Avatar. The Avengers. Iron Man 3. Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The Dark Knight Rises.
These are five of the top ten all-time highest grossing movies. Their (arguable) inclusion in the Science Fiction canon begs a question of the genre: is it just the spectacle that we shell out to witness, or is there some more primitive itch that these kinds of events scratch?
This blog is dedicated to figuring out how it is that Science Fiction addresses the problem of defining "human."
It was really engaging, interesting, and how space was animated was beautiful. How the CGI team animated Gargantua is an interesting story in itself. The team called in astronomers to help them create a black hole as accurate as possible. A whole lot of new information about black holes was figured out because of this animation. But I digress. The black hole is not the novum of this movie. One could argue that it is how people react in the face of relativity, but I probably wouldn’t. I might argue for the idea of 5 dimensions. That was some crazy stuff right there. He was inside the black hole experiencing one point in space at all points in time and was able to manipulate gravity. My mind was pretty blown. I think I do need to see that movie again to fully get it though. I needed to leave the theatre a few times because I got motion sick, and the sounds were overpowering. The AMC sure made good use of the surround sound, because not only did the score surround you, but sound was very effectively taken out of the theater at some key points, which added to the experience. I didn’t watch this movie, I experienced it. It was interesting, and better paced than 2001, but it was very intense and I couldn’t pay strict attention, I just had to let the movie kind of wash over me. I need to watch it again.
What to say about interstellar, except for the fact that it was AMAZING! This movie is Science Fiction in its greatest form. Not only for the performance of the actors, or the amazing space imagery, OR even for the fantastic score by Hans Zimmer, but for oh so much more. First of all, it’s packed with actual research, theories, and such. The team obviously put a lot of effort into understand quantum physics and all the like. It wasn’t one of those movies where they just made up the rules on how a black hole works etc, they were well informed on the workings of all aspects in the plot. Black holes, relativity, gravity, motion, spaceship mechanics, you name it. This movie did make me a little uncomfortable though, mainly because the human problem isn’t something ridiculously fantastical, for example robots taking over the world, it was simple problem that very well could happen. It’s quite possible that America, and even the world, could be faced with a food shortage, especially if you consider the way we abuse our soil. However if we are faced with such a solution as moving in to space, I definitely want to be a part of it. So I went to see this movie again the day after with my friend, my old boss actually because shes a huge sci fi nerd, and she pointed out some pretty neat ideas to me. (BTW she figured out the ending to the movie half way through) But anyways, so this concept of traveling through time in order to change something in the past which would create a better future is a paradox because time is a loop and whatnot; however in interstellar, addressing time as a physical dimension, where every moment is capable of being manipulated; that was the icing on the cake for me. Totally blew me away. Fantastic movie. 5 Stars. Everyone can go home.
Saw it in IMAX. It was amazing. Great soundtrack, great visuals. Kubrick’s 2001 was everywhere, which I really enjoyed. Also: Real robots that aren’t rampaging, homicidal maniacs? What a breath of fresh air. Great stuff with relativity and extra dimensions. Really well done, I think. I was worried about a time loop paradox, but it sounds like they tackled the issue pretty well at first glance. Must investigate further. This film really brought a lot of great concepts together that I totally love, both scifi and scifact. I remember Sagan giving me a helpful perspective to the complexities of extra dimensions. This is a favorite example I always come back to in order to better wrap my head around the concept: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnURElCzGc0 I also see hints from Asimov’s universe in the film’s robots. The effects of relativity are well done too, something I remember being well done in Halderman’s “Forever War”. The transhumanism or posthumanism element is always fascinating, and plenty of classic scifi tackles this theme (Star Trek TNG fans might even remember “q”, although he WAS “alien”, I guess) It’s a great way to have “aliens” without “aliens”, especially extradimensional ones. The film could have derailed early on by bludgeoning the audience with climate change allegories but it doesn’t, thankfully. It also isn’t a campy space flick with dubious science, killer robots and gratuitous exploding things. Instead it’s a well-paced, fleshed out experience that’s engaging, believable, and incredibly satisfying.
