For many people, the past 2020 has been like a science fiction movie.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. The front foot also vowed to conquer the great human beings of the star sea, and in a trance they became small ants. It is really unpredictable and naturally difficult to defeat. This shackle is also sandwiched on the brain shell of science fiction film and television.
Overall, the science fiction film and television in 2020 is indeed a bit green and yellow.
Movies have nothing to say, whether it is domestic or foreign, last year can only be regarded as a "small year". "The next "Wandering Earth" is not, Nolan's "Creed" did not bring too many surprises, but several old films were re-screened, bringing a little satisfaction to the audience. However, there is only a little bit.
The drama field is not satisfactory. Although domestic dramas still have not made much progress, the science fiction works launched by major video websites in the past year are either rotten or deleted, but the sincerity can still be seen. Overseas dramas have several eye-catching works.
So, it's time for readers who love science fiction and film to offer a wave of recommended works this year.
The specific selection criteria remain unchanged, or the three principles of last year's inventory.
First, there is no distinction between movies and dramas. It is not easy to produce a good science fiction film and television, and it is even more difficult to catch up with the epidemic this year. There is no mention of science fiction films in the text, not that I don't want to choose, but I really can't choose it.
Second, less drama N generation, film N generation. The renewal of science fiction Dramas and the renewal of Science Fiction Movies is a common thing. Some of the works have only been broadcast for two episodes, and they have already been renewed to the third season. Although the content of these sequels is also good, there are not many people who can transcend the "original generation". In addition, if the whole article is a sequel, then at least two or three baskets must be selected. Therefore, such excellent works as "Dark 3" and "Black Robe Picket 2", the author can only bear to cut love.
Third, radio dramas and cartoons are not selected for the time being. Good science fiction must have a high concept, but also be willing to throw money. This year, even if there are many science fiction animation masterpieces such as "My Three-Body Problem: The Legend of Zhang Beihai" and "Zeta Ultraman", they have received good responses, but together with the costly live-action film and television, they are more or less insufficient, not to mention.
The following is the main text, in order of distinction.
Alien Cataclysm
I've always thought that the first five episodes of Alien Cataclysm are the highest level of science fiction this year.
Perhaps no one would have thought that after 50 years of participating in the creation of the series again, Ridley Scott could deliver such an excellent answer sheet. This British director, who is over eighty years old, after "Alien", "Blade Runner", "Prometheus" and "The Martian", has once again erected a battle flag in the territory of science fiction.
For audiences who know Ridley Scott, there's a different kind of familiarity in Alien Cataclysm. You can see a lot of flavors from his previous works, such as the brave independent women in "Alien", the rebellious replicants in "Blade Runner", and the religious and human arguments in "Prometheus"...
Probably considering that the attention of screen and screen audiences is different, the story of Alien Cataclysm is relatively simple. Even if you accidentally look down at your mobile phone, it will not affect the rhythm of chasing the drama.
However, behind the simple story, there are hidden complex connotations. In this drama, Lao Lei actually exports a lot of "private goods": the relationship between man and machine, the debate between theism and atheism, the discussion of fertility and emotion, the original sin of religion and the traceability of faith, and the deep thinking of women's independence. This work is more like a summary of his science fiction career in the past forty years, and a breakthrough in the new frontier of science fiction themes.
Of course, it's only for the first five episodes. I don't know if it is old or the screenwriter has dropped the line, and the follow-up is really pulled.
The Mandalorian 2
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Although as mentioned above, do not choose the "second generation of drama". But I still want to talk about Mandalorian 2.
Whether it is the story text or the visual spectacle, this work already has a theatrical posture. Rotten Tomatoes' 93% positive rating, IMDb's single episode score of 9.1, and Douban's score of 9.5 are the best compliments for it.
First, it's really good. If it weren't for the preference for Old Ray, in terms of overall quality, "The Mandalorian 2" is undoubtedly the best science fiction drama of the year. Last year, "Diablo 2" was also selected. Second, it begins with Episode 9 instead of Season 2, Episode 1, which is somewhat different from regular renewals.
The story continues the vein of the first eight episodes, and in order to send Baby Yoda back to his clan, the Mandalorian embarks on a long journey of "fighting monsters and upgrading". Defeat different opponents and then move on.
Interestingly, the protagonist Mandalorian is played in the play, but the upgrade is the cute pet Yuda Baby. In the fourth episode, it is still a "bear child" who tries to eat a frog; by the end of the tenth episode, it has grown into a small adult who can help "Daddy". However, the personality of the "bear child" has not changed at all.
