The latest film in the Avatar franchise is here. Avatar: Fire and Ash is full of action and shocking moments, making it arguably the most entertaining of the bunch. The problem with putting all the eggs in the Fire and Ash basket is that James Cameron continues to push the idea that the movie needs to make a lot of money for its sequel to get a green light. That means there’s a chance that the newest Avatar film is the last one, and while there are worse ways to go out, it’s going to be a hard pill to swallow if Pandora never returns on the big screen.
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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.
2) Arrival
The Avatar movies don’t show the first contact that humans have with the Na’vi, but it’s fair to assume it didn’t go well. After all, by the time the first movie starts, Neytiri and her crew have given up on the idea of having peace. However, Louise Banks retains some optimism in Arrival when she is tasked with communicating with extraterrestrial visitors.
Unlike most first-contact movies, Arrival doesn’t focus on an invasion or end with someone traveling to another planet. Banks learns the aliens’ language, which changes how she views reality. She then has to make tough choices that affect not only her but the entire world. Arrival is a human story that hides behind the guise of an alien movie.
1) John Carter
Yes, this list is supposed to contain only “great” movies, and based on John Carter‘s Rotten Tomatoes score, most of the world doesn’t view it as one. But it gets a bad rap because it’s one of the biggest flops in history. In reality, it’s a heartwarming movie with effects that hold up.
After ending up on Mars, Earthling John Carter finds himself in the middle of a conflict. He doesn’t want any part of it at first, but he comes to love and appreciate the being he’s come into contact with. While the movie’s version of Mars can’t hold a candle to Pandora, it’s not fair to compare everything to something as great as Avatar. Let John Carter stand on its own and enjoy what it has to offer.
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Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme -
A photo of the Retrovolt Arcade taken in 2017, showing several classic arcade cabinets and stools.
