1. "The Last Starfighter"
   "Star Wars: A New Hope"
2. "Tron"
   "Guardians of the Galaxy"

The first "Stars Wars" ever made, "A New Hope," introduced all the characters that have shaped pop culture for more than 40 years now, including Luke Skywalker, whose original name was going to be Starkiller.

1. "Tron"
   "The Matrix"
2. "The Day the Earth Stood Still"
   "A.I."

1999's "The Matrix" is a groundbreaking sci-fi flick starring Keanu Reeves as Neo, a hacker who comes to realize he's not who or where or even when he thinks he is. Word is the Wachowskis are hard at work on the fourth part.

1. "Dark City"
   "Alien"
2. "Mac and Me"
   "E.T."

Steven Spielberg's "E.T." is a classic of the genre and also a rarity since it's one of the few movies about benevolent aliens rather than destructive ones. It almost wasn't that way though was the original plan had a much more sinister E.T. in it.

1. "The Day After Tomorrow"
   "Pacific Rim"
2. "Back to the Future"
   "Time After Time"

The movie that took Michael J. Fox from star to superstar, "Back to the Future," almost didn't even star Fox. They actually started filming the movie with actor Eric Stoltz but decided they didn't like him and went with Fox instead.

1. "The Land Before Time"
   "Theodore Rex"
2. "Carnosaur"
   "Jurassic Park"

One of the most popular sci-fi movies ever and the first of a multi-billion dollar franchise, the first "Jurassic Park" is based on the book of the same name by author Michael Crichton. He also wrote the book for the first sequel.

1. "Them"
   "The Thing From Another World"
2. "Moon"
   "Alien"

The original "Alien" was a masterpiece of terror and featured one of the most amazing scenes ever filmed — the chestburster scene. None of the actors except John Hurt, from whom the alien appears, knew precisely what was going to happen in that scene with the gore and spurting blood. Their terrified reaction was real, and actor Veronica Cartwright literally passed out.

1. "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"
   "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"
2. "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier"
   "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country"

In "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," genetically enhanced superman Khan Noonien Singh wants revenge on Captain Kirk for marooning him on a dead planet years earlier. Rumors have existed for years that said Ricardo Montalban wore a chest prosthetic in the movie, but the film's director insists that was legitimately the 62-year-old actor's real chest.

1. "Gattaca"
   "Children of Men"
2. "Robocop"
   "Mad Max: Fury Road"

The fourth film in the franchise, "Mad Max: Fury Road," was hugely popular and featured some fantastic performances from actors like Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. Aside from the "Mad Max" films, director George Miller s best known for movies like "Babe" and "Happy Feet."

1. "Cyborg"
   "Robocop"
2. "The Terminator"
   "Short Circuit"

The James Cameron classic "The Terminator" started a franchise that's still going to this day. The head of the studio originally wanted Arnold Schwarzenegger to play the part of Reese, while OJ Simpson was his choice to play the Terminator.

1. "Life"
   "Starship Troopers"
2. "Galaxy Quest"
   "Gattaca"

"Galaxy Quest" is a great take on "Star Trek" and a good sci-fi movie in its own right. In the year 2013, it was actually voted the seventh greatest "Star Trek" movie of all time at a Star Trek convention in Las Vegas.

1. "Interstellar"
   "Contact"
2. "2001: A Space Odyssey"
   "Gravity"

A classic of the genre, "2001: A Space Odyssey," is considered one of the best sci-fi films ever made. Stanley Kubrick allegedly tried to take out an insurance policy in case aliens were discovered before the movie was finished so he wouldn't lose money.

1. "Flight of the Navigator"
   "Guardians of the Galaxy"
2. "The Last Starfighter"
   "Tron"

One of the surprise hits in the MCU, "Guardians of the Galaxy" was based on a pretty obscure comic book. In the movie, Vin Diesel provides the voice of Groot and actually did the voicework for numerous alternate language versions of the film as well.

1. "The Martian"
   "The Arrival"
2. "Interstellar"
   "Contact"

"The Martian" proved to be a hugely popular film and was one of the few science fiction movies made in recent memory that tales an entirely realistic approach to the topic. No aliens or speculative concepts, just the basic premise of what happens when an astronaut gets stuck on Mars.

1. "Inception"
   "The Adjustment Bureau"
2. "Gattaca"
   "The Beach"

Christopher Nolan's 2010 "Inception" is one of those movies fans and critics love because aside from being well-written and acted, it's also mysterious. The ending is ambiguous, and people still debate whether it's a dream or reality, or whether the main character is even alive.

1. "The Thing"
   "The Fly"
2. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"
   "Day of the Triffids"

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is horror/sci-fi at its best. It's actually a remake of sorts, based on the '50s classic "The Thing From Another World." As David Cronenberg did with "The Fly," Carpenter updated the story from corny to terrifying.

1. "Snowpiercer"
   "The Day After Tomorrow"
2. "2012"
   "It Comes at Night"

The sleeper hit "Snowpiercer" is based on a graphic novel and stars Chris Evans, best known as Captain America as well as Tilda Swinton, who played the Ancient One in "Dr. Strange." The movie has also been adapted into a TV show.

1. "The Animatrix"
   "Tron"
2. "Blade Runner"
   "Inception"

The classic sci-fi "Blade Runner" featured Harrison Ford as a cop whose job it is to hunt down replicants. Since the film's release, fans have been debating whether or not Ford's character Deckard is a replicant. Ford has stated he thinks no, while the director has at times said yes and at other times left it for the viewer to decide.

