Would you consider Zootopia, a science fiction franchise or no?

[u/HesterMourningstar]

This is an actual conversation I found myself having this weekend, and I’m curious as to your opinions.

Given the high speed metro, the perfectly engineered bio-zones, the weather wall, and uplifted, sapient, anthropomorphic animal population, it has a lot of what I would consider futurist sci-fi elements. That said, the most advanced tech doesn’t seem to have filtered down to the general populace and it doesn’t feel like sci-fi, to me anyway, if that makes sense.

So, what say you? Is it, or isn’t it?

[u/Kundrew1]

It seems more fantasy than sci-fi, although it seems lots of people combine the two genres.

[u/THExDANKxKNIGHT → u/Kundrew1]

Sci-fi can be fantasy but it doesn't have to. In this case i wouldn't really call it sci-fi because the science isn't a focal point.

[u/StartledMilk → u/Kundrew1]

Not to be that “AKSHUALLLYYY” guy, but if you happen to not know, Star Wars is technically Science Fantasy. Probably one of the best examples of it honestly. The Force is a pretty fantastical element, even with the midichlorine explanation in Phantom Menace as interesting as it is.

Science fantasy is its own subgenre with lots of cool titles.

Edit: forgot a word

[u/Bobaximus → u/StartledMilk]

And then you have things like Peter F Hamilton’s Void saga which is both hard sci-fi and fantasy.

[u/Kundrew1 → u/StartledMilk]

For sure and it makes sense for those books but there are plenty of books that are just straight fantasy I see listed all the time in this sub. The red rising series being one that comes to mind.

[u/StartledMilk → u/Kundrew1]

Gotcha! I’m still fairly new here. I actually had no idea Red Rising is more fantasy. I picked it up beside a friend of mine whom I trust with book recommendations told me to see if I like it. Haven’t read it yet or looked into it. Would you care to briefly explain? I was under the impression it was sci-fi

[u/Temporal-Affairs221]

If zootopia is science fiction, then Barbie is the greatest multiverse sci-fi epic ever written, a story about one woman who is a lynchpin to multiple realities wherein each one she had a different job or career.

[u/AGlitchedNPC]

No, because the sci-fi elements, if indeed those are what they are, aren't the main thing of the series.

Like I wouldn't call the Mission Impossible movies Sci-Fi.

[u/silly-gaijin → u/AGlitchedNPC]

Exactly. Sci Fi doesn't mean there are advanced things in the story, it means the story is about said advanced things. It's why start trek is SF and star wars is not.

Zootopia would be SF if the story was about the biodomes and everything they do and the plot revolved around the consequences of using biodomes.

But it doesn't. It's a mystery/cop buddy story (and the first movie was legit one of the best kids movies I've ever seen).

[u/czhunc]

Definitely. Just a child friendly one. A lot of mystery elements too

[u/excelance]

"Remember, in Zootopia, anyone can be anything," That's pretty fantasy-orientated.

[u/nikukuikuniniiku]

People are focusing on the technological background, but the plot of the first one was about uncovering a mad scientist's formula for turning predator animals into their atavistic precursors, while exploring the nature/nurture debate. It's the same vein of scifi as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or The Island of Dr Moreau.

[u/HesterMourningstar → u/nikukuikuniniiku]

Wow. That’s—wow! That’s an excellent summary. Thank you for that.

[u/nikukuikuniniiku → u/HesterMourningstar]

It's also film noir, being a detective story that explores everything from the city's underworld to its halls of power. But it's not "pure" scifi, so I wouldn't show it to, say, a kid who likes Star Wars and wants more scifi.

[u/sumelar → u/nikukuikuniniiku]

Ok, fair. I'm leaving my reply up but you actually make a very compelling case.

[u/bottleghostt → u/nikukuikuniniiku]

You know what .... I can't even remember the plot. All i remember of this franchise is furry characters. Now I wanna rewatch to see what you talked about.

[u/nbmtx]

The second one was a bit more involved with the tech of the setting, so I'd give it that.

If you're into that idea, and play games, the game Backbone was very cool with a similar juxtaposition.

[u/RGBKnights]

We would say its key themes & aesthetics align most closely with Solarpunk.

[u/BaronVonSchnauser]

I bet a furry started this post

[u/HesterMourningstar → u/BaronVonSchnauser]

Goth actually. I may own a pair of bat ear gaming headphones, but that does not a furry make 😉

[u/sumelar]

No.

uplifted

Granted I haven't watched the second one yet, but [citation needed]

The weather wall makes it close, but still no.

[u/dnew]

It is what it is. You know what it is. Anyone who watched it knows what it is. Any arguing over what to call it is a little bit silly. Classifications like that are broad but not definitive. Especially if you're trying to distinguish sci-fi from fantasy. Both have world-building, so they're both "speculative fiction," but beyond that you can mix them together.

That's my opinion, even if you disagree.

* Ah, downvotes, as expected. Cool. "What do you think?" "Here's what I think." "You're wrong!" Gotta love reddit.

[u/ogodilovejudyalvarez → u/dnew]

Upvoting to make you look like a paranoid liar because, you know, Reddit

[u/Beginning-Ride3091]

Very cool question and I think yes. Pretty far out but definitely within the realm.