We recently pondered why science fiction doesn’t find a broader market, and suggested a few exceptional and overlooked films from the last few years to help the sci-fi impaired give the genre another chance. But the fact is that even if you think you don’t like sci-fi, there’s a good chance you’ve watched a sci-fi film and enjoyed it, without even realizing it. Back to the Future and Ghostbusters would be two examples, and the secret weapon here is comedy. I imagine for many the problem with enjoying sci-fi has to do with suspension of disbelief. One might have no trouble believing that Tinkerbell can fly or that a tornado can take you over the rainbow to Oz to hang out with talking lions and tin men, but anti-gravity and teleportation? That’s IMPOSSIBLE! The difference of course being that in fantasy and fairy tales, everything is supposed to be unreal and the impossible is supposed to be possible. Science fiction generally starts out with the handicap that it has to somehow technically justify the impossible things it does, and some minds just don’t want to do that. So to help wear down your resistance to the genre a little, we’ve rounded up a few comedies that are also great sci-fi films, whether they were meant to be or not. And here’s a game idea for you. You can make it a drinking game if you like. Whenever you’re watching a sci-fi film, look for the character delivering the line that explains the phenomena that should be or already is being conveyed visually or by context, and shout “EXPOSITION MAN”. You can make up your own rules for who drinks or whatever. This is one simple test of the real quality of a sci-fi film as a film in general. And it’s almost impossible to play with a film like the Director’s Cut of Blade Runner, for instance.

Mars Attacks!	This is probably amongst both the most brilliant sci-fi AND brilliant comedy films ever made, and often overlooked in “best of” lists in both categories. Although utterly campy in our time, if Mars Attacks! had been released in the era that it parodies, it would have been considered terrifying, and probably been censored and relegated to small run drive-in distibution. Jack Nicholson’s multiple roles rival those of Peter Sellers’ in “Dr Strangelove”, and the added layer of political satire and social commentary – blatantly mocking specific government staffers of the 90′s – makes this much more than a campy sci-fi comedy. Before you know it, you’ll be making the international sign of the doughnut and laughing with grandma as she says “they blew up Congress! Ha ha ha ha!” The cast alone makes this film worth it: Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, Rod Steiger, Tom Jones, Natalie Portman, Pam Grier, Jack Black
The Fifth Element	Take Bruce Willis, add some space travel, explosions, and campy scripting, and you have Armageddon. Take Bruce Willis, add some space travel, explosions, campy scripting, aliens and a French accent, and you have the masterpiece of cinema comedy called The Fifth Element. The French have a unique way of injecting a certain self-aware humor into sci-fi and action films, as evident in films like “Alien Resurrection”. But French director Luc Besson has a special gift for taking any genre, turning it slightly askew, and then shooting it so stylishly and with layered wit that it becomes a genre all its own. Think La Femme Nikita and The Professional, for example. The Fifth Element delights in its own silliness, but with costuming by Jean Paul Gaultier, a lead role by Milla Jovovich, and the lavish visuals typical of Besson’s direction, the film is pure eye candy, and a riot of artfully cartoonish performances by actors like Gary Oldman and Ian Holm.
Men in Black Men in Black II	I may be a little partial to these two films not only because I often dress like the lead characters, but also because I’ve been accused of being an alien most of my life. But regardless of my black-suited alien bias, these films probably establish the bar by which sci-fi comedy should be judged. Part of the genius in both MIB and MIB II is that their often brilliant special effects were usually treated like the props they should be, not the stars of the film. A perfect example of this being the scene where Tommy Lee Jones nonchalantly asks an alien matter-of-fact questions while Will Smith’s character is being violently and hilariously hurled around by a tentacled alien giving birth in the background. Tommy Lee Jones’ hilariously dry-humoured tone provides an excellent balance for Will Smith’s unfettered Will Smith-iness, which when left too much room to flourish (especially in a comedy) can make a film too, I dunno, “Jiggy” or something. A lot of people in the world (like Martha Stewart) make more sense once you know there are aliens among us, and MIB explains these and other mysteries, like how the US postal system works, for instance. By the way, Vincent D’Onofrio deserves some kind of lifetime achievement award for his performance as a bug in a human skin suit.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension	To me, this is a gem that defies easy categorization, and may be an acquired taste. But it was masterful considering its budget and when it was made. I won’t try to outline the plot, other than to say that it’s comedy “pure and simple, from the eighth dimension”. And to point out that the story centers around Buckaroo Banzai, a physicist, neurosurgeon and rock musician, played by Peter Weller, who says he based his character on Elia Kazan, Jacques Cousteau, Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Adam Ant. The film has a compelling feeling of backstory, as if it were from a well-established series or comic book hero storyline, in spite of the fact that it had no sequels, prequels, or media crossovers. This apparently is in part due to the fact that writer Mac Rauch had started and scrapped the story so many times that in his head, it probably did come from a longer narrative. Bonus appearances by John Lithgow as Dr. Emilio Lizardo, and Christopher Lloyd as “John Bigbooty”. All aliens are named John, in case you didn’t know. You’re probably thinking I’m a dork by now for recommending a film like this. All I can say to you is “Laugh-a while-a you can-a, MONKEY BOY”.
Starship Troopers	Something strange happened on the journey between Robert A. Heinlein’s controversial and award-winning book Starship Troopers and the film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Heinlein’s novel was fairly serious in tone, and amongst his broader work (which was full of insightful social commentary) was heavily criticized for essentially being his personal propoganda piece espousing militarism. Verhoeven’s film, on the other hand, was heavily criticized for being, well, a bad film. Which it was in many ways. So many ways in fact, that you actually sort of get two comedies in one: the intended comedy of the script, and the vaudevillian effect of it all falling flat. In an ironic twist, Verhoeven was criticized – much like Heinlein was – for glamourizing fascism, when in fact his intention was to satirize it and point up the folly of war. Verhoeven was also responsible for two other sci-fi comedies, “Total Recall” and “Robocop”. And on a side note, one of my favorite films of all time, The Fourth Man.
Pitch Black The Chronicles of Riddick	I have to confess that I saw Pitch Black and rather liked it. It’s sort of like Hitchcock’s “The Birds” meets “Alien” meets “classic western-with-outlaw-as-hero”. Much later, I ended up seeing The Chronicles of Riddick at a friend’s place, and was easily 45 minutes into the film before I realized it was meant to be a sequel. This threw both films into the realm of comedy for me; the only thing connecting them is some heavy color filtering and a mouth-breathing muscleman with so little depth of character that you can slap any backstory on him if need be, in order to make another film with him. Taking Vin Diesel’s Riddick character from an ex-con in a realistic-future sci-fi film to a film featuring supernatural characters like the elfin “Elementals” and the “Necromongers”, who are seeking a place called “Underverse” is somehow sort of like making Danny DeVito a wizard king in a Tolkien story. Just kidding Vin, don’t track me down and put the hurt on me. These films are both so close to being good on their own, but so utterly destoyed by each others’ existence that they must be watched as a comedy double feature.
Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel	This is a sci-fi film for people who don’t like sci films, and a comedy for people who liked “Shawn of the Dead”. The entire film takes place in a British pub with three central characters, and in spite of (or perhaps because of) these constraints, ends up being a pretty solid stab at exploring time travel paradoxes, and with a few good laughs. And a nearly non-existent budget.