In the 1970s and 1980s, the sci-fi genre was boosted with the likes of Star Wars and Star Trek. This led to many classics like The Terminator, Alien, Blade Runner, etc. However, in the 1990s, sci-fi was not lost but definitely took a step back throughout that decade despite some hits.
Once the millennium hit, science fiction was back with a vengeance; there were so many sci-fi movies that it was hard to keep track of them all. As a result, some hits like The Matrix Trilogy and Marvel Studios' Iron Man caused a lot of other movies to become buried beneath the surface.
Pitch Black (2000)
One of the most notoriously overlooked sci-fi movies ever made, Pitch Black is where Vin Diesel excels as the star. Vin Diesel plays Richard B. Riddick who has to lead a group of survivors against hordes of alien creatures known as Bioraptors on a planet with zero light.
With Aliens as inspiration, Pitch Black became a cult-classic that would spawn two sequels featuring Riddick. Vin Diesel is in top form as is the rest of the cast. The action and horror blend perfectly with some unique monsters and a neat universe set up within the story.
Titan A.E. (2000)
With a cast like Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore, Bill Pullman, and John Leguizamo, one would expect it to be remembered as a classic. Instead, for one reason or another, Titan A.E. was a complete bomb that lost quite a bit at the box office.
Over the years, sci-fi fans have rediscovered Titan A.E. and even call it Don Bluth's most underrated movie. Though the story of a young chosen one trying to save the galaxy from an evil alien race is nothing new, Don Bluth's stunning animation, soundtrack, and cast all lend to a fun sci-fi epic.
Surrogates (2009)
These days, Bruce Willis is known for his questionable choice in films. However, Bruce used to be known for being in overlooked gems including Unbreakable and this one: Surrogates. It features a future where everyone lives their lives through perfect robotic copies of themselves when a case leads Bruce Willis' character down a road into a deep conspiracy.
Surrogates effectively realizes its concept and gives social commentary on overreliance on convenience. Bruce Willis gives a genuinely great performance that carries throughout and on top of it all, the action/mystery angle is executed nicely.
Equilibrium (2002)
Inspired by stories like Fahrenheit 451, Equilibrium shows a dystopian future where emotions are outlawed. Anything that emits emotions is also outlawed and to protect this future are clerics: warrior gunslingers that are tasked to kill rebels and destroy anything linked to emotion.
Christian Bale plays the best cleric of them all who slowly gives in to emotion and sees the error of this society. With Bale on top form as always, Equilibrium is one of the better dystopian future movies that provides a great character study, commentary, as well as some great martial arts action that likely helped Christian Bale get the role of Batman.
Dead Space: Downfall (2008)
Dead Space was the shocking hit horror video game of the 2000s. As a result, it got a straight-to-video prequel showing how the ship, USG Ishimura, became ground zero for an alien plague. Instantly, Dead Space: Downfall looks and feels straight out of the game with its disturbing cultism, insanity, and claustrophobic atmosphere.
It also is a great sci-fi horror movie for those who have never played the game since it is a prequel. The animation is dark and gritty, the body-horror rivals movies like John Carpenter's The Thing while harking back to Alien much like the game does. Since it is a prequel, don't expect a happy ending.
Outlander (2008)
Much like Marvel's Thor, Outlander plays with the idea that magic is just science that is not understood yet. An alien monster lands on Earth during the Viking age and is mistaken for a dragon; meanwhile, a soldier from another planet arrives to hunt it down.
Jim Caviezel plays the titular Outlander and he must ally himself with and train the Vikings to kill the creature. It's a neat concept that does its best despite the minuscule budget. The characters help carry the film and the way they portray a dragon is clever despite the less than stellar CGI effects.
The One (2001)
What happens when Jet Li fights Jet Li? One of the most overlooked martial arts films happens. Jet Li plays Yu Law, an outlaw traveling from universe to universe to kill his counterparts. With each kill, he gets more and more powerful. He lands on the final Earth where the last counterpart remains and they must fight.
The concept sounds straight out of a DC Universe story and that's a good thing. It's very much aware of what it is: a fun popcorn action flick and fully embraces it. Jet Li gives a great dual performance as hero and villain that really carries the film. The One also features a great soundtrack for heavy metal fans.
Pandorum (2009)
Astronauts in the distant future wake up on a ship without their memory. Not only do they have to uncover what happened to them and the rest of the crew but have to avoid being killed by strange creatures that populate the ship.
It's not the most original concept but where it excels is execution. From beginning to end, Pandorum features a lot of tension and suspense as well as intrigue. Add some twists and turns in there to create a dark sci-fi horror that harks back to movies like Alien.
Reign Of Fire (2002)
When one thinks dragons, the mind usually goes right to high fantasy adventure movies like The Hobbit. Well, Reign Of Fire tosses tradition out the window and takes a more realistic approach to dragons. They are immortal prehistoric animals that become unearthed and succeed in taking over the world.
Reign Of Fire stars Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, and Gerard Butler as survivors trying to keep the human resistance alive. Reign Of Fire could have easily gone for a cheesy action tone but the movie treats its concept with care and respect. The dragons still look impressive today and the cast is all brilliant in their roles.
Terminator Salvation (2009)
Christian Bale strikes again, this time with Terminator Salvation. The fourth film in the Terminator franchise met with backlash on release due to its drastic shift in direction. There was no time travel, no Arnold Schwarzenegger lead, and it focused on the Future War entirely.
Over the years, there are some fans that actually appreciate that Terminator Salvation tried something different. Salvation even took on new concepts of Terminators without going too crazy with it. Add a dedicated cast and return to gritty action, Salvation is the sequel that did not deserve the hate.