Quote:Original post by brent_w
The best example for this I can come up with would be the "World of Tomorrow" scenes from the film, "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm".
I was going to say, Batman: The Animated Series is one of the best uses of art deco design and other elements evocative of the era of which you speak (admittedly not sci-fi, though) without being remotely cheesy. The key (I have an album on the art behind the series, in which Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, among others, discuss the design decisions that shaped the show) is darkness: if you use 50s design sensibilities and have bright, happy colors, then everyone's going to expect slapstick and silliness. You might be able to be satirical, but it'll be a much harder task to pull off.
If, on the other hand, everything has a sombre coloring (and/or genius decisions like the red sky of Gotham in BTAS - which they kept in the new The Batman show, which isn't nearly as good), then you've automatically encouraged a more contemplative and perceptive response.
I say go for it, but do tests first to see if its pragmatic.