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Determining the most popular sci-fi films is subjective, as box office success doesn’t always equate to critical acclaim. Some popular choices include Star Wars, The Matrix, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Horror and monster movies with sci-fi elements are also considered, and some include sci-fi TV series in their lists.
Determining the most popular science fiction films is a matter of debate. Analysts can look at the “numbers” and see which sci-fi movies made the most money. Unfortunately, not every sci-fi movie that makes money is considered “the best” by legions of fans. For example, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith both made more money than the original Star Wars. If you look at “best sci-fi movies” lists, the original Star Wars always ranks as a far better film, and many critics panned the second Star Wars film trilogy.
Another example would be the second Matrix movie, which outperformed the original Matrix movie at the box office. Again, the first film is often considered vastly superior to its sequels. Also, science fiction films made before the 1970s made less money, but many critics and fans consider them essential viewing.
So the question of determining the most popular science fiction films is highly subjective. What you can watch is how often movies appear on critics’ lists, in hopes of finding some of the “best” ones to see or review. This, and of course personal taste, can help the individual determine the most popular science fiction films.
In no particular order, these sci-fi films tend to appear in a number of “best” lists:
Star Wars
The empire strikes again
2001: A Space Odyssey
Alien
Aliens
At the matrix
The War of the Worlds (1950s version)
Metropolis
Terminator 2
ET
Gattaca
Close encounters of the third kind
Some people also incorporate horror movies or monster movies into the science fiction genre. Popular films still considered “science fiction” in this category include The Thing directed by John Carpenter, Jurassic Park, 1931’s Frankenstein, and 1956’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Others feel that monster movies and horror films with science fiction elements deserve the own kind.
A critical minority would also like to include science fiction television series in their most popular lists. Clearly, the first and second series of Star Trek, the X-files, the recent 4400 and Smallville represent some extraordinary works of science fiction. Others laud Babylon 5 and the Jericho series, not to mention Lost as excellent science fiction. They aren’t movies, though, so they don’t make the list of most popular sci-fi movies. For sci-fi fans, many of these series are just as entertaining as popular sci-fi movies.
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