The Worst Ever Year For Sci-Fi Movies – Moviepur
Written by Jonathan Klotz | Published
Science fiction fans are used to being disappointed. Some years, it may seem like every highly anticipated sci-fi movie falls flat on its face, but no matter how you feel about the upcoming film Avatar: Fire and Ashes Or ambition Mickey 17The year 2025 cannot be compared to the worst year for science fiction films: 1998.
It may have been a year of change in pop culture with the rise of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, fitting in perfectly with MTV and a new wave of pop stars, but 1998 was the year that gave us both. Armageddon and Deep impactThis is his highest point.
The 1998 “Asteroid Duel” films have become chatty texts
The two dueling films, Meteor Impact, were huge hits. Armageddon It grossed over half a billion dollars at the box office, but even the most adamant defenders of each film will admit they’re not great.
By adopting its ridiculous premise of training oil workers to be astronauts, Armageddon It’s become a staple of bad movie podcasts. Deep impact It’s a technically better film, but it’s not nearly as enjoyable, and it achieved only a fraction of the box office and cultural impact of its Hollywood twin.
Both of these films, which have become influential films, are considered among the best films made in 1998.
1998’s sci-fi remakes lists of the worst of all time
Aside from these two blows, 1998 was also a year that included two disastrous episodes: The great Joe Young and Godzilla. 1998 Roland Emmerich Godzilla It was a huge financial success, grossing over $370 million, but the catch was that it was front-loaded, with audiences rapidly declining each week as bad word of mouth spread. There is debate today as to whether he was actually Godzilla in the film, given the creature’s very different size, appearance, and clutch of eggs inspired by the raptors left in Madison Square Garden.
Godzilla It made headlines and remained at the top of every website’s “worst remake” lists, which is not what studios want to hear, but at least it’s remembered. Disney The great Joe Young The company updated the 1949 film about a cute 15-foot-tall gorilla with Charlize Theron and Bill Paxton, but in a year full of visual effects blockbusters, the throwback movie was forgotten. Except, said Disney accountants, who noted that the film lost $50 million at the box office before marketing costs were added, making it a massive flop during the studio’s hottest period.
Even Star Trek and The X-Files couldn’t save 1998
Between the dueling asteroid films and a pair of remakes, the major sci-fi films of 1998 are remembered as some of the worst ever made, but even the low-budget films failed to leave an impression. Kurt Russell soldier It was such an over-the-top sci-fi movie that even Jason Isaacs’ maniacal villain couldn’t turn it into a classic. sphere It was a high-profile disaster of the first order, and Lost in space It abandoned everything that made the original series successful.
Blockbusters and B-movies caused the downfall of the sci-fi genre in 1998, but don’t forget that this year also saw the arrival of sci-fi blockbusters. X-Files In theaters and Star Trek: The Next Generation Follow the crew to First contact. X-Files It was great and tied into the next season of the series, giving the show a new audience that helped keep it going until the lackluster final season. On the other hand, Star Trek: Rebellion It was a very long episode of the show, which is either good or bad depending on your point of view, but it amounts to a filler episode.
Overlooked as the best sci-fi film of 1998
As you can tell, 1998 was full of sci-fi releases, especially compared to the small sprinkling of genre films we’ve come to expect in recent years. From blockbuster movies to TV to the big screen, there was plenty to choose from, but the best of the year came from the most unexpected places. dark city, A twisty sci-fi mystery set in the shadows Matrixa year later, but it’s worth your time to watch it today, and Collegean alien invasion high school thriller that’s among the teen stars of the ’90s, proves that there’s always an audience for original, well-crafted sci-fi.
1998 is better than recent years with the huge amount of sci-fi films released, but nothing quite lives up to 2024. Sand Dunes: Part Two Or 2023 Godzilla minus one. In fact, most of the films are considered some of the worst (or best, if you enjoy bad films) of all time, and they were all released within the same eight-month period. More science fiction isn’t always better.
