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As the world waits with bated breath to see the final numbers roll in, the first two Avatar movies might find themselves skyrocketing up the streaming charts, with people wanting to soak up all the blue goodness for as long as they can. But other films can help make the wait more bearable. Here are five great sci-fi movies to watch after the Avatar trilogy.
5) War for the Planet of the Apes
The core struggle in the Avatar franchise is between the humans who want to take everything worthwhile on Pandora and the Na’vi, who want to protect their home. The recent Planet of the Apes films don’t take place on a distant planet, but the same principles carry over, with Caesar and the rest of the apes trying to defend themselves from humans who wish to do them harm.
War for the Planet of the Apes serves as the final entry in the original trilogy, and it doesn’t pull any punches. Despite the humans pushing Caesar to the edge, he keeps his composure and works to get his loved ones to safety. A peaceful ending doesn’t mean a peaceful journey, though, as the movie is full of breathtaking action sequences.
4) Pacific Rim
Speaking of action, Pacific Rim introduces a world that is on the brink of destruction. Alien creatures arrive out of a rift in the ocean and tear apart cities, forcing humanity to develop a way to fight back. The answer is giant robots called Jaegers, which are all piloted by two highly trained individuals.
While Pacific Rim might seem like a generic kaiju movie on paper, Guillermo del Toro brings his signature flair to the proceedings, resulting in fully fleshed-out characters and stunning visuals. The film’s sequel, Pacific Rim: Uprising, isn’t anything to write home about, but at least this one can stand on its own.
3) Preadtor: Badlands
Sometimes, it’s hard to pay attention to what’s actually going on in the Avatar movies because of everything that’s going on in the background. Pandora is full of flourishing environments, and Cameron and his team ensure that there’s always something interesting to look at. Dan Trachtenberg is capable of doing the same thing, and he pulls it off in Predator: Badlands.
A Yautja named Dek travels to a mysterious planet to hunt down a legendary creature in Badlands. Rather than just getting the job done and moving on, he learns to embrace his surroundings and identify the real villains. He’s sort of like Jake Sully in that way, with both characters finding friends in the unlikeliest of places.
