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Sometimes you just gotta suspend your disbelief, sit back with some popcorn and enjoy a tech-themed movie, even if Hollywood gets it all wrong.
Recently CNN posted a list of what its writers consider the 9 worst tech movies of all time. This list concentrates on movies centered on digital technology that take place in a close approximation to our real world.
Now, I’m not going to go into a rant over why everyone seems to think that compiling a list is a good substitute for content. Neither will I complain about why every time someone does put forth a list it always has to be qualified with “of all time,” as if that were possible to know given that a lot of time hasn’t happened yet. No, I will not do these things.
Instead, I’m going to tell you why the technology in the movies is always better than what we have in real life. Simply put: Real technology is boring, at least from the dramatist's point of view. Real technology is supposed to be safe and reliable, even the “pushing the envelope” stuff. Although most new developments that come out are worth attention, and may even get us excited for a while, I’m pretty sure that excitement would dwindle if we had to watch a plot built around a new gadget for 90 minutes or more.
And the activity of working with computer technology is never as exciting in the movies. Yes, Hugh Jackman in “Swordfish” and Angelina Jolie in “Hackers” sure made it look awesome. But as GCN Lab Director John Breeden tells me about the wireless hacking course he took for a story once, it is dull, dull work. Besides, they use bots for practically everything these days, and who wants to see that on the big screen?
My point is, if you are going to go to a movie, just watch it and try to enjoy it. It doesn’t matter that the technology doesn’t actually work that way — just let it slide. You’ll live longer. For instance, in "Independence Day," Jeff Goldblum is able to send a virus from his MacBook to the alien mothership, something you couldn't do today, let alone in 1996, when that film was made. Still, I refuse to unsuspend my disbelief over it. Believe me, there are enough other obstacles to enjoying that movie already — adding one more won’t do anyone any good.
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