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The Sci-fi Films To Look Forward To In 2013

Posted by Soulskill on from the still-waiting-on-serenity-2 dept.

brumgrunt writes "Not every sci-fi film released in 2013 will be a sequel or franchise movie. Den Of Geek has highlighted the ten sci-fi movies that might just offer something a little different from the PG-13, family-centric norm." The list includes Elysium, from the writer/director of District 9. It's "set in 2159, where Earth has become so hopelessly overcrowded that the richest members of society live on a luxurious orbiting space station." There's also After Earth, directed (but not written) by M. Night Shyamalan, which stars Will Smith and his son Jaden. They "crash land on Earth at some point in the future, by which time it's become a dangerous place devoid of human life." And, of course, there's Ender's Game.

19 of 277 comments (clear)

  1. ah, Ender's game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    The sci fi movie to ender all sci fi movies...

    1. Re:ah, Ender's game by hardtofindanick · · Score: 3, Interesting

      But the whole twist is the ending. I am afraid I will not be looking forward to it knowing how it ends.

    2. Re:ah, Ender's game by Spy+Handler · · Score: 4, Insightful

      unfortunately Ender's Game didn't age well. It was awesome when I read it in the early 90's. Now, not so sure.

      Some of the main plot points depend on us believing that a smart psychopath 13-year old assumes great powers by posting wise articles on the Net. Well the Net is really here, and we have Slashdot and Twitter and blogs... we can post wisdom until cows come home and no great powers will have been gained.

    3. Re:ah, Ender's game by Dave+Emami · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I do wonder how much of the child-on-child violence they're going to retain in the movie, especially given that there are two rather brutal deaths.

      --

      "The Greens lynched a hacker in Chicago. Last month, but I think the body's still hanging from the old Water Tower."
    4. Re:ah, Ender's game by Intropy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Exactly. It's not supposed to be a big surprising revelation for the reader. It's supposed to be a revelation to Ender, but just confirmation of growing suspicion to the reader. At least that's how I read it. There were far too many hints to the reader for it to have been intended as a surprise, and I'm usually the guy who does get surprised by these sorts of things.

    5. Re:ah, Ender's game by Main+Gauche · · Score: 4, Interesting

      " Well the Net is really here, and we have Slashdot and Twitter and blogs... we can post wisdom until cows come home and no great powers will have been gained."

      I couldn't disagree more.

      Consider Nate Silver. (See his wiki entry if you don't know who he is.) He is a smart guy who started off with baseball predictions, but his prominence shot up after he "posted his wisdom" essentially nailing the last presidential election state by state. There is no doubt that this lead to his prominence today (at a relatively young age).

      Secondly, regarding the rest of "us", I'm still waiting to find this wisdom of which you speak. And no, the occasional needle in the haystack does not count.

  2. After Earth : no thanks by csubi · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't intend to contribute to a Movie Star promoting his son into Movie Star II, I'll rather go and see Elysium or Ender's Game.

    1. Re:After Earth : no thanks by Quirkz · · Score: 4, Funny

      Emilio Estevez came out okay, though. So I'd say Martin Sheen's respectable at 50% success.

      --
      The Quirkz Handbook of Self-Improvement for People Who Are Already Pretty Okay
    2. Re:After Earth : no thanks by strikethree · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And why would you refuse to see something based on that reason? Jealousy? Envy? Throughout all of history, men have brought up their sons to do what they do. Blacksmiths, doctors, etc, all taught their sons their trades. Acting is a trade too. You were not lucky enough to have a father who could teach you things that would make you very wealthy. Mr. Smith's son is. Deal with it.

      --
      "Someone needs to talk to the tree of liberty about its ghoulish drinking problem." by ohnocitizen
  3. The Forever War... by braindrainbahrain · · Score: 5, Informative

    ... didn't make that list but it shows up in IMDB as being available in 2013.

