Some of the biggest film franchises in Hollywood history are of the science fiction genre. A few of them without a doubt popped into your head upon reading the title of the list. However, a few entries featured herein may have been falling by the wayside of relevance as of late. Either way: the biggest names you can imagine directed these projects, and they all have star-studded casts.
Of course, several of these are still running strong today. And it’s worth noting that superhero franchises won’t be included. They’re becoming a separate genre entirely, and they often times blur the genre lines between science fiction and fantasy. All that said, these are the eighteen greatest science-fiction film franchises of all time, ranked.
18 Pacific Rim
Starting things off with the most recent franchise on the list, Pacific Rim could very well have eluded a specific corner of science fiction fans throughout the past decade. And if that’s the case for you, rest assured that the franchise is well worth the time. The original Pacific Rim (2013) by Guillermo Del Toro received praise from critics upon release. It holds up well today, too. Del Toro is among the finest filmmakers of his generation, and he truly propelled the overall product to new heights.
Pacific Rim Uprising (2018) was less revered than its predecessor, but it’s far from the worst film you’ll read about today. Neither entry made significant waves at the worldwide box office, or anything, but the series holds great name value, nonetheless. In the end, both projects are solid enough to land the Pacific Rim franchise here at the start of the list.
17 Transformers
Sure, several entries in this franchise pale significantly in comparison to the rest. But Transformers as a whole has of course produced high-quality titles along the way. The original entry is far from the worst film you’ll read about today, and Bumblebee (2018) actually implemented solid character development with Hailee Steinfeld’s protagonist Charlie Watson. It’s arguably the greatest entry the franchise has seen, and it plays a large part in landing Transformers here at number seventeen.
Of course, if this list were going strictly off of box office numbers, the series at hand would boast a much higher placement. Alas, quality is clearly a factor, too, and the majority of Transformers movies miss that mark entirely. Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Dark of the Moon (2011), Age of Extinction (2014), and The Last Knight (2017) were panned. If you’re into gargantuan robots duking it out, stick to the other two entries. The latest film isn’t bad, either.
16 Bill and Ted
A comedy hybrid, the Bill & Ted franchise features Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves as the titular characters: Bill S. Preston and Theodore Logan, respectively. The first entry — Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) — is the most famous. It follows the dim-witted protagonists as they travel back in time via a phone booth-shaped mechanism to gain enough knowledge of world history to pass their high school course. An absurd premise, no doubt, but rest assured: it still provides laughs all these years later.
It resonated quite fondly with critics and made great money at the box office, spawning an immediate sequel in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991). It was less successful across the board, and that’s what it deserves for at all attempting to spoof The Seventh Seal (1957). It was funny enough, though, and the series nonetheless rebounded in valiant fashion a few decades later. Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020) is a fabulous addition to the franchise despite its box office shortcomings, and it renders this an essential science fiction series overall.
15 Predator
This is just the first franchise on the list that features Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role. At least, the first movie in the Predator franchise does. And overall, Predator (1987) is looked back on rather fondly in that regard. Danny Glover took over as the lead with Predator 2 (1990) to a much less-acclaimed degree. Adrien Brody then took the reins with the reboot — simply called Predators (2010) — in the subsequent century. Critics were much fonder of that last project than its immediate predecessor.
Its follow-up The Predator (2018) saw a noticeable decline once again, with the quality of the series going back and forth with each entry. And that theory holds up as a prequel called Prey (2022) was released to widespread acclaim from critics. It in fact rivals the quality of the first film in the franchise, with each project holding up well enough to warrant this spot at number fifteen for Predator.
14 Men in Black
In spite of a solid story structure found in each film, the famous Men in Black franchise goes back and forth in caliber with each subsequent release. This is another comedy hybrid on the list following Bill and Ted, and the first entry in the series at hand is one of the funniest films you’re likely to read about today. It follows Agent Kay and Agent Jay — played by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, respectively — as secret agents for the titular organization that regulate alien life on earth. It’s a famous plot, and it was seen into flawless fruition. Plus, it holds up wonderfully today.
However, Men in Black II (2002) lacked the charisma and wit of the first film, coming up short in the minds of critics despite scoring big at the worldwide box office. A decade down the line, Men in Black III (2012) seemed to spark new life into the once-beloved franchise. Alas, their attempt to capitalize on the third entry’s success resulted in the worst film in the franchise, as Men in Black: International (2019) axed most of the original cast and failed with critics and audiences alike. Thankfully for the franchise as a whole, the first movie long ago solidified its legacy. Men in Black III is good, too.
13 Tron
Thanks to its being an early example of computer-generated imagery (CGI) being utilized extensively in the medium, the original Tron (1982) is among the most influential films ever made, regardless of genre. It’s easily among the most important science fiction movies of all time, and it has a tantalizing plot with a talented cast to boot. Jeff Bridges stars as a computer programmer and video game developer named Kevin Flynn who gets trapped within the software world of a mainframe computer.
