Dewi looks at three decades of sci-fi progression

After a fascinating experience watching three amazing Sci-Fi Action films, both old and new, I feel now that I can understand the evolution of the genres and films in general. 

I focused primarily on the difference between the graphics and effects and what makes a good film, so in this short report, Im going to present what I have learned from watching The Terminator (1984), I, Robot (2004) and Pacific Rim (2013).

Plot

Perhaps the main element of creating a brilliant film is an exciting plot or storyline. After watching an older film (The Terminator), which I was reluctant to watch but thoroughly enjoyed because I thought it had a simple yet interesting and original story, I believe strongly that originality is key to success. 

In contrast I, Robot is a fairly new film, but also has a story line that has many plot twists that are effective. I cant think of any other film thats blatantly the same as I, Robot which makes it memorable.

Effects

When watching The Terminator, its obvious that it's a retro film just by the effects. Nowadays, this quality would be considered maybe even less than amateur, but in that era, this was the pinnacle of technology in film. Im not going to lie, I liked the retro feeling the effects gave which added to the fact that it must be a classic.

Pacific Rim is a film that uses a mass amount of CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) and by watching both films you can really understand the evolution of the technology used in film. In the older films, the graphics are rough and raw compared to films today, where the graphics are clean and realistic because the amount of equipment used is much greater.

I've learned that a lot can change in thirty years and that in the near future the possibilities are endless in the film industry if technology advances as it has in the past half century.

What appealed to me about The Terminator was the fact that the amount of effects used were at a minimum, just for added effect, whereas in Pacific Rim, as I've already mentioned, the amount of effects used is massive. I believe that as the possibilities increase, it's easy to make a film filled with effects and in the end thats all you notice, which unfortunately, I think happened in Pacific Rim.

Age Ratings

As a teenager, I'm naturally more interested in modern films, but by watching The Terminator I feel that now, in this modern era, we are exposed to violence more and the scenes that we see now are more gruesome and graphical. The Terminator is rated 15, but in my opinion, if that was released now it might only be a 12 or maybe even a PG as I don't think it's as bad as films rated 15 today, such as Kingsman: The Secret Service, which are much more violent and include more gruesome scenes.