When someone brings up the topic of Science Fiction, my first thought will be space and aliens. As it encapsulates both these things, Star Wars is often the first franchise that pops into my mind. But what image does sci-fi conjure in the heads of others?
Sci-Fi films like Star Wars and Star Trek make indirect comments on human progress. Human advancement has allowed for real life space travel, but can we zip off the earth and go to Mars at ease? Can we travel the Galaxy at Light speed? No, but if we could, would we? Humanity is not one to stagnate otherwise we would never have made the iPhone or the lightbulb, we’ll always be stepping forward and Sci-Fi gives us a glorified romantic portrayal of humanity if these space age feats were open to us. That is why Sci-Fi exists, to give hope to the romantics.
With the release of Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977 the genre of Sci-Fi reached a turning point for the better. With the moon landing in 1969, the 70s was an age of space wonderment and discovery. Yet to say science fiction is nothing more than stories set in space is incorrect. Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange was the first of several films of the 70s to prove that the frailties of human emotion had a firm place in the science fiction sanctuary.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Sci-Fi has taken a more earth based approach. Sci-Fi of the modern day has become a tool for political commentary, bringing up the issues of Artificial intelligence in today’s society and how it could impact our future. For example the film Ex-Machina conveys the dangers of AI and the possibility of it turning against humanity. If we could build a real life C-3PO would he become evil? Can anyone picture so polite a being turning to the dark side? What a Star Wars sub-plot that would be! Another film also released quite recently Chappie, conveys the immortality of AI. If we destroy the body, it can simply download into a new one. How can mortal humans hope to ever combat these evolving immortal beings? Should humanity accept its limits, accept that there are better doors left closed? Such a door will be difficult to close once opened.
Now with the release of the Force Awakens, a new generation of young people has been introduced to the magical space opera and a new wave of fans have been born. Yet what will this mean for the genre’s future? Will this mean a return to space age cinema; it might be interesting to see an original star wars-esque film hit our cinemas. Anything to stave off the brunt of super hero films set to swamp us in 2016. After this sequence of new Star Wars films will that be it forever?
Who can say for sure; in the end Star Wars’s longevity has come down to how popular the franchise is. From the pattern between episodes four and one and three to today, it is not too difficult to believe many more will follow in the decades to come. Provided the fandom of the series does not decline.