Reader Top Ten Greatest Science Fiction Films Circa 2000 - 2013: Josh McCormack

Friend and reader Josh McCormack closes out this round of The Reader Top Ten with his list.

Josh writes:

"10. Pacific Rim: Guillermo Del Toro's recent giant robot vs giant monster flick may not be terribly original, but it's the most fun I've had seeing a movie this year. Also, the choreography for the fight scenes are fantastic and I can see what's going on. That was a breath of fresh air, after I saw the seizure-inducing final battle at the end of "Man of Steel".

9.Star Trek (2009): I love this film, lens flares and all. Though a true Trekkie could point out a few missteps, I find it a welcome return to the original Starship Enterprise crew...even if they are played by new actors. Spock's story arc is what REALLY intrigues me about this flick. More than any of the previous movies, it really asks the question: Is Spock meant to live among the humans or the Vulcans? The sequel is a lot of fun as well, but lacks the, somewhat, genius storytelling of this one. Now don't mess up "Star Wars" for me, Abrams.

8.Cloverfield: In the midst of more and more, lackluster, found footage films, there lies this 2008 Matt Reeves/ J.J Abrams gem. Like all found footage movies, you have to suspend disbelief, just a little bit, so that you can genuinely believe a person could still hold the camera during all the mayhem surrounding him. Once you've got that out of the way, you can sit back and enjoy the movie. The reason I love this film is because it starts out like a coming of age, indie film (a good one, too), therefore you get to relate and care for the characters. So by the time that all Hell breaks loose, it's THAT much more intense. Also, the two main characters' "testimonial" to the camera, in the film's final moments, are tragic and extremely chilling.

7.Dredd: After the 1995 release of "Judge Dredd" destroyed non-comic book readers' view of the character, Lionsgate said it was about time for a reboot. This time, Dredd remains true to his comic book counter part. He never takes his helmet off, he's a man of few words, and he has that terrifying scowl. This movie reminds of the low budget action movies of the 70's and early 80's. As a matter of fact, it looks like the kind of movie John Carpenter should be making at this point in his career. Karl Urban also owns it as Dredd. He knows how to balance the character's dark persona with a nice dose of dead pan humor. Ultra-stylized, ultra-violent, ultra-fun!

6. Looper/ The Hunger Games: I know I'm cheating, but I honestly can't decide, they're both fantastic films, each with an interesting view on a dystopian future.

5. The Avengers: Man, 2012 was a good year for sci-fi. But I think within all of these films, I have to go with the best super hero film of the twenty first century. This movie is like a concert. Seeing all these epic heroes get together to mow down some alien scum makes the audience cheer...me included.

4. Battle Royale: The movie that people wrongly accuse "The Hunger Games" of ripping off. It's also the movie that was banned in several countries for its use of violence towards young teens. Now, I've never been a fan of violence towards children in films, many directors use it as a cheap trick to get a reaction. But director Kinji Fukasaku uses the violence in a very meaningful way. It starts out as being tragic, but by the end we have grown used to it, much like the characters in the movie. It's very eerie if you think about it.

3. The World's End: I know it only came out a little over a week ago, but I REALLY love this film. I second this only to "Shaun of the Dead" in Edgar Wright's "Cornetto" trilogy. It is insanely funny, but much like Wright's previous films, it treats the threat (this time, alien robots) with utter seriousness. It also had a real heart to it. Its final act may have leak a few tears as well.

2.District 9: A sci fi movie with a true message. Director Neill Blomkamp takes the idea of racism and separation, then displays them in such a wild form. It also has a nice dose of dark humor, much like "Robocop" or "Total Recall" before it. Another thing worth mentioning is that the CG effects are top-notch, and look better than any big budget Hollywood film. Blomkamp once again showed his fantastic use of visual effects in the very entertaining, yet inferior, "Elysium".

1. Wall-E: If I were to list the ten best of the decade for any genre, a Pixar film would almost always be on top. They completely deserve it, though. Within all of the Pixar films, Wall-E has to be one of the best. Its vision of an over polluted Earth is so well realized, that you can't help but think that's where the human race is headed. But the thing that makes this film so special is the love story between the two very different robots: Wall-E and Eve. Their relationship consists of only a few words, yet every time they interact, it's like poetry. Wall-E made any other romance look robotic (forgive the pun) in comparison. Fun, honest, and heartfelt. That's what makes Wall-E so special."

Hi Josh: Great list.  Glad to see Wall-E placed so highly, as well as District 9.  I have not seen The World's End yet, but am looking forward to it.

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