Here’s every Kurt Russell movie in the sci-fi genre, ranked. Russell’s screen presence is nothing short of magnetic, as he assumes the mantle of leading man with commendable panache and cogency. Russell is also known for the wide variety of roles he has taken up, ranging from the role of truck driver Jack Burton in the action-comedy Big Trouble in Little China to Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Best known for acting in a string of 1980s action flicks directed by John Carpenter, such as Escape from L.A., Escape from New York, and The Thing, Russell went on to appear in films such as Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof and The Hateful Eight. Hence, be it comedy, action, or science fiction, Russell slips into his roles like a chameleon, bringing character nuances to life. It’s also important to note that Carpenter cast Russell in the titular role in the TV movie, Elvis!, earning the latter an Emmy nomination.
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Having dabbled in different genres, Russell’s deep-dive into science fiction stands out due to seminal reasons. Using his charismatic screen presence, Russell manages to elevate the stakes that surround a sci-fi plot, making the experience anxiety-inducing and unparalleled, as evidenced in The Thing. Here’s a ranking of every sci-fi movie Kurt Russell has starred in.
7. Soldier (1998)
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, Soldier stars Russell, Jason Scott Lee, Jason Isaacs, and Gary Busey. Soldier chronicles the tale of a high-skilled and emotionally distant soldier who is almost left for dead on the battlefield, before befriending a group of refugees and going head-on against his superiors who intended to eliminate him. The introduction of genetically engineered soldiers provides the flick an edge over a typical action narrative, as these beings serve as the source of conflict due to their superior physical attributes and unparalleled aggression. The reason why Soldier falters as either an action or sci-fi film is due to its uninventive genre typesets, which it fails to rise above despite featuring a few scenes that can be deemed as enthralling. The confrontation between Todd (Russell) and the genetically enhanced soldiers offers no catharsis, as ultimately, there is no side to truly root for.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
A sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy, this Kurt Russell-starrer continues the journey of Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) across the cosmos, essentially with the aim of learning more about his mystical parentage. Quill’s father, Ego, is portrayed by Russell, who firmly grounds himself in the role of a primordial and all-powerful being seeking to remake the entire universe in an act of mass extinction. All in all, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was well received by critics and audiences alike, who praised it for its action-packed sequences, dazzling visuals, and unassumed freshness. Others praised the irreverent humor posited by the film, which refreshing went up against the somber superhero film trope, even though some parts were admittedly disjointed and messy. While Russell’s performance as Ego was nothing short of impressive, some felt that he was severely miscast and that the weight of his backstory bogged down the easygoing nature of the film as a whole.
5. Escape From L.A. (1996)
Co-written, co-scored, and directed by John Carpenter, Escape from L.A. positions Russell as Snake Plissken, an anti-hero figure and a former Special Forces operator in World War III-turned criminal. Escape from L.A. primarily follows Plissken’s apprehension by the United States Police Force and the subsequent conscription to extract top-secret material from New York City and Los Angeles. The setting serves well to create a compelling narrative, as 1998 Los Angeles is set up to be a crime-addled and decadent landscape, being eventually turned into a maximum-security prison. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics and being unfavorably compared to it cult-classic predecessor Escape from New York, Escape from L.A. exudes a sort of frenzied vision that helps satirize the post-apocalyptic action genre fairly well. Critic Roger Ebert opined that the film exuded a sort of “manic energy and a weird, cockeyed vision”, going on to praise it for its anarchic ideas that somehow get muddled near the end.
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4. Vanilla Sky (2001)
Starring Tom Cruise alongside Russell, Vanilla Sky is a sci-fi psychological thriller and the English-language adaptation of Alejandro Amenábar’s 1997 Spanish film, Open Your Eyes. Directed and co-produced by Cameron Crowe as well as being an odd mixture of romance and science fiction, Vanilla Sky posits Russell as Dr. McGabe, who helps David Aames (Tom Cruise) recover his memories after a traumatic accident that disfigures his face. Although the film received mixed reviews from critics, it garnered appreciation for its ambitious tone and surreal sequences, as most of the film evokes the emotion of being trapped within a fever dream. Despite its shortcomings, along with the fact that it pales in comparison to its Spanish original, Vanilla Sky remains an intriguing piece of cinema that deals with the labyrinth of the mind, and the unexplainable abstractions that plague humans unconsciously.
3. Stargate (1994)
Directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich, Stargate stars Russell as Colonel Jack O’Neil, a broken man suffering from suicidal depression after his son accidentally shoots himself with his pistol. Embarking on a mission to travel to another dimension via the Stargate, an ancient, otherworldly portal, Jack travels with his military unit, along with archaeologist Daniel Jackson (James Spader) into this dimension, where the group finds extraterrestrial beings who have had an influence on human civilization. Despite being a deeply flawed sci-fi offering, Stargate brims with both intrigue and heart, hence becoming an instant camp classic with top-notch entertainment value. While Spader is endearing as Daniel, Russell imbues the role of Colonel Jack with haunting pathos, bringing to life a man struggling with the inherent meaning of existence after experience a deeply personal and devastating loss. This, in conjunction, with the compelling and intricate plot details make Stargate worth a watch, if not for the follow-up series starring pre-action movie star Jason Momoa as Ronon Dex.
2. Escape From New York (1981)
Carpenter’s Escape From New York is set in the near-future world of 1997, wherein a crime-riddled United States faces the threat of an insurgent hijack. Federal prisoner Snake Plissken (Russell) is granted 24 hours to rescue the President of the United States, which triggers a trip into madness like no other. Starring Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasence, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, and Harry Dean Stanton, Escape from New York garnered generally positive reviews from audiences and critics alike. Carpenter’s deeply ingrained B-movie sensibility flourishes in beautiful ways in this film, which is accentuated by Russell’s kinetic performance as the wildly unpredictable Plissken. Like with most of Carpenter’s offerings, Escape from New York has achieved cult status, heavily influencing the likes of video game director Hideo Kojima, who based Solid Snake on Plissken in his Metal Gear series.
1. The Thing (1982)
Another Carpenter classic, The Thing is based on the 1938 John W. Campbell Jr. novella, Who Goes There? and stars Russell as helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady. The Thing chronicles the tale of a group of American researchers in Antarctica, who encounter a parasitic extraterrestrial life form that can assimilate and imitate other organisms. Understandably, The Thing is perpetually drenched in rampant paranoia, a kind of fevered frenzy that transmits back to the audience who is kept as much in the dark as the characters trapped in the snow. The film’s practical effects, especially in the form of the titular creature and its multifarious forms, were lauded and lambasted at the same time for its visually repulsive and grotesque nature. Although The Thing was initially a commercial failure, the film garnered appreciation for its anti-authoritarian tone and overarching nihilism. Nevertheless, The Thing remains the most visceral Kurt Russell-starring vehicle in the sci-fi horror genre.
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