Power Rankings: Top 10 Space Movies

Space: the final frontier. It's a place full of wonder, adventure, and, of course, terror.  They say no one can hear you scream in space, but I bet that with this week's Top Ten, some wish they could've been heard.

With the upcoming release of Star Trek Beyond, I have decided to count down the top ten space movies.  As with every top ten list, some will just barely miss making the cut, and I am bound to leave some off.  You will find that on my list there will be a good variety of genres represented.  So, without further ado - "Honorable Mention" and "what I haven't seen yet time"!

What I need to see (like now): 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Sunshine, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Honorable Mentions: Serenity, The Right Stuff, Titan A.E., Total Recall (1990), Spaceballs, Pitch Black, Starship Troopers, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Star Trek (2009)

10. Guardians of the Galaxy  (James Gunn)

When this movie was first announced, I was very skeptical about whether it would be good or not, and I was totally unfamiliar of the source material.  I thought that Marvel was finally going to fail, because no movie with a talking raccoon or a tree could be good.  When I saw, however I quickly ate my words.  Guardians of the Galaxy was a pleasant surprise and actually made my Number #7 film of 2014.  This film made Chris Pratt a super star.  Pratt leads an amazing cast with the likes of  Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Glen Close, John C. Rielly and Benicio Del Toro.  It also has a killer soundtrack, that reminds me of something Tarantino might use for one of his films (Pulp Fiction).  James Gunn (Super), proved that he can direct on a much bigger scale but still stay in the Marvel Cinematic Universe space.  He made this film fun and entertaining to say the least.

9. The Martian (Ridley Scott) 

Ridley Scott - who we might see again on this list - directed one of the biggest film surprises of 2015 for me.  From the first trailers that came out,  it seemed bland, and my initial reaction was  unimpressed.  I thought they showed us to much in the trailers.  I was wrong.  The film was funny and entertaining, while still giving us a story we can get behind and cheer for.  Matt Damon gives one of his best performances since Good Will Hunting.  Damon leads an all-star cast, with the likes of  Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wigg, Sean Bean, Jeff Daniels, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.  I was happy that Damon and Scott were both nominated for their respected categories at this years Oscars.  It's a beautifully shot film, and it  revitalized Ridley Scott's career.  I'm looking forward to watching this again, sooner rather than later.

8.  Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron)

Gravity isn't a film - it's an experience.  This film doesn't rely on star power, though it does star  Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and Ed Harris.  The driving force of this film is the amazing special effects, which will blow you away.  They will make your heart palpitate as you try to catch your breathe at each close call that happen to Bullock.  Other than the effects, the other star is the director Cuaron.  He directed an amazing film with a lot of moving parts.  Gravity took home a total seven Oscars (Directing, Cinematography, Film Editing, Score, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects)

7. Wall-E (Andrew Stanton)

 One of the best Pixar films to date.  Wall-E is about a curious little waste collector droid who inadvertently embarks on a journey into space, one that will ultimately decide the fate of  mankind.  It seems like every time Pixar makes a film, it's gold.  Wall-E might not say much -and he doesn't have to. Pixar does such a good job making us feel what he is feeling through his expressions and mannerisms.  The animation is so crisp and fantastic, and supporting a wonderful color pallet.  The Academy also loved this film too, nominating it six times (Animated Feature, Original Screenplay, Original Score, Original Song, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing).  It picked up the win for Best Animated Feature.

6. Alien (Ridley Scott)

Ridley Scott once again makes my list, this time with a totally different type of film.  Alien, isn't only a great space film, it is a great horror film.  I still remember my first viewing - being scared and on edge.  The first time you see the xenomorph, I jumped out of my seat.  Along with the chills, we were given one of the greatest movie heroines of all-time, Ellen Ripley.  With her portrayal of Ripley, Siqourney Weaver cemented herself as one of the greatest action stars as well, especially after her second time around with the character.  It won one Oscar (Visual Effects) and was nominated for another (Art Direction) as well.  Still one of the greatest tag lines for any movies, "In space no one can hear you scream".

5. Star Wars: A New Hope (George Lucas)

George Lucas: the creator of the greatest movie universe of all-time.  Where would we all be without Star Wars?  Say what you will about him now - the man is a genius.  He gave us some of the best characters, worlds, and experiences we will all remember.  A New Hope introduced us to the timeless characters of Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C3PO.  The stamp that these characters have left on our society will forever be ingrained in our minds.  I know my child hood was formed by hokey religions, ancient weapons, a smuggler, a walking carpet, two droids, and the menacing golden lungs of the greatest Sith we all know.

4. Moon (Duncan Jones)

Sam Rockwell stars as astronaut Sam Bell, who is working on a lunar base by himself for three years.  What a trippy film that will make you think, 'what is real, and what is in my head'.  Rockwell is such an underrated actor and it's great to seem him carry a film and deliver it with flawless execution.  Kevin Spacey, on the other hand gives us one of the best voice-over performances in recent memory, maybe behind Scarlett Johansson (Her).  Duncan Jones delivers a great film, one you must check out.

