What SF movies do you think are really underrated? One of my favorite SF movies is Capricorn One. I think it has a great plot and a great cast, and I love the dialogue. With him having also made Outland and 2010, I think it's a shame Peter Hyams hasn't had a better career.
Marooned, with Richard Crenna, Gregory Peck, Gene Hackman and a lot of other great actors. Probably the only truly good movie that MST3K ever dumped on. Capricorn One takes a lot of heat for 1.) inspiring the whole "moon hoax" movement, and 2.) OJ Simpson being one of the leads. It really was a good film, well made and suspenseful.
It was actually the other way around; the movie was based on the conspiracy theories, which were already around back then. One thing the movie may have actually inspired is the "black helicopters" cliché. As for OJ, Hyams said he wanted Bernie Casey for the role but the studio wanted a bigger name. He's also joked about the fact that the fact that he also worked with Robert Blake on the movie Busting means he's worked with two actors who were eventually tried for murdering their wives.
I was under the impression that the moon hoax movement exploded in the early 90's, along with black helicopter sightings, citizen militias, the "New World Order", and all that. I wasn't aware that it predated Capricorn One, or actually even inspired it. I guess we can blame that 80's ABC miniseries Amerika for some of that stuff too, it also featured black helicopters with U.N. markings on them.
Maybe it's because I was watching it on cable late at night, but I have to admit I thought Kevin Costner's The Postman was actually pretty good. And I didn't think Cowboys & Aliens was nearly as bad as people say either. Maybe just a bit generic is all.
I remember seeing Capricorn One in the theaters with my dad. I loved it, although the ending was a bit cheesy. The Postman...not that bad, but basically a re-telling of Waterworld. A loner with no name wanders a post-apocalyptic world helping defend average folks from a maniacal tyrant while simultaneously looking for a mythical safe haven. One movie I liked that few others did was Solaris (George Clooney version).
That's one for me too. I thought it was fun. It wasn't anything amazing, but I still enjoyed it. I also enjoy the Matrix sequels a lot more than most other people seem to.
The Island is another one I really enjoyed. I'm not usually the biggest Michael Bay fan, but that one I thought he actually did a good job on.
Well...my own tastes are a tad bit more vintage.... One of my all time fav's is Blade Runner...and I mean the original, not the stinkin' director's cut. Also still enjoy Dune...the 1984 version directed by David Lynch. I remember a lot of folks got upset with this movie when it came out because "it wasn't like the book", but then, like LOTR I never read the book, so I loved the movie...still do! Ok...a tad cheesy in the fx department by today's standards, but I still love Logan's Run...now there's one I'd love to see re-made with modern tech! The 1972 "Silent Running", while more than a tad depressing, it still worth the occasional night on the couch with a bucket of popcorn. Also good for the occasional bucket of popcorn, while not exactly a space epic, I always loved the 1973 classic "Westworld". Yul Brynner was just way too cool . Oh...and speaking of cheesy...ok...I admit it...I need help. Yes, I LOVE "Howard The Duck"! I've watched that movie so many times I've actually worn out the VHS tape, LOL! Not sure any of those really qualify as under-rated, but there we go :-)
I've always thought 'The Postman' was massively underrated. Had it come out just a few years later when flag waving/"America is great ra-ra-ra!" was suddenly all the rage, I suspect it would have done much better at the US box office.
I always liked Strange Days, despite some of it's flaws. Dark City is another; not a perfect film but still had a lot going for it
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Core, Pacific Rim, Buckaroo Banzai, Day the Earth Stood Still(remake), Transcendence(excellent movie), The Man from Earth, After Earth, Robocop(remake)
I love 'Gattaca', but I'm not sure I'd call it underrated exactly. I recall it doing reasonably well at the time with both the critics & audiences (probably less so the latter) but I still hear it talked about fairly regularly. I only saw 'Strange Days' two or three years ago and I cannot believe I totally missed it when it came out. Probably wasn't advertised over here much so when it appeared at the local video rental (if it was even there) I likely just glanced over it. But yeah, it's a flawed little gem, but still a gem. I feel like 'Dark City' has a pretty solid cult following, so again, I'm not sure I'd class that as underrated either.
I'm not sure going all slasher-movie in the last act was the right decision. But it's one of my favourites; some really thought provoking themes and imagery.