Most Popular Sci-Fi Movies The science fiction genre is one of the hottest film genres today.

Many movies in this exciting genre take viewers through space to faraway planets and strange alien creatures. Other movies take viewers to the distant past or to a dark future. The following article takes a look at some of the most popular sci-fi movies.

"Star Wars"
The original Star Wars movie is arguably one of the most popular sci-fi movies of all time. This space-age soap opera took viewers on an exciting journey through a distant land and time, spanning six total movies. Viewers quickly warmed up the heroic Luke Skywalker and the sarcastic Han Solo. The original trilogy introduced viewers to even more unique characters, including the wise Yoda and the conflicted Darth Vader. Beyond the movies, however, Star Wars has had a huge influence on pop culture. Even today, millions of people buy Star Wars memorabilia and attend fan conventions while dressed as their favorite characters.

"Back to the Future"

The Back to the Future trilogy introduced many viewers to the exciting concept of time travel. In the first film, viewers go along with Marty McFly as he travels to the past to save his future by playing matchmaker for his parents. The stakes are high for McFly; if he does not succeed, his mother will never give birth to him. McFly's mission is interrupted by a nasty bully named Biff. After the success of the first film, two more movies would follow the series, including one film that took viewers to the distant future.

"Star Trek"
Born from a television series, the Star Trek movies encourage the viewer to imagine life as a Starfleet officer aboard a star ship. The first few Star Trek movies featured the original television show's characters, including the unflappable James T. Kirk and the logical Spock. Years later, the Star Trek movies jumped years into the future to follow the lives of the second television show's characters. These movies found Jean-Luc Picard and William Riker battling the deadly Borg and other villains. This movie franchise has recently found new life with the 2009 release of Star Trek, a re-imagining of the original characters in an alternative universe.

"The Terminator"
The Terminator proved to be a surprise hit with movie audiences. In 1984, two individuals from the future travel to Los Angeles to change humanity's fate. One individual, the Terminator, seeks to end humanity by killing a woman named Sarah Connor. The other, a man named Kyle, attempts to save Sarah's life so that she will one day give birth to the only man who can save humanity in the future. This dark film would later inspire future movies. The series also led to a shortlived television series centering on Sarah Connor.

"The Matrix"
The Matrix series presents a dark world controlled by machines. In this world, the majority of the population is completely unaware that their existence is actually occurring in virtual reality. Thomas Anderson, also known as Neo, quickly learns the secret of this world after being recruited by other humans to help eliminate the machines. Neo's new companions help him harness the ability to use the virtual reality world, known as the Matrix, to aid him in his quest. With these abilities, Neo can ignore the laws of physics and perform amazing superhuman feats while in the Matrix. The success of the original movie spawned two sequels.