I watch science fiction movies with the prejudice of an aerospace engineer. When watching an SF movie, I’m happiest when I can leave the aerospace engineer parts of my brain turned-on and can continually ask: “Why did they design that spacecraft or Attack Tripod in that particular way?” My satisfaction with an SF movie diminishes signficantly when the movie is obvious fantasy and I’m compelled to turn-off the rational parts of my brain. My all time favorite SF movie is Kubrick’s “2001″ (I use an image of the spacecraft “Discovery” from “2001″ as a screen saver for my DVD player). The original “Star Wars” movie was one of my all time favorite movies (not SF) but I had to turn off the aerospace functions in my brain shortly after it became clear that the TIE Fighters were actually P-38s and the Millenium Falcon was actually a B-29. “Star Wars” was a fantasy like “Harry Potter” and NOT genuine SF.

I enjoyed the Tom Cruise version of the “War of the Worlds” because the the Tripods were very well thought out. What amazing killing machines! It would be entertaining to see that movie from the perspective of the aliens running the Tripods. Next time you watch that movie on DVD, take a close look at the Tripods. They’re covered with writing that looks like a cross between Arabic and Korean script. I suspect that writing represents religious slogans, e.g. “Allah Akbar”, “Death to the Infidels”, etc. H.G. Wells never gets into the heads of the martians in the “War of the Worlds”. However I suspect the aliens in the Tom Cruise “War of the Worlds” are Holy Warriors freeing a new planet for the chosen people.

p.s. The currently playing “Star Trek” movie is over rated in my humble option. The plot was very weak and “Star Trek” never really rated as genuine SF.