IYHO - Is Herbie the Love Bug a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie? (1 Viewer)

[Booker]

I would call it fantasy, but not science fiction. There isn't any mention of science being involved in Herbie being sentient. I'd say it's more implied that it "magically or miraculously happened." Therefore, I'd classify it as fantasy.

I agree, and for comparisons sake I'd say KITT from Knight Rider would be considered science fiction.

 

[Devildog]

Then what is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? Never considered it science fiction either, but now that I think about it...

I mean, it's science-y, but unbelievable.








Oh, wait......

 

[Madmarsha]

I would call it fantasy, but not science fiction. There isn't any mention of science being involved in Herbie being sentient. I'd say it's more implied that it "magically or miraculously happened." Therefore, I'd classify it as fantasy.

Same.

 

[Madmarsha]

Then what is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? Never considered it science fiction either, but now that I think about it...

I'm thinking steampunkyish?

 

[SystemShock]

How is a sentient car not science fiction?

IMO, for it to be science fiction, the premise has to involve science, and there is no scientific explanation for Herbie being sentient, like, say, Knight Rider, which is a computerized car. Herbie is fantasy.

 

[SWJJ]

Really??? No original thoughts on your part? Just your AI tool???

I think along the lines of Zardnock: It didn't feel "Sci-Fi" and it didn't feel "fantasy" in the traditional sense of my experience with these genres.

Like Tenordad and Arathrael, it seems more "magic" than it does science, so I'd object less to calling it Fantasy than I would Sci-Fi, but I wouldn't really call it either.

I'd call it family, comedy, or family comedy.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Does Herbie need a gritty reboot?

 

[buzd]

Does Herbie need a gritty reboot?

I'd watch

 

[Sailorsaint]

Does Herbie need a gritty reboot?

If you mean along the lines of Pooh, yes please.

 

[Arathrael]

Original film or nothing.

I don't know, the more I read about the 1997 movie, the more I kind of want to watch it.

It has an evil, black, Herbie called 'Horace the Hate Bug', created with a photo of the bad guy instead of Dr Stumpfel's wife, because apparently that's how that works.

This is how wikipedia summarises the finale:

See more

Meanwhile, Simon discovers that Herbie has been rebuilt, and challenges Hank to a one-on-one race between Horace and Herbie. Although Simon makes every attempt to sabotage the race, including the use of grenades, Herbie comes through to win even after being cut in half by Horace's laser beam. Furious, Horace tries to destroy Herbie again by ramming him off a cliff, but misses and ends up falling into a ravine, destroying himself. Simon and his partner Rupert are then arrested for illegally detonating explosives, driving an unregistered devil car and illegally dumping it.

Who wouldn't want to watch that? Can't believe it's only rated 5.3 on IMDb.

 

[Grumpy Old Manatee]

Can it be a Fairy Tale?

 

[tenordas]

Does Herbie need a gritty reboot?

So a remake of this starring Herbie?

 

[baarbogast]

Herbie and Christine have a hot date, type of movie?

 

[kcirdor]

this is why it's not science fiction

sci·ence fic·tion
noun
noun: science fiction; noun: SF; modifier noun: science-fiction

1. fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets.
   
   

 

[GW93]

How is a sentient car not science fiction?

Was it built to have an AI, or did some technological mishap cause it to gain sentience? IIRC, it just "had" a personality. How it got there was never addressed (I haven't seen this movie since I was like, 9)

Therefore I think it's more of a fantasy. Fantasy doesn't have to mean it's elves and wizards and dragons.