Sci-Friday Top Five: Comedies
Sci-Friday is back, and what I mean by that is that I’m not going to trick you into looking at beautiful pictures of dogs I’ve known and loved. That was last week.
Instead, today we’re looking at five of my favorite sci-fi comedies. Even after some consideration, I hesitate to say this is my “top five” for this subgenre; there are loads and loads of contenders out there, and the category could be considered very broadly.
With that caveat out of the way, I’m excited! These films are smart: like traditional science fiction, the futuristic scenarios really showcase fundamental human problems. Similarly, comedies are an excellent vehicle for present-day social commentary. The movies I’ve chosen balance these forces without being too heavy-handed.
Besides the aforementioned trick post, I have now created several lists for you to enjoy. Check them out if you’ve missed any of the previous weeks: Time Travel Paradoxes, Five Great Sci-Fi Reads, Five Dystopian Future Films, and my Favorite Sci-Fi Shows ever.
Now, let’s dive right in.
5. Mars Attacks
Let me just start with headline names: Tim Burton directs Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Natalie Portman, and a bunch of other A-list actors in a dark sci-fi comedy.
I’ll let the trailer speak for itself insofar as the heavy-handed (but hilarious) Cold War commentary:
An enormous fleet of Martian “flying saucers” arrive in Earth’s orbit, and there is much speculation about what sort of beings these will be. It turns out, they’re the world-conquering type, and they’re a lot more advanced than Earth.
If you appreciate Tim Burton’s films and you like sci-fi, you’ll almost certainly enjoy Mars Attacks.
4. Galaxy Quest
This is a great homage to classic sci-fi, especially Star Trek and its fandom.
If you’ve ever wondered what aliens might do if they received a signal for a show like Star Trek—what would they make of it and us?—then this answers that question for you, at least in one possible way. It turns out that the aliens are convinced the cult show Galaxy Quest is completely real, like a documentary.
Sigourney Weaver, Tim Allen, and Alan Rickman deliver knockout performances.
3. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
If you’re a fan of history, time travel movies, the Circle K convenience store chain, Keanu Reeves, or 1980s nostalgia, you’ve certainly already seen Bill and Ted. If you haven’t, let me talk you into it.
Bill S. Preston, Esquire and Ted "Theodore" Logan, two high school kids who might have been considered “stoners” when I grew up, travel through time to assemble a menagerie of historical figures for their high school history presentation.
Why? If they don’t do this, they’ll fail history class, of course.
I can’t really properly articulate how much fun it is to see Napoleon try to eat all of the ice cream, but see for yourself and let me know if I’m just mired in nostalgia.
2. Back to the Future
Truth be told, this film could easily make it to my list of excellent Time Travel Paradoxes. It stands out as one of the greatest movies ever made, regardless of genre, at least in my view.
I certainly saw Back to the Future multiple times in the theater, and few movies had a similar effect. First, Marty McFly is like the coolest high school kid ever, and I wanted to be him. Second, the rest of the cast is just stupid good. Christopher Lloyd as a mad scientist? Sign me up!
The time travel paradox is tackled head-on, and it’s a central plot device, so we get to think about this a lot. And, there’s a Delorean with a Flux Capacitor to boot!
1. Spaceballs
And, without further doo-doo, here’s my top pick for a science fiction comedy movie: Spaceballs. Now, I know I said this piece is not just an excuse for me to share pics of my dogs. Really, it’s not!
But Dink-Dink is named after this scene, because she has a bit of a silly walk:
The movie obviously had a profound impact on me and my partner, Alley. Mel Brooks is an international treasure, and should be treated as such. From Blazing Saddles to History of the World Part I, Mel had it.
He brought his unique brand of humor—utilizing a classical narrative, but including as many different types of gags as possible, including many that are just silly—to the classic Star Wars trope.
Sure, the science fiction isn’t the showcase, but this film stands out as one of the best comedies of all time, and it’s simply magical to watch.
Even More Sci-Friday Reading
Sci-Friday is a blast for me, a much-needed discussion of entertainment and light commentary from me. I wouldn’t be able to keep this momentum up without so many other good writers participating in this adventure. I recommend checking out their work when you get a chance:
Dré Labre, Rudy Fischmann, BrianAlfred1983, Carla Pettigrew, Jeff Kinnard, Alex S. Garcia, Michael S. Atkinson, Ross Bingham,
, , , , and are all continuing to partipate. Welcome aboard , , and !All of these folks know how to write, and they are choosing to write about science fiction recommendations today. Check them out!
And, let me know: what’s your favorite sci-fi comedy?
Awesome list, I love Spaceballs and I just got my son into Back to the Future. Another excellent Sci-Friday!
Spaceballs was a staple of my childhood. To this day, I remember being terrified of the alien popping out of the guy's stomach then laughing hysterically when it began singing.