Summary
- Groundbreaking special effects in 1980s sci-fi films set a new standard for realistic visuals and creatures.
- Practical designs from the 80s still hold up today, showcasing the skills of directors ahead of their time.
- Hollywood’s best sci-fi movies of that time offered space operas and family adventures, with iconic designs enduring over the years.
Sci-fi and fantasy movies were on the rise throughout the 1980s, and breakthroughs in effects and technology from films in the ‘70s such as Star Wars meant that audiences were becoming more used to seeing realistic visuals. Whether for creatures, aliens, or locations, filmmakers were keen to show off newer methods – even birthing the term “special effects movie”. This approach resulted in some of the best movies of that generation.
While the dawn of CGI in the late ‘80s would give way to a whole new era of movie special effects, some of the practical designs used in films of the period still look incredible almost 50 years later. Creating realistic alien worlds and creatures is a difficult process even for the best directors in the 21st century, and those doing it in the 1980s were certainly ahead of their time.
Related 10 Best Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time, Ranked
Sci-fi is one of Hollywood’s biggest markets, and these films are the best of what the genre has to offer, from space operas to family adventures.
15 Dagobah’s Visuals
From The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
After George Lucas and his effects company Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) forged several new effects techniques when making Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), it’s no surprise that its first sequel would look even better. Impressively, The Empire Strikes Back was Norman Reynolds’s first job as production designer, having served as art director on A New Hope.
The Star Wars films are synonymous with special effects, and it’s easy to understand why.
Reynolds’s vision for Dagobah still looks incredible, with the swampy design feeling real. The gloomy atmosphere helps to sell the planet, and the appearance of the original Yoda puppet is in keeping with the design aesthetic, which helps to ensure that the visuals have lasted to this day. The Star Wars films are synonymous with special effects, and it’s easy to understand why.
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back 
5.0 PG
Director Irvin Kershner Release Date June 18, 1980 Cast Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Frank Oz , Billy Dee Williams , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , David Prowse , Peter Mayhew , James Earl Jones Runtime 124 minutes
14 Manhattan Skyline
From Escape From New York (1981)
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John Carpenter’s Escape from New York has a distinctive, grungy aesthetic, and one of the key aspects of design in this respect is the skyline of New York City itself. With sweeping camera shots and visual flair, Carpenter makes sure to show off as much of the city as he can.
In reality, the city was created via intricate matte paintings – some of which were painted by future Oscar-winning director James Cameron. Throughout the film, the paintings are seamlessly incorporated into the practical sets so that they’re barely noticeable – which is why they still hold up today.
Escape From New York 4.5 R
Director John Carpenter Release Date July 10, 1981 Cast Isaac Hayes , Donald Pleasance , Kurt Russell , Lee Van Cleef , Harry Dean Stanton , Adrienne Barbeau Runtime 99 minutes
13 E.T.
From E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
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Everybody knows what E.T. looks like, and that’s a testament to the quality and longevity of Carlo Rambaldi’s design work. Having already picked up an Oscar for his work on Alien, he won a second for this movie. What makes E.T. so brilliant is that he looks unique among cinema’s many alien designs, which allows the design to stand on its own.
Above all, E.T. looks friendly. The warmth of the film’s storyline and heartfelt interactions between the performers and the animatronic alien help to sell the believability of the design as well. It will be a long time before 1982’s E.T. movie looks outdated.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 5.0 pg
Director Steven Spielberg Release Date June 11, 1982 Cast Drew Barrymore , Henry Thomas , Robert MacNaughton Runtime 1h 55m
12 The Aliens
From They Live (1988)
The unique thing about the aliens in They Live is that they were designed to fit perfectly into the human silhouette, and this gives the design a unique longevity. Much of the film’s themes have to do with human economics and politics, in particular dealing with factors that are still experienced in the 21st century. The bug-eyed creature design therefore associates itself with the political and social commentary of the film, extending its shelf life.
With strange, blue skin and almost externally exposed eyes and teeth, the design is creepy in all the right ways. The disguising of the aliens as human beings enhances the contrast between human and alien, cementing the make-up effects work in the mind of the viewer. Nearly 50 years on, the film is still as powerful as when it came out – and the special effects are no exception.
They Live R
Director John Carpenter Release Date November 4, 1988 Cast Keith David , Roddy Piper , George ‘Buck’ Flower , Peter Jason , Meg Foster Runtime 94 minutes
11 Hoggle
From Labyrinth (1986)
The world of Labyrinth is weird, unnerving, and surreal – and the designs of its various inhabitants all match that tone. Director Jim Henson had a lot of experience working with puppets and animatronics, so it’s no surprise that his own company Jim Henson’s Creature Shop was the go-to for designing this film.
