Star Wars Fantasy or Sci fi

[awongshing]

I had an indepth discussion with a friend about what genre of film the Star Wars movies should be classified, sci fi or fantasy. I was interested to hear what other people think.

[CYMBOL]

Originally Posted by awongshing

I had an indepth discussion with a friend about what genre of film the Star Wars movies should be classified, sci fi or fantasy. I was interested to hear what other people think.

Sci-fi, based on fantasy archetypes.

[jmtaylor200]

By definition, science fiction must be based on something that within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might still be pure imaginative speculation). Since no such thing exists within Star Wars, it is clearly fantasy.

[Elvis]

It's both. A Sci Fi Fantasy.

[master_8ball]

I have always seen them as Sci-Fi adventure films... Now I wasn't around in the late 70's to see them as they came out so others may have different opinion based on that. But I did enjoy the originals as a kid of the 80's and then seeing the re-releases of the original trilogy with the tweaks in the theatres in the 90's I believe. I did and still have the original trilogy without the added cgi on vhs, I would be surprised if they still worked with the amount of times they were watched when I was young.

I see it as sci-fi because there is more technology involved than magic, ya some might say the force is magic but I took it as being more like a religion to the characters of the films.

[thePhoenix]

Originally Posted by Elvis

It's both. A Sci Fi Fantasy.

+1

thank you, thank you very much!

[awongshing]

I feel it was a combination of both but more on the fantasy side.

[uziel5000]

The "space" element (hyperspace, star destroyers and the like) is clearly sci-fi while the story taking place in a location and time not our own is fantasy. I agree that it is both.

[ViralIncubator]

It is fantasy. There can never be such a thing as the Force in our universe.

[awongshing]

Originally Posted by ViralIncubator

It is fantasy. There can never be such a thing as the Force in our universe.

Wait the force doesn't exist?

[P@t_Mtl]

I always tough of it as scifantasy

[Weirded Wonder]

How about a space opera?

[drobswim13]

Originally Posted by ViralIncubator

It is fantasy. There can never be such a thing as the Force in our universe.

That is definitely up for debate. While it seems very unbelievable that people can manipulate inanimate objects with the power of their minds, you have to understand the concept that everything in our universe is energy. Energy is manipulated everyday in all sorts of ways. Since the brain is extremely powerful and almost all humans use very little of it in their lifetime, it is never out of the realm of possibility that humans can do extraordinary things with their mind. Energy manipulation is one of those concepts that has been discussed, which is a big part of "The Force", as Star Wars likes to call it.

[Sponge-worthy]

Fantasy. The futuristic, high-tech stuff in Star Wars in no way 'holds a mirror to our own age,' and the underlying story and themes in Star Wars are actually quite broad and could have been cast in any setting, really.

[Blu-ray Fanatic]

Originally Posted by thePhoenix

+1

thank you, thank you very much!

+2 Whats the difference?

[mjbethancourt]

Fantasy, myth, legend.
There's no science in Star Wars... some technology, perhaps, but no science. Science and technology are not the same thing. We shouldn't call something Sci-Fi just because it includes some as-yet-uninvented technology, that broadens the definition way too much, it would start including things like James Bond movies and whatnot.
In sci-fi, science and science-issues are the subject material, like 2001, or The Time Machine, or IRobot, etc. In Star Wars, technology is a prop, it is not the subject.

[awongshing]

Originally Posted by ryan69969

Fantasy. The futuristic, high-tech stuff in Star Wars in no way 'holds a mirror to our own age,' and the underlying story and themes in Star Wars are actually quite broad and could have been cast in any setting, really.

It's funny that Star Wars is looked at as futuristic when it's supposed to take place in the past.

[ViralIncubator]

Originally Posted by drobswim13

That is definitely up for debate. While it seems very unbelievable that people can manipulate inanimate objects with the power of their minds, you have to understand the concept that everything in our universe is energy. Energy is manipulated everyday in all sorts of ways. Since the brain is extremely powerful and almost all humans use very little of it in their lifetime, it is never out of the realm of possibility that humans can do extraordinary things with their mind. Energy manipulation is one of those concepts that has been discussed, which is a big part of "The Force", as Star Wars likes to call it.

*pulling toe out of the hot water*.. Ehh, I think I'll go watch some X-Files instead

I'm with Han Solo on this one... "There's no all-powerful force controlling MY destiny"

[Rob71]

Originally Posted by beardmoen

How about a space opera?

+1

Also a +1 on your choice of avatar.

[Sponge-worthy]

Originally Posted by awongshing

It's funny that Star Wars is looked at as futuristic when it's supposed to take place in the past.

I think the "long, long ago" in the title crawl is somewhat arbitrary--perhaps to present the film as a fairy tale or something. But I think we all know by now that the Star Wars universe is whatever George Lucas wants it to be.