They Live"--I haven't seen this.
52. "Save the Green Planet!"--I've been meaning to see this because the trailer looked AWESOME, and I probably will at some point.
51. "Star Wars--Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith"--I liked the Star Wars prequels, but even I had to admit they lacked the magic of the original three. This one did manage to capture a bit of the ol' trilogy magic, but not enough to put it higher than ROTJ. Sorry, but the critics are wrong again.
50. "Things to Come"--I haven't seen this.
49. "District B13"--I remember this getting pretty bad reviews, but apparently I was wrong. I haven't seen it though.
48. "Serenity"--I liked this movie, but I thought that people bought it as far more original than it acutally was. Joss Wheddon heavily "borrows" (i.e. "rips off") from many other classic--and better--sci-fi movies without coming up with too much that is his own.
47. "Donnie Darko"--I was very angry to see this on the list. I thought "Donnie Darko" played like a half-baked student film. Lots of intriguing beginnings of ideas, but no development or catharsis. Fanboys and girls who find all these "meanings" in this movie are wrong--it's really just rather lame and undeveloped. And it is NOT better than ROTJ or "Jurassic Park"!!!
46. "Delicatessen"--I got to meet Jean-Pierre Jeunet at a screening of this movie, and I really REALLY liked it. And he was a wonderful man with a clear love for filmmaking. Too bad he also did "Alien: Resurrection," firmly implanting one of my favorite sci-fi sagas into worthlessness. I need to see "Amelie" before I decide if I can forgive him.
45. "A Clockwork Orange"--I'm not as big a Kubrick fan as most film students, but I do think that he shines in this one quite well. Nice job.
44. "12 Monkeys"--One of my all-time favorite movies, and certainly my favorite by Gilliam. REALLY good movie if you haven't seen it.
43. "Re-Animator"--Hilariously well-done cheesy horror-spoof with some great jumpy moments. I saw this last year at a movie theater all-night fest on Halloween, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend it.
42. "2046"--I haven't seen this, but some of my friends LOVE it, so I should check it out at some point.
41. "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"--The best of the "original" Star Trek movies. And it has the best outburst of emotion from anyone I've ever seen in ANY movie ANYWHERE. "KHAAAAAAANNNNN!!!!"
40. "THX 1138"--There were a lot of things wrong with this movie, but it's neat to see young George Lucas experimenting and taking lots of risks before he got "commercialized" and now just plays it safe...old fart that he is.
39. "The Fly" (Cronenberg)--The 80s version of "The Fly" is pretty gruesome and fun, AND it's got Jeff Goldblum!!! Check it out. I haven't seen the original version, but I want to since I've heard it's good, even if it didn't make it on this list.
38. "Time Bandits"--Hilarious Gilliam fun with a great cast. Midgets traveling through time stealing shit!!! How cool is that?
37. "Them!"--I've ALWAYS wanted to see this clut 50s classic about giant radioactive ants, but I haven't yet. I plan to, though. Maybe Casper will show it in Norris before the end of next year. We can hope.
36. "Blade Runner"--Another all-time favorite of mine. Every time I watch it it grows on me a little more.
35. "Star Trek: First Contact"--The best and most inspired Star Trek movie in my book. Star Trek is NEVER as cool as Star Wars, but this is the only one that comes kinda close.
34. "Forbidden Planet"--Classic sci-fi adaptation of "The Tempest" (I believe) that is still remarkably good today. I really liked it.
33. "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"--A fun, non-action-oriented sci-fi Speilberg movie with Richard Dreyfuss! Good stuff!
32. "The Matrix"--Call me crazy, but I was never as wild about this movie as everyone else was. I thought it was just so-so when it came out, but I am apparently in the minority here.
31. "The Invisible Man"--I read the book, but I've never seen the movie. And for the record, I haven't seen "Hollow Man" either.
30. "The Day the Earth Stood Still"--Widely regarded by many as one of the greatest classic sci-fi movies of all time, this film had me bored to tears. I hated it. Sorry!
29. "Ghostbusters"--Does this qualify as sci-fi? I guess so. In that case, I'm all for it.
28. "Men in Black"--SOOOOO glad this was on here. This is a movie that always makes me smile just thinking about it. This is probably the most stylish, hip, funny sci-fi movie ever. It's a shame they phoned it in so much for the sequel.
27. "Terminator 2: Judgement Day"--I actually expected this to be a bit higher, simply because every second of this movie is so streamlined, and I've always regarded this as the greatest sci-fi action movie of all time. Every moment of it runs LIKE a well-oiled Hollywood machine, and that's a GOOD thing (and appropriate considering the subject matter). Still, #27 ain't a bad spot to be I guess.
26. "Young Frankenstein"--Again, I'll get flak for this, but I'm not a huge Mel Brooks fan. This movie made me laugh, but I thought it was a bit unfocused. The only movie of Mel Brooks' that I've really enjoyed was "The Producers" (the original). And does this really deserve to be on a sci-fi list?
25. "Gojira"--OK...I've seen some of the Godzilla movies, and sure, I guess they're classics. But come on...they are all pretty cheesy aren't they???
24. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (70s)--I've only seen the original version from the 50s, but even that was pretty creepy. I'd like to see this one at some point.
23. "Sleeper"--This movie was just that. A sleeper. I hated it. Woody Allen should stay the hell away from sci-fi, and I'm bummed critics like him so much because most of what I've seen from him isn't very good.
22. "Back to the Future"--CLASSIC!!! I don't think this movie will ever get old. I get the feeling it's the sort of movie I can show my kids someday, and they'll still enjoy it. Is there anyone alive who doesn't like this one?
21. "Repo Man"--Haven't seen it.
20. "Mad Max"--I like the Mad Max movies, but I don't think they deserve to be this high on the list. They are fun though.
19. "Frankenstein"--Classic monster movie that, admittedly, is pretty good.
18. "2001: A Space Odyssey"--I was actually expecting this to be close to #1, but I suppose some critics didn't understand it or found it too slow. It's a great work of art though. I think it's Kubrick's best.
17. "Solaris" (original, not the crappy George Clooney version)--Frankly, when I saw this movie, I fell asleep, woke up, fell asleep, woke up...etc etc. And I couldn't tell if I was missing anything or not. It was long and boring. Still...what I saw was nice in a sleepy dream-like way.
16. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (50s)--A classic sci-fi movie that, 50-something years later, is still very eerie. It deserves to be this high.
15. "The Terminator"--The Terminator is a pretty darn good and inventive movie, especially considering that nothing like it had come before, and it was James Cameron's first "real" movie ("Pirahna II" doesn't count!). Still, I think that Cameron was just warming up as a filmmaker here, and by the time he hit "T2" he really in his stride and was fully aware of what he was doing. I'd put T2 above this. Hell, I'd put "Jurassic Park" above this, but oh well.
14. "Brazil"--Though this isn't my favorite Gilliam movie, there's no denying the artistry taking place here. It's pretty impressive, but make sure you watch the director's cut (same holds for "Blade Runner" by the way).
13. "Galaxy Quest"--WOW!!! I love this movie, but I was surprised to see it listed this high. A really good one if you haven't seen it.
12. "The Bride of Frankenstein"--I haven't seen this, but I'm tired of seeing these horror movies listed on a SCI-FI countdown.
11. "The Road Warrior"--The best Mad Max movie by far. As I said before, I don't think the Mad Max movies deserve to be this high, but at least they got them in the right order.
10. "Aliens"--HELLLLLL YEAAAHHHHHH...SO glad this made it to the top ten. This movie kicks some serious ass and is an excellent example of building tension, sound design, and...and...EVERYTHING!!!
9. "Star Wars"--The movie that started it all. You all know how I feel about Star Wars. Or, should I say, you all know how Star Wars MAKES me feel...
8. "The Host"--I was very unimpressed with this movie, and was disappointed to see it listed this high. Oh well.
7. "Children of Men"--Not sure this deserves the #7 spot (come on..."Blade Runner" is better than this isn't it?), but it IS a pretty excellent film with some eye-popping cinematography. I was bummed this didn't at least get some more nominations at the Oscars last year.
6. "The Empire Strikes Back"--This is my favorite movie of all-time. It should be #1.
5. "Minority Report"--This was a really good movie, but it doesn't deserve the #5 spot. For one thing, it's got some plotholes if you think to hard about it. Also, somebody stole my copy of this movie, and I'd like to have it back. Just thought I'd shout that out.
4. "Alien"--The greatest horror movie of all-time in my book. This is STILL fucking scary as hell if you watch it at night on a large screen with a good sound system, or in a theater. What I love about the first two Alien movies is that they complement each other so well...they are both totally different films, but they take place in the same universe. They show how sequels should be done. Don't necessarily try to "top" the first movie...just expand the universe and do something different that the audience isn't expecting.
3. "Metropolis"--OK, if you're going to put something super-high on the list that beats out all my favorite movies, I'm cool with it being the movie regarded as the masterpiece sci-fi classic that started it all. This is a pretty remarkable film, especially considering its history and when it was made.
2. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"--Arg. I have very mixed feelings about this being #2 on the list. Does this REALLY qualify as sci-fi? I'd place it more in the realm of magical realism or maybe even romantic comedy. It is a good movie, to be sure, but it's not THAT good. And having it steal the #2 spot on a sci-fi list is a bit of a cop-out.
1. "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"--Parts of E.T. are a bit too sentimental and gooey for my taste to get the #1 spot on the list above Star Wars, the Alien movies, and so many others, but it is a pretty magical movie, and debatably Speilberg's most personal work (it's at least his most personal work involving aliens!). I will say that when I saw this in Kenny Hall's class this year, the final sequence with Elliot saying good-bye to E.T., as John Williams' score soars and soars to epic proportions had me in uncontrollable sobbing tears, and not many movies can do that. So I can live with this at #1.

