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| This shot from “Star Trek Beyond” was created from the real world city of Dubai. (Time Out) |
1. Of all the fantasy genres, it’s the most achievable one
So there’s “Lord of the Rings” and there’s “Divergent,” all of which are fantasy movies, just like “Star Trek Beyond.” Yet if we’re to be honest, only “Star Trek Beyond” would be feasible in say, 10,000 years time. There’ll never be a One Ring to rule them all, and classifying humans according to their characteristics would cause a war before it ever happened. We like space movies like “Star Trek Beyond” because they might actually happen one day, and are the closest we’ll get to time travelling.
2. Spaceships are like giant cars, and we love cars
Cars are magnificent but horridly expensive machines. It’s become so popular ever since the first one was made, because it appeals to our innate desire for power and size. Who doesn’t want to be bigger or stronger? Spaceships are effectively giant cars, except they can travel greater distances and hold more people. They are the ultimate expressions of our love of size and strength. We will have one, no matter how expensive the COE gets.
3. Aliens are modern day mythical creatures
The Ancient Greeks had so many mythological creatures that were probably the result of short-sighted sages trying to identify everyday animals. But their legends proliferated because we all want a break from mundane reality, and wish that our surroundings were more exciting. This explains the wild success of Pokemon GO, and also why we like aliens so much. If a space movie didn’t have aliens, it’d be like playing Pokemon GO with real animals. They make a boring reality so much more interesting, and take the place of mythical creatures in today’s age.
4. Undiscovered planets are like undiscovered lands.
With GPS and Google Maps, our entire planet is mapped, down to the nearest square metre. There are no more lands to discover, because we know them all. But there were so many explorers in ancient times because the thrill of finding an undiscovered land is part of human nature. We live vicariously through space movies because there’s always an undiscovered planet, and to us, that’s the equivalent of finding a country that nobody’s ever heard of before.
5. The strength of humanity
Notice one thing about outer space movies? The humans always triumph. When faced against alien-looking… aliens, humanity always bands together regardless of race. Aliens force us to unite. And it’s because of this unity that humankind is always the victor in such films. It affirms our belief that our species is the strongest and most deserving on the planet (whether that is true is another matter), and in a way, flatters our ego.
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