A few weeks ago I saw Super 8. While the film was enjoyable and of course extremely well-directed and well-produced (almost to a fault), it struck me how non-sci-fi this science fiction movie was. I think you could argue that the movie was about the dream of film-making, and the sci-fi elements were just there to provide a backdrop to the real story.

That’s fine with me, but it got me thinking about how this year has been a little lacking in terms of sci-fi movies. There are a few, sure, but does anyone else get the sense that movie-makers think they can sate the sci-fi crowd with comic-book superhero movies? I mean, even Cowboys and Aliens was originally a graphic novel.

2011 might be a little bit of a rut for sci-fi, but it hasn’t been all-bad the last few years. Thinking back, I came up with a list of my favorite true science fiction movies that came out between 2005 and 2010.

Serenity (2005)

Believe it or not, I saw Serenity before I watched a single episode of Firefly (now I’m a Browncoat). I usually avoid made-for-TV sci-fi, but when I saw the trailer for Serenity, I knew I had to see the movie. Director/writer Joss Whedon serves up plenty of action, humor, dystopian government cover-ups, and who doesn’t love the genre mix of space-flight sci-fi and wild western shootouts? One of my favorite things about the Firefly universe is that there are no goofy aliens that look impossibly similar to humans (save a pointy ear or change of skin color). Instead, we get to explore the emotional and physical limits of humankind. And some of the best dialog in all of sci-fi.

Inception (2010)

The scary story behind this movie is that it was almost never made. Director/writer Christoper Nolan had to beg favors from his industry pals to make it happen, and it was only due to the success of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight that they gave him the go ahead. They expected the movie to be a total loss. Instead, they got a mind-bending movie from the director/writer that brought us Memento with an immersive and intriguing science fiction plot.

Predators (2010)

Okay, I’ll admit it – I had my doubts about this one. The two Aliens vs. Predator movies that came out in the last decade were not all that great (the second one was just painful). Produced by Robert Rodriguez, Predators didn’t hit it off exceptionally well with critics and audiences, but I thought it was underrated. Director Nimród Antal balances vast scenic shots and action and the casting line-up is chock full of great actors. Taking the franchise off-world (avoiding another predators-in-the-city scenario) brings it back to a sci-fi base. Sure, the plot isn’t terribly deep, but we get a little of that “who’s the real predator” element and Antal brings an intensity and atmosphere to the film that pays homage to the original (and then takes it a little farther, in my opinion).

The Road (2009)

I think this movie was good, but I always have a hard time telling when I see a movie and I’ve already read the book. Since I know what’s coming, I never know if the movie is doing a good job of pacing, foreshadowing, creating suspense, and so on. I can say that there are some nightmarish scenes where the imagery on screen came pretty damn close to the imagery in my head.

I had to put The Road on my list just because Cormac McCarthy is one of the best writers. Of. All. Time. The only problem with the movie is that you don’t get to read McCarthy’s writing. The novel is like if Hemingway and Philip K. Dick had a baby and then Cormac McCarthy hung that baby upside-down by its feet on a hook in his basement and watched it slowly starve to death and wrote down every meticulous detail and the words made you weep with the beauty of life and death.

A Scanner Darkly (2006)

Speaking of PKD, this was another movie-made-from-a-book-I-read that I think was pretty good, but I learned from other people that they saw the end coming. My response was, “How did you see that coming? I never saw it coming!” But then again, I was drowned in the dark and complex world on the page, and it’s a little different getting it all into a two-hour movie. The rotoscoped animation that director Richard Linklater uses helps create that dark world, and the acting is terrific; Keanu Reeves reminds us that in the right role he can act his ass off and Woody Harrelson and Robert Downy Jr are just damned entertaining.

The Fountain (2006)

A movie as heavy as The Fountain is never going to get rave reviews, and the critics were pretty divided. If you want your storyline straightforward and your intelligence insulted, this ain’t the movie for you. But if you’re ready for a dive into a few difficult sci-fi concepts, give it a try. I only wish the ending came together a little better.

Director/writer Darren Aronofsky insisted on doing The Fountain without CGI effects, and instead hired a father-son outfit that does recordings of oil and water and particles through a microscope that comes out looking like gorgeous, swirling space-scape. Also, if you’ve only seen Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, you might mistake him for a movie star; take note: the man is an Actor.

Children of Men (2006)

Heavy and strong, the story of a near future where the human race has inexplicably stopped reproducing. Some of the shots in this film are just amazing; you feel like you’re right there, running through streets, ducking in and out of buildings while the city erupts in gunfire all around you. Plus, you can’t go wrong with Clive Owen and Julianne Moore. I can’t wait for director/writer Alfonso Cuarón’s next movie (titled Gravity).

Moon (2009)

I saved the best for last. The atmosphere and pacing of director Duncan Jones’ first feature film is just amazing. This is true science fiction, not an action or horror movie with a science fiction setting. Clint Mansell’s soundtrack is so perfect, I could listen to it over and over and it will still give me chills. Sam Rockwell is one of the most honest actors in the business. If someone put a gun to my head and said I had to choose between Moon and my first-born child… well, let’s just say it’s a good thing I don’t have any kids.

Runners-up

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

H2G2 has been presented in various forms with ever-shifting storylines. The movie is definitely entertaining and has a great cast (I don’t care what you say, I loved Mos Def as Ford Prefect; and did I mention how awesome Sam Rockwell is?), but I have to admit: the best way to enjoy Douglas Adams’ hilarious space adventures is by reading the books.

District 9 (2009)

It took me a second watching to really appreciate this movie. Initially, the element of racism – presented in the heart of South Africa, a country that has worked very hard to make strides to improve those same conditions – was a little uncomfortable for me to swallow (it doesn’t help knowing that many South Africans took offense). It’s definitely a gritty film, and I honestly just love that protagonist is so damned unlikeable. It’s an interesting success story too – the first-time director produced a short film that got the attention he needed to make the full length film. Plus at the end when the main character is stomping around in that mech-suit thing – action sequences don’t get any better than that.

Pandorum (2009)

Cross genres and some critics will always bust out their “derivative” stamp. If there weren’t already tons of zombie movies coming out in the last few years, Pandorum wouldn’t have felt so “derivative” by having some zombie-like antagonists in it. If you’re in the mood for sci-fi and you’ve exhausted everything else on my list, I’d give this one a shot. I found it entertaining enough. It’s dark, creepy, and a little claustrophobic at times. Ben Foster is a great actor – I’d love to see him land parts in some better movies.

Specifically not on the list

• Things that are not really science fiction (superheros, magic, horror, etc)
• The Island (2005) – This one starts out with a decent, interesting sci-fi premise (even if a little “derivative”; Tessa Dick called it “another PKD rip-off”) but just as it gets interesting, director Michael Bay over-actionizes it.
• Avatar (2009) – Hey, I saw it twice in the theater. Gorgeous 3-D effects. Unmemorable storyline.
• Star Trek (2009) – Great reboot, and I liked how director J.J. Abrams and writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci used time travel to rewrite Star Trek history, giving them free reign over the plot without a barrage of trekkie historians raining photon torpedoes down on their houses. Upon a second watching all I could think about was how obnoxious the orchestra was. Pay attention audience, this next part is EPIC! Yeah, now the next part? Even MORE EPIC!

Oh, I know I left a few things out. Sunshine (2007). I Am Legend (2007). Cloverfield (2008). Not to put those other movies down, necessarily, but they just didn’t have the same impact on me.

So now I’ll put it to you: what are your favorite sci-fi movies since 2005?