Soul (4.5 Stars)
The Midnight Sky (4 Stars)
Wolfwalkers (4 Stars)
Love and Monsters (3 Stars)
Onward (3 Stars)
Over the Moon (3
Soul (4.5 Stars)
The Midnight Sky (4 Stars)
Wolfwalkers (4 Stars)
Love and Monsters (3 Stars)
Onward (3 Stars)
Over the Moon (3 Stars)
Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2.5 Stars)
Mulan (2.5 Stars)
Pinocchio (2.5 Stars)
The One and Only Ivan (1.5 Stars)
Quoting from last year’s Fantasy genre summary, Fantasy movies “involve myth, escapism, wonder, magic, and/or the extraordinary.” There is definitely an overlap with science fiction, but some of this year’s examples help define the difference. Pinocchio, for example, is considered a Fantasy film, but was not included in Sci-Fi. And, although all the rest of the science fiction films were included in Fantasy, Tenet was not.
So compare Tenet and Pinocchio. Tenet involved complicated themes about time, time travel, and the impact on human future. Pinocchio was about a wooden puppet who wanted so much to become a boy. Pinocchio was laden with stories and morals about growing up and full of fantastical creatures. Tenet dealt with much bigger themes of what might bring human existence to a crashing end. So there is a definite difference in the scope of the message.
Four other films were listed in both genres and, frankly that’s where things get a bit confusing. The Midnight Sky (one of my favorites this year) involved space travel and an apocalyptic future of humanity, so it easily made it to the sci-if genre. But what makes it a ‘fantasy’ is a much more subtle. (And, the more I think about it, the less I think I can write about that notion without introducing spoilers.)
Then there’s Love and Monsters. It too involves an apocalypse and starts with humans living below ground to avoid the ‘monsters’. But a young man, apparently horny after 7 years of living in a colony where everybody else is paired up, decides to go to his high school sweetheart who lives only 85 miles away. The journey though, involves confrontation with some pretty ‘fantastical’ creatures, so, in that sense, it is a lot like Pinocchio.
The other two movies that fell in both categories were Over the Moon and The Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, both animated films. In these cases, I’m afraid I didn’t quite get how they become Science-fiction films except in a round-about-manner. The Shaun the Sheep Movie follows the plot line of E.T., but the main characters are sheep (who do not speak) and so the fantasy element is clearly that the sheep are behaving like we would assume humans to behave. In Over the Moon, a young child creates her own rocket (the sci-if part??) to travel to the moon in search of a way to reconnect to her dead Mother. Once on the other side of the moon she encounters some fantastical creatures. (Oh, and this is a musical, so everyone sings most of their lines). To me, these films don’t fit well as true science fiction, but might be considered fantasies.
Soul, which was considered a Fantasy, but not a science fiction film, had most of the same elements as Over the Moon, but the animation was richer, more creative, and dealt with the themes of what happens before and after life on earth. (Which, it seems to me, should have put it in the sci-fi category, right?)
Similarly, Onward dealt with two brothers who, by magic (the fantasy part), were able to bring back their dead Father, but only half of him. The movie is the story of their adventure to try and get the other half back so they can know him better. So why wouldn’t dealing with half-a-human be considered science fiction? I don’t know.
Wolfwalkers, another animated flick, delved deeply into Irish folklore. But it is impossible to avoid the references to the impending disaster that environmental destruction represents. So why wouldn’t that be considered sci-fi? I don’t get that either.
Mulan and The One and Only Ivan are probably the only two movies where I can easily agree that they fit the fantasy bill, but maybe not science fiction. Ivan is, courtesy of Disney’s terrific animation, a talking gorilla. And even though the Planet of the Apes series had lots of those, I would say that the setting (a strip mall side show) and the story (Ivan’s struggle for freedom) give us something that doesn’t quite qualify as science fiction. (But if the story had gone down the path of Ivan getting violent or actually communicating with humans, then the crossover might have happened.)
Mulan told the ancient Chinese tale of a girl who goes off to war, disguised as a man. She has exceptional talents and, in the end, becomes a hero of the empire. Her martial arts skills are amazing and, in many sense, fantastical. But the technology involved is historical and, while she does manage to save her world, there is nothing apocalyptic here so the film would probably not quality as science fiction.
The boundaries between fantasy and science fiction are a little confusing. But, in the end, it is largely an academic debate. The question is what films might you want to spend some time with. If you are interested in Fantasy, then I’d say stick with my top rated films, Soul, The Midnight Sky, and Wolfwalkers. If you are looking for a few more then dip down into the two animated films, Onward and Over the Moon and the live action Love and Monsters. All three of them are good, but not excellent films.
If that isn’t enough to keep your fantasy interests going, there were some great films from the 2020 Oscar year. The Lighthouse found its way into this genre, but being a story about youth versus aging in men, the ‘fantasies’ might not exactly be family oriented. Still, this film is a must-see for men, especially if you are getting up there in age. (Willem Dafoe is terrific and, well, he isn’t exactly a young sprite.). Toy Story 4 was a top-rated film from last year that will satisfy viewers of all ages. The fantasy here is fairly obvious as the characters are all toys, and the Pixar animation is top-notch. I Lost My Body was another animated feature, but clearly not for children. The film addresses questions of free will, the consequences of choices, and how trivial things suddenly become important. (So why wouldn’t it be considered science fiction???)
