Sci-fi films appeal to audiences for a variety of reasons. Films such as Blade Runner and The Matrix appeal as they allow people to intellectually challenge the actions of humanity through the medium of film. The extravagant and aesthetically pleasing effects and set pieces also lead people who enjoy more simple action style movies to get in on the genre too. These movies know their audience and in cases such as Han Solo in Star Wars, characters are designed with an intent to appeal to a specific audience. These films are also family friendly in a lot of cases meaning that they become more child friendly action flicks for families to enjoy while still experiencing a film that respects adult humour and interests.
The plot lines of these films are also easy to follow with relatable and interesting characters. For example in Star Trek: Into Darkness the goal is simply to find and stop a villain but the fantastic and unique characterisation through actors like Benedict Cumberbatch allows sci-fi movies to appeal as interesting character studies and showcases of acting talent while the plot does not intellectually challenge the viewer. Movies like The Matrix and Terminator also utilise this simple narrative structure to express certain themes like, in this case, the power of machines and humanity's effect on itself.
The structure of these films tends to resemble that of the action and thriller genres. These are perhaps the most popular genres of film for most of the population. The resemblance with these genres allows sci-fi films to easily straddle the line between action films meaning the audience happily transfer over and therefore sci-fi films can attract a much larger audience through these grounds.
A well considered answer with strong support and good terminology - well done. Look also at the cross over with action/thriller and fantasy genres - how would this attract a larger audience?
ReplyDeleteThank you, I have added a paragraph on this topic.
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