I couldn't see the movie with the class on Sunday because I had some things to do, but I watched it yesterday at the AMC movie theater near the school. The last time I watched a movie in the movie theater was like two years ago, so its been a while. I have to say that Interstellar was a very interesting and awesome movie. I didn't mind that it was over two hours long, it could have been five hours long and I would have still stayed and watched the whole thing. The graphics, acting, sound, and all that stuff was perfect in this movie. This has to be one of the best science fiction movies that I ever watched out of all the science fiction movies that I watched in the past. I remember that I watched a similar movie with a same plot like this but I forgot the title of it. It was basically the same thing like where the humans could not live on the planet Earth anymore and that they had to find another planet to live on. I like the graphics and effects of space in the movie, for example the planets. Also another thing about the movie that I liked was that the science/ideas used in the movie was realistic. The movie used physics and all that good stuff to make this an awesome and realistic movie. I wouldn't mind watching this movie again with my family when I go back home because only watching it once is not enough for such a long and amazing move.
Interstellar was amazing, just truly amazing. I’m not sure where to begin. But for starters, the aestetic at the beginning was delightful. The contrast of the low tech agrarian lifestyle mixed in with the glimpses of high tech was really fun. The whole movie visually was fantastic. I just really loved this movie. When comparing this movie to 2001 I think it’s hands down a more enjoyable experience. This is not because of the special effects (though they were great), it is because of the story. I think this is a great sci fi flick because it really deals with a human problem. Many of them. It is a movie centered around relationships, which I think made the spectacle even more enjoyable because it all meant something.
As for the whole black hole aspect, that part of the movie was phenomenal. I think I need to watch it again to fully enjoy the experience just because of all that was going on during that scene.
There is a ton to talk about with this movie, but what I think is most interesting to talk about is it’s discussion of humanity and the needs of the few/ needs of the many/ self preservation. I’m not sure what to talk about when it comes to this topic other than WOW they really went there. From the deceit that took place with the daughter of the doctor to Matt Damon being a lying coward. Also, Matt Damon just SHOWED UP like an hour and a half into the movie! I had no idea he was in it, so that was a delightful surprise. But I digress. I think one thing this movie did great was create believable, broken characters, and I loved that. All in all, wow, I am so glad I watched that movie.
Well first and foremost, the film looked gorgeous.
Like, every establishing and wide-angle shot seemed to emphasize the natural beauty of Earth/the other planets/space, which I thought played really well into Interstellar's overall theme of man vs. nature. Everything looked so grand and majestic, and, not to be nihilistic or anything (although I'm totally about to be), man's struggle to survive in the film seemed almost trivial. Even though humanity was going extinct, Earth sure didn't look like it was, given the amount of green we saw. Of course, being a human myself, I could relate to the whole not wanting to go extinct thing, but it really was neat the way the film seemed to waver between hope and despair.
The ocean planet scene is probably my favorite scene in any sci-fi movie ever, it was just so well-executed. It was at this point in the film that man seemed to lose the struggle with nature, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen us lose that struggle so spectacularly as we did in that scene. It actually reminded me a lot of another of my favorite sci-fi movies, Europa Report, which ended in a similar fashion to the way things did on ocean world.
Interstellar didn’t end there, obviously, but shift a few scenes around, give the ocean planet a bit more of a setup, and I think the giant tidal wave would’ve made for a pretty stunning, though unbelievably depressing, end to the movie.
I still loved every minute of it, but the film kind of went downhill for me after that.
First off oh my goodness did it really have to be so long. They over all story was really good but there was no need for it to take so long. Maybe it’s just me and my attention span is too short but I feel that movie could have been a little faster paced. Any ways the story was interesting I loved the robots humor setting and the fact that you could program emotion setting in general was a really cool concept that I hadn’t really seen much before. Another thing that kind of bothered me was it didn’t really explain why the earth was dying or at least trying to get rid of humans. It just seemed like they tried to copy the dust bowl and if that was the only thing wrong we all know that problem could easy be fixed. Or was the planet itself actually dying and if so why. It’s not like there aren’t a lot of movies that have explained why the earth is trying to get rid of us and at least in man of steel we knew why they had to try to colonize other planets because the core of krypton was going to explode, I think if they had at least thrown something in it would have seemed a little bit more believable to me but I know I know it’s how sci-fi is they don’t all ways explain everything but I feel like that was they huge driver of everything happening in the film you would think they would have spent a little bit more time on it. Above all I love TARS!!
