16 replies to this topic

[bdk1899]

Sorry if im spamming. But I want your list of all the problems with most SCI FI movies. (For my movie to be awesome) You can even include what you want to see in this film!

[Dovahkiin]

1 dimensional female characters, and sexism. The best sci fi movies I've seen have been the ones with strong female characters. Does wonders to the story line. 

[Affray]

1 dimensional female characters, and sexism. The best sci fi movies I've seen have been the ones with strong female characters. Does wonders to the story line. 

I would argue that one dimensional characters in general tend to ruin the story.

 

Sometimes, not always, but sometimes, sexism in sci fi is hilarious.

I mean the campy over the top sexism that is so ignorant it borders on genius.

[Dovahkiin]

I would argue that one dimensional characters in general tend to ruin the story.

 

Sometimes, not always, but sometimes, sexism in sci fi is hilarious.

I mean the campy over the top sexism that is so ignorant it borders on genius.

 

Very true, just more often than not the male characters are well fleshed out and the female characters are 1D.

 

I think the hilarity of the sexism increases with how old the movie is. The newer the movie, the less amusing the sexism. 

[Affray]

Agreed on both fronts.

 

I like science fiction because it opens the doors for female characters to really kick ass, literally.

There are plenty of strong female characters in movies as far as, well, character goes, but they tend to be movies that men don't watch in my experience.

Other genres make female characters powerful by giving them personality triats/actions that make them morally or habitually strong.

Science fiction does the same, but also makes them capable of super human feats of strength and agility.

Whenever I watch a movie that isn't science fiction, and a 115 Lb woman beats the piss out of two or three thugs that could tear down a house with their bare hands, it immediately makes me lose interest. Whereas in a sci fi movie, she could actually be a super human because the rules of reality and physics do not apply.

[HemoGoblin]

Agreed on both fronts.

 

I like science fiction because it opens the doors for female characters to really kick ass, literally.

There are plenty of strong female characters in movies as far as, well, character goes, but they tend to be movies that men don't watch in my experience.

Other genres make female characters powerful by giving them personality triats/actions that make them morally or habitually strong.

Science fiction does the same, but also makes them capable of super human feats of strength and agility.

Whenever I watch a movie that isn't science fiction, and a 115 Lb woman beats the piss out of two or three thugs that could tear down a house with their bare hands, it immediately makes me lose interest. Whereas in a sci fi movie, she could actually be a super human because the rules of reality and physics do not apply.

Ninja'd 

I was gonna say, I like that Sci-fi and to some extent Fantasy as well have the opportunity for women to be physically equal. 
In any other field I'd concede women as being men's equals or better but in a fist fight I start to have issues. 1 woman of even amazon stature is at a disadvantage against mid-sized dudes, doubly so against thugs and mooks with no necks.

Boom, super hero lady ditches that and punches trucks, flips off walls, no problems no questions.

[MrSandman]

the aliens often have the same boring look. Gianthead squids. Come on, why can't they look like Humans sometimes.

[Affray]

I would argue that they look like humans in a great many cases.

Almost all popular aliens have a humanoid look.

Two legs, two(ish) arms, a head with roughly two eyes, nose, mouth, teeth.

All fairly human/Earth creature characteristics if you ask me.

[MrSandman]

I would argue that they look like humans in a great many cases.

Almost all popular aliens have a humanoid look.

Two legs, two(ish) arms, a head with roughly two eyes, nose, mouth, teeth.

All fairly human/Earth creature characteristics if you ask me.

 

Yeah, but I think they should look the same as humans, but be alittle more evil. Or like in V, lizards with human bodys. Or just some kind of a monster, like Alien movie. I don't know. As long as they don't look like a giant squid

[Affray]

Funny you should bring up the evil aspect of aliens.

When you take a step back and look at the big picture, we as human beings have spent our entire history murdering one another over lines on a map and hunting all other life on Earth for sport. Not to mention all the other amazing acts of pure evil and greed that we accomplish. If we ever hit that point in techological advancement where we can get ourselves out there in to the rest of the universe, I am afraid we just might be the evil aliens that we write in to so many of our stories.

[No-Danico]

Funny you should bring up the evil aspect of aliens.

When you take a step back and look at the big picture, we as human beings have spent our entire history murdering one another over lines on a map and hunting all other life on Earth for sport. Not to mention all the other amazing acts of pure evil and greed that we accomplish. If we ever hit that point in techological advancement where we can get ourselves out there in to the rest of the universe, I am afraid we just might be the evil aliens that we write in to so many of our stories.

