Top Sci-Fi Movies

As picked by our users. Don't see your favorite? Register to vote!

1. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
2. Star Wars (1977)
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
4. The Matrix (1999)
5. Metropolis (1927)
6. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
7. Alien (1979)
8. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
9. The Incredibles (2004)
10. Aliens (1986)

more

Recent Threads on the Sci-Fi Message Board

Luminaries of the Genre

• George Lucas
• Gene Roddenberry
• Fritz Lang
• Steven Spielberg
• James Cameron
• Harrison Ford
• Ridley Scott
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Paul Verhoeven
• Will Smith

IMDb Recommends...

For the first sequel to his wildly popular Star Wars, George Lucas wisely turned the directorial reins over to Irvin Kershner, who captures the script's dark gravitas better than Lucas could have himself. The Empire Strikes Back is that most rare of cinematic specimens, a sequel widely regarded as superior to its predecessor. Coming off the gung-ho high of Star Wars, ESB is quite a downer (***SPOILER ahead, for those recently arrived from Mars***): the Rebellion is betrayed; Han Solo is captured and frozen; Luke Skywalker fails to finish his training, gets his hand lopped off, finds out that Darth Vader is his pop, and -- ew! -- kisses his sister. Yoda is depressing; Obi-Wan is dead. No Jar Jar slapstick in sight. However, because ESB had the courage to risk portraying sadness and defeat, it succeeded masterfully in drawing audiences into the saga and stoking their desire for a sequel. The film still conveys a visceral sense of looming danger and possible failure, qualities less evident in Return of the Jedi and almost entirely absent from The Phantom Menace. Lucas has not yet topped it. (more)