3. Aliens (James Cameron)

This times it's war!  The Alien franchise makes another appearance on this 'best of' list', and it's very deserving.  Just like what he did for T2: Judgement Day, James Cameron, took a great movie and made it better.  He didn't just improve the action but made more compelling characters in the process.  Sigourney Weaver, reprises her role as Ripley, as well as enshrine her name as the most bad-ass female character ever.  She doesn't need the boys to save her - the boys need her!  Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton, also join this universe and try their hardest to take down some xenomorphs as well.

2. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Irvin Kershner)

Like the previous film on this list, who said sequels can't bet better than the original?  Well, The Empire Strikes Back, is a far superior film than A New Hope.  It has a darker and more powerful tone, but is still grounded in the universe that George Lucas has created.  Growing up, this was my least favorite film in the original series - but what did I know, right?  As I grew, I began to appreciate it as more than just a Star Wars film, but as a work of cinema gold.  Empire is one of my favorite films of all time.  All of our favorite characters are back (Luke, Leia, Han) and we are introduced to some new ones as well (Boba Fett, Lando, Yoda).  Let's not forget to mention, Darth Vader - an iconic villain that strikes fear even in us scruffy-looking nerf herders.    

1. Apollo 13 (Ron Howard)

It's quite fitting that my number one space film would be based on an actual event.  Apollo 13, tells the daring story of how NASA was able to get the Apollo 13 space shuttle back to Earth safely.  This film is a triumph of the human spirit and the "never give up" attitude we should always have.  It's beautifully directed by Ron Howard and has some of the best performances you will see by a cast: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris, and Gary Sinise.  This film received a lot of Academy love too, winning two Oscars (Best Sound, Best Editing) and nominated for seven others (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Ed Harris) , Best Supporting Actress (Kathleen Quinlan), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score).  Apollo 13 is one of Almost Sideways' favorite films, and we highly recommend it to you!

Well that's my list!  What's your favorite space film?  Comment below and let me know! 

Thanks again for reading!

Adam      

  

2010's Mid-Decade Report: Highest Grossing Original Movies

Believe it or not, we are now over halfway through the 2010's.  As we look forward to the last half of this decade, let's look back at what the first half of the 2010's has given us in terms of film.  If it hadn't been fully established yet, the biggest trend that has been solidified over this decade so far is the dominance of blockbusters based on previous material.  Whether it is comic book movies, sequels, remakes, or bringing a popular book to life, our decade has been dominated by known commodities.  It is as if no one wants to waste their time and money on something that is unknown.  In the past, a movie would become a blockbuster simply because the right movie superstar was in it.  Although there is still a little of that, it is nowhere near as prevalent as it was, say, in the 90's.

With these trends in mind, this article is celebrating the highest grossing original films of the first half of the 2010's.  Of the 159 films that grossed over $100 million from 2010-2014, only 36 movies were original.  That is 22.6% of the blockbusters.  Of those 36 films, 12 of them are comedies, 8 are animated, 6 are sci-fi, 5 Best Picture nominees, and 3 are action films.  All but 10 of the 36 films have positive scores on Rotten Tomatoes.  Of those 10, most were popular due to the stars in the cast like Grown Ups (Adam Sandler), Ride Along (Kevin Hart), and Due Date (Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis).

Here are films #11-36 on this list.

36.  Bad Teacher (2011) - $100,292,856

35.  Due Date (2010) - $100,539,043

34.  Pacific Rim (2013) - $101,802,906

33.  The Expendables (2010) - $103,068,524

32.  Black Swan (2010) - $106,954,678

31.  Hop (2011) - $108,085,305

30.  Valentine's Day (2010) - $110,485,654

29.  Magic Mike (2012) - $113,721,571

28.  Horrible Bosses (2011) - $117,538,559

27.  Now You See Me (2013) - $117,723,989

26.  Salt (2010) - $118,311,368

25.  The Other Guys (2010) - $119,219,978

24.  Rango (2011) - $123,477,607

23.  Safe House (2012) - $126,373,434

22.  Lucy (2014) - $126,663,600

21.  Super 8 (2011) - $127,004,179

20.  Identity Thief (2013) - $134,506,920

19.  Ride Along (2014) - $134,938,200

18.  The Conjuring (2013) - $137,400,141

17.  Rio (2011) - $143,619,809

16.  Megamind (2010) - $148,415,853

15.  American Hustle (2013) - $150,117,807

14.  Neighbors (2014) - $150,157,400

13.  We're the Millers (2013) - $150,394,119

12.  The Heat (2013) - $159,582,188

11.  Grown Ups (2010) - $162,001,186

With all this said, let's look at the 10 highest grossing original films of the first half of the 2010's.