Interstellar was not that bad of a movie. I liked it, but it was a little long for being in the theatre. At some points it made me get really emotional and start to cry because it had my attention and I had an emotional connection with the characters. The visuals were amazing. I think it’s so cool to think that one day we will actually be able to travel to different planets and possibly to other universes. This whole idea blows my mind. This was also great because it is something that really could happen to earth. It was cool to take a look at what other planets could look like in a whole different universe, and to be able to travel to each of them. The robots were also kind of bad ass. The humor in the one was awesome and made me laugh every time, and the fact that they could have an emotional setting was cool. The whole black hole part of it was mind blowing too. To see it like that and to think that that could be what happens when you go into a black hole. I liked Interstellar way more than 2001. 2001 was so dry it made me fall asleep several times while watching it. Interstellar had my attention the whole time and had me emotionally attached. Even ladies in the restroom afterwards were talking about it and was saying how it was like 2001, but a lot better. I would recommend Interstellar any day over 2001.
First off, I loved this movie. I thought it was not only really interesting (and emotional, I may or may not have teared up at several different parts--which is always the sign of a good movie for me) but it was just absolutely gorgeous.
Even though this movie was over two hours, I didn't feel like I was just sitting there waiting for it to be over. It didn't drag at all. The pacing was so much better (for me at least) than 2001, where I found myself forcing myself not to skip ahead. This is probably because,instead of having short little intervals of dialogue between ten minute shots of spaceships, this movie was entirely focused on the people, and the human experience they had. It was not just some big space adventure like so many other sci fi movies, it was really asking the audience to think beyond the amazing special effects and the idea of a adventurous journey into space. Using Cooper's relationship with Murph was a great way to do this. The relationship was established from the first few minutes of the movie,and then you spend the last nearly two hours wondering when he will get back to her. (Unfortunately for the son, it didn't seem like anyone was thinking about his reunion with his dad).
The only thing I would say against this movie, was that I was not a huge fan of the ending. That's not to say it was bad, because it wasn't. I just thought everything worked out a little too perfectly for everyone involved. It was a super emotional movie throughout almost all of it, and I just expected the ending to be the most emotional part. It was the kind of movie where I couldn't figure out how the characters were going to get out alive, and then suddenly they all did. Like I said, it wasn't bad, but it just didn't make me feel as much as the rest of the movie.
First off, I will be seeing this movie again. And again. And again. Absolutely brilliant. It was much like 2001: A Space Odyssey, but only in it's framework. The plot was much more intricate and focused much more on what it means to be human, as opposed to the AI aspect of Space Odyssey. It was also executed in a much better manner, in my opinion, provoking more emotion and intrigue from the general population.
I think my favorite aspect of this movie was the science behind it. I was thoroughly impressed with the thought and research that went into this movie. It wasn't a typical scfi film in that the characters went into space in a space ship, and magically used warped speed to get to a different galaxy. The lead roles were scientists, and therefore a majority of the dialogue was full of scientific jargon. I think one of my absolute favorite scenes was when they were explaining the Theory of Relativity. I had heard of it before and read things about it, but this movie explained it so simply and so well that it automatically clicked, and I was able to understand just how warped and relative our own time tables can be. It's insane to think that if one were to travel to different reaches of the galaxy and/or universe and become trapped in a gravitational pull of sorts, that their time table could slow down. Hours turn into years. Years turn into..I don't even know. It starts to make me wonder if the age of the universe can actually be determined.
When Cooper and Brand came back aboard the ship after exploring the first planet, and the other scientist (Rommily, I think) was standing there gray-bearded and aged stating it had been 20 years, when it had been only minutes for them, that blew me away. And moments like that kept happening throughout the movie. Constant mind fucks and mind explosions. It was GREAT.
I also really enjoyed when Dr. Mann and Cooper got into that fist fight. What Dr. Mann was saying just previous to that, about how the survival instinct is the trait that makes us human, really provoked a reaction from me. I had to agree with him on that because like he said, without it, we would have no drive to progress. A Space Odyssey hits on that as well when the primitive apes used tools to defeat the other group of apes. Survival is what drives us to overcome and persevere, it sparks innovation and forces us to adapt constantly. It's incredible. Strip humans of their drive to survive and what would we do? Nothing. We wouldn't have the need to work or eat or live. All forms of life, not just humans, need that trait. It's a fundamental ingredient for life, just like water.
I think this movie asked so many questions about not only what it means to be human, but what existence is in general, and what the context of what we exist is. It also provided quite a few answers (a lot of black space, a lot of different dimensions, a lot to wrap your head around). I loved it, because these are the things that I ponder on a daily basis, and this movie did a beautiful job in articulating these thoughts to the masses.
