Sci-fi received a major boom in the past 10 years and, thanks to studio recognition, there have been some seriously huge films coming out as of late. As one of my favorite genres of film, I am excited for the fresh crop coming out soon, but as I look through them I can’t help but see several trends emerging, and that worries me. Sci-fi generally stays away from stereotypes, generic storytelling and one-dimensional characters. That’s been the norm lately anyway, thanks to the re-emergence of Joss Whedon and the superhero genre planting people firmly in their seats. These monstrosities are getting to the point of “too big to fail” and with that obligation to its backers, we’re starting to see trends, as sad and typical as that is. This year, there are some huge and exciting new films. Here’s what to expect.
Humans in Robot Armor
Whether they’re the big fighting kind like in Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming “Pacific Rim” or the simple suit Tony Stark dons to become the hulking superhero in the recently-released “Iron Man 3,” there are a buttload of these futuristic gizmos flying around theaters this summer. I don’t mind there being robots, this is sci-fi of course, but don’t you miss the rich foppish personality of C3PO in the “Star Wars” franchise, or even Robbie the Robot’s dullard servitude in “Forbidden Planet?” Nowadays robots themselves are not showing up, but people in robot suits. There is also a remake of “Robocop” in the works and Matt Damon will star in the dystopian heavy “Elysium,” out this summer, both wearing a semblance of robotic armor.
Earth Is Gone or Going
This is a pretty common theme in most sci-fi, and so it makes sense that it’s showing up this year. Films such as “War of the Worlds” and “Independence Day” are probably the best examples of a semi-trained human figuring out the weakness of an invading alien race and killing them off, and the first films I think about since they are so grandiose and over-budgeted. The films coming out this year are much more to the point when it comes to human intervention. In “Pacific Rim” they’re fighting for the rights of the human race against apocalypse, while “Star Trek Into Darkness” is vague, but with an unnamed villain in the mix we’re uncertain just what’s in store for this new universe, and “Oblivion” had us at the very beginning with a trailer featuring a confused Tom Cruise running around on an abandoned Earth, devoid of people. Even the upcoming Will and Jaden Smith sci-fi vehicle “After Earth” tells you from the beginning that all hope is gone for the human race.
New Worlds Await Us
We got a taste for other worlds with last year’s “Prometheus” and some of the upcoming films of this year are sincerely breaking past the conventions of Earth. This is one trend I am actually excited for, because world building itself is not easy, and, when done right, it’s magical to see. With slated films including the newly retooled “Star Trek Into Darkness,” we will finally get to see what is to be laid out for us following the change in storyline from the last film’s time warp. Besides that, we have the finally-to-be-released “World War Z” and, although it takes place on earth, at least it’s a world filled with the undead. (Did I just get excited about zombies attacking people?) Out next year is the Wally Pfister-directed “Transcendence,” starring Johnny Depp and focusing on computers taking over the world. Christopher Nolan will also come out with his first foray into sci-fi with “Interstellar,” and the Wachowski brothers will return to the genre with their hugely-billed “Jupiter Ascending.”
Good Female Characters Are Hard to Find
I know, you’re all sick of hearing about how there aren’t any strong female characters in film and think I am griping about nothing. Seriously though, sci-fi has far too many problems getting its act together when it comes to having some complex, flawed, personable women in its ranks. We got a nip of that possibility with Charlize Theron’s turn in “Prometheus” last summer, although the film itself left a lot to be desired thanks to the aimless direction it took. Thankfully we do have Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura in “Star Trek Into Darkness,” Jodie Foster as a tough politician in “Elysium” and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts in “Iron Man 3.” “Pacific Rim” looks like it’ll be a giant sausage fest–most of the superhero films have a male protagonist, and the only female-helmed action flick coming out is “Catching Fire.”
There isn’t a tremendous amount of true sci-fi in this year’s releases, but the amount of movies with fantastic and supernatural elements should please any sci-fi nerds. The year ahead looks very exciting and I can’t wait for this summer, particularly as we move into a new era for sci-fi.