10.  Django Unchained

(2012)

$162,805,434

This is a rarity on this list as it is not what you would consider a "mainstream" movie.  However, the appeal of a filmmaker like Quentin Tarantino has become pretty universal.  I have said many times before that Tarantino has pretty much created a genre for himself that nobody else has been able to duplicate.  That makes a film like Django Unchained a must-see movie event.  This is Tarantino's only film so far this decade, but it is pretty safe to assume that this year's The Hateful Eight will join this list eventually.

9.  Bridesmaids

(2011)

$169,106,725

The last 10 years or so has seen a rise in the quality R-rated laugh-out-loud comedy.  One of the highest grossing of these movies was one of the few that featured the girls.  Gathering all the funniest women in the industry today led to box office gold and the rarity of a few Oscar nominations for a comedy of this nature.  It also helped jumpstart the career of scene-stealer Melissa McCarthy.

8.  The Croods

(2013)

$187,168,425

I was surprised to find this film so high up on this list.  However, with 8 animated films among the 36 listed here, and 4 of them in the top ten, it shows one of the ways to make an original hit is to make a family-friendly film.  Family-friendly movies seem to be few and far between, especially high-quality non-animated ones.  However, like I said, this trend shows a deficiency in an area of film that could easily be capitalized on in the years to come.

7.  Interstellar

(2014)

$188,020,017

Much like Tarantino, Christopher Nolan films have become events simply because he is directing them.  Although he became a household name through his Dark Knight trilogy, it is his original material that has made him one of the top directors working today.  Although Interstellar is not his best, the ambitious nature of this film and his reputation made this a top grossing film.

6.  Wreck-It Ralph

(2012)

$189,422,889

This animated film combined two things that are loved by the masses: cartoons and video games.  This film shows how animated films have changed over the years.  When I was growing up watching Disney classic cartoons like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, very few voices were known names.  Now we have films like Wreck-It Ralph, where not only do we have a family-friendly animated film, but also there are top billed actors like John C Reilly, Sara Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Mindy Kaling, Ed O'Neill, Dennis Haysbert, and others.  So now you have the appeal not only of it being an animated film, but also some of your favorite stars are in it.

5.  Ted

(2012)

$218,815,487

Our first film over $200 million is as original a comedy as we saw so far this decade.  Only Seth MacFarlane could make a story about a man and his talking R-rated teddy bear a hit success.  After the huge success of Family Guy, everyone was anxious to see what MacFarlane could do on the big screen.  His first attempt produced this breakout hit that led to a great year for MacFarlane that ended with him hosting the Oscars and getting nominated for a song from this movie (unfortunately, the song was not "Thunder Buddies").

4.  Brave

(2012)

$237,283,207

Although there are 8 animated films on this list, this is the only film to come from animation giant Pixar.  There is one primary reason for this: it was Pixar's only original story in the last 5 years.  Pixar is known for its ability to come up with truly original and groundbreaking stories.  However, it almost felt like they were tapped out of material for a little while as they relied on sequels at the start of this decade.  Brave was the one exception, however it was also one of the lesser Pixar films.  However, putting the Pixar label on the film single-handedly made a top grossing film.

3.  Despicable Me

(2010)

$251,513,985

Few original movies start phenomenons quite like what happened with Despicable Me.  This film just came out 5 years ago, and we are about to see its second sequel get released this weekend!  Again, it was started by billing names like Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, and Kristen Wiig on the marquee.  Also, as is the case with many animated films, it's cute for the kids while still having elements that adults will appreciate.  Also, who doesn't love the minions?  (Okay, you might be sick of them now, but who didn't love them when you first saw them?)

2.  Gravity

(2013)

$274,092,705

This is one of 5 Best Picture nominees on this list and one of three to make the top ten.  This sci-fi thriller has a simple premise: George Clooney and Sandra Bullock are stranded in space.  However, this film ended up having something for everyone.  It had star power, it had suspense, it had incredible visuals, and it was wonderfully executed.  It is also one that had its box office helped by 3D viewings.  The public seems to have a fascination with space and the unknown that it produces.  This film's success shows that.

1.  Inception

(2010)

$292,576,195

Coming into the decade, no one was hotter than Christopher Nolan.  He had just made what is widely thought to be the greatest superhero movie of all time in The Dark Knight.  Then he started the new decade with this groundbreaking thriller that is as original as they come.  This film had everything: stars (LEO!!!), A-list director, completely original sci-fi premise, mind-bending visuals, and an incredible ending that just makes you want to start the movie over again.  All this leads to the highest grossing original movie of the first half of this decade.

By the way, if 2015 movies had been included in this list, there would be a different number one as Inside Out has been dominating the box office.  See what happens when Pixar truly gets original?