I
recently watched a video called, “The World Needs More Magic”. The creator
suggested that we need to read and watch more fiction that incorporates magic
realism. It emphasizes symbols and provides people with exciting “cranial sugar
rushes”. He states that what is amazing about magicians isn’t that you believe
it is real magic, but rather that they can make something amazing happen in a
world where magic is impossible. As a
concluding thought, he says that humans are very talented at that—making
amazing things possible in an impossible world.
So,
with this video fresh in my mind, I watched Terminator 2. Now, I’m sure you’re
laughing at the thought. This movie is cheesy and the special effects can be
downright silly. However, I noticed for the first time that it addresses an
interesting idea: what it means to be human and the value of human life. Young
John Connor becomes a teacher for the Terminator, a super killing machine, as
it tries to blend in and appear more human all while protecting John from the
other Terminator. One of his first rules is that the Terminator is NOT allowed
to kill anyone. Even when it could mean stopping the formation of Skynet, John
is adamant that killing is not an option. The Terminator, a machine capable of
learning, eventually decides that he is worth less than a human. He values
human life above that of his own. The movie ends with a final statement, “If a
machine can learn the value of a human life, maybe we can too.”
Science
Fiction offers the ability to look at our entire human race from an outside
perspective. We can analyze what we believe it means to be human. Through the use of crazy and fantastical creatures
and characters, we are able to get at some really interesting truths. Instead
of dismissing that next giant robot movie or alien exploration film as just an
action movie, realize that it might have some interesting thought questions
within.
