Good and Bad Fantasy/Sci-Fi Movies
by owenyzeng | created - 3 months ago | updated - 1 month ago | PublicA list of a few good and bad sci-fi/fantasy movies, and why
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
PG-13 | 201 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom
Votes: 1,979,977 | Gross: $377.85M
GOOD - Return of the King
This movie has a good simple plot with epic intense scenes, and is a satisfying way to end the trilogy.
2. Double World (2020)
110 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Seeing the neighboring country become more and more powerful, a warlord organizes a competition to reveal the best warriors. A young man is eager to bring honour to his clan.
Director: Teddy Chan | Stars: Henry Lau, Peter Ho, Chenhan Lin, Luxia Jiang
Votes: 4,760
TRASH - Double World
This Chinese movie stuffs so many cliches together. There is no originality, no depth in the characters, and if you compare the martial arts fight scenes to other Asian movies, you'll be disappointed.
3. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
PG-13 | 140 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Three years into the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi pursues a new threat, while Anakin Skywalker is lured by Chancellor Palpatine into a sinister plot to rule the galaxy.
Director: George Lucas | Stars: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson
Votes: 845,747 | Gross: $380.26M
GOOD - Revenge of the Sith
The action in this movie is top-notch, the story is great, and the acting was a huge improvement from Attack of the Clones.
4. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
PG-13 | 151 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Batman is manipulated by Lex Luthor to fear Superman. Superman´s existence is meanwhile dividing the world and he is framed for murder during an international crisis. The heroes clash and force the neutral Wonder Woman to reemerge.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg
Votes: 752,603 | Gross: $330.36M
TRASH - Batman v Superman
This movie isn't the worst of the worst, but kinda sucks still. The alliance between Batman and Superman was unwanted, and they did it in the most cheesy way possible.
5. Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
R | 242 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Determined to ensure that Superman's ultimate sacrifice wasn't in vain, Bruce Wayne recruits a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams
Votes: 438,561
GOOD - Justice League (2021)
This movie is flawed no doubt, and has a pretty long runtime, but the plot is decent, and it's an enjoyable movie overall. Snyder redeemed himself (sorta) with this movie.
6. Justice League (2017)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his new-found ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller
Votes: 478,745 | Gross: $229.02M
TRASH - Justice League (2017)
Trash plot, cliche tropes, and doesn't do justice to any of the characters whatsoever.
7. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
G | 86 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Shigesato Itoi
Votes: 380,472 | Gross: $1.11M
GOOD - My Neighbor Totoro
The plot is so simple, the setting is mellow and peaceful, Totoro is adorable, and everyone is so innocent.
8. The Marvels (2023)
PG-13 | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Carol Danvers gets her powers entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, forcing them to work together to save the universe.
Director: Nia DaCosta | Stars: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Samuel L. Jackson
Votes: 124,782
TRASH - The Marvels
Woke politics never worked in movies. People already hated the way the MCU portrayed Captain Marvel, so why make a spin-off about her?
9. The Terminator (1984)
R | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield
Votes: 924,541 | Gross: $38.40M
GOOD - Terminator
Nothing beats the OGs. The Terminator has an innovative plot, especially for the time, and became an all-time classic for obvious reasons.
10. Terminator Genisys (2015)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
When John Connor, leader of the human resistance, sends Sgt. Kyle Reese back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor and safeguard the future, an unexpected turn of events creates a fractured timeline.
Director: Alan Taylor | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney
Votes: 292,596 | Gross: $89.76M
TRASH - Terminator Genisys
The plot is convoluted and pretentious, it messes up the timeline, and basically says "Screw T1, T2, T3, and Salvation, we're rebooting the WHOLE franchise for Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney."
11. Blade (1998)
R | 120 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
A half-vampire, half-mortal man becomes a protector of the mortal race, while slaying evil vampires.
Director: Stephen Norrington | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright
Votes: 299,081 | Gross: $70.09M
GOOD - Blade
Blade has awesome action, and having Wesley Snipes as the star was a great choice. Hope the reboot lives up to this one's reputation.
12. Blade: Trinity (2004)
R | 113 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Blade, now a wanted man by the FBI, must join forces with the Nightstalkers to face his most challenging enemy yet: Dracula.
Director: David S. Goyer | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Parker Posey, Ryan Reynolds
Votes: 188,355 | Gross: $52.41M
TRASH - Blade: Trinity
Poor acting, mid action, meh CGI, and a lot of plot cliches were shoved up in this movie.
13. The Suicide Squad (2021)
R | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker, and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.
