The Science/Natural Disasters of Interstellar

Rating: 10/10 (11 February 2020)

Interstellar is a wonderfully made science fiction movie with very accurate representations of both modern science and natural disaster. In this film, Matthew McConaughey plays the role of a former NASA pilot named Cooper, who is an ambitious father that is willing to do anything for the sake of his children in a time where all of mankind is struggling to survive. The movie opens up with the image of a severe dust storm wreaking havoc over the U.S., as well as the whole world, which results in a terrible global crop blight. This type of natural disaster is one that the U.S. knows all too well after the Dust Bowl of the 1930's, as well as one that could occur at any time and was depicted very accurately. This has led to the realization that Earth can sustain its inhabitants no longer, and that something has to be done to save the future of mankind.
Cooper's family is struggling to put food on the table and make it by when he is approached by a brilliant professor named Dr. Bland, who is played by Michael Caine. Dr. Bland proposes his idea of travelling through a blackhole to another galaxy, or interstellar travel, in hopes of attempting to decide on one of three planets for mankind to call home in an attempt of repopulation and sanctum. Upon travelling through the wormhole and arriving on distant planets, the space team is faced with numerous obstacles. For example, the team comes face to face with huge tidal waves that stay stationary as the planet moves underneath, slamming the team and their ships into the water. Tidal waves are something very common on Earth and very detrimental to places such as the tropics. The level of destruction from these waves, as well as all the expanse of the tidal wave, that was represented in the movie was very accurate.