And although not every critic under the sun had positive thoughts upon release, the first film in the Tronfranchise nonetheless received great praise overall with fantastic money made at the worldwide box office. Somehow, it took decades to make a sequel. And as many fans know, Tron: Legacy (2010) boasts a much less impressive legacy. Nonetheless, it holds up as a solid stint that falls within the science fiction franchise at hand, ultimately propelling Tron to the thirteenth spot on the list.
12 The Hunger Games
Based on the book series of the same name by Suzanne Collins, this franchise is still fresh in the minds of most fans. Four movies in The Hunger Games franchise released in the 2010s — all within four consecutive years, in fact. Of course, each entry stars Jennifer Lawrence as the girl on fire, Katniss Everdeen, with other impressive names among its star-studded cast including Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, and Elizabeth Banks. Frankly, that’s hardly scratching the surface, too.
Once the Mockingjay films rolled around, the intrigue and magic surrounding these live-action adaptations had without a doubt worn off. Franchise fatigue was without a doubt setting in. But there’s no denying the caliber of those projects from start to finish, especially compared to certain entries from other franchises on this list. The Hunger Games (2012) and Catching Fire (2013) are among the best, most action-packed science fiction films you’ll read about today, and the other two entries in this juggernaut series bolster its placement in the end.
11 The Matrix
One of the best movies from any franchise on the list is The Matrix (1999), written and directed by Lana and Lily Wachowski. It famously follows the protagonist Neo (played by Keanu Reeves) as he traverses the titular underworld powered by cyber-intelligence. Other A-list names among the cast include Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss, and they all perform brilliantly to render The Matrix perhaps the greatest science fiction action film ever made.
Of course, much of that had to do with the worldbuilding and a bevy of behind-the-scenes tactics — take bullet-time re: cinematography, for instance. But for as much potential as the original showed for a successful series, The Matrix franchise undoubtedly wanes in quality as the entries go by, particularly with The Matrix Revolutions. But the other titles featured therein will deliver on intrigue and thrills from the first frame until their fantastic finales.
10 Jurassic Park
Directed by Steven Spielberg, the original Jurassic Park (1993) is among the best movies you’ll read about today. It features Sam Neil as Dr. Alan Grant, a paleontologist who is invited to the titular theme park to certify the safety of its cloned dinosaur attractions. The park was created by an industrialist named John Hammond (played by Richard Attenborough), who also invites paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler — portrayed by Laura Dern. And rounding out that star-studded cast was of course Jeff Goldblum in one of his all-time greatest roles as a chaotician named Ian Malcolm.
Those are some truly memorable characters with some of the most entertaining dynamics you’ll read about today, and they defined the quality of Jurassic Park to a tee. However, the franchise wanes in quality from there. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) fell short of expectations, and Jurassic Park III (2001) met the same fate of failure. The franchise seemed to be rejuvenated a decade later with Jurassic World (2015) starring Chris Pratt. But the immediate sequels to that were even worse than the first trilogy. Luckily for the Jurassic Park franchise, the original is enough to warrant this spot at number ten.
9 Avatar
On box office numbers alone, the Avatar franchise by James Cameron deserves a spot on the list. But the fact that both films are well-made pieces of cinema from start to finish means this series lands within the top ten. Its visuals are simply stunning thanks to a carefully curated color palette and a combination of CGI with practical effects, and its story holds up more so than critics gave it credit for. But really, the bulk of the entertainment value can be attributed to Cameron’s world-class tactics of worldbuilding.
After seeing Avatar (2009) in theaters, fans across the globe fell into deep states of depression for not occupying the world of Pandora. Thus, they wanted an immediate sequel. It wasn’t for another dozen or so years before Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) was released, and the wait was well worth it, as most audiences shared a similar enthusiasm with the final product as they did with the original. And again, there’s simply no denying the record-breaking box office numbers at hand.
8 Star Trek
Based on the television series of the same name, Star Trek holds more name value than the vast majority of franchises herein. That’s without a doubt speaking volumes. Everyone around the world knows the existence of “Trekkies”, the cult-like fandom revolving around the series at hand. And again, although much of this popularity stems from other mediums, Star Trek has produced several high-quality films throughout the years.
The majority of the first six entries are of the utmost quality, with The Wrath of Khan (1982) and The Voyage Home (1986) being two of the greatest projects the science fiction genre has ever seen. Plus, the recent reboot series has received rave reviews across the board. And none of that is to even mention the likes of Star Trek: First Contact (1996). Of course, the franchise features its fair share of duds. But the well-made Star Trek titles render this an undeniable choice for the list that could place even higher on any given day.
7 Terminator
Canadian filmmaker James Cameron has created two of the greatest science fiction film franchises ever made: the aforementioned property in Avatar, and of course Terminator. With Arnold Schwarzenegger in the titular role, The Terminator (1984) features some of the most iconic one-liners and engrossing action sequences you’re bound to ever hear or see. That first movie boasts a rare 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it holds up wonderfully nearly four decades down the line.
And Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) is arguably superior. Sure, more recent entries like Terminator Salvation (2009) and Terminator Genysis (2015) should have never been seen into fruition. But the lead characters in the franchise at hand are some of the most indelible personalities in the medium entirely, and the first two films are of legitimately high quality. Terminator without a doubt deserves this top-ten spot.
6 Planet of the Apes
The original Planet of the Apes (1968) rocked the medium to its core with a plot twist for the ages. It remains perhaps the peak of the franchise all these years later. And in the decade subsequent to its release, four sequels were released in just four years. Really, the only other one of any quality was Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971). Tim Burton attempted to reboot the franchise in the following century, but the final product was panned by critics.
But the Planet of the Apes franchise saw a massive resurgence here recently thanks to Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), followed by both Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). All three titles were among the most successful (both critically and commercially) the franchise has ever seen. Those three releases skyrocket this series to the list’s upper ranks.
5 Back to the Future
One of the best top-to-bottom trilogies ever, there’s never been a bad movie made under the Back to the Future banner. Created by Robert Zemeckis, the first entry received widespread praise from critics as Marty McFly and Doc Brown (portrayed by Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, respectively) traverse time and space in their modified DeLorean.
The second entry saw a dip in quality, but Back to the Future: Part II (1989) was still a high-quality project. And with a western backdrop, Back to the Future: Part III (1991) remains the preferred movie for many fans of the series. But really, even for as good as the sequels were compared to the majority of franchises on the list, the first Back to the Future (1985) solidifies this placement. It boasts a spot in the National Film Registry, and is still considered among the best films the genre has ever seen. With good reason.
4 Mad Max
Nearly every franchise on this list has experienced some sort of reboot throughout the years, and most instances are rather recent. With the Mad Max franchise, the reboot in question is of course Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). It was directed by George Miller, the same filmmaker who helmed the first three entries in the franchise, and its cast consisted of massive names such as Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, and Nicholas Hoult. This entry is warranted for Fury Road (2015) by itself, not to mention the original trilogy with Mel Gibson as the titular character.
The Wasteland world established in the first Mad Max (1979) set the groundwork for one of cinema’s greatest ever science fiction franchises. And the first two entries are some of the best films you’ll read about today. Thunderdome (1985) is of course of a certain quality in itself, rendering this one of the few series without a bad egg in the bunch.
3 Alien
Sigourney Weaver is a bona fide action star thanks to her role as Ellen Ripley. She filled those famous shoes on three occasions following Alien (1979), with the immediate follow-up Aliens (1986) rivaling the quality of the original. Those two titles perfectly blended elements of horror and action (respectively) to render the Alien franchise as a whole a go-to example of both genre hybrids.
Sure, Alien 3 (1992) by David Fincher represented the nadir of the franchise, and Alien Resurrection (1997) wasn’t all that much better. But a couple of decades down the line, Alien returned to the big screen in valiant fashion when director Ridley Scott (the captain of the original) made both Prometheus (2012) and Alien Covenant (2017). They weren’t the best films overall, but in total, the Alien franchise is a seminal piece of science fiction cinema.
2 Star Wars
With nine live-action feature films in total, Star Wars is the single highest-grossing film franchise on the list, and that’s over the likes of Jurassic Park, Transformers, and even Avatar. Of course, the original trilogy — A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983) — features some of the greatest instances of general storytelling the medium has ever seen, with brilliant character dynamics and plot twists for the ages.
However, the prequel trilogy of The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and Revenge of the Sith (2006) all came up short across the board of quality. And if anything, the recent trilogy of sequels is somehow even worse. If this list were simply analyzing the zenith of each franchise’s power, Star Wars could likely come out on top. Alas, most entries in this franchise are complete duds of the medium, and should be avoided at all costs.
1 Blade Runner
The original was made by Ridley Scott, while Blade Runner 2049 (2017) saw direction under Denis Villeneuve. The former is considered among the most influential science fiction movies of all time, while the latter is looked at as a modern cult classic due to its being a box office bomb. But legacy and numbers of success aside, both films in the Blade Runner franchise are among the most beautiful, well-written, and overall impressive projects to ever grace the silver screen.
From the expertise of their well-crafted world to the dynamism of their well-structured plots, both entries go down as masterclasses of storytelling from the first featured frames until the fireworks of their finales. And that’s not even accounting for the brilliance of numerous behind-the-scenes crafts, from camerawork and visual effects to continuity editing and sound design. If you’ve somehow missed this seminal neo-noir sci-fi series, it’s time to correct that mistake.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
