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The Wolverine film Logan is set in 2029, yet it seems there is very few technological advancements since 2017 when the film was released.

There are noticeable exceptions, eg: Logan's limo and the self driving trucks, but everything else seems to be at least 13 years old (conveniently our time) - the Reaver's vehicles, Gabriella's phone, other cars (eg, the 'nice truck' owned by the farmers controlling the water supply), the iPod lent to Laura, etc.

Is this meant to represent some kind of financial downturn where no one can afford new things?

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    2029 isn't that far into the future. Pretty sure Marvel's already lined up movie announcements for their Avengers series that go beyond that.
    – Ghoti and Chips
    Commented Aug 1, 2017 at 22:47
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    Logan's trying to be realistic and bleak. Unlike Back To The Future's optimistic, far-reaching, unrealistic predictions, Logan tries for a future that seems more realistic, feasible and achievable, while using a economic collapse twist to make it bleak. Notice they only featured futuristic technologies that are dehumanising, cynical, and examples of extreme capitalism (factory-farming on steroids, uncaring self-driving trucks, etc.)
    – Ghoti and Chips
    Commented Aug 1, 2017 at 22:49
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    Also, making too many things futuristic impedes product placement.
    – Steve-O
    Commented Aug 1, 2017 at 23:07
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    @GhotiandChips you should flesh that out into an answer!
    – Luciano
    Commented Aug 2, 2017 at 15:31
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    That's because it's only 12 years in the future. If, in 2005, you were to watch a film from 2017, it would not look very futuristic either. The only thing you would likely really notice are smartphones. And maybe the newer fashions like clothes and models of cars might look weird, but you wouldn't encounter those if you stayed in "flyover country" like they do in Logan. Go watch something from 2005, see how often you notice something that dates it. I rarely do. Just cellphones really.
    – J Doe
    Commented Aug 3, 2017 at 0:24

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Take a look around you - how much technology is around that wasn't around 13 years ago? How much wasn't around 13 years before that?

The computers (desktops and laptops), cars, planes, flat screen televisions, cellphones, etc, that we have now are mostly refined versions of what we had then rather than fantastically futuristic things (by comparison). While there are obvious times we can point to and say "this is new" - most technology is merely a refinement.

To take a counterpoint - look at some of the extreme futuristic technology in other movies - Back to the Future had flying cars, holograms, rehydrated pizza, and hoverboards within 30 years; BladeRunner had flying cars, engineered pets and replicants within 35 years. None of that has happened yet...

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    Furthermore, the specific advancements of existing technology (e.g. smartphones versus "dumb phones" for your example) can often go unmentioned if it has no relevance to the plot. Why spend time designing a futuristic device whose existence has no relevance to the plot, and will go unnoticed by the average viewer?
    – Flater
    Commented Aug 2, 2017 at 16:02
  • Well, to answer your question truthfully, I dont know any one who uses phones or MP3 players from 13 years ago. And, looking out my window, I reckon there is only a handful of cars outside that are 13+ years old.
    – MeltingDog
    Commented Aug 2, 2017 at 22:19
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    @MeltingDog But how different are the phones and cars from what was there in 2004? From a simple glance. And don't go the extreme and compare a Nokia 6110 to an iPhone (that would be like comparing a Jeep to a Ferrari).
    – HorusKol
    Commented Aug 2, 2017 at 23:35
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    I would wager a bet that 13 years ago, every cell phone had some sort of flip-top. Nowadays, only burner phones (i.e. use-and-toss) and my parents' phones have flip-tops. It probably took less than 13 years for everyone on the planet to adopt flat screen monitors and TVs. A lot can happen in 13 years.
    – Johnny Bones
    Commented Aug 3, 2017 at 4:36
  • @JohnnyBones the last flip-top cellphone I had was in 2000 - almost all the Nokia's since then were not flip-tops. I can't remember when I saw my first flatscreen, though, so will concede that point - although, how many years were CRTs around for before that?
    – HorusKol
    Commented Aug 3, 2017 at 6:44

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