From Em:
ReplyDeleteIt was really engaging, interesting, and how space was animated was beautiful. How the CGI team animated Gargantua is an interesting story in itself. The team called in astronomers to help them create a black hole as accurate as possible. A whole lot of new information about black holes was figured out because of this animation. But I digress.
The black hole is not the novum of this movie. One could argue that it is how people react in the face of relativity, but I probably wouldn’t. I might argue for the idea of 5 dimensions. That was some crazy stuff right there. He was inside the black hole experiencing one point in space at all points in time and was able to manipulate gravity. My mind was pretty blown. I think I do need to see that movie again to fully get it though. I needed to leave the theatre a few times because I got motion sick, and the sounds were overpowering. The AMC sure made good use of the surround sound, because not only did the score surround you, but sound was very effectively taken out of the theater at some key points, which added to the experience.
I didn’t watch this movie, I experienced it. It was interesting, and better paced than 2001, but it was very intense and I couldn’t pay strict attention, I just had to let the movie kind of wash over me. I need to watch it again.
What to say about interstellar, except for the fact that it was AMAZING! This movie is Science Fiction in its greatest form. Not only for the performance of the actors, or the amazing space imagery, OR even for the fantastic score by Hans Zimmer, but for oh so much more.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, it’s packed with actual research, theories, and such. The team obviously put a lot of effort into understand quantum physics and all the like. It wasn’t one of those movies where they just made up the rules on how a black hole works etc, they were well informed on the workings of all aspects in the plot. Black holes, relativity, gravity, motion, spaceship mechanics, you name it.
This movie did make me a little uncomfortable though, mainly because the human problem isn’t something ridiculously fantastical, for example robots taking over the world, it was simple problem that very well could happen. It’s quite possible that America, and even the world, could be faced with a food shortage, especially if you consider the way we abuse our soil. However if we are faced with such a solution as moving in to space, I definitely want to be a part of it.
So I went to see this movie again the day after with my friend, my old boss actually because shes a huge sci fi nerd, and she pointed out some pretty neat ideas to me. (BTW she figured out the ending to the movie half way through) But anyways, so this concept of traveling through time in order to change something in the past which would create a better future is a paradox because time is a loop and whatnot; however in interstellar, addressing time as a physical dimension, where every moment is capable of being manipulated; that was the icing on the cake for me. Totally blew me away. Fantastic movie. 5 Stars. Everyone can go home.
Saw it in IMAX. It was amazing.
ReplyDeleteGreat soundtrack, great visuals. Kubrick’s 2001 was everywhere, which I really enjoyed. Also: Real robots that aren’t rampaging, homicidal maniacs? What a breath of fresh air. Great stuff with relativity and extra dimensions. Really well done, I think. I was worried about a time loop paradox, but it sounds like they tackled the issue pretty well at first glance. Must investigate further.
This film really brought a lot of great concepts together that I totally love, both scifi and scifact. I remember Sagan giving me a helpful perspective to the complexities of extra dimensions. This is a favorite example I always come back to in order to better wrap my head around the concept: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnURElCzGc0
I also see hints from Asimov’s universe in the film’s robots. The effects of relativity are well done too, something I remember being well done in Halderman’s “Forever War”. The transhumanism or posthumanism element is always fascinating, and plenty of classic scifi tackles this theme (Star Trek TNG fans might even remember “q”, although he WAS “alien”, I guess) It’s a great way to have “aliens” without “aliens”, especially extradimensional ones.
The film could have derailed early on by bludgeoning the audience with climate change allegories but it doesn’t, thankfully. It also isn’t a campy space flick with dubious science, killer robots and gratuitous exploding things. Instead it’s a well-paced, fleshed out experience that’s engaging, believable, and incredibly satisfying.
I couldn't see the movie with the class on Sunday because I had some things to do, but I watched it yesterday at the AMC movie theater near the school. The last time I watched a movie in the movie theater was like two years ago, so its been a while. I have to say that Interstellar was a very interesting and awesome movie. I didn't mind that it was over two hours long, it could have been five hours long and I would have still stayed and watched the whole thing. The graphics, acting, sound, and all that stuff was perfect in this movie. This has to be one of the best science fiction movies that I ever watched out of all the science fiction movies that I watched in the past. I remember that I watched a similar movie with a same plot like this but I forgot the title of it. It was basically the same thing like where the humans could not live on the planet Earth anymore and that they had to find another planet to live on. I like the graphics and effects of space in the movie, for example the planets. Also another thing about the movie that I liked was that the science/ideas used in the movie was realistic. The movie used physics and all that good stuff to make this an awesome and realistic movie. I wouldn't mind watching this movie again with my family when I go back home because only watching it once is not enough for such a long and amazing move.