Director: James Gunn | Stars: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman
Votes: 409,847 | Gross: $55.82M
GOOD - THE Suicide Squad
It's actually funny, the style is similar to a Tarantino movie, and the plot is original and entertaining
14. Suicide Squad (2016)
PG-13 | 123 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse.
Director: David Ayer | Stars: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis
Votes: 722,469 | Gross: $325.10M
TRASH - Suicide Squad (no the)
Other than the acting, this movie is a failure. The characters aren't relatable, and the stakes are far too low for a movie named "Suicide Squad."
15. Equilibrium (2002)
R | 107 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In an oppressive future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system and state.
Director: Kurt Wimmer | Stars: Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Emily Watson, Taye Diggs
Votes: 347,108 | Gross: $1.20M
GOOD - Equilibrium
The plot for this movie isn't that great, but the ideas and settings are original, the acting is good, and the action is top-notch.
16. The Guardians (2017)
Not Rated | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
During the Cold War, an organization called "Patriot" created a super-hero squad, which includes members of multiple Soviet republics. For years, the heroes had to hide their identities, but in hard times they must show themselves again.
Director: Sarik Andreasyan | Stars: Anton Pampushnyy, Sanjar Madi, Sebastien Sisak, Alina Lanina
Votes: 14,562
TRASH - The Guardians
The plot is knock-off Avengers, the scenes are cheesy, and the characters have no depth. Who's brilliant idea was this, huh?
17. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Shang-Chi, the master of weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization.
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton | Stars: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 435,816 | Gross: $224.54M
GOOD - Shang-Chi
I know some people hate this movie, but I think it has good ideas. Yeah sure, the ending was flawed, but the beginning and middle were fast-paced, with fight scenes ALMOST on the level of movies such as the Raid or Ip Man. Not to mention, Simu Liu and Tony Leung are both great actors.
18. Fistful of Vengeance (2022)
TV-MA | 96 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Kai Jin, a young Chinatown chef in present day San Francisco, becomes entangled with the Chinese Triad's pursuit of deadly ancient powers known as the "Wu Xing.
Director: Roel Reiné | Stars: Iko Uwais, Lewis Tan, Lawrence Kao, Pearl Thusi
Votes: 7,571
TRASH - Fistful of Vengeance
Imagine having Iko Uwais and Lewis Tan as the lead roles, and you somehow screw up on the fight scenes. Not to mention, you have a pretty bad story, no character depth, and overuse of VFX.
19. Us (II) (2019)
R | 116 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Adelaide Wilson and her family are attacked by mysterious figures dressed in red. Upon closer inspection, the Wilsons realize that the intruders are exact lookalikes of them.
Director: Jordan Peele | Stars: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker
Votes: 341,330 | Gross: $175.08M
GOOD - Us
The plot is innovative, the ideas and potential was high, and the terror and suspense is impeccable. Us is suspenseful, creepy, and the idea of clones of people living underground is a creative but also terrifying idea.
20. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
PG | 118 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
A teenager discovers he's the descendant of a Greek god and sets out on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods.
Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Logan Lerman, Kevin McKidd, Steve Coogan, Brandon T. Jackson
Votes: 203,037 | Gross: $88.76M
TRASH - Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief
As a little kid, I loved the Percy Jackson series. I then read the spin-offs, which, weren't as good, but were still entertaining and enjoyable. But the movie did not justice. It sucked, with horrible acting and bad directing, and tried to modify the story to its own needs. TRASH.
21. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
PG-13 | 130 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Harry, Ron, and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord as the final battle rages on at Hogwarts.
Director: David Yates | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon
Votes: 948,888 | Gross: $381.01M
GOOD - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2
This movie was a genuine piece of artwork. Was it a little flawed? Of course. Do I still like it? Yep, you bet I did. This was a great finale to this iconic movie series. Snape was redeemed and humanized, and the characters all grew in terms of depth. Awesome movie.
22. Dragon Tiger Gate (2006)
94 min | Action, Fantasy, Thriller
Three young martial arts masters emerge from the back streets of Hong Kong to help the powerless fight injustice.
Director: Wilson Yip | Stars: Yuk Long Wong, Louis Koo, Isabella Leong, Ella Koon
Votes: 7,162
TRASH - Dragon Tiger Gate
Donnie Yen and Wilson Yip worked together on Sha Po Lang in the previous year, so Dragon Tiger Gate could have been a great success. But it overused the VFX, and uhh, it made the fights very overbearing.
23. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
PG-13 | 133 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction.
Director: Gareth Edwards | Stars: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen
Votes: 686,696 | Gross: $532.18M
GOOD - Rogue One
For a Star Wars movie, this movie was dark and more on the realist side. Vader was badass as always, Donnie Yen was just as badass (the whole movie would have been over in 7 minutes if he was given a lightsaber), and the ending was a genuine masterpiece.
24. Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
R | 128 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
An augmented human and Sarah Connor must stop an advanced liquid Terminator from hunting down a young girl, whose fate is critical to the human race.
Director: Tim Miller | Stars: Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes
Votes: 193,244 | Gross: $62.25M
TRASH - Terminator Dark Fate
This movie basically scrapped the characters we already had, and made them females. It also has a bunch of plot holes, and bears a rather inconsistent story. Would not recommend.
25. The Creator (2023)
PG-13 | 133 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Against the backdrop of a war between humans and robots with artificial intelligence, a former soldier finds the secret weapon, a robot in the form of a young child.
Director: Gareth Edwards | Stars: John David Washington, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney
Votes: 160,507
GOOD - The Creator
Now, this movie did have pacing issues. They cut out important dialogue just so it could play in theaters. Is this movie still good? Yep. The plot is great, the acting is great, and the character depths and setting are also great. If they released the uncut version where no important dialogue was cut out, it would have been a hell of a great movie.
26. 65 (2023)
PG-13 | 93 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
An astronaut crash lands on a mysterious planet only to discover he's not alone.
Directors: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods | Stars: Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, Chloe Coleman, Nika King
Votes: 88,120
TRASH - 65
I guess the acting is good since its Adam Driver, but this movie's plot is very cliche. It doesn't bring anything new to cinema, and it isn't that entertaining either.
27. Inception (2010)
PG-13 | 148 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Ken Watanabe
Votes: 2,551,972 | Gross: $292.58M
GOOD - Inception
This movie is great in so many ways. It's extremely tense even though everything just happens in a dream, the stakes feel really high, and no part of the story feels unimportant and it really makes you think.
28. The Wandering Earth (2019)
TV-MA | 125 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
With the sun dying out, a group of brave astronauts set out to find new planet for the whole human race.
Director: Frant Gwo | Stars: Jing Wu, Chuxiao Qu, Guangjie Li, Man-Tat Ng
Votes: 36,347 | Gross: $5.88M
TRASH - The Wandering Earth
I don't think this movie is as terrible as most of the other movies labeled "trash" on this list, but it isn't by any means, decent, either. While some movies are flawed, they make it up with a good story, good acting, or good ideas and directing. The Wandering Earth doesn't do a lot of those. The story is pretty good, but the pacing is slow, and, as a Wu Jing fan, it disappointed me.
29. Interstellar (2014)
PG-13 | 169 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
When Earth becomes uninhabitable in the future, a farmer and ex-NASA pilot, Joseph Cooper, is tasked to pilot a spacecraft, along with a team of researchers, to find a new planet for humans.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Mackenzie Foy
Votes: 2,101,574 | Gross: $188.02M
GOOD - Interstellar
This move is genuinely perfect. It coveys a wide range of emotions, has an awesome score, has a great plot, the characters have development, and no-one feels unimportant or underused in the movie. Perfect movie.
30. Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)
PG-13 | 141 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again in the conclusion of the Skywalker saga.
Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver
Votes: 493,553 | Gross: $515.20M
TRASH - Rise of Skywalker
Now, why exactly does this movie suck? First off, the story is wacky. As usual, Rey faces no challenges. The only good thing about this movie is Kylo, who is the only character in the whole trilogy to have any sort of arc. Second, how does Palpatine return? I would love if they please EXPLAINED. So yeah, pretty trash movie.
31. The Matrix (1999)
R | 136 min | Action, Sci-Fi
When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.
Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
Votes: 2,054,160 | Gross: $171.48M
GOOD - The Matrix
The ideas in this movie were creative, and the characters all had some growth. Not to mention, the action is AWESOME. So overall, pretty good movie.
32. Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
PG-13 | 133 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
When a peaceful settlement on the edge of a distant moon finds itself threatened by a tyrannical ruling force, a stranger living among its villagers becomes their best hope for survival.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman
Votes: 115,813
TRASH - Rebel Moon
I think Snyder is hit or miss a lot of the time. And well, Rebel Moon was a miss. It had no originality, a bad plot, and bad action sequences (compare it to the Star Wars Prequel fight scenes and you’ll know what I mean).
Tell Your Friends