this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2023
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Science Fiction

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It's a slightly click-baity title, but as we're still generating more content for our magazines, this one included, why not?

My Sci-fi unpopular opinion is that 2001: A Space Odyssey is nothing but pretentious, LSD fueled nonsense. I've tried watching it multiple times and each time I have absolutely no patience for the pointless little scenes which contain little to no depth or meaningful plot, all coalescing towards that 15 minute "journey" through space and series of hallucinations or whatever that are supposed to be deep, shake you to your foundations, and make you re-think the whole human condition.

But it doesn't. Because it's just pretentious, LSD fueled nonsense. Planet of the Apes was released in the same year and is, on every level, a better Sci-fi movie. It offers mystery, a consistent and engaging plot, relatable characters you actually care about, and asks a lot more questions about the world and our place in it.

It insists upon itself, Lois.

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[–] dudinax 2 points 1 year ago

The idea there could be a planet run by apes and it's not Earth is incredibly dumb. Whoever wrote that knows nothing about evolution.

My unpopular opinion is that the Holdo maneuver is a good fit in the Star Wars universe. Fans who complain that it makes military commanders in Star Wars look incredibly stupid are right, but they were looking incredibly dumb in pretty much every battle before that.

Hyperspace collision was explicitly cited as a danger before the first on-screen hyperspace jump. What fans really want is a rule that nobody can ever innovate in space battles. Across 70 years of in-fiction time, space battles are pretty much the same, and nobody's allowed to change that even if it makes sense that they would.

[–] Kevlarrelic 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think context is very important when judging 2001: A Space Odyssey. It came out before we landed on the moon and got a lot about space travel and the moon scientifically correct. (Space being silent, weightlessness, artificial gravity, etc...) Kubrick even consulted with Carl Sagan about what alien life would be like: initially he wanted to go with a Star Trek style humanoid alien, and Sagan said it would probably be incomprehensible to us, hence the LSD ending. The special effects were absolutely groundbreaking for the time and still hold up today. If it seems boring now, it's because it has had such a huge influence on everything that came after it.

[–] Kevlarrelic 2 points 1 year ago

My sci-fi unpopular opinion is that Primer wasn't a very good movie. Didn't do anything very interesting or new imo, but maybe I missed something? It's just an out of order time travel situation, right?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Lexx: Xev was superior to Zev in every way.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I think this might be a truly unpopular opinion, but I could not get into the expanse at all. Just never got invested in the characters enough to stick with it. I've retried watching it 4 times due to everyone recommending it, kind of given up now!

Also the latest star wars films killed any interest I had in star wars.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

well, I love The Expanse, but I applaud you for posting an actual unpopular opinion!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

All I can do is apologise, I really tried, so I'm going to chalk it up to a me problem. Desperate for a good Sci fi series as well, that's the most annoying part!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well, have you tried Another Life? Dark?
Battlestar Galactica?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Battlestar is one of my fav Sci fi series, loved dark, another life was ok

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh, oh, I have an unpopular one right here.

Battlestar Galactica's ending is worse than Game of Thrones, by quite some margin, and it absolutely ruins everything that came before.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I dunno that I'd rank it worse than GoT myself but I did really hate that ending.

Honestly between Lost, BSG, and GoT I'm kinda burned on endings generally. I can't really think of a show that isn't a super short limited series that I'm like, that ending was great!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Does The Good Place count? 4 seasons isn't that long I guess, but idk 4 years is quite a bit of time. And god damn did they stick the landing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That means you've missed out on Andor, which I think is better than any live action Star Wars (including, perhaps controversially, Empire Strikes Back)!

It's mature, deep, detailed, grounded, and very political. The characters and world are built up phenomenally, and it's much more contemplative in its pacing, and it definitely treats its audience as intelligent rather than beating them around the head with obvious exposition. It feels more like an HBO show than your standard Star Wars affair, frankly. And it works as a standalone, too - it's not just yet more Skywalker family drama.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You ads selling that to me! I don't have Disney + so that might be an issue. I loved rogue one, but that was the last star wars thing I enjoyed.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh my sibling in Xenu, Andor is mandatory viewing if you have any love for Star Wars at all, but ESPECIALLY if you love Rogue One. It is absolutely incredible.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Well this has very much sold it to me!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I'm a big, big fan of sci fi and I get that it's a classic. I watched it once and it bored me to death. I couldn't believe it's standard movie length; it felt like it was six hours long.