Been wanting to do this post for a while now. Big budget sci-fi vs small budget sci-fi.
For a number of years, most of the big sci-fi that movies studios churn out might look cool in a trailer or poster. But at the end of the day most of them end up to be generic, boring and ultimately unsatisfying. For example the second and third Matrix movies, The Island, Green Lantern, the Star Wars prequel trilogy, ALL the Transformers movies.
On the other hand, a number of small-budget sci-fi movies that have only one or two cooks in the kitchen end up being these sleeper hits that no one saw coming. For example, the first Matrix film, District 9, Sunshine, Deja Vu, Moon, (though not one of my personal favs).
Now I’m not saying all small budget sci-fi movies are good (Skyline for example) or that all big budget sci-fi movies are bad (Super 8 and Battle Los Angeles come to mind). It just seems that when here is a limited budget and less studio interference, more often than not there is a better movie that comes forward in the end.
It would be nice to see a growing trend of sci-fi movies that while building a world that the story and characters inhabit, actually gives me the view something innovative in the plot that leaves me thinking about it for days afterward.
I remember how wowed I was when we find out in the Matrix that the world that had been established in the first half hour or more of the movie was complete virtual bullshit. Loved that.
I guess my thoughts are because I just saw Cowboys & Aliens. And while it had some fun parts and the concept was pretty original, the movie itself was typical summer tentpole meh. Yet I’m hearing about how amazing Attack the Block (more indie sci-fi fare) was for anyone whose seen it. Give me more movies like that with a lower budget and maybe more mainstreamed sci-fi won’t flop as hard. Just saying…
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