The science fiction genre is known for expanding on familiar aspects of modern life by crafting some of the weirdest, most innovative pieces of technology andfictional sports in movies. The latter are often bold, reimagined versions of popular sports like rollerblading, football, and boxing. Most of the futuristic sports serve a purpose and are meant to reflect the structure of society in films likeStarship Troopers,Real Steel, andRollerball. In a movie likeDeath Race 2000, the sport at the film’s center is violent and unforgiving.
However,the danger of the sport is obscured by wacky competitorsand is presented to spectators as a valuable form of entertainment. Most of the fun sports introduced in sci-fi movies are beloved by fans of the genre, but some have taken on a life of their own outside their respective films, turning into theme park rides and real-life competitive sports. The intensity and level of danger vary with each fictional sport, but audiences can always rely on the sci-fi genre for a creative and entertaining competitive game.
Deathsport
Cast
Set in a post-apocalyptic future after the Great Neutron Wars, Deathsport follows Desert Ranger Kaz as he is compelled to compete in the deadly DeathSport using advanced motorcycle Death Machines. Together with renegade Deneer, Kaz confronts his past and battles for survival against city-states and wasteland adversaries.
In the late 1970s sci-fi B-movieDeathsport, the titular sport replaces the standard death penalty.In the film, the city-state of Helix prepares for a war with another city-state, Tritan, and they must test out their new weapons, which are ordinary dirt bikes rigged with powerful lasers. The weapons, known as Death Machines, combined with a hazardous terrain, make for a risky and entertaining sport.
The movie didn’t perform well in 1978, and its public reception has remained largely the same.
Helix’s competing criminals are rewarded with the prize of freedom, so long as they successfully kill each of their competitors inDeathsport.The movie didn’t perform well in 1978, and its public reception has remained largely the same. Unlike other popular fictional sports in films,Deathsportdidn’t manage to catch on —either as a film or as a sport. Still, there’s lots of fun to be had with the B-movie and its barbaric game.
Ender’s Game
Based on the bestselling novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game stars Asa Butterfield as the titular character, a gifted young man from a future Earth who is selected to join the ranks of a vast human army launching a counter-attack on a hostile alien race. Butterfield is joined by a cast that includes Hailee Steinfeld, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, and Viola Davis.
Based on Orson Scott Card’s 1985 novel,Ender’s Gameis set in the future, where humanity is preparing for an attack on the alien race known as the Formics.The film is centered around skilled cadet Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) as he enters the Battle School to begin training for said attack. WhileEnder’s Gamedoes differ from Card’s novelin a few ways, much of the film is still focused on young fighters' training.
The zero-gravity Battle Rooms within the school are where much of the action takes place, as the cadets perform in various training games meant to prepare them for the anticipated battle in space.Throughout the film, Ender proves to be a natural and is highly strategic, which earns him special treatment by those higher up and mistreatment by fellow cadets.
Real Steel
Based on a short story that also served as inspiration for a Twilight Zone episode, Real Steel imagines a world in which the sport of boxing has been taken over by fighting robots. Former boxer Charlie builds a boxing robot with his son Max, in an attempt to regain glory in his sport.
Though the popularity of robot fights has increased over the years, the futuristic boxing seen inReal Steelis unlike anything that currently exists. The film is based on Richard Matheson’s short story and takes place in a world where robots have replaced human boxers. Instead, humans, including Hugh Jackman’s Charlie, take on the responsibility of training the robots, meaning their techniques are a unique combination of human strategy and mechanical power.
The boxing matches are dangerous, and there are high stakes throughout the film that complementReal Steel’s emotional storyline well,
The strength and personality of the robots in the ring reflect the people training them, ensuring the various matches remain fresh and unpredictable for audiences.The boxing matches are dangerous, and there are high stakes throughout the film that complementReal Steel’s emotional storyline well, which revolves around Charlie’s connection with his son. The film earned mixed critical reviews but earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.
Starship Troopers
Considered a cult classic film, Starship Trooper is set in the not-too-distant future when humanity is at war with an alien race called the Arachnids. The film follows Johnny Rico, a teenager recruited into the military and the war against the Arachnids. Casper Van Dien stars as Johnny Rico, with a further cast that includes Denise Richards, Dina Meyer, Jake Busey, and Neil Patrick Harris.
Though the film wasn’t positively received by audiences or critics upon its initial release,Starship Troopersis now considered a cult classic, as modern viewers are more receptive and understanding of its satire of fascism. The film is based on Robert A. Heinlein’s sci-fi novel of the same name and follows young recruits who battle in an interstellar war with alien bugs. The physical requirements of the futuristic sport of jump ball partially helped these young soldiers train.
Jump ball incorporates techniques seen in gymnastics and football and has its players decked out in padded outfits and helmets, much like modern-day football teams.The sport isn’t nearly as aggressive as the other sci-fi sports mentioned and isn’t the main subject of the film.Still, the scene in which jump ball is introduced to audiences for the first time remains a highlight of the film without diminishing its political and cultural critiques.
The Blood of Heroes
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, The Blood of Heroes follows Sallow, a disgraced athlete, and his team, including newcomer Kidda, as they compete for redemption in the brutal sport of jugging. This 1989 film explores themes of ambition and resilience within a dystopian society.
The game of jugger, first created for the filmThe Blood of Heroes, also known asThe Salute of the Jugger, has become a popular game in real life, with tournaments taking place all around the world.In the film, the sport sees two teams playing against one another, with one player on each team being allowed to carry a dog’s skull to the goal post at the other end of the field.
