There is nothing like watching an “old school” science fiction film, but the effects in those movies hardly compare to what we are seeing today. Yes, some of them have effects which were ground-breaking for their day, but movie making has hit an entirely different level in modern times. It has made the movies more aesthetically pleasing to the viewer and truly takes us inside these magical worlds.
Jurassic Park – Leave it to Spielberg to take us where people had only dreamed of going in years past. We can only imagine what movies like the original Star Wars would have looked like had CG been refined to this level at that time. Mr. Spielberg took us from our local theaters into a world filled with walking dinosaurs that was truly realistic.
Aliens – Where the first movie combined slasher with sci-fi, this movie just took everything to the next level. Ripley once again had everyone in the theater rooting for her to be able to beat this disgusting looking creature back and save the world. Cameron was already on the map before this film ever hit the screen, but he became rooted there after this flick was seen across the country.
T2: Judgement Day – Any of the Terminator movies could be here, but this one holds a special place because of the “liquid” terminator. While Terminator was a great concept, flipping the script and turning Arnold into a hero fighting against an indestructible terminator was pure genius. The effects in this movie were truly stunning and ground-breaking for their time.
The Matrix – Reeves was a pretty boy actor before this trilogy hit the big screen, but he became a true superstar of the big screen upon its completion. All of the movies in this series were incredible, but this was where we were introduced to the Matrix and wondered ourselves if this was really happening. The one scene that still stands out is when Neo realizes his powers, comes back to life, and merely puts his hand up to stop the onslaught of bullets coming his way.
Avatar – Love it or hate it, this movie is an example of where science fiction is headed into the future. Cameron has literally been waiting his entire life for technology to catch up to his vision. The on-screen features of this movie make it almost scary to think about what goes on in this man’s head. The movie is a true spectacle from start to finish and has everyone hungry for the future of this genre.
We all enjoyed older science fiction movies, but today’s movies are truly something else. These are just a few of the favorites.
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