The extensive use of animatronics made the film difficult to produce, but its legacy will surely last a long time.
In particular, the character of Hoggle looks phenomenal. His animatronic face moves entirely naturally, aided by performer Shari Weisner, who wears the suit and portrays the character physically. The extensive use of animatronics made the film difficult to produce, but its legacy will surely last a long time.
Labyrinth 4.0 PG
Director Jim Henson Release Date June 27, 1986 Cast Christopher Malcolm , Toby Froud , Shelley Thompson , Jennifer Connelly , David Bowie Runtime 101 minutes
10 Predator Suit
From Predator (1987)
Stan Winston’s design for the Predator suit is instantly recognizable and iconic. Despite being a nightmare to film – with the actor barely able to see when inside the suit – the amount of media that has subsequently been inspired by and based on this design is immeasurable. Its strength is in the mostly human shape contrasted with its height and curiously extraterrestrial design.
Winston was, unsurprisingly, nominated for an Oscar for this design, and its endurance in spin-offs and sequels even as recently as 2022’s Prey. The terror-inducing mask on the suit was a strong design choice, as it makes the reveal of the Predator’s disturbingly alien face all the more unexpected. It’s no wonder the Predator movie franchise continues to last.
Predator (1987)
Director John McTiernan Release Date June 12, 1987 Cast Arnold Schwarzenegger , Carl Weathers , Elpidia Carrillo , Bill Duke , Jesse Ventura , Shane Black , Sonny Landham , Richard Chaves Runtime 107 Minutes
9 Los Angeles
From Blade Runner (1982)
Creating a realistic, futuristic, dystopian, technology-fuelled LA is no mean feat – so production designer Lawrence G. Paull and art director David Snyder’s work on Blade Runner is seriously impressive. The shots of the city were created mainly using miniatures, and they look phenomenal. They earned the pair an Oscar nomination, and it’s not difficult to see why.
So much of the Blade Runner franchise is about the dystopian, dark aesthetic and worldbuilding. The effects sequences that showcase the flying cars, neon advertising boards, and towering buildings are a huge part of that. It gives the story a distinctive look and hasn’t aged a day. The effects are clean and consistent, and look just as good now as they did in 1982.
Blade Runner 4.5 R
Director Ridley Scott Release Date June 25, 1982 Cast Harrison Ford , Rutger Hauer , Sean Young , Edward James Olmos , M. Emmet Walsh , Daryl Hannah , William Sanderson , Joe Turkel Runtime 117 minutes
8 The Brundlefly
From The Fly (1986)
Several iterations of make-up effects were created for The Fly as Jeff Goldblum’s Seth Brundle slowly morphs into a human-fly hybrid. Chris Walas’s Oscar-winning effects took months to create, and this ensured that their quality would persist. The main transformation at the end of the film is horrifyingly realistic.
As Brundle’s body starts to fall apart revealing the fly-creature, it’s disturbingly convincing. The bursting of eyeballs and stretching of skin is as gruesome as it is impressive. Part of why the effects have held up so well is that they were created using a combination of make-up, contact lenses, and full-body puppetry. Not for the faint of heart.
The Fly 5.0 R
Director David Cronenberg Release Date August 15, 1986 Cast Jeff Goldblum , John Getz , Geena Davis Runtime 96 minutes
7 The Alien Water Tentacle
From The Abyss (1989)
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James Cameron is a filmmaker who’s had an extraordinary level of experience with special effects, and the fully CGI water tentacle creature from The Abyss was one of the first effects of its kind. ILM were brought in to assist, and their computer systems were used to produce the visual.
The 75 seconds of CGI that the water tentacle takes up in the film was created painstakingly over six months – and that timeframe is a testament to the quality of the final production. Despite being an early use of CGI, the water tentacle effect is highly memorable and still looks good to this day.
The Abyss 4.0 PG-13
Director James Cameron Release Date August 9, 1989 Cast Michael Biehn , Leo Burmeister , Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio , Ed Harris , Todd Graff Runtime 140 minutes
6 Number 5
From Short Circuit (1986)
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Taking up a majority of the film’s budget, and with no fewer than seven different models required for shooting, the Number 5 robot is one of the most lifelike and believable science-fiction creations from the 1980s. Although robotic, Number 5 moves and acts incredibly like a human.
It’s difficult to imagine the film doing nearly as well if Number 5’s movement wasn’t flawless.
