# Most beautiful looking Sci-fi Fantasy movies?



## Mon0Zer0 (Oct 11, 2021)

What are the most gorgeous looking sci-fi and fantasy movies? Not necessarily the best movies overall, but just the best looking in terms of cinematography, costumes, sfx, concept design etc.


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## Lumens (Oct 11, 2021)

*Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets* no doubt: 









						Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) - IMDb
					

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: Directed by Luc Besson. With Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna. A dark force threatens Alpha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. Special operatives Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding...




					m.imdb.com
				




Some downright terrible acting (or directing really) and dialogue, but stunning scenery. I saw it in 3D in the cinema but it somehow made large panoramic scenes in space look tiny. Looks good in flat 2D format though - you could leave it on with the sound turned down and still enjoy it.


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## BAYLOR (Oct 11, 2021)

*What Dreams May Come
Legend
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 
The Brothers Grimm 
The Wizard of OZ 
Return to OZ
Dragonslayer 
Excalibur 
Die Nibelungen * 1920 silent film* .*


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## Parson (Oct 11, 2021)

*Avatar *for me nothing else is close.


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## Guttersnipe (Oct 11, 2021)

Big Fish 
Mr. Nobody 
Any LOTR or Hobbit movie
The Fall
What Dreams May Come
The Fountain
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Cloud Atlas


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## paranoid marvin (Oct 12, 2021)

Does Barry Lyndon count as fantasy? Certainly there are fantastical elements to it. Either way, the cinematography in the candlelit shots (using no artificial light) are stunning. 2001 is also the perfect blend of sound and visuals to forge an unforgettable experience. Close Encounters in HD also is an amazing looking movie in the UFO shots.

In answer to the question of a movie that ticks all the boxes of cinematography, costumes, sfx and concept design, the sensory overload that is The Fifth Element wins hands down, (certainly as far as non-animated movies are concerned).


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## alexvss (Oct 12, 2021)

It's still pre-release but I think that Villeneuve's *Dune* will rock. His *Blade Runner 2049 (2017)* was beautifully shot, the takes were long so you could examine the mise-en-scenes; and the color pallets change throughout the movie.

Although a boring film, *Tron: Legacy (2010)* also has some amazing imagery.

*The Ghost in The Shell (1995)* is one of my favorite movies. The city, based on Hong Kong, is shown on a beautiful silent scene. Japanese cinema has these moments of lull. And there is also the chase scene and the scene where she enters the sea and meets her counter-image. The 2017 live-action adaptation is dull, but also visually stunning.

*Gravity (2013)* has a lot of scenes where you're like, "how did they shot that?!" and *Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)* has great costumes and great action scenes, all with practical effects.

Any Satoshi Kon film.


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## alexvss (Oct 12, 2021)

And I almost forgot the *Makoto Shinkai* movies. He is the GOAT of hand-drawn 2D animation nowadays. I remember watching one his movies one day and a guest who was staying over asked, "It's amazing what they can do with technology these days, huh?" I was like, "Dude, this movie was hand-drawn in 2004!"


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## Mon0Zer0 (Oct 12, 2021)

alexvss said:


> And I almost forgot the *Makoto Shinkai* movies. He is the GOAT of hand-drawn 2D animation nowadays. I remember watching one his movies one day and a guest who was staying over asked, "It's amazing what they can do with technology these days, huh?" I was like, "Dude, this movie was hand-drawn in 2004!"



I've got Shinkai's art book which has his process. A lot of his backgrounds are photoshop paintovers. Still look nice though!

For me the GOAT is Hiromasa Ogura, who did the background art for several Ghibli movies as well as the 95 Ghost in the Shell movie.

Hiromasa Ogura's stunning Ghost in the Shell watercolours go on display


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## Mon0Zer0 (Oct 12, 2021)

BAYLOR said:


> *Legend*



Legend inspired this post - I was watching an outtake on youtube and it struck me how incredible the cinematography is.