The combination of bounty hunters and force pets forms a fascinating narrative thread in The Mandalorian. When the indifferent killer incarnates as a nagging dad, saying that I am just a bounty hunter, but everywhere to protect the "cubs" from harm, who can refuse this "macho with baby" difference cute point? The Star Wars version of "The Wolf with the Belt" is complete.
The Ring Story
Among this year's science fiction works, "Ring Story" is undoubtedly a very special one. It doesn't have a "hardcore" high-concept setting, nor does it offer much humanistic thinking. Just in a seemingly fantastical style, with one warm and sad little story after another, slowly telling the audience a regret aesthetic.
However, while the story of each episode is different, the show is not made up of completely unfamiliar stories like Black Mirror. All the stories in the show take place in the same town and the same era, and although the characters in each episode are different, the details are related to each other. As the title suggests, it's like a closed loop.
The Tale of the Ring is an adaptation of a collection of short stories by Swedish illustrator Simon Starenhaeg. In his work, elements of science fiction are subtly integrated with the Swedish countryside and other landscapes. The adapted story is also as quiet as an illustration, and in order to trace the flavor of the original, the director has carried out the slowness to the extreme.
Among the fast-paced science fiction works, "Ring Story" is uniquely charming. You can't describe in simple terms what the show says, and it's hard to tell people what's so wonderful about it, but as long as you can watch it calmly, it will produce a wonderful sense of comfort. A kind of "Taoist nature" that returns to the basics.
But the question arises again, for the audience who is keen on science fiction films and television, how attractive is slow?
"Upload New Life"
If "Ring Story" is a Nordic fairy tale that is extremely slow; then "Upload New Life" is a typical American fast-paced. Amazon has always liked to hunt for curiosities, such as "Black Pickets" and "Upload New Students". The play focuses on the future, on the world after death, on the world for conscious existence.
In terms of setting, it is not new. The high concept of uploading the consciousness of the dead to the cloud has been mentioned many times in past film and television works. But "Upload New Life" still makes a lot of interesting places.
The story is set in 2033. At that time, it had become mainstream to upload consciousness to the cloud after death. In the virtual world, people can not only "breathe together, share the fate" and meet various new friends; they can even have a secret affection with the customer service played by real people, and be a pair of happy Mandarin ducks who are "separated by yin and yang".
It is not to mention whether this technology can be realized in 2033, after all, "Uploading New Life" is not a showmanship drama. Although the main "technology" gimmick, the director wants to discuss the problem of inequality between rich and poor and excessive consumption in capital society. Can you imagine that the consciousness uploaded to the cloud needs to be renewed to survive?
If you want to enjoy the leisure before you live, if you want to live in a luxury villa, if you want to eat delicious food, you have to pay money. In the virtual world, money is omnipotent and indispensable. Without money, you can only stay in the slums, using a 2G network. Once the traffic runs out and no one renews it for you, the consciousness will be dead.
What an interesting setting, what a brutal setting. Could this be the decay of capitalist society? Who should decide the freedom to upload? Needless to say, everyone must have their own answer.
"Anti-American Conspiracy"
"Anti-American Conspiracy" is a "probabilistic history" drama. This is a unique genre in science fiction films, which is about speculating about a historical event "if it didn't happen" and "if it didn't happen". As we often say, "What would have happened if the Qin Dynasty had not unified the whole country" is a typical concept of probabilistic history.
"Anti-American Conspiracy" also opened a magical brain hole. That is, if Roosevelt lost the third election and the United States went down the path to Nazism, what would history have happened?
In The Anti-American Conspiracy, President Roosevelt began to lose the trust of the people. Charles Lindbergh, an American pilot who openly supported Nazism and anti-Semitism, successfully rose to prominence in politics and ran for president. The damage of populism to the American political system is the biggest contrast between "Anti-American Conspiracy" and reality.
In the play, more than 60% of Americans believe that Jews need to be "restricted" or deported, and American society has set off an "anti-Semitic wave", and some people even take the initiative to attack American Jews. In reality, the current US President Trump "dumped the pot" under the epidemic, which also had a lot of impact on the lives of Chinese americans.
Although it is a science fiction work, "Anti-American Conspiracy" still maintains a serious narrative posture. This also creates a sense of trepidation and uneasiness in the audience. The question is, since history can be rewritten, will the "past" become the future? This is the charm of probabilistic history.
【Text/Feng Yi】