There are many things that can make a sci-fi movie a truly unforgettable experience. A grand, imaginative world that viewers are delighted to dive deep into certainly helps. A fun story with compelling themes and entertaining characters doesn’t hurt, either. Something that always helps ensure that a sci-fi film tattoos itself onto pop culture, too, is a quotable script full of iconic quotes.
Sci-fi is a genre so open to filmmakers' imaginations that it’s not rare to encounter a film inthis genre full of lines of dialogue that people love to quote on a daily basis. From the deep philosophy ofThe MatrixtoGeorge Lucas’s highly idiosyncratic dialogue from hisStar Warsmovies, there are plenty of science fiction gems with dialogue that has aged like fine wine for one reason or another.
10’The Fifth Element' (1997)
Most Iconic Quote: “Multipass.”
One ofthe most rewatchable movies of the 1990s,The Fifth Elementis one of the most popular films by French auteurLuc Besson. It’s a space epic set in a colorful future, where a cab driver (Bruce Willis) unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep evil and Mr. Zorg (Gary Oldman) at bay. Explosive, vibrant, and lively, it’s one of those visually-striking sci-fi classics that are just pure fun.
Aside from the badass action, awesome performances, and excellent musical score, it was preciselyThe Fifth Element’s many charming and clever lines of dialogue that made it such an iconic ’90s classic. From Korben Dallas’s iconic clapbacks (“negative, I am a meat popsicle”)to Leeloo’s hilarious insistence that what she’s holding is, indeed, a multipass, the film is full of dialogue that illustrates how lively the whole experience is.
The Fifth Element
9’Blade Runner' (1982)
Most Iconic Quote: “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time… like tears in rain… Time to die.”
Though it was a failure back at the time of its release,Ridley Scott’s cyberpunk masterpieceBlade Runnersoon started to grow a cult following. Nowadays,it’s remembered as one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time. It’s about a detective named Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) who must pursue and terminate four replicant androids, who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.
With a complex and highly atmospheric futuristic version of L.A., an enveloping noir-ish tone, and one ofthe best movie scores of all timeby the legendaryVangelis,Blade Runneris a masterwork through and through. Its screenplay is highly entertaining, sure, but also intricately thought-out and incredibly meaningful. Its dialogue, from the iconic “Enhance” line to Roy Batty’s (Rutger Hauer) many philosophical dissertations, is some of the deepest that the genre has ever heard.
Blade Runner
8’Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure' (1989)
Most Iconic Quote: “Be excellent to each other. And party on, dudes!”
The movie that madeAlex WinterandKeanu Reevesfamous,Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventureis one of thefunniest and most charming sci-fi movies of all time. It’s a time travel buddy comedy where two rock-‘n-rolling teens on the verge of failing their class set out on a quest to make the ultimate school history report, after they’re presented with a time machine.
Winter and Reeves’s performances are iconic, and though the story isn’t exactly a masterpiece and doesn’t make all-that-much sense,it’s the kind of irresistibly likable teen flick that’s impossible to hate. Its ethos lies in its most famous quote: “Be excellent to each other”. It’s a delightfully wholesome message from a delightfully wholesome movie, which is full of all other kinds of fun and funny lines.
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures
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7’The Matrix’ (1999)
Most Iconic Quote: “You take the blue pill — the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill — you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”
No matter how many new successes they have (or how many failures), the sci-fi movie genre will always owethe Wachowskisa great deal. After all,1999’sThe Matrixis one of the most influential science fiction movies ever made. In it, a beautiful stranger (Carrie-Anne Moss) guides a computer hacker (Keanu Reeves) to a forbidding underworld. There, he discovers that the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.
The Matrix, one ofthe most mind-bending sci-fi filmsof modern times, has been endlessly analyzed and dug for meaning over the decades. The fact that it’s still wide open for interpretation is what’s allowed it to age so well. A big part of its ambiguity and philosophical depth is the Wachowskis' brilliant writing, particularly in the dialogue department. Full of sharp, intelligent quotes, the film’s script is completely unforgettable.
The Matrix
6’Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
Most Iconic Quote: “Avengers! Assemble.”
There had never been a pop-cultural phenomenon quite likeAvengers: Endgame. Perhaps there never will again. It was the culmination of over ten years and dozens upon dozens of films' worth of superhero stories, bringing the Avengers and their remaining allies together after the devastating effects of Thanos’s snap. Together, they must travel in time to reverse the Mad Titan’s actions and restore balance to the universe.
It may not be the most exceptional movie from a detached point of view,but viewing it as a fan, it’s a delight like no other in the history of cinema. Clocking in at a little over a whopping three hours (a runtime that makes it one of the longest films of the past decade), it’s filled to the brim with some ofthe MCU’s most rewatchable scenes, all of them packed with quotable one-liners, memorable monologues, and funny quips.
