TheReviewAwakens

From Aliens to Mad Max, we briefly explore why Science Fiction is still so prolific in 2021 and for years to come.

Science fiction works as establishing a set world or universe. Usually these worlds are so large and expansive, that future installments exist to tell more stories. It has the most amount of depth compared to any other genre. Here’s why.

The genre has withstood the test of time and continues to amaze audiences today. We will be focusing on three key areas that help illustrate these points.

1) Visual construct
2) Establishing our characters
3) Understanding the level of threat
4) Verdict

Whilst we wait for the upcoming Avatar sequels, lets take a look at previous examples of world building and its ongoing appeal.

Although Star Wars is the best example of a science fiction film that has continuously expanded for generations, we can look at other fine examples such as Ridley Scott’s
Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Both are examples of expanding a well-established Science Fiction world. These films act as prequels and explain the events leading to the first Alien.

As a result, there has been further expansion into the planets and creatures, which now co-exist into a longer and more developed timeline. It could be said that the two recent films are diverting from the main narrative of the terror of the Xenomorph, which was integral to the plot of the first two films, now we are seeing a narrative that’s exploring the world a bit more and offering a new approach and take on this character and delving into deeper themes such as the origins of mankind.

Both of these films are centered on a specific genre of Horror Sci-Fi, one that makes it limited to appeal for all age and audience types.

The narratives for these films have always been based around the theme of exploration.
Where a team have to explore an enchanted territory or planet and come across an
unidentified creature.

This element to the plot brings suspense and horror. However, the narrative for Prometheus was considered an unfamiliar approach amongst fans because of its deeper themes and therefore received a mixed reaction.

This shows that this franchise has not been entirely flexible and adaptable to industry practices and market trends. We can see 20th century franchises that are aiming for longevity in today’s industry, whereas Star Wars has excelled in for reasons such as its narratives and stories, as all of these expanded stories contain very solidified and familiar themes of good vs evil.

Science fiction cinema is an exaggerated form of our own reality. From spaceships, planets, laser swords and a lot more. Yet, we find ourselves understanding and even relating to these various concepts that get established on screen.

I believe that getting these three points right is a decent formula for making a memorable science fiction film.

If we take Avatar as an example. The world is created and established first for the audience, then we learn more about the characters. But the visual construct is shown to us first and it needs to stick with us, somehow. It needs to amaze us, either due to its unparalleled connection with reality or its awe and sometimes it’s both factors.

The visual construct needs to convince the audience that this world can exist, otherwise, the narrative that unfolds may lack depth. For the purpose of this discussion, I would like to show images from these science fiction universes as a case study. This leads me to my first point.

1) Visual construct

Let’s look at some marvelous examples of planets. This can be seen by the work of James Cameron. When it comes to science fiction, James Cameron is definitely not a forgotten name and his work has proved to be very successful, more with the box office performances. Take a look below.

Avatar may not have been a hit with the critics, but there is a special quality to the world of pandora. It’s appeal exists in our imagination. Perhaps, we dream of visiting places that don’t exist and James Cameron’s awesome production team has tapped into this dream-like fantasy, which then leads to creating a proper fictionalized world, where real characters can exist in.

The hook of this universe is completely based on its visuals. Yes, there is a sense of reality because we see forest work, but it’s the visuals that stick with you.

What connections can we make from this image to our own reality? There are quite a few. The tall buildings and city life, sparks a visual resemblance to city life. This is different to the world of Avatar because it is set deeper in reality. Avatar’s purpose is to take the audience on a journey. Blade Runner deals with deeper and more layered themes that gets the audience to think.

Both of these images are an established universe. When we move onto more darker pieces of science fiction, we can see pieces such as Alien. Consider the image below.

This gives off a vastly different effect than the other two images. It’s because the filmmakers had a much different intent with the production design of the film. In this case, it is Ridley Scott’s Alien. The darker psychological themes that run throughout this film is a lot different to the positive approach James Cameron has to storytelling.

Terminator 2 and even Aliens had a slightly more heroic quality to them. However, in my opinion, Alien’s visual construct is vastly different to our own reality. It’s so out there, that without a proper set of characters, we can never emotionally relate to the world, but it sticks with us which is one of the most important factors. However, what other areas can get us emotionally connected with the universe?

This is when we move onto our heroes.

2) Establishing our characters

We can’t properly connect to anything without relating to characters. Let’s take a look at the crew of Alien. If you have seen the film I wonder which character resonates with you? Usually audiences connect with Ripley the most.

Upon first viewing, we need to understand the psychology of this crew. What decisions are they forced to make under the most stressful of circumstances and how they interact with each other.

It’s in these situations where we learn the most from these characters and find ourselves relating to them, more significantly. In order to learn the most from ourselves, we often need to test our abilities. The extent of the extreme situation you put yourself into is like asking ourselves how long a piece of string is because everyone is completely different. But, in the case of Alien, you can’t get more extreme.

It’s perhaps the most daunting scenario any human being could ever be in. The character of Ripley played by Sigourney Weaver is a solid example.

Her ability to withstand mental pain is constantly being thrown at her, yet she overcomes these obstacles, one step at a time, which makes you admire her.

Ripley, is a female hero that is forced to take matters into her own hands in the final act. Other heroes could be Arnold’s character from Predator, where he is also forced to take matters into his own hands, but Predator has a more popcorn fun appeal to it. This is because Arnold is far different performer than Sigourney is.

Other than the fact that both are male and female, these are actually very different heroes. Sigourney may be more accessible to audiences, but we still love Arnold because he has so much charisma.

