Top 10 Gravity Bending Movie Scenes

t’s time to try defying gravity. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 zero gravity or gravity bending movie scenes.

For this list, we’re taking a look at memorable big screen scenes in which the absence of gravity causes a character to experience a weightless sensation and float freely.

Gravity trains are the way of the future…at least one can hope. In the 2012 remake of “Total Recall,” this innovation of transportation is used to commute between Australia and Great Britain in 17 minutes. Gravity is reversed as the drop tower reaches the Earth’s center, making it imperative that passengers remain seated at all times and keep their carry-on items properly stowed. While the gravity train’s science is debatable, it does amount to an exciting, freefalling action set piece.

Where most zero gravity sequences put an emphasis on action and suspense, this scene from “Mission to Mars” captures the sheer majesty of having no force to hold you down. With hypnotic cinematography and an impressive set, the scene creates the illusion that our heroes are able to perform a 360-degree angle walk around a cylindrical spacecraft. Taking advantage of their circumstances, the astronauts decide to gracefully dance the night away without any limitations. It’s charming, it’s romantic, and it’s easily the best part of the movie.

You wouldn’t think that a movie with a green chick and a talking raccoon would ever evoke deep feelings, but “Guardians of the Galaxy” took audiences by surprise with its unlikely emotional impact. One of the most powerful moments occurs as Gamora’s pod is destroyed and her body’s sent adrift. Unwilling to watch somebody else die, Star-Lord rises as a hero and gives her his breathing mask. In this touching, visually stunning scene, Gamora realizes that there’s more to this scruffy-looking human than meets the eye, much like the movie itself.

James Bond literally takes his sexual escapades to new levels at the end of “Moonraker.” After thwarting a global genocide plot, Bond and Holly Goodhead join the mile(s) high club aboard a space shuttle. Little do they realize their colleagues are about to tune in, celebrating the collaboration between the United States and the United Kingdom. Upon receiving audiovisual, they stumble upon a different kind of joint venture. Oh, and what better way to go out than with a classic sex pun. That’s right, James, shag her to the moon.

“2001” is full of gravity bending – not to mention mind-bending – effects. In an era before CGI, Stanley Kubrick still made audiences believe that his characters were walking upside-down on the ceiling. The film’s most effective scene involving zero gravity transpires towards the Jupiter Mission’s end, when Dr. Bowman deactivates HAL 9000. If anything, the utterly convincing visuals take a backseat to Douglas Rain’s haunting performance as HAL, who tries to manipulate Bowman through reasoning, bargaining, and pleading. In the end, though, the rogue computer’s forced to accept his inevitable fate.

Based on a novel many deemed un-filmable, the 2013 adaptation of “Ender’s Game” was undoubtedly a well-crafted movie. The film did an especially excellent job bringing the zero gravity Battle Room to life. The effects are virtually seamless as cadets float about the massive arena in a game that’s all about strategy and teamwork. Steve Jablonsky’s musical score adds another layer of gravitas to the equation, making the audience feel all the weight and weightlessness of the training games. The result is like the most epic laser tag tournament ever.

This gorgeous sequence from “WALL-E” almost feels like something out of a Gene Kelly musical, which is appropriate given the title character’s admiration for “Hello Dolly!” After being embraced by EVE, WALL-E feels as if he’s walking on air. Equipped with a fire extinguisher, he dances with the robot he loves through the stars and around the Axiom. Never before has space looked more lovely, acting as the perfect backdrop for the lovebots. Putting an emphasis on showing rather than telling, the scene is an absolutely angelic portrait of romance.

As beautiful and inspiring as outer space might appear, its vast presence is also incredibly intimidating. Alfonso Cuarón fully encompasses space’s foreboding splendor in “Gravity” as Sandra Bullock is sent drifting into orbit. Full of arresting tracking shots and lingering POV shots, the film becomes a true out-of-body experience that sucks the audience right into the constant zero gravity action. The film’s title also works on multiple levels when you think about it, placing the heroine in a grave situation that cleverly embodies both definitions of the word, “Gravity.”

Much like the previous film on this countdown, there are far too many astounding scenes in “Apollo 13” to single out just one. At the time of its release, this was probably the most authentic depiction of space travel ever put on film. Ron Howard gets just about every little detail right, particularly the scenes aboard the cramped spacecraft. Claustrophobically shot, it occasionally feels like we’re trapped alongside our three heroes as they maneuver around each other with zero gravity. It’s been a privilege flying with you, indeed.

Before we ascend to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Fizzy Lifting
“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971)
- Anti-Gravity Serum
“Despicable Me” (2010)
- Scroop’s Demise
“Treasure Planet” (2002)

Throughout much of “Inception,” the characters are left wondering what’s a dream and what’s real. Likewise, the state-of-the-art production values leave the audience wondering what’s CGI and what’s handmade. The film’s disorienting corridor fight is a true revelation of cinematography, sets, stunts, and modern practical effects, placing Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a thug in a 100-foot rotating hallway. Not a second goes by where you aren’t convinced they’re walking on the walls, falling down the hall, and being elevated up to the ceiling, making a dream a reality.

Do you agree with our list? What zero-gravity scenes lifted you out of your seat? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.