10 Best Science Fiction Movies (Not Set In Space)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day brought Arnie back as a goodie, smiling and throwing out quips and one-liners in a weird buddy cop thing with Edward Furlong that, on paper, should never have made it one of the best science fiction films of all time. But here we are.

Looking as much the muscle-bound machine as he ever has, the T-800 (Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time by the leader of the resistance to protect his younger self (Furlong) and his mother (Linda Hamilton) from annihilation by a new, liquid metal T-1000 (a deadpan, unblinking Robert Patrick).

T2 was way ahead of its time when it came to visual effects and, with Jim Cameron's steady hand on the grip, it couldn't fail.

Nearly three decades on (sheesh!), the aesthetics and feel of the film still stand up to scrutiny, looking better than a lot of the visual noise that's been churned out by studios over the intervening years (looking at you, Transformers).

Sure, it may not be as tight as its billion dollar contemporaries - Cameron's Avatar, for one - but the CGI is so sparingly used, with the production opting for genuine visual effects where possible, that the film retains a formidable authenticity when dealing with such ambitious sci-fi fare.