2021 was a mixed year for sci-fi movies
And one sci-fi movie that is destined to be an all-time classic
These are the very best sci-fi films of 2021
Number 10 No Time To Die
Daniel Craig’s final outing as Bond saw a story that tapped into strong sci-fi elements
Originally due to come out just before the pandemic hit,
we were finally treated to one of the most explosive opening sequences of the Craig era
Although the villain and story overall could have done with spending slightly longer in the oven,
the film dared to explore new facets of Bond’s humanity
and they pretty much nailed it with that shock ending
Number 9 Free Guy
Free Guy stars Ryan Reynolds in full Ryan Reynolds mode as
an NPC – a non-playable character – within a hugely popular video game
With shades of The Truman Show and Ready Player One,
this Reynold’s starrer could easily have been a derivative, by the numbers mess
But, sparks of originality, humour that hits more often than not,
and a whole load of heart and soul elevate this into a surprisingly emotional hit
Number 8 Black Widow
With the ever-increasing stakes at the heart of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
It is a refreshing change to see an MCU movie that scales back the story
And is allowed to focus on smaller things, including the family dynamics of Natasha Romanoff
The lack of the Black Widow and Hawkeye dynamic was a missed opportunity but one
that the Hawkeye series has done well to remedy
Black Widow is a solidly entertaining standalone
adventure and adds some further emotional depth to Natasha’s story
Number 7 Ron’s Gone Wrong
Over the Summer, I took my family to see an animation I knew very little about
And it seems very few people knew much more about it as – despite
positive reviews – it was a box office bomb
Fortunately, Disney+ has given it a second life and children and parents alike are
getting to enjoy a beautifully animated sweet story of a boy and his robot friend
This film is emotionally satisfying, very funny, and provides a wonderful critique for young and
old alike about our increasingly online lives and the need for approval from random strangers
Ron's Gone Wrong gets it very right and is a must watch
Number 6 Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings
Whenever I make these lists,
I get plenty of comments that superhero films are simply not science fiction
I like to fall back to Arthur C Clarke’s quote that “Any
sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”
With Shang-Chi though, the MCU moves firmly into
the science fantasy arena – we have dragons, multi-tailed Pokemon foxes,
guardian lions and a whole plethora of mythical elements derived from Chinese mythology
Fortunately, this shift into fantasy is beautifully realised
and we have a visually spectacular origin film
that feels very much set apart from the MCU that came before it and intriguingly sets up Phase IV
And it does this with some fantastically choregraphed martial arts action sequences,
good comedy, with a lovely emotional centre
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Number 5 The Mitchells vs The Machines
There’s just one thing you need to know about The Mitchells vs The Machines
It was produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the same duo
that developed the revolutionary Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
And they hit gold again with an animated family film about
a family trying to survive a robot uprising
The animation is dazzlingly original, the film exudes energy
through every pore and delivers a funny, creative, feel-good story for the whole family
One of the best films of 2021
Number 4 The Suicide Squad
Releasing an adults-only semi-sequel / reboot to a film disliked by critics and the public
alike – in the middle of a pandemic – was always going to be a tough sell
And so it proved with the box office bomb that was The Suicide Squad
Unfortunately, this film – written and directed by
Guardian of the Galaxy’s James Gunn – deserved far more love
This genuinely funny, emotional adventure of a collection of anti-heros
is dazzling and dares to tread where no MCU film would risk even peering into
It is by far the best DC film yet
Number 3 A Quiet Place Part II
The original A Quiet Place was one of the most memorable film-going experiences I have ever had
Never has the cinema been as pin-drop quiet,
and those annoying crinkly sweet wrappers finally stayed unopened
Somehow, writer and director John Krasinski delivers a prequel that manages to follow
in the nerve-wracking footsteps of the first film while still adding to the story
A Quiet Place Part II is nail-biting edge of the seat stuff, just like the original,
anchored by some terrific performances
Number 2 Spider-Man: No Way Home
So, let’s take Spider-Man
Add multiple villains
Lots of different subplots
And you get the convoluted mess that was Spider-Man 3
And this was the fate that I felt awaited Spider-Man: No Way Home
Thankfully, I was way off the mark
The finale of the new Spider-Man trilogy is not only big and bold
but still retains its heart and soul and puts Peter Parker at the very centre of the film
It is packed with action and has plenty of rewards in store for long-term fans of the franchise
When films are as highly anticipated as this number 1 on my list,
they invariably fail to live up to expectations…
But not this one
Number 1 Dune
Yes, the award for the best sci-fi movie of 2021 goes to Dune
Denis Villeneuve’s magnum opus in the making
is the kind of film that comes along only once a decade
The kind of film that inspires audiences and other filmmakers alike
Its sheer scope and ambition are reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s peerless Lord of the Rings trilogy
It is truly epic in vision – with visuals and cinematography that simply
must be watched on the biggest screen you can possibly find
But Hans Zimmer’s work must also get an equal mention,
as this film has a living breathing soundtrack that takes your emotions
on a magnificent ride in sync with the very heartbeats of the film
And it does all of this with characters that are allowed to live and breathe
This film is a big and bold spectacle
and its only flaw will hopefully be remedied in 2023 when the sequel will finish the story
Finally, here are some honourable mentions that
failed to make the top 10 but are very much worth a watch
The Tomorrow War
What this Chris Pratt-starrer lacks in story, it more than makes up for in sheer spectacle
With shades of The Edge of Tomorrow, The Tomorrow War is a pure-blooded,
action-packed summer blockbuster
Lapsis
What this film lacks in budget it makes up for in ideas
And the film’s commentary on the power of corporations in the modern world
and the rise of the gig economy will keep you thinking long after the credits have rolled
Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time
The final chapter in the Evangelion story is the
perfect ending to the decades long story from Hideaki Anno
Space Sweepers
If you were burned by Asian cinema by the mess that was The Wandering Earth, don’t worry
Space Sweepers actually has both an engaging plot as well as some great action
Oxygen
But a film doesn’t need action to be successful
as demonstrated by Oxygen, which will keep your nerves on edge throughout its runtime
The Matrix Resurrections
The sequel straddles a delicate balance between appealing to fans of the original trilogy
while being its own thing
This is a fantastically enjoyable return to the world the Watchowskis created 18 years ago
Do me a favour, Please let your fellow sci-fi fans know
of the amazing films that are missing in the comments below
My name is Eman
This is Final Frontier
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