Technology, today is omnipresent. Science and technology have always pressed the curiosity buttons of people. They always want to know how and why with tones of entertainment. From our shower in the bathroom to our smartphones and laptops technology has a share. How can the prime source of entertainment remain oblivious from such a versatile and necessary aspects of our modern-day life? Audiences love super normal stimuli on big screens. Cars flying, time travel, robots taking over the world, super powers as gifts of science and so on, are a treat to eyes. Infotainment is world widely appreciated. Directors and story writers have noticed the peoples’ interest in technology and have catered to it since the advent of the latter itself. They have made outstanding Sci-Fi, superheroes behind masks, magical watches, time traveling cars, suit of tin counting the stars. All might still be a goal to be accomplished in future. Movies have made it real long back but on the idiot box. 10 most amazing technology related movies are shortlisted in the following article. These movies were gems to the industry which stand at the edge of reality and virtual world of technology.
1.Inception
Released in 2010 is a beautiful blend of virtual world in reality. Directed by Christopher Nolan with Leonardo DiCaprio as the main lead. Plot of the movie describes the protagonist as a professional thief who steals information from his target by entering their dreams. He is offered a barter collaboration where he is asked to implant some other person’s idea in the subconscious of the target in return of getting his criminal history erased. Film is an inspiration from the concept of lucid dreams. The special effects, filming, stunts and acting makes in reality difficult to accept the virtuality of the movie. Inception is a perfect blend of technology of illusions and plot of cooperate spying.
2.Blade Runner
It is one of the best science-fiction till date. It is based on the life of a blade runner whose job was to rack down bioengineered humanoids known as replicants and terminally “retire” them, informed that four replicants are on earth illegally. The movie has Harrison Ford as the lead actor playing the role of the blade runner, Rick Deckard. The film is future depiction of Los Angeles with respect to that time. The director has taken a note of small elements which create a big difference, the authencity of the movie is enhanced with femme fatale, cynical narration and dark cinematography. Movie portrays how technology can contradict morality.
3.Avatar
The movie hit a grand success on the big screen in 2009. It shows how human greed and overpopulation on earth forces us to invade others home to steal resources. This results in conflicts between the colonists and indigenous species, 10 feet tall, blue skinned creatures known as Na’vi. James Cameron’s masterpiece show scenes of big helicopters, gunships in competition to dragons adding a pinch of action with high tech world he takes us to. Marine Jake Sully lost his legs but can transport himself into the body of a na’vi via avatar technology. It is creative adaption of technology against imperialism with vulnerability of Jake who himself could change in Na’vi to fall for their lifestyle.
4.Minority Report
Released in 2002 with Tom Cruise, playing precrime chief John Anderton, sniffs out of the clues with the help of his gesture based, transparent, screenless, holographic 3D computer. He collects the clues and arranges them in mid- air, inspiring the vision for argument reality and virtual reality. Director Steven Spielberg consulted with Sci-Fi authors and technologists to create the vision of 2054. The year in which police stop major crimes using precrime analysis, which predicts the crimes before they actually happen. The picture is set in Washington, D.C and Northern Virginia. Minority report was one the best- reviewed films of 2002 and was nominated for several awards.
5.The Matrix
The Matrix is science fiction written and directed by Wachowskis. Starring Keanu Reeves. It shows the world as an illusion, a computer stimulation meant to keep us all while sentient machines farm us for our energy in rows and rows of vats. This movie launched ideas like bullet time, wall running and artificial reality. When the computer programmer Thomas Anderson, under the hacker alias “Neo”, undercovers the truth, he is drawn into a rebellion against the machines along with other people who have been freed from the matrix. Movie grossed over $ 460 million worldwide. Received many positive critics, praised for its amazing visual effects, action sequences, cinematography, entertainment value, and won four academy awards as well as several other accolades, including BAFTA Awards and Saturn Awards.
6.The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games was released in 2012, inspired from the trilogy ‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins. The movie is a close look into oppression, surveillance, the repression of many provinces in the service of a capital city and the gladiatorial sacrifice of children in a combat area. It is a story of scary future of a totalitarian state made possible by the use of oppressive technologies for ubiquitous surveillance and police control. The gladiator ring features deadly cyber creations- created by game masters in a control room- such as vicious dogs that hunt down the tributes if they become too famous. The surveillance, military tech, two-tiered society, and malevolent reality TV culture are all part of a perfect nightmare society. It is the 21st– highest grossing film franchise of all time, having grossed over US$2.97 billion worldwide.
7.The Terminator
One of the most popular technology movies ever. War between humans and machines. Released in 1984 stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, whose future son will save mankind from extinction by a hostile artificial intelligence in a post- apocalyptic future. The film initiated a long -running Terminator franchise starting with Terminator 2: Judgment Day, considered by many to be one of the greatest sequels of all time, released in 1991. The success of the work led to several sequels, a television series, comic books, novels and video games. In 2008, The Terminator was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
8.Jobs
Rich and successful figures have always been a part of films. Sometimes as our favorite leads and sometimes the whole movie is inspired from their lives. Even jobs released in 2013 is one of them, about Steve Jobs. He led a channel of a lavish life and the story traces this from the very beginning. Apple’s launch of iPod- covering his rise, downfall, and eventually rebirth. The accuracy of the film is still a subject to doubts. The film opens in 2001 with middle-aged Steve Jobs introducing the iPod to an Apple Town Hall meeting and ends with Jobs recording the dialogue for the Think Different commercial in 1997. Before the credits, there is a photo montage of the main characters paired with film clips of the actor playing the part, plus a dedication to Steve Jobs.
9.Her
Her was released in 2013, romantic- comedy about the lonely man (Joaquin Phoenix) who sadly falls in love with the female voice and A.I character Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) that is the personification of his computers’ intelligence operating system. Set in Los Angeles, the film focuses on Theordore Twombly (Phoenix), whose job is to create happy greeting card messages using voice- operated computers. He buys an A.I- based computer and bonds with the female character. She’s always available, interested and supportive of him. Theordore later finds out that Samantha is having relationships with thousands of people. The story is an excellent example of the cons, especially heartbreaks human can have when A.I fills the void of love interest and expectations instead of another human. In a 2016 BBC poll of 177 critics around the world, her was voted the 84th greatest film since 2000.
10.The Martian
Released in 2015. Matt Watney as astronaut who landed on Mars after a series of accidents forces a spaceship crew to leave without him. A botanist and trained survivor use his knowledge and common sense to survive long enough for a rescue mission to arrive. The movie has succeeded in capturing the emotional details of Watney during his entire journey. The ending of the film shows what all can be accomplished when a bunch of brilliant minds come together to save a single human life. The Martian received accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture- Music or Comedy.
