《猩球崛起：黎明之战》
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is already well on its way to becoming a massive global hit. As of this writing, the science fiction sequel has earned $104
million globally after just one weekend. It’s reassuring when people get excited about a movie like Dawn. Dawn grapples with such serious issues as evolution,the nature of violence and the dangerous impact that misunderstandings can have on a culture. The serious themes should come as no surprise to the many people who enjoyed
2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes. That franchise reboot didn’t shy away from taking a more intellectual approach to the concept of apes overtaking humans.
I believe very strongly that when it comes to the science fiction genre, studios often underestimate what the paying public is interested in. Yes, there will always be a place for one-dimensional action extravaganzas about alien invasions, but there’s also room for science fiction films that grapple with serious issues. For proof, look no further than this summer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is also
North America’s highest-grossing film of the season and second globally onto Transformers: Age of Extinction. Days of Future Past is full of complicated themes about social equality, discrimination and the ramifications of choices we make.
《猩球崛起：黎明之战》万事俱备，即将成为轰动全球的热片。截至撰写本文的时间，这部科幻系列片仅一个周末就已经挣得1.04亿美元的全球票房。既然人们对《黎明之战》这样的电影兴致勃勃，那还是很让人舒心的。《黎明之战》尝试解决一些严肃的问题，譬如进化、暴力的性质以及误解可能对文化造成的危害后果。这个严肃的主题对许多欣赏2011年《猩球崛起》的人们来说一点也不意外。这部系列片的重启并没有逃避猩猩接管人类的概念这一更加挑逗智力的做法。我坚信，说到科幻类型，电影工作室常常低估付费观众的兴趣。是的，外星人入侵的单维动作大戏总会有一席之地，但探讨严肃议题的科幻片同样会有空间。作为佐证，看下今夏的《X战警：扭转未来》，这也是本档期北美最高票房，全球票房仅逊色于《变形金刚：绝迹重生》。《扭转未来》交织着社会平等、歧视和人生选择后果的主题，错综复杂。
There are plenty of historic examples of smart science fiction films catching on in a big way, but when discussing the topic I usually point to two strong efforts that show what’s possible both artistically and commercially: Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and Christopher Nolan’s Inception. When Kubrick set out to make 2001 he was quoted as saying that he wanted to make a “good”sci-fi movie. That bold statement was backed up by a film that inspired some of the most successful
directors of our time: no less than George Lucas and James Cameron list it as a turning point in their lives. 2001 also turned in to a massive commercial success and it still plays in theaters around North America to this day.
聪慧的科幻电影火爆票房的过往例子不胜枚举，但我在讨论这个话题的时候，我通常会以两部力作来解释可能的艺术和商业成就：斯坦利·库布里克的《2001：太空漫游》和克里斯托弗·诺兰的《盗梦空间》。当库布里克开始制作《2001》的时候，据说他扬言要制作一部“美妙的”科幻片。支撑起这一大胆的声明的是一部杰作，它唤醒了我们这个时代一些最成功导演的灵感，包括乔治·卢卡斯和詹姆斯·卡梅隆本人都称该片为其生涯的转折点。《2001》也带来商业上的辉煌成就，直至今日仍在北美影院放映。
As for Inception, Christopher Nolan also pulled off something miraculous: he made a commercially successful mind-bending sci-fi movie that doesn’t treat its audience like children. Released in between installments of his Dark Knight franchise, Inception earned a staggering $823.6 million globally. That sends a clear message to Hollywood: smart science fiction films can succeed in a big way.
至于《盗梦空间》，克里斯托弗·诺兰也创造了某种奇迹：他制作了一部商业上极其成功的电影，虽然离奇古怪令人费解，但却不把观众当作小孩。夹在《黑暗骑士》系列片的中间，《盗梦空间》赚得8.236亿的庞大全球票房。这给好莱坞一个明晰的讯息：巧妙的科幻片会出奇地成功。
When it comes to entertainment, sometimes people just want something they can watch for two hours and not ever think about again. They want to escape. Yet many moviegoers want to be challenged. They want to discuss their favorite films for hours on end with friends. We need more films that create these conversations, and the truth is that they are not nearly as commercially risky as they are made out to be.
Personally, I can’t see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes again and debate its virtues with friends and family. I know the experience will be a rewarding one.
说到娱乐，有时人们只是想看两个小时的电影，然后置之于脑后。他们要避开俗务。然而许多影迷也想寻求挑战。他们会连续好几个小时跟朋友唠嗑自己的心爱电影。我们需要更多能创造话题的电影，这些电影开始会觉得很冒险，其实结果却远非如此。个人认为，我不能看了《猩球崛起：黎明之战》而不去同家人和朋友辩论其中的奥妙。我知道辩一辩将是非常有益的。
《X战警：扭转未来》中伊恩·麦克莱恩饰演万磁王