Technology has begun to advance at light speed since the advent of the internet. What was cutting-edge a few years ago is antiquated today. New breakthroughs and updates coming at regular intervals mean we’re constantly chasing the next big thing. While we have largely adapted to the era of planned obsolescence as a society, the rapid rate at which modern technology ages has been unkind to some of our favorite movies. Since films typically represent a snapshot in time, those that heavily feature emerging tech or predictions about what type of digital sorcery we may use in the future are especially prone to premature aging.
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With the ever-changing technological landscape of the modern era in mind, we are looking back on five science fiction films that haven’t aged well thanks to tech.
1) Brainscan
Make no mistake, we aren’t calling out Brainscan as a bad film. It’s a nostalgic trip down memory lane that convincingly pits youthful protagonist Michael (Edward Furlong) against a nefarious computer game that uniquely tailors the experience to each person who plays.
However, the tech so prominently featured within is another story entirely. Almost all of the equipment young Michael uses is now completely obsolete. CRT monitors and CD-ROM discs have long since gone the way of the buffalo. With that said, it’s nearly impossible to make a timeless film that largely centers around technology. So, perhaps that’s why some of us still connect with this one despite its status as a ‘90s time capsule.
2) Hackers
This ’90s thriller isn’t explicitly steeped in the futuristic themes we often closely associate with science fiction, but the picture’s cyberpunk sensibilities warrant inclusion here, nonetheless. The flick follows a group of teenage hackers on a mission to halt a nefarious scheme involving capsized oil tankers.
The film draws extra attention to the tech featured within via scenes like the one where the core cast ogles Kate’s (Angelina Jolie) Apple PowerBook Duo 280c with a 28.8k modem. By modern standards, that’s not even really qualified to serve as a paperweight. Not only has the technology aged poorly, but the depictions of hacking are also largely inaccurate and oversimplified. Even still, this one remains a fan favorite for many who grew up watching it.
3) Johnny Mnemonic
This oft-maligned science fiction picture has a handful of fans, but the flick still caught quite a bit of heat for questionable acting and a narrative that rarely makes much sense. 30 years on from release, Johnny Mnemonic is now catching additional heat for its crude depictions of futuristic technology.
The picture follows the titular data courier (Keanu Reeves), a man who can store large amounts of information in a memory chip implanted in his brain. The character’s 80-gig storage capacity probably seemed like a lot in 1995. However, modern hard drives tend to start at 256 gigs of storage and go as high as several terabytes. As such, many consider it almost laughable to rewatch this futuristic effort all these years later.
4) Tron
When Tron was released in 1982, all of the tech in the movie was groundbreaking and cutting-edge. More than 40 years later, the entire foundation upon which the film is built is dated. Taken as a product of its time, the flick is great fun, but if you’re looking for a timeless effort that hasn’t aged a day, you won’t find it here.
The film follows Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), a hacker who is sucked into a computer program and forced by a sentient program to compete for his life. What he finds within the program is visually striking, even if the now-primitive CGI is decidedly dated. The depictions of computer hardware and software within are entirely obsolete in the modern era. However, the picture was groundbreaking for its time, and the narrative remains enjoyable regardless of how dated some of the technology is.
5) Alien
Alien is one of the greatest science-fiction films of all time, if not the greatest. Even still, some of the futuristic technology depicted within has proved anything but futuristic in the years since the movie’s 1979 release. The monochromatic CRT monitors used on the USCSS Nostromo are far more in line with technology circa 1979 when the film was released than whatever sorcery will be at play in the year 2122 when the film is set.
If you don’t let the fact that some of the tech is significantly dated get you down, there are an abundance of reasons to love this iconic picture. This tale of a spaceship plagued by a malevolent alien is a rip-roaring good time featuring iconic creature design, intense pacing, and a star-making turn by Sigourney Weaver as Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley. All of the above and more make this one a beloved classic that fans will return to time and again, no matter how dated some of the finer details appear in retrospect.
What sci-fi films do you now find to be most dated? Let us know in the comments below!
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Image Courtesy of DC Comics -
Image Courtesy of DC Comics