The remaining players are equipped with armor and a variety of weapons and fight off their opponents to make room for their teammate to move across the field with the dog’s skull. In real life, the game isn’t nearly as aggressive and is played with a ball instead.ThoughThe Blood of Heroescertainly isn’tthe best sci-fi film of the ’80s, its impact on fans is undeniable.Within recent years, more leagues have been established with the goal of popularizing the sport and creating community.
Alita: Battle Angel
Produced by James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez, Alita: Battle Angel adapts the manga Gunnm to live-action, featuring Rosa Salazar as the titular cyborg who quests to rebuild her identity as she faces the dark forces that plague Iron City. With the help of Christoph Waltz’s Dr. Ido and Keean Johnson’s Hugo, Alita learns to play the futuristic game of Motorball, which could be her ticket to enter the floating city of Zalem. Unfortunately, not everything is as it seems in the year 2563.
Based on a manga series by Yukito Kishiro,Alita: Battle Angelfeatures the violent, futuristic game of motorball. The sport is popular in the Iron City and provides the cyborgs with the chance to enter the thriving city of Zalem. The structure of the game is inspired by the 1975 sci-fi filmRollerballand its eponymous futuristic sport. The deadly game requires its players to move around in an arena, carrying a heavy metal ball.
Players must avoid attacks from their opponents, meaning the game of motorball gets brutal fairly quickly.
There’s a strong emphasis in the game on physical combat, which, as opposed to getting the metal ball over the finish line, is often preferred by its players. In the film, motorball not only provides some truly captivating action sequences, but the sport also supports the journey of the film’s main cyborg, Alita (Rosa Salazar). Throughout the film, Alita transforms into a powerful motorball star.
Death Race 2000
Death Race 2000 is a dystopian action film directed by Paul Bartel. Set in a totalitarian future, it follows a violent transcontinental car race where drivers earn points for running down pedestrians. The film stars David Carradine as the enigmatic racer Frankenstein and Sylvester Stallone as his ruthless rival, Machine Gun Joe Viterbo. It explores themes of societal decay and the glorification of violence, offering a satirical take on government and media.
Death Race 2000has earned a cult following over the years, with audiences growing to appreciate its political satire.The film is set in the 2000s, where the United States is operating under a totalitarian regime, and the Transcontinental Road Race has been created to entertain the population. The race has drivers traveling across the country in high-powered vehicles designed to be killing machines.
The race is celebrated by spectators for its violence and gore and its infamous killing of innocent pedestrians, which provides drivers with bonus points.The brutal nature of the race is obscured by the wacky personas drivers adhere to, much like that of professional wrestlers.Still, a resistance group in the film can see through the race’s facade, and they’re determined to sabotage it.Death Race 2000has its flaws and hasn’t been universally praised by critics, but it is still admired for its unique world-building and fascinating sport.
TRON
TRON is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Steven Lisberger. Jeff Bridges stars as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer who becomes digitized and trapped inside a computerized world. There, he encounters various digital characters, including a heroic security program named Tron, portrayed by Bruce Boxleitner. The film explores themes of digital landscapes and the relationship between humans and technology, presenting a visually distinct depiction of cyberspace.
Evolving into a cult film and spawning a beloved multimedia franchise, 1982’sTronalso introduced the futuristic Light Cycle racing.The film revolves around Jeff Bridges' Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer who is transported into the digital world and must compete in a series of deadly games before he can escape. Conducted by the Master Control Program, Light Cycle racing is one of the virtual games that’s gained the most attention as the franchise has grown.
Light Cycle racing sees its players ride around an arena on futuristic, pod-like motorcycles.The players' motorcycles can only turn at sharp right angles, creating colorful strips in their trail.The goal of the game is to avoid crashing into other players or the blocks of color created by their motorcycles, much like the popular gameSnake. Disney parks around the world have since createdroller coasters based on the film’s game, known as Tron Lightcycle Power Run.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is set in a galaxy facing political turmoil, as Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi seek peace while encountering Anakin Skywalker, a slave with great potential in the Force. Meanwhile, the Sith begin their resurgence, threatening the stability of the Republic.
The fictional sport of podracing was first introduced inStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, where Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) proved to be highly proficient in the futuristic sport.The appearance of podracing resembles car racing but is much more intense.The one-man crafts are propelled by massive engines and glide at significantly high speeds. The sport is extremely dangerous due to the speed of podracers, meaning it certainly isn’t for everyone.
Podracing requires a participant to be focused and have a fast reaction time.The sport is extremely entertaining for audiences to watch, and it’s a crucial part ofAnakin’s story inThe Phantom Menace. Following the film’s release and the introduction of podracing, the sport was featured inStar Warsvideo games in the early 2000s, such asStar Wars: Racer ArcadeandStar Wars Racer Revenge.
Rollerball
In a dystopian future ruled by corporations, Rollerball showcases a violent sport that epitomizes societal control. Released in 1975, it follows a dominant athlete’s struggle against corporate forces seeking to manipulate the game and dictate his fate within the system.
The objective ofRollerball’s sport is similar to that of jugger inThe Blood of Heroes.Players race around a track to get a small ball into the opposing team’s goal, all whilst trying to avoid brutal attacks from their opponents. Much likeDeath Race 2000,Rollerball’s titular sport is created to entertain and control audiences, and when James Caan’s Jonathan threatens the power of an energy corporation that governs society and controls the game, rollerball becomes increasingly violent.
Rollerballturns 50later this year, and in the decades since its release, the film has gained a larger audience who have grown to embrace its social commentary and action sequences. The final game inRollerballis especially riveting as the feud between Jonathan and the chairman of the energy corporation reaches a boiling point, and all previously established rules in the sport are thrown out the window.
