Greatest Action Science Fiction Films

[Lapis Exilis]

I'm doing a little research and trying to categorize actiony SF movies by tone so what do you think are the greatest Action SF movies and why, and what cateogires would you put them in?

In case this seems incredibly vague, let me try to answer my own question.

So there's Star Wars - which is really fantasy in space. Great action, good characters, nothing too graphic action-wise, few fisticuffs, basically family friendly. Independence Day would fit here, maybe the Transformers movies? Haven't seen them so don't know.

Then there's Alien/ Aliens - which is really monster movies in space. Suspense-oriented punctuated with intense action scenes, sometimes fairly graphic. Terminator (the original) might fall here too.

The Matrix - kung fu SF. Kinda all about the fight scenes from an action perspective.

Get the picture? At least a little?

Help please.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

Hmm, I'm not sure Alien's necessarily an action film - I'd say it's more sci-fi/horror. Aliens, on the other hand, definitely is an action film. I guess you could call it military science fiction and the tone's fairly gritty and down to earth.

Then you've got Total Recall, which was an odd mix of serious sci-fi and over the top action (well, does star Arnie).

The Matrix goes in for a semi-philosophical tone, but it's still very much a traditional action flick at heart. Hmm, maybe I'm not the best person to talk about that film, since I can't stand it!

[Edit] Oh, just realised you're asking which films we thought were the best as well as what categories sci-fi action films fall into . Anyway, Aliens is probably my favourite sci-fi action film, along with The Empire Strikes Back, although I'm not sure that's really action so much as adventure. [Edit]

 

[saturn5]

Aliens.

Next question?

 

[RAMA]

Eh this is a tough one for categorization...most science fiction in movies or tv are "action" oriented in some way. So you are basically trying to boil it down to a sci-fi G, PG, R rating system...and that's problematic at best.

RAMA

 

[Davros]

The Road Warrior

 

[Myasishchev]

Terminator 2, or Return of the Jedi.

Maybe Flash Gordon.

 

[Lapis Exilis]

Eh this is a tough one for categorization...most science fiction in movies or tv are "action" oriented in some way.

There's a batch that are principally intellectual - Solaris, Moon, even 2001.

So you are basically trying to boil it down to a sci-fi G, PG, R rating system...and that's problematic at best.

RAMA

I'm just tryign to think of broad types in terms of tone. Some SF action is genuinely scary and even gory, some is primarily suspense, some is swashbuckling, etc... Just looking for flicks that fall into these areas.

 

[JarodRussell]

Demolition Man
I, Robot

 

[FordSVT]

Wrath of Khan, of course.

Aliens.

Predator.

I'll throw Independence Day in there for the heck of it.

 

[stj]

The Children of Men is in my opinion the best sf action flick ever. It has the most realistic action, which makes it the most intense.

 

[Switch]

Starship Troopers is the only film I'd add to those already mentioned.

EDIT: Blade Runner and Minority Report? Dunno what category you'd file them under, but the same one I think.

The Children of Men is in my opinion the best sf action flick ever. It has the most realistic action, which makes it the most intense.

I don't know that one scene is really enough to qualify the film as an action flick.

EDIT: Now that I think of it, there were a couple others in the film.

most science fiction in movies or tv are "action" oriented in some way.

But a much lower proportion of SF that is actually worth a damn is.

 

[Thestral]

Dunno about "best" but Equilibrium belongs on that list.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

As for the best, well, Aliens, Terminator 2, and The Matrix. All three are among my favorite films.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I think like films that aren't sci-fi, you can boil it down to action films and adventure films depending if the focus is on the action itself or if it's part of a journey.

Action Sci Fi
Pitch Black
Men In Black
Star Trek II
Aliens
Predator
Starship Troopers

Adventure Sci Fi
Fifth Element
Zathura
Dune
The Core
Star Wars
Planet of the Apes
Stargate

Of course, some films straddle the line and it gets a bit hard to categorize. The latest Star Trek movie has adventure elements but a lot of focus on the action, for example.

This might be interesting just to look at the subgenre notes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_science_fiction_films:_2010s

 

[Sindatur]

I believe Lapsis wants comments on Action in films, that happen to be SciFi, Lapsis is not looking for comments on the SciFi in Action Films. Also, I believe we are meeant to name our best in categories

I belive Lapsis is asking for us to complete the follwing answers...

1. My favorite Family oriented Action Scifi (Good characters and lesson, upbeat PG story without gore or other higher rated stuff) is_____________ Beause____________ (Star Wars)

2. My Favorite Action Film containing Aliens/Monster/Gore (Rated R with graphic Violence and other "R-Rated stuff") is ____________ Because_________________ (Aliens)

3. My Favorite Martial Arts (Fighting Technique, artful physical conflict, etc) Action SciFi film is ___________ Because _______________ (matrix)

Where would you put Blade Runner, Star Treks, Tron, Transformers, Independence Day, etc <I Think>

 

[RandyS]

The Terminator series.

 

[Pilot Ace]

Terminator 2 has to be Top 5, if not #1, in my mind.

Dunno about "best" but Equilibrium belongs on that list.

Ugh, I still hate that movie. I have no idea what I was expecting, but what I saw was not it.

The only way I'd ever watch it again is to MST3K it.

 

[saturn5]

Terminator 2 has to be Top 5, if not #1, in my mind.

Dunno about "best" but Equilibrium belongs on that list.

Ugh, I still hate that movie. I have no idea what I was expecting, but what I saw was not it.

The only way I'd ever watch it again is to MST3K it.

Actually when this came out I dismissed it as a Matrix ripoff but when I actually saw it I was really impressed, Christian Bale in particular is excellent and love the gun-kata

 

[JiNX-01]

Star Trek: First Contact
Aliens (the only one in the franchise I like).
The Terminator and Terminator II.
Independence Day
Jurassic Park
Outland (I really enjoyed this one)

 

[BillJ]

Predator
Total Recall
The Empire Strikes Back
Aliens