The Academy Award-winning actor Charlton Heston appeared in countless genres across his vast and varied career, although he’s particularly noted for his achievements in sci-fi. As a star who gained prominence starring in biblical epics, it’s a testament to Heston’s willingness to branch out that he so fully embraced the sci-fi genre following the mᴀssive success of Planet of the Apes. As a commanding presence who also excelled at portraying a relatable everyman, Heston walked the fine line between stardom and character-driven authenticity.

Many of the best Heston movies were in the sci-fi genre, as he took audiences on journeys through bleak dystopian landscapes, futuristic nightmares, and impending, Earth-shattering disasters. Although not every Heston sci-fi movie gained acclaim, with one release being so unloved that even the director himself opted to disown the project. As a true Hollywood icon, Heston’s contribution to the sci-fi genre should not be underestimated.

6

Solar Crisis (1990)

Charlton Heston as Admiral “Skeet” Kelso

The fact that Solar Crisis was credited to Alan Smithee rather than director Richard C. Sarafian should tell you everything you need to know about this woeful sci-fi thriller. Smithee used to be the official pseudonym used by film directors who wished to disown a project and refuse to have their name ᴀssociated with it. As the story of an astronaut tasked with dropping a bomb into the sun to stop a solar flare from destroying the Earth, even though the premise was interesting, the film was hindered by an overload of boring clichés.

Not even the appearance of Charlton Heston as the lead astronaut’s father was enough to save Solar Crisis. While Heston was seen back on Earth, arguing with the agents who were trying to sabotage the mission and profit from people’s panic, it’s clear the actor recognized that Solar Crisis was a dud and was really phoning it in. The most disappointing thing about Solar Crisis was that it boasted some impressive special and practical effects, although its technical achievements deserve a far better movie.

5

Beneath The Planet Of The Apes (1970)

Charlton Heston as George Taylor

Planet of the Apes turned into a franchise with the release of Beneath the Planet of the Apes, a strange sequel that failed to live up to the legacy of the original. Heston reprised his famous role as the astronaut George Taylor in a supporting capacity, but the film primarily starred James Franciscus as Brent, the American astronaut who was sent to rescue Taylor. With an interesting premise that expands upon the lore of the franchise, Beneath the Planet of the Apes went in an unusual direction as it revealed that not all humans had devolved into mute, animalistic savages.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes revealed that hidden underneath the surface of the futuristic Earth lay a race of telepaths who were the mutated descendants of the human survivors of a nuclear apocalypse. While this was an interesting idea, it also undid the power of the original film’s twist ending and is an aspect of the series’ mythology that has been ignored by subsequent releases in the franchise. The biggest issue with Beneath the Planet of the Apes was that it lacked the social commentary that made other films in the franchise feel relevant to modern times.

4

The Omega Man (1971)

Charlton Heston as Robert Neville

The Omega Man was the second adaptation of Richard Matheson’s iconic sci-fi novel, I Am Legend, following The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price from 1964. With Charlton Heston as the army colonel Robert Neville, this lone man believed himself to be the only immune survivor of a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly plague that stemmed from a major conflict and biological warfare. While most of humanity was turned into homicidal nocturnal albino mutants, Neville became immune due to injecting himself with an experimental vaccine.

With an engaging premise, The Omega Man saw Neville encounter other survivors as he traversed the apocalyptic landscape and fended for survival. With plenty of cheesy one-liners and a campy 1970s aesthetic, The Omega Man was an enjoyable adaptation of Matheson’s novel, but it would be the Will Smith version of I Am Legend from 2007 that stands as the definitive depiction of this cult favorite zombie sci-fi story.

3

Armageddon (1998)

Narration by Charlton Heston

While Michael Bay’s big-budget disaster movie Armageddon may divide movie fans, there’s no denying that Charlton Heston’s incredible opening monologue set the scene perfectly for the world-ending panic that was about to occur. While Heston doesn’t appear on screen, he does offer some words of wisdom over the opening credits as he describes the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. With the closing remarks “it happened before, it will happen again; it’s just a question of when,” Heston geared audiences up for the central conflict of the film as humanity was confronted with a similar extinction-level event.

Armageddon received criticism for its illogical narrative, as NASA inexplicably hired a group of blue-collar deep-core drillers to destroy a gigantic asteroid the size of Texas on a crash course for Earth. While this may sound ridiculous, this was also part of the film’s charm, and it boasted an impressive all-star cast including Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Ben Affleck. However, viewers’ reaction to Armageddon depends on whether they’re favorable toward the big-budget spectacles of Bay and the action-packed credentials of its producer, Jerry Bruckheimer.

2

Soylent Green (1973)

Charlton Heston as Robert Thorn

During the 1970s, there was a growing fear about the impact of overpopulation and the potential for worldwide famines and social upheaval. It was out of this context that Soylent Green was made, a dystopian sci-fi adaptation set in a world plagued by crumbling infrastructure, overcrowding, and resource shortages. With a fascinating mix of police procedural and sci-fi themes, Charlton Heston starred as the NYPD detective Robert Thorn, who uncovers a conspiracy far more heinous than he ever could have imagined.

The resource-scarce population seen in Soylent Green subsisted on a new miracle food they were told was made from plankton. However, as Heston inched ever closer to the terrifying truth, he learned that the Soylent Green product everyone was consuming was actually made out of human meat. As a frightening but all too realistic glimpse at a potential future, Soylent Green was one of Heston’s most compelling sci-fi roles.

1

Planet Of The Apes (1968)

Charlton Heston as George Taylor

When it comes to the very best of Charlton Heston’s sci-fi movies, there would only be one answer for the top spot. Planet of the Apes was not only an extraordinary success at the time of its release but has also endured in the public consciousness in a way that few other sci-fi movie franchises have. As a series that has continued right up to this day, Charlton Heston as the astronaut George Taylor discovering the truth of humanity’s fate at the foot of the half-buried Statue of Liberty remains one of the most iconic movie twists of all time.

Not only was Planet of the Apes a smart political satire on the nature of religion, politics, and social systems, but it also boasted an incredible performance from Heston as he truly committed to his role as a captured astronaut. While the costumed apes may look dated today, there’s a campy charm to Planet of the Apes that means it’s held up incredibly well. As perhaps Charlton Heston’s most famous role, Planet of the Apes stands alongside the likes of Touch of Evil, The Ten Commandments, and Ben-Hur as one of his crowning achievements as an actor.