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## Toby Frost (Oct 12, 2021)

David Lynch's *Dune
The Company of Wolves
Excalibur
The Green Knight
Hellboy 2
Pan's Labyrinth
The Fountain
The Fifth Element*
Tim Burton's *Batman
Avatar*
maybe *2001*


Then there are films that are very well shot, but not exactly pretty:

The 1984 version of *1984
Alien
Outland
Blade Runner
Blade Runner 2
Brazil*


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## Droflet (Oct 12, 2021)

I'll have to go with Baylor's suggestions. Especially:

*What Dreams May Come* and the ethereal *Legend*.


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## BAYLOR (Oct 12, 2021)

*Metropolis 
The Forbidden Planet
Fantastic Voyage 
Journey To The Far Side Of the Sun 
Close Encounters of the Third Kind 
The Diamajin Trilogy 
Mantango  A. K. A  Attack of the Mushroom  People
Star Trek The Motion Picture
Ladyhawk 
Skull Island 
Total Recall 
I Robot 
The Minority Report 
The Edge of Tomorrow 
The Time Machine   *1960 and 2002 version 
*Godzilla King of the Monsters * 2019 film
*Akira
Howls Moving Castle
Steam Boy 
War of the Worlds  *1953  version and  2005 version 
*War of the Worlds Goliath *


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## CupofJoe (Oct 12, 2021)

*Blade Runner *- especially when paired with Vangelis soundtrack


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## Elckerlyc (Oct 12, 2021)

Most beautiful looking SFF movie? 
I think the most beautiful _looking_ movie would be *Avatar. *
Other movies might be great, but beautiful looking is something entirely different.


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## HareBrain (Oct 12, 2021)

*Princess Mononoke* is up there, for me.


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## Danny McG (Oct 12, 2021)

*Logan's Run*, it's got Farrah!


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## Ray Zdybrow (Oct 12, 2021)

*Alien*, and *Barbarella*


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## Vince W (Oct 13, 2021)

Danny McG said:


> *Logan's Run*, it's got Farrah!
> 
> View attachment 82873


Let's not forget Jenny Agutter!


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## BAYLOR (Oct 13, 2021)

Vince W said:


> Let's not forget Jenny Agutter!



I thought she was wonderful in* An American Werewolf in  London* and she was great a Morgan La fey on The Twilight Zone episode T*he Last Defender of Camelot .*


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## Droflet (Oct 13, 2021)

Ah, Jenny, Jenny, Jenny. Takes me back to my teen years when I'd drool over her poster and imagine that I'd, ah,  ... remain a member of Chrons. Cough.


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## Bowler1 (Oct 17, 2021)

The Matrix, for storytelling and I loved the green filter to give it a different feel. The first one only, the next two movies are ok but not greats.


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## Oochillyo (Oct 17, 2021)

Ready Player One  

Regards - Declan Sargent


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## Rodders (Oct 17, 2021)

Bit of a controversial choice, considering it was a bad movie, but Jupiter Ascending was actually very beautifully made. Great designs.


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## Vince W (Oct 17, 2021)

Rodders said:


> Bit of a controversial choice, considering it was a bad movie, but Jupiter Ascending was actually very beautifully made. Great designs.


No, I agree that it looked good but was just terrible in every other respect.


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## JunkMonkey (Oct 18, 2021)

Anything with costume designs by Eiko Ishioka.  Seriously. If her name is on the credits it's worth watching.


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## BAYLOR (Oct 18, 2021)

Droflet said:


> Ah, Jenny, Jenny, Jenny. Takes me back to my teen years when I'd drool over her poster and imagine that I'd, ah,  ... remain a member of Chrons. Cough.


No matter the role , A damned good actress too,


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## BAYLOR (Oct 18, 2021)

Danny McG said:


> *Logan's Run*, it's got Farrah!
> 
> View attachment 82873



We all had a crush on Farrah.


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## JunkMonkey (Oct 18, 2021)

BAYLOR said:


> We all had a crush on Farrah.



Speak for yourself. I never understood the attraction. Ms Agutter yes. Oh yes!


