5 Underappreciated Sci-Fi Films II

The Underappreciated Films series has been one of my all-time favorite projects. I've been looking to do another one so let's look at some more underappreciated sci-fi films!

The usual rules apply; sci-fi films only, one entry to a series, etc. Let's get started already!

Number 5: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Ghost in the Shell was originally a manga series written by Shirow Masamune and published in 1989. The manga was highly successful and, along with its two sequels, birthed a massive anime franchise. Adaptations didn't really start until 1995 with the release of the original Ghost in the Shell. Following that we got one theatrical sequel, a TV series, a TV movie and an OVA series (kind of like direct-to-DVD).

Obviously each of these mediums is different but the fan base is strong and when a live-action film adaptation was announced...let's just say there was a lot of anger aimed at it. Now, there had been live-action adaptations of anime before: Speed Racer and Dragon Ball Evolution are the easiest examples of this. While Speed Racer was initially poorly-received, it was an okay adaptation. Dragon Ball Evolution was a bad adaptation all around. How bad? Bad enough that the writer of the film issued an apology!

The Dragon Ball adaptation is the one everyone was pointing at. With that said, the news that Scarlett Johansson would be starring allowed for some cautious optimism. The live-action film was released in March of 2017 and grossed $169.8 million on a $110 million budget.

Story-wise, the film follows Motoko Kusanagi as she starts to remember little bits and pieces of her past; she subsequently goes on the hunt for answers as to who she was and where she came from.

As much as I enjoyed the film it seems to have gotten very little attention since its release which is kinda sad to be honest. It has its flaws but it's worth a watch.

Number 4: Doomsday (2008)

A deadly virus breaks out in Scotland and wreaks havoc among the populace. To preserve as much of society as possible, the country is quarantined and separated from the rest of the UK via a massive wall. The coastal waters are filled with mines and Scotland is declared a no-fly zone - obviously with defenses in place to make sure of that.

Years later, the virus reappears and a small team of elite soldiers led by Major Eden Sinclair is sent to the other side of the wall to find a potential cure. Of course, things aren't so simple but you'll have to watch the film to know more!

Doomsday was released in 2008 to a mixed reception and poor box office returns. It's not a great film but it's a fun watch to waste time with - granted you do need to have something of a strong stomach and a liking for dark humor.

Number 3: Cyborg (1989)

Cyborg...where do I start with this one?

Okay, Cyborg is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action film released in 1989 to a largely negative reception. The is set in the far future where a virus - aptly called the living death - has wrought chaos worldwide. In the search for a cure, a courier is sent out to retrieve information and ends up partnering with a mercenary named Gibson to keep this information and, by extension, the cure out of the hands of a band of pirates.

Gibson himself is on a revenge-quest against the man who killed his lover. Can you guess who his enemy is?

The was commercially successful, grossing a little over $10 million on a budget of $500.000 and debuting at No. 4 in the American Box office. It's not strictly speaking a bad film but it's also not really a great one. There was a lot of potential there but unfortunately wooden performances, campy dialogue and little to no real development for the characters have seemingly doomed the film to obscurity.

Number 2: Virus (1999)

Virus was released in 1999 and stars Jaime Lee Curtis, William Baldwin and Donald Sutherland. The film follows the crew of the Sea Star as they find a seemingly-abandoned Russian research vessel and go to investigate potential salvage opportunities aboard - they lost their own cargo sailing through a storm. What they find is an extraterrestrial life-form that has taken over the ship and wants to, you know, take over the world.

The film was based on a comic book of the same name and while I haven't read the comic myself it was obviously popular enough to warrant an adaptation. Upon its initial release in 1999, the film was a critical and commercial failure grossing $30.7 million on a budget of $75 million at the box office.

I first saw Virus when I was around 14 years old, it came on television during a Jaime Lee Curtis movie marathon and I could definitely see where a lot of the negative reception came from. With that said, I did enjoy the film as a stupid time-waster; the casting was brilliant - particularly Donald Sutherland's role as the alcoholic, money-hungry captain Everton.

Nowadays the film has a cult following but it's often remembered as a bland, boring wannabe sci-fi thriller.

Number 1: The 5th Wave (2016)

This is one that I didn't know about until it popped up in my 'recommended for you' list on Netflix a few weeks ago.

The 5th Wave follows Cassie Sullivan (Chloe Grace-Moretz) as she makes her way towards a military base to retrieve her little brother in the middle of an alien invasion. She has to move fast though because, the aliens are gearing up for their final push to conquer the earth - the titular 5th wave.

I can quite honestly say that while the film isn't perfect, it's a fun one to sit and kill time with. The performances are good, the music is great, the cinematography is beautiful and the pacing is, for the most part, really good. All in all, it's a fun one to watch and I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't already.

The film was based on a YA sci-fi novel of the same name by Rick Yancey and I'm actually tempted to check out the book as well; just to see how it holds up.