Monday, February 8, 2016

Guest Post by Spencer John - Power Grid Failure and Natural Disasters Are All Too Real in The 5th Wave


The 5th Wave explores what might happen in a world of massive power outages, natural disasters and invasion. Although there is a general taste for post-apocalyptic novels and movies, The 5th Wave sets itself apart based on its perspective. It follows the Old Testament plague storyline of a population being attacked again and again by various deluges - a power grid failure, avian flu, a massive tsunami and even extraterrestrial body snatchers. In some fashion, we have experienced all of these things in our actual lives, and this is what makes The 5th Wave so poignant. 

As aliens make their presence on Earth know through these “waves” of attack, the story follows 16 year old Cassie (ChloĆ« Grace Moretz) on a race to rescue her younger brother (Zackary Arthur) from an alien-run training camp. In the first wave, all electronics completely stopped working. The movie was perhaps ahead of its time in showing how dependent everyone had become on technology. Humanity was completely defenseless against the attacks - communication was shut down and no one knew what to do without their machines.

In the second wave, steel beams fall on the major fault lines around the world, followed by tsunamis that wiped out about a quarter of the population around the world. The true horror of this part of the movie occurs as people think back to the earthquakes that so easily destroy even the most powerful and sturdy of human creations. The third wave attacked the population on the cellular level. An avian flu overtook the world in the same way that Ebola did and the current Zika virus is. Although Ebola did not have near the same effect that the avian flu had in the movie, the fear and panic was undoubtedly similar.

 Finally, in the fourth wave, the aliens came down and began to physically possess human bodies. Once humanity had been weakened to the point of no defense, the aliens felt no fear in coming down and initiating a frontal attack. The possession turned humanity on itself as a civil war of sorts began between family members and friends.

 While not that great of a movie overall, the really interesting thing about The 5th Wave is the realistic energy threats it presents - these things could happen in real life! The power grid failure in the first wave of attack calls attention to the power outages that have happened around the world as well as the vulnerability of the American power grid. According to Direct Energy, the US power grid is using over ten percent more power than it was a decade ago, and experiencing more than 210 blackout minutes per year. Huge blackouts in Pakistan and North Holland showcased just how dependent humanity has become on its electric grids, and it’s scary to think that humanity was weakened so much by the power outages that no one was prepared for the plagues that came after!

Not only are blackouts a constant worry and inconvenience, but hacking and EMP attacks have been concerns of the government for years,  especially now that our dependency on machines has skyrocketed. The entire power grid could be dismantled by an electromagnetic pulse from a high altitude nuclear bomb, terrorist hackers could easily disable the grid due to lack of upgrades and safety regulations and let’s not forget how susceptible it is to major forces of weather. But not only does The 5th Wave touch on technological failure, climate change is brought front and center through natural disasters with catastrophic results.

Although The 5th Wave presents a compelling and exciting take on a dystopia, fans of the novel source material were slightly disappointed in it’s adaptation. The movie had less detail than the source material; however, the visuals and stellar performances from a talented cast definitely added a level of immersion that the book simply could not have. While an overall entertaining storyline and watch overall, if we really take the message of The 5th Wave seriously, we all have some serious changes to make in our lives to avoid an attack of our own!


Spencer John is a freelance entertainment, culture, and lifestyle blogger. He lives and works in Chicago. When not working he can be found camped out in his apartment watching the latest films and newest television shows.



6 comments:

Kate @Midnight Book Girl said...

The 5th Wave isn't my first EMP book, but I do wish that both the book and movie delved into all the ways that would make our current lives difficult- patients who need medicine that needs to be kept at certain temperatures would be among the early dead.

I only read a little of the book before I went and saw the film. I agree it looked good, but not even having read the entire book I was let down by the movie. Cassie a much stronger character in the books, and so much was left out. Despite my lukewarm feelings towards the movie, I did go home and finish the book the next day.

xjd7410@gmail.com said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

coach outlet clearance
puma shoes
michael kors handbags clearance
lacoste shirts
toms shoes
tory burch outlet online
hermes outlet
michael kors outlet online
salomon shoes
chrome hearts
true religion jeans
cartier sunglasses for men
bottega veneta outlet online
oakley sunglasses
michael kors outlet online
ralph lauren pas cher
michael kors handbags
lululemon uk
michael kors uk outlet
rolex watches for sale
michael kors outlet
the north face jackets
kobe 9
air jordan shoes for sale
nike outlet store
hollister clothing
ralph lauren outlet
michael kors outlet online
ed hardy clothing
michael kors factory outlet
tiffany and co jewelry
michael kors outlet
true religion jeans
beats by dre
michael kors outlet
czq20160728

John said...

louis vuitton pas cher
chaussure louboutin pas cher
louboutin pas cher
chaussure louboutin
jordan femmes pas cher
nike air force
ed hardy clothing
ed hardy uk
polo ralph lauren
polo ralph lauren pas cher
2016108 yangheying

mecolefqwarxp said...

I love pickles for several reasons: Firstly, the way they taste, and the way acid hits your tongue with cold electricity and fires up your salivary glands. Some people dislike this sensation, but I think it rules. Secondly, the science behind the culinary art of pickling is wild.

John Oakley, chairman of Coach Outlet Online the Kent branch of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), said Best Yeezys Kent agents are reporting the most Ray Ban Outlet successful month in terms of sales since February last year.He Nike Air Force 1 Cheap Outlet said: "Now is definitely a good time to buy. The general trend is Cheap Michael Kors Handbags that enquiry levels are up, especially from first time buyers, and more and more people are in the MK Outlet Online market to move."Statistics from HM Revenue Customs indicate there has been Jordan Shoes For Sale a 40 per cent increase in house sales nationally between February and March, rising to 60,000.Kent is broadly in line with this trend, according to Mr Oakley.National figures released by the NAEA on Friday show the number of people hunting for a new home in March rose by 12 per cent.These figures also show the number of house sales per agent increased to nine the Coach Outlet Clearance Sale largest average figure in over a year.A large proportion 23 per cent of sales were to first time buyers who are beginning to get their foot on the property ladder.Keith Breading, managing director of WH Breading Son, an independent estate agent in Faversham, agrees with the NAEA's view.He said: "There's definitely been a marked improvement in this area. I'm sure it's going to continue."I believe the pendulum is at its lowest point and it is about to swing back up again..

Unknown said...

her latest blog replica louis vuitton bags browse around this site replica gucci handbags More about the author replica louis vuitton

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...