Avengers: Endgame
5’Jurassic Park' (1993)
Most Iconic Quote: “Life, uh… finds a way.”
Based onMichael Chrichton’s popular novel of the same title (he also co-wrote the screenplay withDavid Koepp),Steven Spielberg’sJurassic Parkis about an industrialist who invites a team of experts to his still-unopened theme park of cloned dinosaurs. After a power failure, the beasts run loose, putting everyone’s lives at risk.
There were plenty of factors that helped makeJurassic Parkone ofthe highest-grossing sci-fi movies of all time, from the audience magnet that was Spielberg’s name, to the revolutionary visual effects, to the cool concept of a film centered on humans interacting with dinosaurs in the modern day.Like a good number of Spielberg’s films, this one is full of memorable quotes. From the funny lines and philosophical ramblings of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) to John Hammond’s (Richard Attenborough) various explanations of his wild ideas, there are many pieces of dialogue fromJurassic Parkthat are bound to stick in viewers' minds.
Jurassic Park
4’Back to the Future' (1985)
Most Iconic Quote: “Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.”
When it comes to time travel comedies, there’s most definitely a gold standard, and it has a title. It’sBack to the Future. One ofthe funniest time travel films ever, it’s about a 17-year-old high school student (Michael J. Fox) who’s accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, mad scientist Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd). There, he must make sure that his parents fall in love so he can get back to the future without ceasing to exist.
Back to the Futureproves thatescapist entertainment with no higher ambitions can be every bit as high-qualityand worthy of praise as any acclaimed arthouse film. Everything about this movie is fun: The charismatic characters, the simple but fast-paced plot structure, and the numerous iconic set pieces. Of course, the dialogue is highly memorable, too. “Where we’re going we don’t need roads,” “this is heavy,” and “you’re gonna see some serious shit” are but a few of the film’s most quotable lines.
Back to the Future
3’Predator' (1987)
Most Iconic Quote: “Get to the chopper!”
It screams “’80s movie” and isn’t exactly a revolutionary masterpiece, but the action-horror thrillerPredator, directed byJohn McTiernan, one of the best action film directors of all time, has aged beautifully. It’s about a team of commandos on a mission in the Central American jungle, who find themselves being hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior with unstoppable abilities.
One ofthe most thrilling horror movies ever,Predatoris an adrenaline rush full of testosterone, sweat, blood, and memorable action set pieces.It’s also full of some of the most quotable dialogue and one-linersin action and sci-fi movie history, from “get to the chopper!” to “stick around” to “if it bleeds, we can kill it.” When it comes to delivering legendary lines in legendary action films, no one does it quite likeArnold Schwarzenegger.
2’Star Wars' Original Trilogy
Most Iconic Quote: “No. I am your father.”
After 1977’sStar Wars(now known asEpisode IV — A New Hope), the science fiction movie genre would never be the same again. It spawned what might bethe biggest transmedia franchise in history, but at the time, it was mostly just a film trilogy— which today is remembered as one of the best ever. Three ofthe best sci-fi fantasy movies of all time, these three movies are bolstered by all the best qualities of creatorGeorge Lucas’s entirely unique imagination.
InA New Hope, there are lines like “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.” InEpisode V — The Empire Strikes Back, there are (often misquoted) lines like “No. I am your father.” InEpisode VI — Return of the Jedi, there are lines like “I am a Jedi, like my father before me.” This trilogy is one of the most entertaining, imaginative, and well-made in the history of sci-fi, so it’s no surprise that its dialogue is also some of the most memorable in the whole genre.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
1’Star Wars' Prequel Trilogy
Most Iconic Quote: “This is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause.”
For better or worse, no one in Hollywood has ever written dialogue like George Lucas. In the case of hisStar Warsprequel trilogy, it was often for worse — but that only helped make the movies' hilarious lines all the more iconic. This trilogy follows the origins of Anakin Skywalker, who would one day become Darth Vader, from Tattooine child slave to fierce Jedi Padawan to tortured Jedi Knight (he was not granted the rank of Master).
Largely because of memes, the prequel trilogy has the vast majority ofStar Wars' most memorable quotes, as well as some of the funniest. “Hello there!,” “We will watch your career with great interest,” and Anakin’s sand slander are all lines of dialogue that any sci-fi fan should be amply familiar with.There are also plenty of genuinely great quotes, though, from Padmé’s requiem for democracy to Obi-Wan’s farewell to his best friend. Regardless of quality, these lines of dialogue arguably make these three films the most quotable in the genre’s history.
