The true heroes of the original films were not “strong female characters;” they were, simply, strong characters forged by a narrative that demanded their growth. Ripley’s victory in Aliens was a triumph not because she was a woman, but because a human being, through the force of her Thumos and courage, overcame an impossible challenge. When a modern filmmaker tries to make a character powerful for the sake of a political talking point, they are not adding strength; they are removing it, because they are removing the necessity that makes it meaningful.
The very essence of a good story is its ability to teach us how to navigate the difficult reality of our lives. It helps us make our own blueprint for enduring suffering and finding meaning. But what happens when the blueprints are bad, because they have been given, rather than earned? What happens when we are taught that meaningless suffering is all there is, or worse, that suffering is only for those we dislike?
“…they have only succeeded in creating a cultural wasteland.”
The ultimate tragedy is that in their desire to tear down what came before them, the intellectual thieves of our time have only succeeded in creating a cultural wasteland. The tools they scavenged sit uselessly in their hands, because they never understood how to use them. And they have left a generation of audiences lost, unable to identify a bad story or truly appreciate a good one, and worse, to then take that mindset into real life. The irony is bitter and complete: in their uncreative act of destruction, they have only demonstrated their profound inability to create anything of value.
Christopher Moonlight is an animator, special effects artist, and the director of the ‘Award This’ winning movie, The Quantum Terror. His upcoming animated sci-fi adventure, Escape From Planet Omega-12, combines traditional film-making special effects with AI to create something never seen before in independent film. You can follow the behind-the-scenes, including tutorials, tips, and tricks, on his YouTube Channel and Substack.
