Can Sci-Fi films actually be taken seriously?

While I had my own issues with >, the whole debate really boiled down to one question: "Can a Sci-Fi film actually win an Academy Award?"

There was even a time when people refused to call anything other than Sci-Fi, treating the label like a total insult.

So, can a Sci-Fi film grab an Academy Award, dodge the critics, and still be taken seriously by the elites or high-brow circles?

My take is no.

But the real gut punch came from none other than a major network—one that’s rebranding itself from the Sci Fi Channel to Syfy.

It wouldn't be that bad if they hadn't offered this specific explanation:
"The term Sci-Fi is associated with nerds and dysfunctional, antisocial kids playing video games in their basements."

That isn't just an insult to their own audience; it's terrifying that the people running a Sci-Fi channel are the same ones who are embarrassed by the genre.

You can find plenty of similar examples here:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScifiGhetto

It all really comes down to the specific subgenre of Sci-Fi... because I truly believe dramatic Sci-Fi is anything but underrated.

rowdyowl said:So, is it actually possible for a Sci-Fi film to snag an Academy Award, win over the critics, and still be taken seriously by the highbrow elite circles?

Sure. Look, the Sci-Fi genre isn't always treated with total reverence, but that doesn't mean there aren't absolute masterpieces out there. Just look at some of that Kubrickian Sci-Fi—then you’ve got Blade Runner, Solaris, Alien, Planet of the Apes, Alphaville, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, not to mention Star Wars, Terminator and so on.

ruggedjackal46 said:Sure, people don't always take the Sci-Fi genre seriously, but that doesn't mean there aren't some heavy hitters out there. Just look at Kubrickian Sci-Fi—you've got Blade Runner, Solaris, Alien, Planet of the Apes, Alphaville, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and even Star Wars, Terminator and so on.

Those are usually exceptions.
Never the rule.

And honestly, Planet of the Apes isn't held in as high regard as you might think.

Now, Blade Runner definitely is, but Alien falls somewhere in the middle; most people just see it as a horror movie first.

Terminator is an interesting case, but especially the second one, it's mostly treated as an action flick.

It is quite obvious that the entire Planet of the Apes series isn't held in the same high regard as the original film. The same logic applies to 2010: A Space Odyssey. They aren't discussed nearly as often.
As long as we are talking about Sci-Fi dramas or thrillers, there are plenty of classics. However, Sci-Fi action movies are a completely different story altogether.

rowdyowl said:Those are usually just outliers.
Hardly a rule.

Alright, look, the actual question was whether you can even take Sci-Fi seriously at all, and there are at least a dozen instances where Sci-Fi films are genuinely respected. I'll concede that the Sci-Fi genre doesn't get much love from the critics, and yeah, a Sci-Fi film probably has to be significantly better than some standard drama just to grab the same level of critical attention.

David Price5 said:Of course the whole Planet of the Apes series isn't held in the same regard as the original. Same goes for 2010: Odyssey One. People just don't bring them up all that often.
As long as we're talking about Sci-Fi dramas or thrillers, there are plenty of classics. But Sci-Fi action? That's a different beast entirely.

Fair enough, but I didn't intend for this thread to become a simple list of movies.

I wanted to dig into why Sci-Fi is automatically treated as "lesser" art. I included some examples in the link, but I also brought up Avatar—sure, the movie has its flaws, but being Sci-Fi isn't one of them. Even the big networks change their branding because the genre carries such a massive stigma.

Some of the greatest directors to ever pick up a camera—think Stanley Kubrick, Andrei Tarkovsky, Fritz Lang, or François Truffaut—have all delved into Sci-Fi. Honestly, who cares if some notoriously conservative group like the Academy doesn't have a habit of handing out Academy Awards to Sci-Fi films? Why should that even matter? Their biggest issue isn't anything deep; it's just basic genre bias.

I don't believe we should dismiss Sci-Fi as being less valuable. If Sci-Fi isn't considered high art, then where does that leave horror? Just look at how many horror films receive nominations every year...
Regarding the decision to change the channel name—since the pronunciation hasn't actually changed—it felt more like a foolish move by the board of directors. People were making fun of them for it. They can talk about their reasons all they want, but if their lineup of movies and series remains exactly the same, it's hard to see the point.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_Earth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melancholia_(2011_film)%29

This type of Sci-Fi will always be present during awards season.

rowdyowl said:So, can a Sci-Fi film actually snag an Academy Award, win over the critics, and still be taken seriously by the highbrow intellectual circles?