Returning to appear in the following year’s sequel, the smooth movements and great use of technology to achieve a believable human-sized robot was an impressive task. It’s difficult to imagine the film doing nearly as well if Number 5’s movement wasn’t flawless. Even decades later, the practical effects of the Short Circuit films look brilliant.
short circuit pg-13
Director John Badham Release Date May 9, 1986 Cast Fisher Stevens Runtime 98minutes
5 The Supreme Being
From Time Bandits (1981)
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Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits doesn’t make huge use of special effects, but one area where they’re present is in the design of the Supreme Being. First appearing in Kevin’s bedroom at the start of the film, Gilliam blended practical effects with his distinctive animated style to show the Supreme Being chasing Kevin and the time bandits down a seemingly infinite escape route.
When he appears at the end of the movie, the filmmakers make use of smoke on-set to appear behind the shining light that appears around the Supreme Being’s face. Although eventually portrayed without the use of effects, it’s the stylized appearances that stick in the audiences’ minds today.
Time Bandits PG
Director Terry Gilliam Release Date July 16, 1981 Cast Craig Warnock , David Rappaport , Kenny Baker , Mike Edmonds , Malcolm Dixon , John Cleese , Sean Connery , Shelley Duvall Runtime 110 Minutes
4 Jerry
From Enemy Mine (1985)
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The best science fiction is sci-fi which tells stories about humans through an alien lens. In Enemy Mine, this is achieved by Jareeba “Jerry” Shigan’s appearance being created through the use of a full-face prosthetic worn by actor Louis Gossett Jr. This allows the character to use full facial expressions rather than being limited to an animatronic or other method.
The camaraderie between Jerry and Will is central to this film’s story, so the make-up effects are forced to work to allow the actors to achieve this. Part of why this still holds up to this day is that both characters feel like real people – and this is because of the special effects, rather than despite them.
3 Falkor The Luckdragon
From The NeverEnding Story (1984)
The NeverEnding Story makes use of many special effects – but one that can be highlighted is the appearance of Falkor the Luckdragon. Although the mouth movements don’t quite match up to the dialogue, the size of the creature is impressive and he remains believable.
Falkor’s eyes move realistically, and the body movements hold up even if there are issues around the jaw. What cements it as a great effect, though, is the fact that in a movie so packed with interesting and strange visuals, it’s Falkor the Luckdragon that sticks out above all.
The Neverending Story 4.0 PG
Director Wolfgang Petersen Release Date July 20, 1984 Cast Patricia Hayes , Noah Hathaway , Barret Oliver , Sydney Bromley , Gerald McRaney , Tami Stronach Runtime 94 minutes
2 Monsters
From The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter is certainly no stranger to special effects movies, and 1982’s The Thing is perhaps the most famous of all. Rob Bottin’s effects for the creature took 10% of the film’s total budget to create – and it was worth it. The gory, inhuman, gruesome look of the Thing itself has to be seen to be fully understood – and the naturalistic reactions from the cast seal it as feeling real.
For audiences, a feeling of horror sets in when the creature finds yet another victim – and even now it’s guaranteed to freak and creep viewers out.
Whether becoming dogs, humans, or weird, shapeless, tentacled beings, the creature in this film is revered as one of the all-time highs for special effects in films, and this is certainly down to how realistic the flesh that it tears apart looks. For audiences, a feeling of horror sets in when the creature finds yet another victim – and even now it’s guaranteed to freak and creep viewers out.
The Thing (1982) 5.0 R
Director John Carpenter Release Date June 25, 1982 Cast T.K. Carter , David Clennon , Keith David , Kurt Russell , wilford brimley Runtime 109 minutes
1 Alien Queen
From Aliens (1986)
The whole Alien franchise is filled with incredible special effects, but one of the highlights is the alien queen from the second installment in the franchise. From the uncomfortable pan across as the queen lays its eggs to the reveal of the multi-limbed terrifying creature, effects designer Stan Winston’s Oscar win for this film is hardly a surprise.
The queen succeeds by taking the horrifying aspects of the xenomorph from the first film and applying the word “more” to them in every sense. More teeth, more legs, more horror. It’s no wonder that the success of this film allowed the series to be continued to this day. The Queen looks better than some special effects in 21st-century movies, and it looks like its quality won’t drop any time soon.
Aliens 5.0 R
Director James Cameron Release Date July 18, 1986 Cast Sigourney Weaver , Michael Biehn , Carrie Henn , Paul Reiser , Lance Henriksen , Bill Paxton , William Hope , Jenette Goldstein Runtime 137 minutes