When it comes to male performers, we can think of Mel Gibson from Mad Max, which is a lot more darker representation. Mad Max is more interested in existentialism and social anarchy.

3) Understanding the level of threat

The audience needs to understand the level of threat at play. The greater the threat, the more intense the situation is. With every good science fiction film, there is always a consistently good villain. Whether its Loki, a clone army or an alien race, but it needs to be convincing.

In most cases, the threat is a foothold to the narrative. Without some sort of threat, there is never really a compelling narrative. A visually striking world isn’t enough.

When it comes to a threat that is terrorizing, Alien and Predator are both fine examples. You would just never want to mess with any of those creatures, ever.

Science fiction to some extent has crossed paths into the superhero genre. There is a sci fi element to The Avengers, in which the threat is measured by the sheer scale rather than the enemies appearance.

Science fiction allows the director to create a very specific tone and style. Science fiction doesn’t have to be one style. It is one of the most flexible genres, often combining it with horror.

Upcoming science fiction releases include, Dune, Venom 2, The Tomorrow War, Jurassic World: Dominion and Infinite. I’m sure these films will contain strains of what makes a good science fiction work

Final recommendation

The greatest book on science fiction film making thus far is called James Cameron’s story of science fiction. It features interviews from the worlds best directors including George Lucas, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and more.

You can also read an article on George Lucas’s sci fi classic THX-1138 here.

What do you think makes a good science fiction film? and What’s your favorite science fiction film? comment below and let me know.

In recent years, the best science fiction that I have seen is Blade Runner:2049, a perfect example of how to make a sequel that elegantly expands on the original, whilst staying loyal to the source material.

Author Bio

Sam is a content writer. He loves all elements connected with film and writes with passion, always. You can find him on his Linkedin, where you will be able to read more articles. When he is not writing, you can find him practicing football.

1970’s Hollywood
THX-1138
American Graffiti
The verdict

Ever heard of Star Wars? or have you heard of George Lucas?

Before Star Wars was established, the creator George Lucas made two features. The first one being THX-1138 and the second American Graffiti. Both of these films are a lot of fun to watch even today, but which one should you watch?

Well, it comes down to taste. For Star Wars fans, THX-1138 may be up your alley, but we cant leave American Graffiti out.

But first lets go over the context.

1970’s Hollywood

Both of these films were made in the 1970’s which was significant. Hollywood’s financial system at the time would essentially lay the template for the birth of the blockbuster because by the late 70’s that’s what Hollywood wanted to sell because they proved high profit earners at the box office. Both Jaws and Star Wars became examples of what the blockbuster would look like.

Directors such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas challenged and broke away from the traditional formality of studio systems, which therefore allowed the director to have greater control over their picture. This factor lead George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola to form American Zoetrope Pictures, as it was their attempt to create films that they wanted to see and that were not under any other big studio influence that had creative control.

THX-1138

First, we have the thrilling sci-fi classic THX-1138 made in 71

the film is set in the twenty fifth century, where mankind lives in underground cities and their free will is considered a law, they also cannot express human emotions.

The film is 50 years old and is still relevant today.

I believe George Lucas’s work on the film THX-1138 would later set the tone and platform of the start of his Star Wars saga. It could be argued that Yes, THX 1138 and Star Wars share little in common in terms of there narrative but there are similarities.

The film was written by Walter Murch, who worked in the sound department for the epic Apocalypse Now (1979).

The film showed what George Lucas was capable of in the science fiction genre. He became independent from the studio system when he created his own visual effects brand, such as LucasArts and sound system THX.

The film THX-1138 was wildly different for its time, a film that contained limited lines of dialogue and resembled the traits of cinema verite because for the majority of the film it depicts a very controlled society. He emerged from a cinema verite background that was his initial passion.

The film features a thrilling car chase towards the end. The camera work and use of practical effects, make for a breathtaking experience. I own the blu ray directors cut and have seen the film multiple times. Upon each watch, it still feels new and fresh.

The themes in this film, we can see in Star Wars (Lucas, 1977), as a bleak dystopian world where society is controlled by evil forces, this is all apart of the narrative mythology in Star Wars universe.

American Graffiti

2 years layer, we have the wild American Graffiti

The film stars Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams and more.

This film was an example of a director in the 70’s using the mise en scene in a creative way to tell its story, which fits the definition of an auteur.

For example, his production choices for that film were very specific and detailed at the time, he chose to shoot the film in 35 mm film and he would use éclair cameras which then could be easily switched to techniscope format. This film feels more like a fun documentary, as it was in George Lucas’s best interests to capture life as student back in the day. His decision to place several cameras around the actors made the characters never leave the frame and in that sense, it added a little realism.

The cast is very solid, especially when we look at the work they did later. Richard Dreyfuss when onto to fight a shark in Jaws (1975). Harrison Ford, the carpenter turned actor, when onto to become friends with a Wookie in Star Wars and of course Ron Howard directed his own Star Wars film in 2017’s Solo a Star Wars story.

My only critique of the film is that it feels a little more outdated than THX-1138. The themes presented in THX-1138 feel timeless, yet American Graffiti focuses so much on a very specific type of social realism.

These traits have evolved since the 1970’s, but it is still enjoyable because of the execution. The film looks eye catchy and if you love cars, the chances are you might get a nostalgia kick from the film.

Verdict

Its slick looking and a fun ride, but perhaps not as significant as THX-1138. Would you prefer to re live the past or fast forward to the future?

Now, where can you watch THX-1138 and American Graffiti? You can catch American Graffiti on Netflix.

You can also read this article on George Lucas’s current involvement in the Star Wars saga. Enjoy 🙂

Which one have you seen? What’s you favorite out of the two?