Why not?
At their core, movies should be about things that matter here on Earth—basically, human questions. Sci-Fi just wraps those same themes in a surreal, futuristic, or alien package. Even the biggest Sci-Fi franchises, like Star Trek and Star Wars, are really just allegories for the human condition wrapped in Sci-Fi cellophane. Just because a movie doesn't win an Oscar isn't some definitive proof of its quality, nor does it mean it's only being watched by slacker teenagers hiding out in their basements.
What I'm getting at is that with Sci-Fi, you have to look past the surface level and hunt for the actual message. Assuming there is one, of course.

I suppose this is my first time hearing anyone categorize Star Wars as Sci-Fi. 🤷

Personally, I feel that Alien is primarily an incredible horror film, whereas 2001: A Space Odyssey stands as the ultimate example of masterful Sci-Fi.

Gary Vaughn57 said:I've actually never heard anyone classify Star Wars as Sci-Fi before. 🤷

😕.Spaceships, androids, laser weapons... if that isn't the textbook definition of Sci-Fi, I truly don't know what is.

Not you.

That Hondin Amigo is smarter than those droids. The ships have... hmm... how should I put this... some design flaws, but the lightsabers are OP.

What kind of Sci-Fi is this?

😬

Btw, Sci-Fi is underrated. Every time we sit down to watch movies and I suggest a Sci-Fi flick, I get this exact same reaction.🙄

It’s like I’m the only one who actually appreciates Sci-Fi.

Sci-Fi is such a broad term, which I find quite wonderful. It ensures there is always something to pick for every type of viewer... whether you're looking for a Sci-fi comedy like http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910554/ or perhaps an intense action flick set in a place like Los Angeles.

To be perfectly honest, I don't get the impression that Sci-Fi films are somehow more undervalued compared to other genres, like action or horror. Even comedy doesn't seem to suffer from that same stigma. Some of the greatest cinematic achievements ever made fall squarely into the realm of Sci-Fi, and I certainly wouldn't call that an anomaly; let's face it, every single genre has its share of absolute garbage. It's true that drama might command more respect from the critics, at least when it comes to the Academy Awards, but I don't believe that places Sci-Fi in some sort of inferior category. There are incredibly high-quality Sci-Fi dramas out there if you actually bother to look. 😁

driftingtinker7 said:By the way, Sci-Fi is totally underrated. Every single time I suggest a movie, I get this exact same reaction.🙄

It honestly feels like I'm the only one who actually likes Sci-Fi.

Let's be real here—my girlfriend isn't into Sci-Fi. When we go over to a friend's place to watch movies, his girlfriend isn't into Sci-Fi either.

My best man loves it, but his partner doesn't. My girl doesn't. So yeah, there's zero chance we're watching anything in that genre.

Women have basically taken over and stripped us of our Sci-Fi. 😁

The real question remains, though, is what she actually considers to be Sci-Fi...

Just browsing through Wikipedia for a bit.

Sci-fi comedy

Sci-fi comedy films, like most hybrid genre of comedy Use The elements of science fiction films to over The top extremes and exaggerated science fiction stereotypical Characters -> Sci-fi comedy. Popular examples of these types of films include Back to the Future, Spaceballs, Ghostbusters, Evolution, Innerspace, Galaxy Quest, Mars Attacks!, and Men in Black.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange...282006_film%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal..._Spotless_Mind
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day_%28film%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_from_Earth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gir...282006_film%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gremlins

She’ll have to like at least one of these.

David Price5 said:😕Spaceships, androids, laser weaponry... if that isn't the literal definition of Sci-Fi, then I suppose I simply don't know what is.

Hmm, I'm not entirely sure about that. For instance, it isn't even categorized as Sci-Fi on IMDb, nor do Wikipedia or other various databases list it under that genre. In fact, many people don't even consider it Sci-Fi; they'd probably classify it as fantasy first.

Gary Vaughn57 said:I'm not quite sure about that. Even on IMDb, it isn't categorized as Sci-Fi, and neither Wikipedia nor other sites list it as such. Most people don't view it as Sci-Fi either. It leans more toward fantasy.

Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced technologies and abilities. The term has no relation to music and it is analogous to "soap opera" (see below). Perhaps the most significant trait of space opera is that settings, characters, battles, powers, and themes tend to be very large-scale.

Sometimes the term space opera is used pejoratively to denote bad quality science fiction, but its meaning can differ, often describing a particular science fiction genre without any value judgement.

If you check IMDb for New Hope...

Genres:
Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi