>>212943468There's pre and post SW science fiction movies and everything changed after SW. Prior to SW all we had was the umpteenth crappy to barely passable sequel to Planet of the Apes and stuff like Logan's Run.
After SW came out big budget movies across the board changed. Even outside of Sci Fi. The the quality went up because SW showed studios three was massive money to be made with big budget blockbusters. So they put more money and effort into it unlike the middle tier movies we got before like Logan's Run.
There's a clear through line from Star Wars all the way to all time classics like Alien, Aliens, Predator and every big budget sci fi blockbuster that followed.
It was a golden age that ran all the way through Endgame. (Or IW if we are nitpicking because Endgame is overrated)
After that the industry got derailed by woke social justice. Now post woke social justice we are in the mass market Netflix algorithm age with relentlessly mid slop like Superman. So yeah, things used to be better.