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zwolanerd

I guess I just like liking things

Spoiler Alert: There's space travel

Spoiler Alert: There’s space travel

I saw Interstellar over the weekend and I liked it a lot.

I could just stop there and we’d probably all be fine, but that sort of thing doesn’t keep the lights on around here, so buckle up!

First and foremost, I’m not going to pretend I understood all the science behind the movie, and, honestly, it doesn’t matter. I did understand what they were doing and why they were doing it, so within the confines of the movie, I got what I needed to get. If someone needs to send me towards any black holes to do something, I’ll worry about the actual science of it it then. Until that time, I’m fine with what they did.

As many have said, the movie is reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Here’s the thing: I did not really care for 2001: A Space Odyssey. Yes, I enjoyed parts of it, but when it gets to the ending, I’m out. I’ve read all about what the ending’s supposed to be and yada yada yada, I just don’t care. Sorry. Add it to the list of movies I should like but don’t. Weird, then, that I would like Interstellar so much, right? Nope. Interstellar, for all of its wandering among the stars, is way more human. The relationships between people are the core of this movie – without the central father-daughter relationship the movie just wouldn’t work.

That’s the best scifi, though, right? Star Trek’s point is “here’s where humanity could go,” and technology devoid of human relationships gets us The Matrix (the construct, not the movie). The question of doing things for yourself or doing things for the greater good is posed several times in this movie, and giving the question such a grand scale can help a person consider the same question in their own circumstances. “How would I act in that situation?” can give way to “How should I be acting in the actual situation I’m in right now?” I’m all for lightsaber duels and huge space battles, but my favorite scifi makes me think about my own choices and future, where “my” can refer to both “me” and “humanity at large.” There were several points in the movie that made me tear up, and some of those points weren’t even sad on their own – it was what those moments paralleled or contrasted in my life.

I think the best review I can give of the movie is that it’s almost three hours long but I didn’t notice. I never once looked at the clock.

Also: I want a TARS of my very own. He was instantly one of my favorite movie robots ever.

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