Where are the great science fiction movies?

[tuftears]

Having seen Super 8, X-Men First Class, and just today, Green Lantern, I found myself marveling most at the alien spacesuits in the opening of Green Lantern and thinking 'dang, where have all the great science fiction movies gone?'

I would so dearly love to see Chess with a Dragon done as a science fiction movie.

Admittedly filming with 'real' settings is cheap, but this is the age of CGI. We're now in much more of a position than ever to be able to film complete movies in nonhuman settings - the failing is one of imagination on the part of human directors. People seem to enjoy waxing nostalgic over the past - Cowboys vs Aliens, for instance.

Of course there have been some good science fiction shows and movies, I'm just wishing for more - movies and shows where we're invited to imagine a rich and detailed future universe.

What about y'all, what's satisfying your science fiction cravings lately?

Comments

[jordangreywolf.livejournal.com]

I enjoy fantasy, science fiction and period pieces when they offer to transport me to somewhere I'll never be able to visit in person, not even if I blow the money to go on a vacation to the far corners of the Earth. Most of the time when I get a video game, it's because it features some location that I would like to explore.

I'm not quite so enamored with modern-day sci-fi, particularly when they don't even bother pushing it into a bit of "near future." I know it's to save on the budget, but I like to have at least a step or two out of the mundane - even if the best they can do is recycle some back-lot leftover Western set. I figure Cowboys vs. Aliens is a step up from that, so I'm fine with it. ;) I mean, even "Max Headroom" managed to create an interesting environment on a low budget. Is it really that hard?

I've been watching Falling Skies, and I wouldn't necessarily automatically be disappointed just because it's in the mundane modern day (except, of course, aliens have invaded), but for whatever reason the writers seem compelled to have the main characters repeatedly fail to take their situation seriously. I'd have to go through point-by-point to try to make my case, I suppose, but, seriously, would real people behave this CASUALLY about their predicament? The alien invaders are not just bugs with guns; THEY HAVE SPACESHIPS. There's far too much camping in the open, strolling around casually in the streets back in "base camp," for me to buy it as a world transformed by alien invasion.

Anyway, I do wish I could see sci-fi use a little more of the technology we've got for CGI sets. I've had a lot of fun watching people do stuff with "machinema" ("films" made with video games); I can tolerate a bit of less-than-cutting-edge CGI if it means that we can have a little bit less of people just running around concrete-walled basement corridors and pretending that it's a space station (seriously - from modern Dr. Who, not the old stuff).

[jordangreywolf.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, and another thing: I know that it's popular to go on about just how hideously AWFUL the prequel Star Wars movies were, but whatever it is with the annoying alien sidekicks, wooden dialogue, and clunky attempt at romance, I still enjoy the Lucasfilm team's ability to dream up and present fascinating locales. I enjoyed Coruscant. =) It was far cooler than I had envisioned from the "Expanded Universe" novels.

[zrath.livejournal.com]

Yeah, at least they're pretty to look at and they're alien-y.
And there's ships!! :D
And Ben Burtt is there to make sure everything sounds cool.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Earth being invaded by aliens, however realistic it gets, does not exactly qualify as optimistic science fiction. };)

I do agree that Star Wars is up there when it comes to real, believable scenery!

[jordangreywolf.livejournal.com]

Earth being invaded by aliens, however realistic it gets, does not exactly qualify as optimistic science fiction.

Well, it might if we survive. ;) Trouble is, stories like that usually cut off at some "Yay, we blew 'em up good!" point, and rarely move forward to the potentially more interesting stuff when Earth people incorporate alien technology, so THEY can go planet-hopping with cool spaceships for a change. ;)