Tired of fantasy movies like Star Wars that are sometimes categorized as science fiction? Here are 12 hard science fiction films that are worth your time.

Blade Runner (1982)
Based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? written by Philip K. Dick, it follows the story of the conflict between the humans and the replicants who are hunted down by the blade runners.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
This Arthur C. Clarke classic features humanity’s first attempt to land on Jupiter with the help of an artificial intelligence named Hal.

The Matrix (1999)
What will you do if you find out that what we perceive to be true are only simulations? This simulation is called the Matrix, a tool created by machines as a mark of their superiority over humans.

District 9 (2009)
The film explores the issues of segregation and xenophobia when an airship was stranded on the city of Johannesburg. The aliens were unable to return to their planet, so the humans decided to confine them in an area known as District 9.

Inception (2010)
Dominick Cobb works as an extractor to steal information by using and penetrating the subconscious in a dream world. Now he is asked by a businessman to plant an idea in another person’s mind using inception.

WALL-E (2008)
When planet Earth was overrun by garbage, humans fled and left behind trash compactors to clean up their mess. Only one remained, however, and it seemed to have developed abilities beyond what it was programmed to do.

Starship Troopers (1997)
Inspired by the novel of the same title by Robert Heinlein, it follows the tale of Johnny Rico and the Mobile Infantry who are battling the Arachnids.

Gattaca (1997)
In a society where only the humans with the best genes are given all the privileges of life, Vincent Freeman struggles to fit in despite his flaws so that he could fulfil his dream of space travel.

Metropolis (1927)
This silent film is considered iconic in the movie industry because it was among the first feature-length films at that time. Metropolis discusses the huge gap between the privileged classes and the poor that power the city by working with the underground machines.

Children of Men (2006)
Based on the novel of the same title by P.D. James, it tells the story of Theo Faron, who lives in a society where humans have become infertile. He has to help a woman escape the collapsing society overrun by refugees.

Solaris (1972)
Based on the novel of the same title by Stanislaw Lem, it features the struggles of a space station crew on the planet Solaris who are being toyed with by forces they could not understand. The planet is well-studied, but there are no recognizable life forms that explain its intelligence.

Twelve Monkeys (1995)
When the humans were nearly wiped out after a plague, the survivors had to live underground. Several years later, James Cole was given the task of locating the source of the virus, believed to have been released by a group called Twelve Monkeys.

Many Singaporeans love Ian Fleming’s James Bond whether reading his series or watching the movie adaptations. James Bond is a series of novel about a British Secret Service agent. The novel was created in 1953. Ian Fleming made 12 novels including 2 short-stories. Ian Fleming died in 1953 but his legacy was continued by seven authorized Bond writers.

The seven writers include Christopher Wood, Kingsley Amis, John Gardner, Sebastian Faulks, Raymond Benson, Jeffrey Deaver and William Boyd. There will be a James Bond instalment this September 2015 written by Anthony Horowitz. James Bond characters have been adapted many times. Actually, James Bond films are the longest running film.

From 1954, there were about 14 actors who portrayed James Bond to include Sean Connery (1962-67 and 1971-83), Pierce Brosnan (1995 to 2002) and Daniel Craig (2006 to present). Daniel Craig is now making his last movie portrayal as James Bond which leaves the question “who will be the next Bond?”

Despite Craig’s last portrayal, there are no announcements yet as to who will become the next Bond. The good news is that Betfair revealed potential actors to fulfil the role of Ian Fleming’s spy. Here are the potential actors:

• Idris Elba: Idris Elba came out as a potential James Bond. Elba has the charisma but given his age (he is now 40), he might be too old for the role.
• Michael Fassbender: Michael is a German-Irish actor that claimed the role of young Magneto in the ‘X-Men’ movies. He seems to be dangerous and suave which will make him an excellent choice.
• Henry Cavill: Cavill was the first choice of Martin Campbell for ‘Casino Royale’ but he was not considered because he was too young for the role. Despite not getting the role, he still blossomed as the ‘Man of Steel’ and have undertaken a spy role in his recent movie ‘The Man From UNCLE”.

• Richard Armitage: We see Richard Armitage in ‘The Hobbit’. He has the looks and the style but he is now 40 years old which might rule him out.
• Tom Hardy: Tom Hardy is a respectable British actor. He is a likely successor to Daniel Craig especially with his latest success at ‘Mad Max’.
• Jamie Dornan: Jamie seduced millions of movie-goers as Christian Grey. He has two more instalments of the movie and who knows he will be considered Bond?
• Sam Worthington: We know Sam in ‘Avatar’. Though he is English by birth, his Australian heritage might not work well with him. He has two ‘Avatar’ instalments coming. Maybe he will not have time for James Bond.
• Jason Statham: Jason proved that he can blend action, comedy and drama. He will be an excellent Bond choice.

Regardless of the choice, we can only hope that the new actor can sustain Bond’s character.