The science fiction film genre might seem like a mere depiction of space, space crafts, extraterrestrial lifeforms, interstellar travel, robots, and cyborgs weaved in a story with CGI technology. However, in truth, they are a lot more than that if we see beyond the special effects. Filmmakers have been using sci-fi plots to attract people toward social, political, and philosophical issues related to the human condition since the early 1900s.
The first Sci-Fi movie was The Man on the Moon, dramatizing the 1902s novel Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne. The film was directed, produced, written, modified, and edited by Georges Méliès, the pioneer of special effects and a true magician. It took many years before the genre was addressed properly, but it started to draw in sizable audiences in the 1960s. Now, these films have their own place in the industry.
However, when it comes to streaming online, Disney Plus has it all. You can find real classics on the service to enjoy. Here’s a list of the 10 best Sci-Fi movies on Disney Plus. Scroll down!
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Star Wars
Director: George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, J.J. Abrams, et al.,
Writer:
Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher
IMDb Rating: 2.1 – 8.7
Runtime: 1 -2 hrs.
It was George Lucas who founded the American dramatic space opera multimedia series known as Star Wars. It began with the self-titled 1977 movie and soon gained acclaim across the globe. Additionally, all nine “Skywalker Saga” movies received Oscar nominations, whereas the first two films won. As a result, Star Wars became the second-highest-grossing film series, with nearly US$10 billion in total box office receipts from the films’ overall sales.
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The Avengers
Director: Joss Whedon
Writer: Joss Whedon, Zak Penn
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson
IMDb Rating: 8.0
Runtime: 2hrs. 23mins
Based on the same-named superhero team from Marvel Comics, The Avengers is a 2012 American superhero movie. The critics praised Whedon’s direction, writing, visual effects, action scenes, performances, and musical score. The movie made nearly $1.5 billion worldwide, breaking several records at the box office. It rose to third place among the best movies in 2012.
The Earth superheroes must work together if they want to defeat the army of cunning Loki.
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Guardians of the Galaxy
Director: James Gunn
Writer: James Gunn, Nicole Perlman, Dan Abnett(based on the Marvel comics by
Cast: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel(voice), Bradley Cooper(voice)
IMDb Rating: 8.0
Runtime: 2hrs. 1min
It’s an American superhero movie modeled on the Guardians of the Galaxy superhero team from Marvel Comics. It is the follow-up to 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy and the fifteenth feature film in the MCU. It outperformed its predecessor and earned over $863 million globally, ranking it as the eighth-highest-grossing movie of 2017. Though some critics thought the picture was inferior to the original, the visuals, directing, soundtrack, humor, and acting won accolades.
The Guardians fight to remain a cohesive unit as they cope with their own personal family troubles. Particularly run-in Star-Lord with his father, a powerful celestial entity.
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Tron
Director: Steven Lisberger
Writer: Steven Lisberger, Bonnie MacBird, Charles S. Haas
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner
IMDb Rating: 6.7
Runtime: 1hr. 36mins
Tron is an American Sci-Fi action adventure film released on July 9, 1982. The movie had a decent box office performance and favorable ratings from critics. They lauded the acting and innovative visual effects but faulted the plot for being unrealistic.
A hacker is kidnapped into the virtual realm and made to compete in gladiatorial contests. His only way out is with the aid of a valiant security program.
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Armageddon
Director: Michael Bay
Writer: Jonathan Hensleigh, J.J. Abrams, Tony Gilroy
Cast: Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck
IMDb Rating: 6.7
Runtime: 2hrs. 31mins
It’s a Sci-Fi film that received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. But it was a commercial success making over $553 million over a $140 million budget. Consequently, the film became the highest-earning film of the year.
When NASA learns that a Texas-sized asteroid will strike Earth in a month, they assemble an oddball group to save the planet.
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Alita: Battle Angel
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Writer: James Cameron, Laeta Kalogridis, Yukito Kishiro
Cast: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly
IMDb Rating: 7.3
Runtime: 2hrs. 2mins
The 2019 American futuristic sci-fi action movie Alita: Battle Angel is modeled on Yukito Kishiro’s manga tv show Gunnm. The movie got accolades from reviewers for its action scenes, special effects, and Salazar’s performance, but the storyline was criticized. Nevertheless, it earned over $404 million, giving it Rodriguez’s highest-grossing movie title.
A deactivated cyborg is brought back to life, but she has no memory of her past. So she goes out on a journey to discover who she is.
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X-Men
Director: Bryan Singer
Writer: Tom DeSanto, Bryan Singer, David Hayter
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen
IMDb Rating: 7.3
Runtime: 1hr. 44mins
It is a superhero movie from 2000 and the first installment in the X-Man film series, including X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand. The film won the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film.
In a world where mutants evolved, superpowered beings live and are subject to prejudice.
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Avatar
Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
IMDb Rating: 7.8
Runtime: 2hrs. 42mins
An American Sci-Fi film, Avatar, was released in the US on December 18, 2009. The picture received acclaim from critics for its ground-breaking visuals. It shattered multiple records at the box office to become the highest-grossing movie of its time. In addition, the film won three Oscars – Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects.
It’s a story of a paraplegic Soldier sent on a special mission to the planet Pandora. But, unfortunately, he finds himself divided between carrying out his instructions and defending the place he considers to be his own.
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Thor: Love and Thunder
Director: Taika Waititi
Writer: Taika Waititi, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Stan Lee
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Runtime: 1hr. 58mins
It’s an American superhero film modeled on the Marvel Comic character Thor, released on July 8, 2022. While the narrative and tone of the movie drew criticism from critics, many of them thought it was better than Ragnarok. As a result, it became the sixth highest-grossing movie of the year earning $760 million globally.
To stop Gorr, the God Butcher, from eradicating the gods, Thor calls up the aid of Valkyrie, Korg, and his former girlfriend, Jane.
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Free Guy
Director: Shawn Levy
Writer: Matt Lieberman, Zak Penn
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi
IMDb Rating: 7.1
Runtime: 1 hr. 55 mins
On August 13, 2021, the American film Free Guy finally hit theaters in the US after a year of waiting. The idea of the film was well received by critics, who linked it with sci-fi films and action video games. In addition, the movie garnered a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 94th Academy Awards.
A bank teller discovers he is merely a non-player avatar in a massively multiplayer computer game. To find evidence that the CEO of a videogame took the source code for the player’s video game, he partnered up with another player.