ReplyDeleteInterstellar was amazing, just truly amazing. I’m not sure where to begin. But for starters, the aestetic at the beginning was delightful. The contrast of the low tech agrarian lifestyle mixed in with the glimpses of high tech was really fun. The whole movie visually was fantastic. I just really loved this movie.
ReplyDeleteWhen comparing this movie to 2001 I think it’s hands down a more enjoyable experience. This is not because of the special effects (though they were great), it is because of the story. I think this is a great sci fi flick because it really deals with a human problem. Many of them. It is a movie centered around relationships, which I think made the spectacle even more enjoyable because it all meant something.
As for the whole black hole aspect, that part of the movie was phenomenal. I think I need to watch it again to fully enjoy the experience just because of all that was going on during that scene.
There is a ton to talk about with this movie, but what I think is most interesting to talk about is it’s discussion of humanity and the needs of the few/ needs of the many/ self preservation. I’m not sure what to talk about when it comes to this topic other than WOW they really went there. From the deceit that took place with the daughter of the doctor to Matt Damon being a lying coward. Also, Matt Damon just SHOWED UP like an hour and a half into the movie! I had no idea he was in it, so that was a delightful surprise. But I digress. I think one thing this movie did great was create believable, broken characters, and I loved that.
All in all, wow, I am so glad I watched that movie.
Well first and foremost, the film looked gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteLike, every establishing and wide-angle shot seemed to emphasize the natural beauty of Earth/the other planets/space, which I thought played really well into Interstellar's overall theme of man vs. nature. Everything looked so grand and majestic, and, not to be nihilistic or anything (although I'm totally about to be), man's struggle to survive in the film seemed almost trivial. Even though humanity was going extinct, Earth sure didn't look like it was, given the amount of green we saw. Of course, being a human myself, I could relate to the whole not wanting to go extinct thing, but it really was neat the way the film seemed to waver between hope and despair.
The ocean planet scene is probably my favorite scene in any sci-fi movie ever, it was just so well-executed. It was at this point in the film that man seemed to lose the struggle with nature, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen us lose that struggle so spectacularly as we did in that scene. It actually reminded me a lot of another of my favorite sci-fi movies, Europa Report, which ended in a similar fashion to the way things did on ocean world.
Interstellar didn’t end there, obviously, but shift a few scenes around, give the ocean planet a bit more of a setup, and I think the giant tidal wave would’ve made for a pretty stunning, though unbelievably depressing, end to the movie.
I still loved every minute of it, but the film kind of went downhill for me after that.
First off oh my goodness did it really have to be so long. They over all story was really good but there was no need for it to take so long. Maybe it’s just me and my attention span is too short but I feel that movie could have been a little faster paced. Any ways the story was interesting I loved the robots humor setting and the fact that you could program emotion setting in general was a really cool concept that I hadn’t really seen much before.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that kind of bothered me was it didn’t really explain why the earth was dying or at least trying to get rid of humans. It just seemed like they tried to copy the dust bowl and if that was the only thing wrong we all know that problem could easy be fixed. Or was the planet itself actually dying and if so why. It’s not like there aren’t a lot of movies that have explained why the earth is trying to get rid of us and at least in man of steel we knew why they had to try to colonize other planets because the core of krypton was going to explode, I think if they had at least thrown something in it would have seemed a little bit more believable to me but I know I know it’s how sci-fi is they don’t all ways explain everything but I feel like that was they huge driver of everything happening in the film you would think they would have spent a little bit more time on it. Above all I love TARS!!
Interstellar was not that bad of a movie. I liked it, but it was a little long for being in the theatre. At some points it made me get really emotional and start to cry because it had my attention and I had an emotional connection with the characters. The visuals were amazing. I think it’s so cool to think that one day we will actually be able to travel to different planets and possibly to other universes. This whole idea blows my mind. This was also great because it is something that really could happen to earth. It was cool to take a look at what other planets could look like in a whole different universe, and to be able to travel to each of them. The robots were also kind of bad ass. The humor in the one was awesome and made me laugh every time, and the fact that they could have an emotional setting was cool. The whole black hole part of it was mind blowing too. To see it like that and to think that that could be what happens when you go into a black hole.