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## JunkMonkey (Oct 18, 2021)

While we're at it the bloke in the horned helmet in my Eiko Ishioka post a bit further up is seriously yummy too.


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## Zythron (Oct 18, 2021)

The Cell (the parts where JLo visits the comatose killer's brain), and The Fall.  And most others by Tarsem Singh.  Trust a former music video director to come up with striking visuals.


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## JunkMonkey (Oct 18, 2021)

Zythron said:


> The Cell (the parts where JLo visits the comatose killer's brain), and The Fall.  And most others by Tarsem Singh.  Trust a former music video director to come up with striking visuals.



...and hire Eiko Ishioka to do the costumes.


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## BAYLOR (Oct 18, 2021)

BAYLOR said:


> We all had a crush on Farrah.



Two words * Charlies Angels *


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## Mon0Zer0 (Oct 23, 2021)

Dune


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## Astro Pen (Oct 23, 2021)

Oh 2001. Every shot has something special


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## Foxbat (Oct 24, 2021)

Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain


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## AlexH (Oct 24, 2021)

Animation:
Spirited Away
Princess Mononoke
Song of the Sea
Wolfwalkers
Corpse Bride

Film:
2001: A Space Odyssey
Bladerunner
Mr. Nobody
Dark City
Jurassic World
Guardians of the Galaxy 1 & 2
Avatar


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## M. Robert Gibson (Oct 24, 2021)

Lord of the Rings, if only because of the New Zealand landscapes


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## Vince W (Oct 25, 2021)

M. Robert Gibson said:


> Lord of the Rings, if only because of the New Zealand landscapes


Well, not only NZ.


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## 9sholmes (Oct 25, 2021)

If Disney, Sony, or Warner Brothers produces Batman Beyond Neo live action movie or Spiderman 2099 live action movie which past science fiction movie would serve as the perfect background to either comic book idea?


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## JunkMonkey (Oct 25, 2021)

Ridley Scott's _Legend _ was maybe not the best film in the world but looked lovely.


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## Toby Frost (Oct 25, 2021)

Fair points on Lord of the Rings.

I used to work with a woman from New Zealand. She once told me that one of Theoden's speeches is given about 500 yards away from the local power station.


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## BAYLOR (Oct 25, 2021)

JunkMonkey said:


> Ridley Scott's _Legend _ was maybe not the best film in the world but looked lovely.



Beautiful looking but inane film.


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## CupofJoe (Oct 25, 2021)

BAYLOR said:


> Beautiful looking but inane film.


And some of the shots in [the very not sf or f] *Black Rain* could have come straight from *Blade Runner*.


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## Vince W (Oct 25, 2021)

CupofJoe said:


> And some of the shots in [the very not sf or f] *Black Rain* could have come straight from *Blade Runner*.


Absolutely. I often recommend *Black Rain* to fans of cyberpunk/noir.


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## BAYLOR (Oct 25, 2021)

*Planet of the Vampires * 1965 Mario Brava film . Low budget but , doesn't look it. .The film had a gritty look and feel  that didn't exist in science fiction films of that era . Given its production , it's an impressive film to look at and a terrific film .


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## Extollager (Mar 25, 2022)

Cocteau’s *Beauty and the Beast *should be mentioned.


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## mosaix (Mar 25, 2022)

2001


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## Swank (Mar 25, 2022)

2001, Supernova, What Dreams May Come, Summer Wars, Return of the King (1980).


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## Stephen Palmer (Mar 25, 2022)

Nothing beats 'Spirited Away.'


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## BAYLOR (Mar 25, 2022)

mosaix said:


> 2001



One of the greatest  and most visionary science fiction films of all time.Even in the Hera  and now ,  2001 still looks fantastic !


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## worldofmutes (Mar 25, 2022)

I watched *avatar *(not the last airbender) in 3D I-max with my dad when it came out, and that was always special to us because, according to him, that was the very pinnacle of special effects.

Oh, we also watched The Desolation of Smaug together. That was great too.

Thought I’d contribute something. I don’t watch movies though, really. ‘Cept with family


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