Some of the best sci fi films that are chock full of action and adventure — where the fighting and effects drive the movie.

#26

Aliens 1986

An action-packed war film set on a desolate planet, Aliens continues the terrifying adventure of Alien. By adding gung-ho soldiers and high-tech guns to the fear and dread of the first film, you are taken on a spectacular roller coaster ride into a battle against a hive of deadly parasitic creatures infecting a doomed human settlement. … More

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#25

Brazil 1985

A wild adventure through an absurdly authoritarian world, Brazil takes you on an outlandish trip, blending dreams and reality into awe-inspiring images and fascinating, quirky characters. It is both a portrait of a lost soul and a brutally comic takedown of all … More

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Filled with gripping high-speed car chases and positively medieval weaponry, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior forever changed post-apocalyptic films with its brutal vision of a sadistic and hopeless future. In a desert landscape where fuel is rare, a loner … More

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Ingenious and groundbreaking, A Trip to the Moon, takes you on a fanciful journey to the Moon, where a scientific expedition encounters a comically fragile race of nasty aliens. An international blockbuster, it was the Star Wars of … More

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#20

Akira 1988

Captivating, violent and action-packed, Akira is an epic anime film set in a corrupt Tokyo of the future. Scientists unlock God-like powers in a troubled teenager and, as his growing powers corrupt him, he draws his friends into a battle to save Tokyo from a devastating … More

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#16

Galaxy Quest 1999

A ridiculously funny space adventure, Galaxy Quest begins when a hapless group of aliens (who believe that all Earth television shows are true ‘historical documents’) search out the washed up stars of a cancelled television series, Galaxy Quest, in order to help them defeat a real enemy that  … More

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The Fifth Element is a wildly entertaining jumble of action, love story, frenetic comedy and alien space opera — all rolled into an adventure that has as many twists and turns as it has aliens and visual effects. Fate drops a vulnerable and powerful woman … More

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