ReplyDeleteI liked Interstellar way more than 2001. 2001 was so dry it made me fall asleep several times while watching it. Interstellar had my attention the whole time and had me emotionally attached. Even ladies in the restroom afterwards were talking about it and was saying how it was like 2001, but a lot better. I would recommend Interstellar any day over 2001.
From Stephanie:
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I loved this movie. I thought it was not only really interesting (and emotional, I may or may not have teared up at several different parts--which is always the sign of a good movie for me) but it was just absolutely gorgeous.
Even though this movie was over two hours, I didn't feel like I was just sitting there waiting for it to be over. It didn't drag at all. The pacing was so much better (for me at least) than 2001, where I found myself forcing myself not to skip ahead. This is probably because,instead of having short little intervals of dialogue between ten minute shots of spaceships, this movie was entirely focused on the people, and the human experience they had. It was not just some big space adventure like so many other sci fi movies, it was really asking the audience to think beyond the amazing special effects and the idea of a adventurous journey into space. Using Cooper's relationship with Murph was a great way to do this. The relationship was established from the first few minutes of the movie,and then you spend the last nearly two hours wondering when he will get back to her. (Unfortunately for the son, it didn't seem like anyone was thinking about his reunion with his dad).
The only thing I would say against this movie, was that I was not a huge fan of the ending. That's not to say it was bad, because it wasn't. I just thought everything worked out a little too perfectly for everyone involved. It was a super emotional movie throughout almost all of it, and I just expected the ending to be the most emotional part. It was the kind of movie where I couldn't figure out how the characters were going to get out alive, and then suddenly they all did. Like I said, it wasn't bad, but it just didn't make me feel as much as the rest of the movie.
From Katrina
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I will be seeing this movie again. And again. And again. Absolutely brilliant. It was much like 2001: A Space Odyssey, but only in it's framework. The plot was much more intricate and focused much more on what it means to be human, as opposed to the AI aspect of Space Odyssey. It was also executed in a much better manner, in my opinion, provoking more emotion and intrigue from the general population.
I think my favorite aspect of this movie was the science behind it. I was thoroughly impressed with the thought and research that went into this movie. It wasn't a typical scfi film in that the characters went into space in a space ship, and magically used warped speed to get to a different galaxy. The lead roles were scientists, and therefore a majority of the dialogue was full of scientific jargon. I think one of my absolute favorite scenes was when they were explaining the Theory of Relativity. I had heard of it before and read things about it, but this movie explained it so simply and so well that it automatically clicked, and I was able to understand just how warped and relative our own time tables can be. It's insane to think that if one were to travel to different reaches of the galaxy and/or universe and become trapped in a gravitational pull of sorts, that their time table could slow down. Hours turn into years. Years turn into..I don't even know. It starts to make me wonder if the age of the universe can actually be determined.
When Cooper and Brand came back aboard the ship after exploring the first planet, and the other scientist (Rommily, I think) was standing there gray-bearded and aged stating it had been 20 years, when it had been only minutes for them, that blew me away. And moments like that kept happening throughout the movie. Constant mind fucks and mind explosions. It was GREAT.
I also really enjoyed when Dr. Mann and Cooper got into that fist fight. What Dr. Mann was saying just previous to that, about how the survival instinct is the trait that makes us human, really provoked a reaction from me. I had to agree with him on that because like he said, without it, we would have no drive to progress. A Space Odyssey hits on that as well when the primitive apes used tools to defeat the other group of apes. Survival is what drives us to overcome and persevere, it sparks innovation and forces us to adapt constantly. It's incredible. Strip humans of their drive to survive and what would we do? Nothing. We wouldn't have the need to work or eat or live. All forms of life, not just humans, need that trait. It's a fundamental ingredient for life, just like water.
I think this movie asked so many questions about not only what it means to be human, but what existence is in general, and what the context of what we exist is. It also provided quite a few answers (a lot of black space, a lot of different dimensions, a lot to wrap your head around). I loved it, because these are the things that I ponder on a daily basis, and this movie did a beautiful job in articulating these thoughts to the masses.