Sadly, this isn’t always the case, as there are many underrated sci-fi movies that have been criminally forgotten by the world at large. Children of the 1980s will remember a vast boom of excellent sci-fi films that have otherwise become severely underappreciated. Those born in the ’80s will have grown up watching these great sci-fi movies that don’t get talked about enough. The kids of that era were truly blessed by the genre growing up, even if these great late-’80s and early-’90s sci-fi flicks haven’t continued to receive the love they deserve.
5) Batteries Not Included (1987)
There is no decade like the 1980s for sci-fi, as evidenced by even great movies slipping between the cracks. One such example is Batteries Not Included, which still gets talked about occasionally but gets nowhere near the appreciation it deserves. The movie follows an elderly couple assisted by alien beings when their New York City apartment block is threatened by heartless property developers.
Batteries Not Included is a prime example of the fantastical sci-fi of the 1980s, delivering a family-friendly comedy-drama that made use of sci-fi tropes. Despite the obvious fingerprints of the likes of Steven Spielberg and Brad Bird on the film, it simply hasn’t retained its relevance in the decades since its release. While that’s a shame, at least the kids of the ’80s will fondly remember this magical sci-fi gem.
4) Alien Nation (1988)
Alien Nation isn’t quite a sci-fi movie that eerily predicted the future, but its central themes are perhaps even more relevant today than they were at the time of its release. The movie, which featured the likes of James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, and Terence Stamp, concerned the assimilation of a race of Newcomer alien refugees into the Los Angeles of the 1990s. Exploring themes of discrimination as a key part of its sci-fi action plot, Alien Nation was, in many ways, ahead of its time.
Sadly, it has since become underrated, as many have forgotten its existence. It did go on to spawn a forgotten sci-fi show of the 1980s, but has otherwise become a relatively obscure cult film. It’s a shame, because the narrative ideas of Alien Nation remain as solid as ever, as children of the ’80s are most likely to remember.
3) The Rocketeer (1991)
By its very nature, The Rocketeer is a nostalgic movie, but its own status as an underrated sci-fi gem has now become bizarrely meta. Based on the comic book character of the same name, who was created as an homage to the serial heroes of the 1930s, The Rocketeer is an early ’90s classic that never quite got the love it deserved. It has since become something of a cult film, but today’s wider audiences have likely never heard of it.
The children of the ’80s will almost certainly remember The Rocketeer, though. At the time of its release, it felt like an original and exciting idea, complete with a vaguely steampunk aesthetic that set it apart from similar comic-book action films of the time. While it remains severely underrated, the ’80s kids who saw it upon its release typically remember it fondly as a great comic book movie.
2) Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)
For those who have seen it, Earth Girls Are Easy is a nostalgic sci-fi movie. However, not enough people can claim to have watched the 1988 sci-fi musical romcom, and so it is instead more widely considered an underrated classic. It stars Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, and Damon Wayans as three aliens who arrive on Earth in hopes of meeting and seducing human women, only to befriend a local woman played by Geena Davis.
Earth Girls Are Easy blends multiple genres, but it is at its heart a sci-fi film. Its colorful visuals and unique qualities make it especially memorable for those who saw it at a young age. While it wasn’t entirely appropriate for a young audience, kids of the ’80s who saw it are sure to look back on the film fondly, as it is now an underappreciated classic of the era.
1) Slipstream (1989)
Slipstream is the sort of high-concept sci-fi that might have performed better had it been released a decade later. As well as featuring some great sci-fi action, the movie boasts an impressive core cast of Mark Hamill, Bill Paxton, Bob Peck, and Kitty Aldridge, with Robbie Coltrane, Ben Kingsley, and F. Murray Abraham appearing in supporting roles. Directed by Steven Lisberger (Tron) and produced by Gary Kurtz of the first two Star Wars movies, Slipstream has some serious sci-fi credentials.
Set in a dystopian future in which survivors of a drastic climate crisis attempt to keep human society alive, Slipstream features some great sci-fi ideas. While its disappointing box office ultimately saw it labelled a flop, the movie is severely underrated. Those who saw it upon release in the late 1980s are sure to remember its ambitious sci-fi story and excellent cast, but most modern audiences have never even heard of Slipstream.
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