Probably there isn’t a single person who at least once in his life hasn’t wondered whether among the billions of stars in the galaxy there is someone else similar to him. Hollander intentionally puts the emphasis on the word “similar”, because people are always looking for something that they can relate to and can somewhat understand. Therefore, it is no wonder that both film and literary worlds are filled with aliens who often reflect our traits, whether they are physically similar or in character, good or bad. A good example and probably the best proof of this is Superman, who as Hollander says is certainly the most popular and best-known supernatural character in film history, and that his physical appearance is no different from ours. Although his capabilities go far beyond the human, yet again they reflect man's eternal desire to break boundaries and unattainable things.
Many writers and directors have drawn inspiration for aliens also from the animal world, though they often get distinctly human characteristics. Just think of the iconic Star Wars Yoda, Jabba the Hutt, Chewbacca or Jar Jar Binks. Neil Hollander further explains that maybe this is the reason why there are significantly less aliens portrayed as something unfathomable and incomprehensible, like for example in the famous 2001: A Space Odyssey. This approach is in most cases reserved for literary works, considering that films and series are often limited to commercial requirements.
In any case, as Hollander says on his zotero profile, until we get in touch with real aliens, this film characters represent a fictional reflection of our world. And there is no need to mention that they can be very interesting and fun.
