Planet51

2009 is almost over, and it's been a banner year for science fiction. More than three dozen science fiction themed films have seen release in the US. Some emphasize the science fiction more than others, and a couple may be more occult/horror than actual science fiction, but they're close enough.

While the quality of the films listed below varies wildly, the fact that science fiction elements are featured in so many wide released films is outstanding, and there are at least three critical and box office hits among the list below. At least three of the movies listed below give me hope that smart science fiction films are still viable.

I can't help thinking I'm missing something. I didn't include TimeCrimes because it came out on DVD. What else should be on this list?

9
2012
Alien Trespass
Astro Boy
Avatar
Battle for Terra
The Box
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Cold Souls
District 9
The Fourth Kind
G-Force
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Gamer
Gentlemen Broncos
Knowing
Land of the Lost
Men Who Stare at Goats
Monsters vs. Aliens 3D
Moon
Pandorum
Planet 51
Push
The Road
Star Trek
Stingray Sam
Surrogates
Terminator Salvation
Thirst
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Watchmen
X-Men Origins: Wolverine

TV and straight-to-DVD, or otherwise extremely limited theatrical release include: The Mutant Chronicles, Dante 01, Eden Log, Before the Fall, Sleep Dealer, The Objective, and Outlander.

What was your favorite?

Tyler Foster at BoxOffice.com recently posted an article Science Fiction for Kids, musing about the mediocre response to most science fiction adventures, particularly the ones aimed at younger audiences. Foster ponders the history of several recent kid oriented science fiction, and their success or failure along with the recent release of a tepid Planet 51.

That got me thinking. The WALL-Es are few and far between, but it's not that there isn't an interest in science fiction among kids, is it? Maybe it's just taken for granted in the younger generation today. When I was a kid, we'd already walked on the moon, but the space shuttle hadn't yet launched. Technology has changed a lot, but not everyone in my generation has adopted high tech in their daily life. Kids today practically use computers before they can walk.

The mystique is lost when it's a matter of course that technology changes drastically in just a few years. Compact Discs have only been commercially available since the early 80s, yet today I can fit thousands of songs on a Micro SD memory card shorter than a dime and thinner than a credit card. My MP3 player is smaller in dimensions than said credit card, and less than 6 ounces, and I can fit multiple movies on it. That was nearly unimaginable to anyone who wasn't a sci fi geek last millenium.

So perhaps the youngsters of today are just too familiar with changes in technology, and changes in general to be easily entertained by science fiction? That might even explain the draw to the Twilight Saga, as the supernatural still has the draw of the unknown.

What do you think?

Charles T. "Chuck" Baker makes the least dignified astronaut entrance in cinematic history. He lands on Planet 51, plants an American flag, encounters life in the form of a "dog" that looks suspiciously like a mini-me version of the creature from Alien -- and promptly runs away, screaming like a little girl.

Baker, voiced by Dwayne Johnson in the amusing animated film that opens tomorrow, has a lot to learn about being an astronaut. Planet 51, aimed squarely and pleasantly at children, is ready to impart lessons about the true meaning of "the right stuff," not only for Baker, but also for mournful astronomer Lem (Justin Long), his unrequited love Neera (Jessica Biel), and the evil 1-2 punch of a a military leader (Gary Oldman) and a scientist (John Cleese). The film pays homage to a variety of sci-fi flicks, and the stylish, rounded curves of its character and production designs are reminiscent of the early 1950s, the grand era when astronauts first started popping up on the big screen.

In compiling this list, I was tempted to draw from the huge pool of space jockeys, ranging from Luke Skywalker to Captain Kirk, but decided instead to stick to a more traditional view of astronauts. Some, obviously, are more realistic than others.

In the Shadow of the Moon

You can't get much better than the real thing. David Singleton's documentary allows the Apollo astronauts to give voice to their hopes, fears, and memories of their dazzling missions to the moon, accompanied by rarely-seen archival footage. It's dazzling, mesmerizing, and ultimately humbling.