Originally Posted by
Mattrick
To me science fiction is anything that takes place out of what we consider to be normal, mostly in a technological sense. So say Splice/Frankenstein are like mad scientist movies that are both horror/sci-fi at once.
But to me what defines 'true sci-fi' as opposed to 'sci-fi' is the themes and the questions the film seeks to answer and/or explore. The Empire Strikes Back is a great sci-fi film but does it work much to answer the questions of life and the universe? Blade Runner for instance questions what makes human beings human and what makes identity identity. Dark City is a study on human interaction and how identity, social classes, profession, memories, experiences don't necessarily make us who we are because those things are changed for us every night. Fantastic Planet depicts human beings as insects and pests and forces us to both identity from with the Oms (humans) as physical siblings to us and the Drogs (aliens) as philosphical and mental siblings to us so that we might agree with both sides of the conflict. Minority Report considers the moral and ethical guidelines of policing to the point of punishing people for crimes they haven't even committed yet. These are the sorts of films I hope do well in these touraments and not some special effects romp that may be fun but veil thin.