I think that we should evaluate
sci-fi films in exactly the same way that we evaluate any other film. And we
should evaluate old sci-fi films the same way we evaluate any other old film.
This is through the story and the visual appeal of the film. In sci-fi (as in
other films) it’s important to pay attention to the believability of the story.
I think that the most effective sci-fi films are the ones that incorporate
aspects of our own modern lives in a fantastical way. This applies to the
themes as well as the fictional technology.
Things to Come is considered a classic because it deals with
the topic of war and progressing technology and society. These are things that
were relevant when the movie came out in 1936, and they still are today.
I think certain genres have their own set of things that make them good. Like for instance, what would make a good comedy is definitely not the same for a good drama film. Science fiction that is good in my opinion has to be creative but also realistic. Without any realism there's no point in getting invested in the type of story that they're doing because it will all just seem like fantasy and/or silly.
ReplyDelete2001: A Space Odyssey so far is very real seeming and it's impressive how the great the special effects were.
I see what you mean. I guess that I was thinking about it more in the sense of a movie that is both science fiction and another genre. But, I think that it's important for all movies be realistic in some way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Riley in some respects. I think that there are certain criteria that can be allotted to any type of film, like the credibility of the story, the aesthetic of the shots themselves, and how intriguing the film is over all. However, I think that in evaluating Sci-Fi it is important to put the film in context of the time period in order to see what it reveals about that time and especially how people perceived the future. We also can't say that Things To Come was inferior to Promethius because they were made in completely different times with different technologies available, therefore the concepts of what is possible in the future will be innately different.
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