And that’s what I have to say about Fantasy, until next year!
)
Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2.5 Stars)
Mulan (2.5 Stars)
Pinocchio (2.5 Stars)
The One and Only Ivan (1.5 Stars)
Quoting from last year’s Fantasy genre summary, Fantasy movies “involve myth, escapism, wonder, magic, and/or the extraordinary.” There is definitely an overlap with science fiction, but some of this year’s examples help define the difference. Pinocchio, for example, is considered a Fantasy film, but was not included in Sci-Fi. And, although all the rest of the science fiction films were included in Fantasy, Tenet was not.
So compare Tenet and Pinocchio. Tenet involved complicated themes about time, time travel, and the impact on human future. Pinocchio was about a wooden puppet who wanted so much to become a boy. Pinocchio was laden with stories and morals about growing up and full of fantastical creatures. Tenet dealt with much bigger themes of what might bring human existence to a crashing end. So there is a definite difference in the scope of the message.
Four other films were listed in both genres and, frankly that’s where things get a bit confusing. The Midnight Sky (one of my favorites this year) involved space travel and an apocalyptic future of humanity, so it easily made it to the sci-if genre. But what makes it a ‘fantasy’ is a much more subtle. (And, the more I think about it, the less I think I can write about that notion without introducing spoilers.)
Then there’s Love and Monsters. It too involves an apocalypse and starts with humans living below ground to avoid the ‘monsters’. But a young man, apparently horny after 7 years of living in a colony where everybody else is paired up, decides to go to his high school sweetheart who lives only 85 miles away. The journey though, involves confrontation with some pretty ‘fantastical’ creatures, so, in that sense, it is a lot like Pinocchio.
The other two movies that fell in both categories were Over the Moon and The Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, both animated films. In these cases, I’m afraid I didn’t quite get how they become Science-fiction films except in a round-about-manner. The Shaun the Sheep Movie follows the plot line of E.T., but the main characters are sheep (who do not speak) and so the fantasy element is clearly that the sheep are behaving like we would assume humans to behave. In Over the Moon, a young child creates her own rocket (the sci-if part??) to travel to the moon in search of a way to reconnect to her dead Mother. Once on the other side of the moon she encounters some fantastical creatures. (Oh, and this is a musical, so everyone sings most of their lines). To me, these films don’t fit well as true science fiction, but might be considered fantasies.
Soul, which was considered a Fantasy, but not a science fiction film, had most of the same elements as Over the Moon, but the animation was richer, more creative, and dealt with the themes of what happens before and after life on earth. (Which, it seems to me, should have put it in the sci-fi category, right?)
Similarly, Onward dealt with two brothers who, by magic (the fantasy part), were able to bring back their dead Father, but only half of him. The movie is the story of their adventure to try and get the other half back so they can know him better. So why wouldn’t dealing with half-a-human be considered science fiction? I don’t know.
Wolfwalkers, another animated flick, delved deeply into Irish folklore. But it is impossible to avoid the references to the impending disaster that environmental destruction represents. So why wouldn’t that be considered sci-fi? I don’t get that either.
Mulan and The One and Only Ivan are probably the only two movies where I can easily agree that they fit the fantasy bill, but maybe not science fiction. Ivan is, courtesy of Disney’s terrific animation, a talking gorilla. And even though the Planet of the Apes series had lots of those, I would say that the setting (a strip mall side show) and the story (Ivan’s struggle for freedom) give us something that doesn’t quite qualify as science fiction. (But if the story had gone down the path of Ivan getting violent or actually communicating with humans, then the crossover might have happened.)
Mulan told the ancient Chinese tale of a girl who goes off to war, disguised as a man. She has exceptional talents and, in the end, becomes a hero of the empire. Her martial arts skills are amazing and, in many sense, fantastical. But the technology involved is historical and, while she does manage to save her world, there is nothing apocalyptic here so the film would probably not quality as science fiction.
The boundaries between fantasy and science fiction are a little confusing. But, in the end, it is largely an academic debate. The question is what films might you want to spend some time with. If you are interested in Fantasy, then I’d say stick with my top rated films, Soul, The Midnight Sky, and Wolfwalkers. If you are looking for a few more then dip down into the two animated films, Onward and Over the Moon and the live action Love and Monsters. All three of them are good, but not excellent films.
If that isn’t enough to keep your fantasy interests going, there were some great films from the 2020 Oscar year. The Lighthouse found its way into this genre, but being a story about youth versus aging in men, the ‘fantasies’ might not exactly be family oriented. Still, this film is a must-see for men, especially if you are getting up there in age. (Willem Dafoe is terrific and, well, he isn’t exactly a young sprite.). Toy Story 4 was a top-rated film from last year that will satisfy viewers of all ages. The fantasy here is fairly obvious as the characters are all toys, and the Pixar animation is top-notch. I Lost My Body was another animated feature, but clearly not for children. The film addresses questions of free will, the consequences of choices, and how trivial things suddenly become important. (So why wouldn’t it be considered science fiction???)
And that’s what I have to say about Fantasy, until next year!