    1. Re:The Forever War... by dpilot · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Many people felt that the "Starship Troopers" book was facist claptrap, and apparently the people behind the movie were some of them, so they turned it into a farce.

      IMHO, "Starship Troopers" is the story of The Bug War as told by a World War II veteran. "The Forever War" is the story of The Bug War as told by a Viet Nam veteran.

      Side note... In "Forever Free" it was interesting to see them make the armaments (especially the fighting suits) of "The Forever War" seem quaint and cute.

      --
      The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
    2. Re:The Forever War... by Brannoncyll · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I agree, Starship Troopers is one of my all-time favourite films. Over-the-top with gore and it doesn't take itself too seriously, plus, as you say, it's dripping with satire.

  4. Look Forward To? Maybe Not... by CanHasDIY · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Nope, sorry, seen Hollyweird fuck up entirely too many of my favorite childhood reads by "adapting" them into 90 minute suck-fests.

    I'll steer clear until they A) are thoroughly and positively reviewed by trusted peers, and B) become available on at least one of the streaming services I subscribe to.

    --
    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  5. Rama by davegaramond · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Where's the promised Rendezvous With Rama? I want to see the cylindrical sea, dammit.

  6. Please no more sequels and re-makes by k6mfw · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There's enough Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. And no more remake of movies from 20th century. And whatever movie that will be made, increase writer's budget by 500% and cut special effects budget by 80%. Yes, it's a bitch to produce a movie with a compelling story that engages the audience. If CGI is used, remember a good story and nobody will notice the CGI (sounds weird but it's true, like reading a good book you become so drawn into the story you don't notice if fonts sans serif corrupted).

    --
    mfwright@batnet.com
  7. Neuromancer is not in the list ? by Clived · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Hmmn
    I was under the impression that Neuromancer was coming out in 2013 ? The director is the same guy who directed Splice. I was looking forward to that. ..:P

    --
    Clive DaSilva Email: clive.dasilva@gmail.com Ubuntu 18.10 Kernel 4.18
  8. Bean actually did by cbhacking · · Score: 4, Informative

    Read Ender's Shadow (parallels Ender's Game, but from Bean's point of view) and you'll see that he definitely does figure it out. In fact, ho not only figures it out, he figures out *why* it's being kept secret, and doesn't tell the others. I suspect a few of the others may have figured it out too.

    --
    There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
  9. Hyperion by fph+il+quozientatore · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Any news about the Hyperion movie? I am waiting eagerly.

    --
    My first program:

    Hell Segmentation fault

  10. Re:Only superficially related by Quila · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I thought it was a didactic essay by Heinlein about corporal punishment and military citizenship. Surprisingly, some of his other books did a complete 180 such as SiaSL

    The contradiction is only apparent since that is not what ST was about. It was about the idea that you cannot have social responsibility without first being willing to make a personal sacrifice for the greater good, and that letting those who aren't willing to do so have a say in the society is detrimental. In the novel, such willingness is shown through federal service, but that service was not necessarily military. Also, about military citizenship, people in the military were not allowed to vote. It is only after service that franchise is gained, so nobody in the service can be running the country.

    This novel is similar to SiaSL in that contemporary social norms are challenged. In our democracy it's automatically assumed to be a fundamental right that everybody gets to vote, and Heinlein challenges this. Also at the time our army was a conscripted force, still mostly segregated by race, and with deep divides on ethnicity. Women at the time had a very peripheral role in the military. Heinlein used the concept of a completely volunteer force that is integrated by race and ethnicity, and in which women serve equally. The idea of a free person is taken so far that a soldier could legally quit to avoid being sent into battle, since you can't force a person to be willing to sacrifice for the good of the society. Many concepts of the novel were quite socially progressive for its time, and some these are still now.

    And of course the strongest connection between the two novels is that Hershal in SiaSL and the teacher in ST are both considered to be the voice of Heinlein speaking through his characters.