The 2000s sparked the transition from practical visual effects to the regular use of CGI. Although the debate of which practice is better lies in the eye of the beholder, sci-fi films of the 2000s had uncapped abilities on what they could tackle thanks to the help of CGI. This added element allowed for bigger than ever action scenes, and helped bring superheroes to life unlike ever before. Films like 2003’s The Incredible Hulk and 2001’s The Planet of the Apes were given a second life with CGI.
Sci-fi films of the 2000s crossed a variety of genres from drama to comedy, and cult classics like Donnie Darko and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind were afforded a platform unlike ever before. However, it truly was the sci-fi action films that flourished during this era, allowing the unthinkable large scale film events to happen unlike any other in film history. Here are the 6 best sci-fi action films of the 2000s, ranked.
6 Jurassic Park III
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Jurassic Park III was released in 2001, and brought on the return of Alan Grant, played by Sam Neill, who reprised his role for the third installment to the franchise. Neil also returned for the final movie in the Jurassic World Trilogy as well. Laura Dern also came back as Ellie, but served more as a cameo than an active character. Grant returns to the island he barely escaped from to help find Erik (played by Trevor Morgan), who went missing while parasailing with his uncle. Despite the film's average rating by critics and audiences alike, Jurassic Park III is a fun early-2000s continuation of the major blockbuster's success, and even introduced one of the most dangerous dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park franchise — the Spinosaurus.
5 War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds is a property that has been adapted for the big screen twice, and there is likely another adaptation yet to come. The origins begin with Orson Wells, a director who notably always starred in his own films, and the broadcast that frightened a nation. Wells took to the radio reading from his novel The War of the Worlds and managed to convince some of the listeners that there was actually a Martian invasion occurring. The first film came out in 1953, and then was reimagined by Steven Spielberg in 2005. Starring Tom Cruise, Spielberg's rendition featured the plot of the alien invasion, with a touch of the director's classic flair.
4 Resident Evil
Resident Evil was based on a PlayStation survival horror game that was developed in 1996, and since then, has become one of highest grossing horror franchises of all time. The film follows Alice, played by Milla Jovovich, who is met suffering from amnesia in a deserted mansion. She and a group of others must enter what is called the Hive, which is revealed to be an underground lab where a destructive virus has been released. All who perished in the lab have now become a part of the un-dead, and the group has a limited amount of time before the virus spreads to the vast population. The 2002 film spawned into a franchise that consists of six films, which closely followed the continuity of the game and even premiered as a Netflix series that was released in 2022.
3 Transformers
Michael Bay's 2007 blockbuster success wouldn't have been possible without the successful Hasbro toy line from the 80s that also had a hand in the children's cartoon. Transformers ultimately comes down to the battle between two races of ancient robots who have the ability to shape-shift into different mechanical objects. The truth comes to light when Sam, played by Shia LaBeouf, buys his first car and unbeknownst to him, is actually one of these robots who becomes known as Bumblebee. The film turned out to be a huge success that launched the career of Megan Fox and spawned a franchise of six films with a seventh on the way, per Collider. Transformers is truly a 2000s sci-fi action classic.
2 Spider-Man
The 2000s was a strange time for film across the board. With the ever-growing abilities of early CGI, many superhero films that were once considered better-suited for the page became possible on the screen. However, one of the most anticipated superhero franchises of the early-2000s was Sam Raimi's Spider-Man. The first film served as the web-slinger's origin story, and was such success that the film became a trilogy. Peter Parker, infamously portrayed by Tobey Maguire, carried the face of the franchise until Sony rebooted the series with Andrew Garfield in 2014. Once Marvel claimed the property and brought the hero into the MCU, Tom Holland took over, and has served as fan favorite for many. However, despite the property being a completely different entity from where it once started, 2002's Spider-Man will forever serve as the root of the franchise.
1 Avatar
Avatar is regarded by many as one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time, and, as outlined by Screen Rant, notably took James Cameron four years to make. The film follows Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington, who leaves his human body and takes on an avatar to enter the world of Pandora. Sully falls in love with a native, and he must help fight to save her world and his new-found home. The film will be getting a sequel from Cameron entitled Avatar: The Way of Water that is expected to hit theaters in December 2022. The 2009 film grossed over $2 billion upon its release and has since stood as one of the highest-grossing films ever made.