Science becomes more and more advanced every year, but certain tenets of the science fiction genre remain consistent in movies and television. As a result of this, it has gradually become easier and easier to poke logic holes in even the most beloved sci-fi properties. That is exactly what Neil deGrasse Tyson recently did when he set his sights on Alien: Covenant and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and the result is nothing less than pure, unadulterated, geeky glory. Check out the video below to see for yourself.
I am sure Neil deGrasse Tyson is a nice guy, but that video from a recent episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert makes it pretty clear that you probably wouldn't want to go to a science fiction movie with him. Taking careful aim at Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant and James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the pop culture icon carefully dissects the inherent absurdity of a manned colonization mission to a remote planet without the aid of reconnaissance robots. Additionally, he points to the fact that Guardians fall into the age old trap of showing sound in space -- despite the fact that it's physically impossible to hear an explosion in space. He generally makes valid points, but maybe we would be better off ignoring some of those points and embracing the movie magic of it all.
Once he has torn through this month's most highly anticipated sci-fi debuts, Neil deGrasse Tyson then sets his sights on another major upcoming movie release: Baywatch. Oddly enough, it appears that a seemingly ridiculous sequence in which The Rock carries two refrigerators is not that absurd when we crunch the numbers. He is a big guy, so picking up two (probably empty) refrigerators should be no challenge for him.
Although Neil deGrasse Tyson is clearly having a ton of fun poking holes in these science fiction movies, it has also become abundantly clear that he has a passion for fantastical universes that lack any real scientific basis. The legendary scientist has become a pop culture mainstay in recent years, even appearing in films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as a surrogate for the scientific community. Neil deGrasse Tyson has essentially become shorthand for "really smart guy that you can probably trust" in film and television, and there's certainly no doubting that he seems to love that status.
Of course, whether or not the science aspect of these science fiction films means anything to you is entirely subjective. If you are not bothered by logical holes in space-based adventures, then make sure to check out Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which is currently in theaters, as well as Alien: Covenant, which will debut in theaters later this month on May 19.
