Following on the heels of Mother Brain’s list of Top 5 End of the World Movies, I’m giving my own list here. If you haven’t been under a rock for the last few months you’ll know that there is a prediction that the end of the world will be happening today…let’s hope that it hasn’t happened at the time that you are reading this posting, so that you can read it and respond to it and hopefully give me some of your thoughts on not only my choices, but on what might be on your list. I did talk about it in this article:End of the World to be on 5/21/11? Check it out if you haven’t or don’t know what I’m talking about.

Now, trying not to repeat any that Mother Brain posted gives me a chance to venture outside the norm and I decided that post-apocalyptic counts as end of the world. So, shoot me if it doesn’t…

I’m betting that if history has proven correct, we’ll still be here tomorrow…

Here is the list, in no particular order:

1.  Independence Day (1996)

In my opinion, the best movie to come out in the summer of 1996, I can remember waiting for this movie to come out. I was so into movies at this point in time, not that I’m not now, but movies just seemed like they were made with care and love back then, now they seem to be conveyor belt remakes. This movie had it all, special effects, action, sci-fi. A lot of people hate this movie, and my list is pretty unconventional, but I loved this movie. It is still and the only movie I’ve ever seen four times in the theater (I’ve seen a bunch of movie 3 times in the theater and even more 2 times, but never 4).  I just saw ID4 for the first time in years three days ago and I just don’t think they make movies like this anymore.

2. Armageddon (1998)

Bruce Willis makes his first of two entries onto this list, this one might be a little too long but it is still one of those movies from the last 15 years that you think about when End of the World or disaster movie comes to mind. Again, another movie that a lot of people might hate, mostly due to director Michael Bay’s attachment (I’ve been a fan of Bay’s since Bad Boys and The Rock, maybe I don’t have any taste). Action, quick cuts, big event feel, this movie had it all. I haven’t seen it in a long time and I might just pop it into the DVD player later this weekend…that’s if we’re still around…

3. The 5th Element (1997)

When the idea of Top 5 End of the World movies popped into my head a this was on that came to mind. A year before Armageddon came out, Bruce Willis was stopping an asteroid from hitting the Earth in this movie, but not with a nuke, but with The 5th Element, Leeloo. Out of everything on this list, this one was probably the most comedic (all of these movies actually have a lot of comedic elements, but this one is an action comedy). 5th Element had many layers that really required multiple viewings, but at the base of the film was a threat to destroy the world. I’ve said it many times, but if you need something done, like saving the world, get Bruce Willis on the line…

4. Signs (2002)

This one came to me a few minutes before writing this. I’ve been a fan of M. Night Shymalan’s first three films (The 6th Sense, Unbreakable and Signs) for a long time now and I’ve always held Signs to be up there with some of my favorites. Signs is about a family that has to come together in the face of an alien invasion. Where Independence Day was about special effects and destruction, this movie gives you the opposite side of the equation, and gives you complex characters and how they react to their world coming to an end. A fantastic movie that you don’t hear too much about because of how embarrassed a lot of people are about liking Shymalan’s recent entries, check this one out and give it a shot.

 

5. Waterworld (1995)

I was going with Terminator 2 and Mother Brain beat me to it (I was also going to go with Ghostbuster 1 & 2, but I didn’t want to repeat) but I remembered this one and yeah, I know it is a post-apocalyptic movie, the world has already ended…sort of. This movie shows the survivors of the world after the polar ice caps have melted. A lot of people crapped on this movie, but it was simply a high concept sci-fi action movie that went way over budget. At it’s bones, it is an action movie. One that I’ve always enjoyed watching and would love to see again, it has been a long long time.

Honestly, as poorly as some of the movies on this list may have done (Waterworld) I wish Hollywood had balls to come up with movies like the ones that are on this list. A select few are on my mental list of movies that needed sequels (that will be saved for another day…if we’re still here).

Anyway, leave comments and I’ll see you all tomorrow…

Runners up: Planet of the Apes, 12 Monkeys, Waterworld, The Day After Tomorrow, I Am Legend, Zombieland, Ghostbusters 1 & 2, Star Trek IV & Star Trek: First Contact,28 Days/Weeks Later, and Apocalypto; just to name a few.