The Ten Best “Silly” Science Fiction Movies

September 10th, 2009

I’m not really sure how to categorize these films except as “silly,” but they’re all very good and quite fun.   Some are comedies, but others are action films.   The science is usually wrong or non-existent, but it’s clear from context that this is not an important point and that’s fine, even by me!   I really love many of these very much.   Armageddon could arguably slip into this category, but I can’t put that film on any top ten list of any kind…

So, in no particular order:

1. Galaxy Quest.   This movie is just a lot of fun, fantasy wish fulfillment.

2. Back to the Future. This is a fine, fun film.   The science makes no sense whatsoever, but it’s perfect for what it is. And Marty McFly knows little about physics…

3. Flash Gordon. Goofy, over-the-top fun, from the football fight to the bore worms.

4. The Fifth Element. Chris Tucker’s bit here is as memorably silly as Lelu is cute.

5. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai. Laugh it up, Monkey-Boy!

6. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Whoa!

7. Men in Black. Old and busted?   Not in my book.

8. Earth Girls Are Easy. Jim Carrey’s tongue and the “love touch” make this one goofy indeed.

9. Star Trek (the reboot). Kirk’s inflated body, hiding under the bed, Scotty being beamed into a water tube…there was a lot of silliness in this version you’d never have seen on the original series.   And not very good science. Enough silliness to make the list! And here’s the Superbowl commercial…this is our Star Trek?

10. Weird Science. A classic of this type of movie.

Honorable Mentions: Star Wars (although a bit too serious), The Running Man, Total Recall, Chronicles of Riddick, Starship Troopers, and Repo Man.

What do you think?   A great silly movie I missed?

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