1. "District 9"
   "Annihilation"
2. "The Day the Earth Stood Still"
   "Life Force"

"District 9" was filmed in South Africa and became hugely popular while stirring up some political controversy for the way it depicted some characters, for instance, the Nigeria criminals. Director Neil Blomkamp has said he wants to make a sequel someday.

1. "Them"
   "They Live"
2. "The Fly"
   "8-Legged Freaks"

David Cronenberg's "The Fly" is a masterpiece of sci-fi/body horror in which Jeff Goldblum accidentally teleports with a fly, and his computer merges their DNA into a new and terrifying life form. The sequel was somewhat less successful and starred Eric Stoltz as the son of the Fly.

1. "The Terminator"
   "Real Steel"
2. "Robot Jox"
   "Pacific Rim"

Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim" was a bit of a love letter to the old Godzilla movies, especially in terms of how language is used in the film. The monsters that appear are called "kaiju," which is the same term monsters in films like Godzilla are called in Japanese cinema.

1. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"
   "Day of the Triffids"
2. "Little Shop of Horrors"
   "Them"

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is a classic of sci-fi that has actually been made several times. The first movie dates back to 1956, but the 1978 remake is likely more well known. It was made again in 1993 and then again in 2007 and, believe it or not, it's being developed yet again.

1. "They Live"
   "Aliens"
2. "Gravity"
   "Starship Troopers"

"Aliens" is one of those few movies that manage to rise above the original film in the franchise and presents a near-perfect sci-fi action horror movie. The little girl who plays Newt never acted again and went on to become a teacher.

1. "Arachnophobia"
   "Eight-Legged Freaks"
2. "Starship Troopers"
   "The Beyond"

Part tongue-in-cheek and part sci-fi action, "Starship Troopers" features a whole lot of bugs being destroyed and a whole lot of over the top violence. It also featured Neil Parick Harris as a psychic in the military.

1. "The Terminator"
   "The Lawnmower Man"
2. "Cyborg"
   "Robocop"

"Robocop" was a biting satire wrapped up in a brutal sci-fi film about commercialism, capitalism, and free enterprise. Although Peter Weller moved convincingly as a robot in the movie, that wasn't entirely by choice. The costume was so stiff and hard to deal with he didn't have much maneuverability.

1. "The Beach"
   "The Day the Earth Stood Still"
2. "Edge of Tomorrow"
   "Oblivion"

First released under the name "Live Die Repeat," "Edge of Tomorrow" featured Tom Cruise replaying the same day again and again in an attempt to defeat an alien scourge. As you should have come to expect from Tom Cruise, the actor did most of his own stunt work.

1. "The Fifth Element"
   "Valerian and the City of 1000 Planets"
2. "Tank Girl"
   "Johnny Mnemonic"

The highly stylistic "The Fifth Element" featured Milla Jovovich and Bruce Willis. It also featured Chris Tucker in a role that was written for Prince, but Prince turned it down after calling the costumes too effeminate.

1. "Lucy"
   "Her"
2. "Atomic Blonde"
   "Tron"

Starring Scarlett Johansson, the movie "Lucy" was soundly criticized for featuring some horrible science as it relates to how much of your brain you actually use. Oddly, director Luc Besson admitted he knew it made no sense; he just liked the idea anyway.

1. "From Beyond"
   "Mac and Me"
2. "E.T."
   "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"

"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" had to go through a heck of a lot of actors before Richard Dreyfus got the role. No one wanted to be in the film for whatever reason, and it was turned down by Steve McQueen, Jack Nicholson, Gene Hackman, Al Pacino and more.

1. "Planet of the Apes"
   "Back to the Future"
2. "Moon"
   "Event Horizon"

"Planet of the Apes" inspired numerous sequels and a very popular remake trilogy, plus a less popular single remake as well. Most people don't remember the Tim Burton version of the movie that starred Mark Wahlberg that had a baffling ending in which the Lincoln Memorial was a chimpanzee.

1. "Avatar"
   "Life"
2. "Starship Troopers"
   "Under the Skin"

James Cameron's "Avatar" was an unprecedented success and, for years, was the highest-grossing film of all time. There are several sequels currently in the works that Cameron has been working on for quite a while.

1. "The Stuff"
   "Invaders From Mars"
2. "Independence Day"
   "Mars Attacks"

The movie "Mars Attacks" was based on a series of trading cards, one of the few films to ever be able to make that claim. They came out in the year 1962 and were extremely controversial thanks to their gruesome imagery.

1. "Critters"
   "Aliens"
2. "Gremlins"
   "Ghoulies"

The movie "Critters" is one of those cult classic B-movie gems that is still around today as a new installment in the franchise came out in 2019. The movie was actually written before "Gremlins" came out and then had to be rewritten to get rid of some similarities so audiences wouldn't think it was a rip-off.

1. "The Last Man on Earth"
   "The Omega Man"
2. "The Day The Earth Stood Still"
   "I am Legend"

The 1951 movie "The Day The Earth Stood Still" was also remade with Keanu Reeves in 2008. The Army refused to be involved in the film after reading the script since it depicted them in a poor light. The National Guard was more than willing to help out, though.

1. "Wall-E"
   "Short Circuit"
2. "The Matrix"
   "Dark City"

The sci-fi comedy "Short Circuit" introduced the world to Johnny 5, the loveable robot who comes alive and wants to stay that way. In the original story, Johnny was supposed to have been a human who had all his biological parts save for his brain stripped away and replaced by robotics, but that was scrapped for being too creepy.

1. "Tron"
   "Event Horizon"
2. "Gravity"
   "The Arrival"

1982's "Tron" was cutting edge stuff when it first showed up, but it didn't get much credit for it. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts disqualified it from the running for a visual effects Oscar because using computers was "cheating."