Digication ePortfolio :: American & European Thought & Culture in Science Fiction: Apocalypse, Utopia, Distopia

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

An incomprehensive list of science fiction films from the year 2009. Only films released in over 200 U.S. theaters are listed, to provide a gauge on the box office totals

Motion Picture Assocation of America (MPAA) ratings taken from mpaa.org...

Box office totals and yearly rankings (for the United States, not worldwide) provided by boxofficemojo.com

Title	MPAA Rating	Yearly Box Office Rank*	Box Office Total*	Additional Genre
Avatar	PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking.	#1	$748,509,613	Action
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, language, some crude and sexual material, and brief drug material.	#2	$402,111,870	Action/ Sequel
Star Trek	PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, and brief sexual content	#7	$257,730,019	Action/ Remake
Monsters vs. Aliens	PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor and mild language.	#11	$198,351,526	Animated Action Comedy
2012	PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language.	#15	$166,112,167	Disaster
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra	PG-13 for strong sequences of action violence and mayhem throughout.	#18	$150,201,498	Action
Terminator: Salvation	PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and language.	#23	$125,322,469	Action/ Sequel
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs	PG for brief mild language.	#24	$124,870,275	Animated Comedy
District 9	R for bloody violence and pervasive language	#27	$115,646,235	Action
Watchmen	R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language.	#31	$107,509,799	Superhero Noir
Knowing	PG-13 for disaster sequences, disturbing images and brief strong language.	#39	$79,957,634	Disaster
Race to Witch Mountain	PG for sequences of action and violence, frightening and dangerous situations, and some thematic elements.	#49	$67,172,594	Kids Action
The Time Traveler's Wife	PG-13 for thematic elements, brief disturbing images, nudity and sexuality.	#54	$63,414,846	Romance Drama
Land of the Lost	PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and for language including a drug reference.	#63	$49,438,370	Comedy
Planet 51	PG for mild sci-fi action and some suggestive humor.	#71	$42,194,060	Animated Comedy
Surrogates	PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, language, sexuality and a drug-related scene.	#76	$38,577,772	Action
Push	PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, brief strong language, smoking and a scene of teen drinking.	#89	$31,811,527	Action
9	PG-13 for violence and scary images.	#90	$31,749,894	Animated Action
Gamer	R for frenetic sequences of strong brutal violence throughout, sexual content, nudity and language.	#109	$20,534,907	Action
Astroboy	PG for some action and peril, and brief mild language.	#111	$19,551,067	Animated Action
The Box	PG-13 for thematic elements, some violence and disturbing images.	#125	$15,051,977	Thriller
Pandorum	R for strong horror violence and language.	#139	$10,330,853	Horror Action
The Road	R for some violence, disturbing images and language.	#150	$8,117,000	Drama
Moon	R for language.	---	$5,010,163	Drama
Battle for Terra	PG for sequences of sci-fi action violence and some thematic elements.	---	$1,647,083	Animated Action

Things to take from this data:

Science fiction is as popular a genre as ever. The top two films are both science fiction, and they outgross the next four biggest movies (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Up, and The Hangover) combined.
Revionist takes on "alien invasion" were prevalent. Monsters vs. Aliens poked fun at the disaster movies of the 1950s with characters similar to monsters of that era. Avatar and District 9 went one step further, reversing the question of 'What would they do to us?' into 'What would we do to them?' Aliens in the apocalyptic fable Knowing could easily be confused as angels. And in Battle for Terra, Planet 51, and Avatar, humans invade an alien planet.
Another common motif was the mind melding with technology. In Avatar peoples minds were put into aliens. Surrogates and Terminator: Salvation feature human brains control robots. And in Gamer and G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra people use advanced technology to put their thoughts into expendable soldiers. Social commentary almost always involved themes of detachment: to the violence commited against indigenous foreigners, the erasure of lines between video games and real life, or of people removing themselves physically from the world aroudn them.
Virtually ever single science fiction film also contains acts of violence. The MPAA ratings for 22/25 films listed list "action" or "violence." Of the remaining three, Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs and Land of the Lost are not listed because the violence is inflicted upon sentient food and dinosaurs, not humans. Only Moon can claim to be a non-violent science fiction film. It is no coincidence it ranks at the bottom of the chart. Other non-violent science fiction films, such as Sleep Dealer, were not listed due to being unable to secure a semi-nationwide release.
There is diversity among films with science-fiction overtones, but action is king. This year had multiple animated sci-fis, a sci-fi romantic drama, a live-action sci-fi comedy, and a few sci-fi dramas. But the highest-grossing sci-fi movies are heavy action-oriented. Of the ten science fiction movies that made over $100 million, eight were live-action. Only one, 2012, did not prominently feature a(n) explosion(s) in the climax. Even so, that movie involved Yellowstone erupting, so perhaps the explosion quotient had already been met.
R-ratings hurt. Every single science fiction film with an R rating underperformed. The highest grossing movie, Watchmen, fell short of its $130 million budget. Lower down, entries like Gamer and Pandorum opened to little fanfare in September. Smaller, non-action entries like Moon and The Road also made relatively little. Neither of these films featured explosions. Moon in particular stands out for its complete lack of violence. It only made $5 million, but that was as much as its nominal budget. The film was made outside of the studio system.

Films & TV