6 ’80s Sci-Fi Movies That Got the Future All Wrong

The ’80s were a time when movie screens lit up with tales of technology and tomorrow. Sci-fi flicks from this era gave us a peek at what the future might hold, but looking back, it’s funny to see how some of those predictions panned out. Here’s a look at six ’80s movies that had big dreams for the future but didn’t quite guess right.

The Terminator

“The Terminator,” with its dark future where machines rule, really shook things up in the ’80s. It told us that by 2029, we’d be tangled up in a war against super-smart robots. Well, the truth is, we’re not even close. Sure, we’ve got robots and AI, but they’re more about helping us out than trying to wipe us off the map. James Cameron’s movie made a lot of people nervous about a robot take-over, but so far, that’s all stayed in the make-believe world of cinema.

Escape From New York

The idea of New York turning into a mega jail in “Escape From New York” sure was a wild one. The 1997 in John Carpenter’s movie was all about chaos, but the real 1997 was pretty calm in New York. Crime was actually going down, not up. Then there’s “Escape from L.A.,” imagining 2013 as another disaster zone. But again, reality didn’t follow the script. Both movies remind us that the future is always up for grabs and can be a lot brighter than we sometimes think.

Tron

Then there’s “Tron,” with its neon lines and video game vibes. It showed us a world inside computers where people and programs lived side by side. Fast forward to today, and our games are really fancy, but we’re definitely not living in them. “Tron’s” vision was way ahead of its time, but it turned out more as a cool idea than what gaming became. Even though we have all sorts of fancy tech now, we haven’t quite cracked the code on making a digital world like in “Tron.”

Flash Gordon

“Flash Gordon” threw some crazy fun at us. Mind-talking and zipping around in space seemed just around the corner. But the real future isn’t like that. Here in the real world, we’re still waiting to chat with our thoughts or to see if there’s anyone else out there in the stars. New York Jets having a superstar named Flash? Not yet. But hey, that’s what makes “Flash Gordon” so much fun—it’s all about wild dreams and dashing heroes, not about getting the future spot on.

Mad Max 2

The world “Mad Max 2” dreamed up was really rough, with the world all broken and gangs on wheels ruling the wastelands. 2014 finally arrived, and things were nothing like that. We have our share of problems, sure, but it’s more about figuring out tech and getting along with each other, not about fighting for a drop of gas. The good news is that the scary world of “Mad Max” stayed onscreen, and reality turned out a lot nicer.

Back To The Future Part II

Now, “Back To The Future Part II” really went big with its predictions. Flying cars, hoverboards zipping around, and even taking charge of the weather—2015 was supposed to be wild. But those dreams stayed just that—dreams. When 2015 actually rolled around, we were all a little sad not to have hoverboards to play with. The closest thing we got was the Nike Air Mags, which were pretty neat, so that’s something to be happy about. It goes to show, sometimes movies guess the future a little too boldly, but that’s OK. It sure is fun to dream.