So there are my thoughts on the rottentomatoes list. That was a fun waste of an afternoon.

Now it's time to bitch about "Happy Feet."

I am a big fan of animated movies (maybe rottentomatoes can do another countdown!). This is partially because I grew up on them (Disney classics), and partially because, with animation, anything is possible. The only limit is your imagination. It's for the most part not THAT much more difficult to animate a dynamic action scene or musical number than a dialogue scene, so the storytelling possibilities are often more diverse than one might expect. And you often get interesting worlds you simply couldn't have with live-action goings-on.

"Happy Feet" wasn't terrible. The animation itself was techincally pretty top-notch, and there were a few inventive sequences. The scene where Mumble escapes a toothy voracious leapord seal was REALLY cool. But the story itself was disjointed, gaudy, and didn't ring true. I never cared about any of these penguins, and I'm the kind of guy who has deeply cared for many many animated animals as well as animated cars and animated toys. I also can't remember a single musical number, which shouldn't be the case in a musical animated movie (to this day, I can still hum Disney toons from movies I haven't seen in at least a decade). Stuff just seemed to "happen" because it seemed like a good idea for a story or a moment in a movie, not because the story was actually good to begin with (tap-dancing penguins! singing penguins! killer whales! zoos! random shots of the Earth from space!). And the movie also has far too much of an agenda on its hands for its own good. Lord knows I care about the environment, but since when did a cartoon about penguins become a political statement? It just doesn't work. And do we really ALSO need some uber-conservative bible-thumping elder penguins thrown into the mix to get our point across?

This is the same George Miller who directed "Babe: Pig in the City," another kids movie that I found unnecessarily dark and twisted. The first Babe movie was magical and spiritually uplifting, but the sequel left you feeling rotten about the world and humanity in general. George Miller also did the Mad Max movies, and those, being post-apocalyptic grown-up movies, work quite well and are lots of fun (they even score high on rottentomato.com lists!). But taking those same ideals and putting them in a kid's movie just doesn't sit well.

Even the moral of "Happy Feet" is one that is confusing. Mumble (the hero) teaches ALL the penguins to tap-dance. When the penguins tap-dance, suddenly the humans decide to stop fishing in the Antarctic. First of, this is just WEIRD and comes WAY out of left field. Secondly, why do humans give a crap about tap-dancing penguins all of a sudden? Is it that when they WEREN'T tapdancing we just didn't care about them, and they were worth killing? What's so good about tap-dancing? Is is just entertaining? And if THAT'S the case, is the message that we should just entertain those in power in order to survive? THAT sure doesn't seem like such a good thing tell little kids, does it? Add in some Mexican stereotype Adele penguins, and you even manage to piss my uber-activist sister off (frankly, I thought these guys were pretty funny and didn't mind).

This wouldn't bother me so much, except that "Happy Feet" managed to nab the best animated feature award at the Oscars last year, and I really don't think it deserved it. "Over the Hedge" was a nicer, better film, and I LOVED "Cars" (even if some other people didn't). Even "Ice Age 2" at least didn't leave me with a weird feeling in my stomach. And this movie did. The Academy's picks towards animated films bug me at times. They created the award in order to give it to the in-jokey "Shrek," when that year it was clear that "Monsters, Inc." had far more heart and soul. Ten years down the line, the "Shrek" films are going to hopelessly date themselves, but "Monsters, Inc." will still tug at the heartstrings.

Anyways, I advise skipping "Happy Feet" and suggest checking out "March of the Penguins" instead so you can REALLY marvel at these creatures. Or even "Surf's Up" because I hear that's actually pretty good, and far more uplifting and less mean-spirited. My thoughts.