I just finished watching this film as part of my yearly ritual to watch the original trilogy, once a year, at the start of every new year. I'll watch Empire tomorrow night and Return of the Jedi the night after that.
This is still my favourite film of all time, and by golly, it's a masterpiece of science fiction. One can be nitpicky about certain things, but to me this is sci-fi at it's best.
I just love this film so much.
Nice one. Is Star Wars really a sci-fi though?
shareA film with spaceships to me is Sci-Fi. But I acknowledge it could be recognised as Sci-Fi-Fantasy.
shareYeah it’s become trendy to point out Star Wars’s short comings in regards to its true “Sci-fi” status, but I still think of it in the genre regardless.
shareYup.
Outer space, space ships, lasers, aliens, robots, planets...
What the heck else would Sci fi be?
I would consider it more, space opera/fantasy. When I think sci-fi, I think 2001, The Time Machine, Planet of the Apes, etc. I agree that there is some overlap though.
shareWhat's the threshold? When does something move into "sci-fi"?
shareI always thought sci-fi had elements of realism, grounded in our laws and science despite being fiction. Like a potential distopian or utopian future. Obviously, there can be fantastic elements but something like , "the force" kind of makes it more fantasy since its like magic that doesnt exist.
I am sure someone can articulate it better than me but you get my point. I wasnt trying to be a genre elitist because I do think theres alot of overlap, ( I have even heard Star Wars being referred to as a western) l just thought it strange when he said a "masterpiece of sci-fi" because I think of it as more of fantasy adventure that happens to be set in space.
No, no, I don't think you were being elitist. I was just curious. I encounter this sentiment a lot and I'm not here to argue that, or call somebody snooty, but I do always want to know what the criteria are for sci-fi, in somebody's head. For a lot of people (most people, even) I think it's - as 123Guy says - "Outer space, space ships, lasers, aliens, robots, planets..." For others, it's more stringent, and like yourself require something a bit deeper in terms of theme or tone.
Star Wars has elements of Westerns in it, yeah. I think of it as a "light sci-fi" or "soft sci-fi" myself. I think it qualifies with the futuristic elements, even if they are far-fetched and not-grounded. I also think it's blended sci-fi.
But I don't think of Minority Report as fantasy at all, even though it's big plot hook are psychics. Isn't that weird? More self-analysis is clearly needed...
I feel everyone's assessment is fair to themselves whatever that may be, but you cant tell me it is not sci-fi to me. its only the sci-fi action that attracted me to it originally. the force or whatever magic is just sci-fi we dont understand (midiclorians???? hahahaha) or sci-fi that respects a religion also, but still 100% sci-fi. it's the FI part: FICTION, meaning the science doesn't have to be real --- it can be fictional science... thus that name ;)
shareSure, and I hear you, too. I just also understand when somebody says that they don't think it is. It's like the "Die Hard is a Christmas movie" people. I know why they say that, even if I disagree.
shareYeah, I agree its not. Die Hard not being Xmas is because thematically it isnt one. Its an action movie with a Xmas setting. Its how I feel about Star Wars. An adventure in a space setting. Another movie I thought of is Treasure of the Sierra Madre which many consider a western but to me its thematically more of a film noir.
Anyway, sorry to the OP for going off on this tangent when all he wanted to do was praise Star Wars. lol
I've long maintained that Harry Potter has fantasy clothes, but really it's closer to something like James Bond. Harry gets a magic spell at the start of every story. 007 gets a Q gadget. These will be used to solve a specific problem later in the story. The Potter stories centre around mysteries. And so on.
Treasure of the Sierra Madre I think I'd just describe as a drama.
Tangents are fun, but yeah, sorry, OP!
Id like to continue the chat but one word per line seems a bit silly now. 😆
shareInteresting point about Minority Report. I agree with you. The line between what is feasible in the future and straight up fantasy is quite blurred indeed.
shareIt does seem like "grounded" is flexible, but that sci-fi does want things "grounded". Psychic powers might be tenuous - at best - but they feel more "real" or "possible" to most people than "magic". Which isn't entirely out to lunch. They've made computer interfaces that work with eye movements or "thoughts", so the idea that (in the future) psychics might exist feels more possible than something like a wizard.
shareMe, too, but I definitely get why some people go, "It looks like a sci-fi, but it's not 'really' sci-fi." So, for me, yeah, it's in the (soft) science-fiction section, but when somebody says, "It's wizards and knights; it doesn't have the themes of a sci-fi," I can't really argue.
shareMe too , every xmas , this is the best of star wars movie for me , followed by Empire
shareThere's something truly magical about this film. I think it's going to be around as a classic for a long time.
share