 

Like the Futurama episode when they go to war with the ball planet?

 

Actually, I disagree with the anthro-alien thing.  If the aliens developed on a different planet, in a different galaxy, why would they look like the mammalia specie that rules earth?  They would develop along a branch that we didn't, unless you believe the whole 'emergence life' thing. 

 

And if they're capable of traveling to our planet, then they would be advanced enough to control their genes. Let's say that they are similar to humans, why wouldn't they change their posture so they don't have back problems? Or maybe develop a spinal posture and muscle tone that would accommodate extended trips in zero gravity. Or maybe a certain class of aliens are seen as workers and altered to be the chauffeurs of the universe and drive their leaders, who sleep in specialized chambers, to nearby planets they plan on conquering.

 

And more thumbs. Replace their pinkies with thumbs. And space-catgirls like in the new Star Trek. You know what? Forget everything but the space-catgirls. Make a whole movie about catgirls in space piloting giant robots and I'll watch.

[HemoGoblin]

The idea isn't that they WOULD develop along different lines, its that they COULD. Theres nothing forcing them to be like us. But as it happens, we are a pretty effective species. Opposable thumbs, huge craniums,nurturing of our young, education of the young and one of the biggest penis-to-body mass ratios in the kingdom. Theres a reasonable chance something with at least some of our features would come up to greatness, because those are a lot of the features that would make them great.

Also, aquatic beings would have a shitty chance at advancing if they need to lug water, reptiles would be extremely vulnerable to temperature(and they don't tend to nurture young) and insect exoskeletons don't work as well at our scale. These being forms of creature that form entire branches of our tree, theres a good chance any beings on other planets would again have similar features to one of the above. Granted none of those is entirely untenable, but they'd certainly stunt the conditions that lead to our mental capacities. Omnivorous, warm-blooded, fast growing beings that educate their young.
 

[The Robstar]

It's coz it's the same old shit. Aliens, invade, good guy, loser turned hero, planets only hope, massive fight, big airships and fake looking CGI, bad guy confrontation, plot revealed, bad guy dies, hero gets laid.....

 

Just summarized 80% of todays sci-fi's....

[HemoGoblin]

Are you referring to films,books, tv shows?

I actually haven't seen a "loser saves the day" show in ages. 

Most scifi lately appears to be apocalyptic, Falling Skies, Walking Dead.

 

Then theres "tale of a place" stuff like Eureka and Defiance.

 

[The Robstar]

A variety of different mediums... generally speaking... But here ya go....

 

 

David, ID 1996

 

Daniel Jackson, SG, 1999

 

Demi Fiend - SMT Nocturne, 2003

 

I would include a "book" example but I don't read much fantasy... I mainly read autobiographies.... 

[HemoGoblin]

The most recent Loser Saves The Day movie I can think of is Transformers, and even then he's really not the hero, just the eye we follow through the films. A much larger part of modern scifi is Superhero stuff and military vs aliens style material like Avatar.

Another point is that you've mixed parts of sci-fi films with parts of sci-fi stories and universal themes.

Loser turned hero is popular because it creates heroes audiences can relate to, people can understand how a pizza man might feel if the aliens invaded, and the struggle as he strives to be brave enough to take part in a galactic battle.

The aliens invading is because its a simple way to make a story compelling, also a lot of recent ones aren't invasion at all. Transformers is about stranded aliens, Avatar we invade THEM.

The hero being the one hope is because hes the protagonist, if he wasn't wed follow someone else who was.

Alot of this stuff is just basic material monomyth-compliant stories tend to use because its expected and accepted. 

 

Parts that come from sci-fi films are the big CGI and explosions. Thats why the vast majority of folks see films in the theaters, for big booms. Theaters are where movies make their money, so they shoot to draw in more of that. Better stories come later towards award season.

[The Robstar]

In other words most sci-fi's are really cliched, they need to find new innovative ways to entertain me.

 

Urgh I despised the recent Transformers film. Had they edited/cut that a$$clowns scenes out of the film I believe it would have still been a half decent film.

 

But that mad/angry shit he did when his car was being risen up on a barricade at that base..... get the fuck outta here, he ain't intimidating shit. Go back to Holes bitch!!!