What trilogy was better? Classic Star Wars or Lord of the Rings?

[Bird]

This was tough. I came at the angle of the trilogy as a whole and gave the edge to LOTR. That being said, nothing comes close to the magic of the 1977 Star Wars for my 11 year old self. I just watched Empire again the other night. Still great, but I feel Lucas was changing the story on the fly. I know there is revisionist history now.

 

Another cool thing I got this fall was a friend of mine gave me the DVD of the original Star Wars that we saw in 1977. Han naturally shoots first.

 

I will say that I commented more than once when the LOTR movies came out that it was the closest movie experience for me that harkened back to my youth. Didn't think I'd recapture that magic again.

 

I ran to the first LoTR movie and generally loved it. But I think I may have been more excited for the Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I felt the magic there and then for sure.

[Larryw7]

I went with LOTR. I prefer the original Star Wars and ESB, but ROTJ is weak. I watched all six of the SW movies back in the summer, and JEDI was almost as weak as the prequels. Frankly, SITH is a better movie overall(not the acting or dialogue, but it's tightly edited and suspenseful). When the Ewoks appear in JEDI, the movie drops dead, and doesn't pick up again until the final confrontation with Palpatine. The LOTR flicks are consistently good from beginning to end. Just my 2 cents.

[NewEnglandGothic]

Thank God, Star Wars is winning. Every now and then, I'm thinking I'm losing touch with you guys.

 

But, I admit, I love both original franchises. But, cannot compare them equally.

[cloud cloddie]

I chose Star Wars. I loved LOTR when they came out, but when I've gone back and tried to watch them, I cannot get through em. Completely bored. I still can enjoy the original Star Wars.

[rjpb]

I was in my mid teens when Star Wars came out...and for some reason I never saw it in theaters...but I did stand in line (around the block) for the first Star Trek movie

 

You should have waited for the second show, the theater was half empty.

[Dale Roberts]

I chose Star Wars. I loved LOTR when they came out, but when I've gone back and tried to watch them, I cannot get through em. Completely bored. I still can enjoy the original Star Wars.

 

I feel very much the same way on the LOTRs movies. I thought they were great the first time, but looking back, there is a ton of wasted time. Could have easily been compressed into 2 movies.

[slym2none]

One of these trilogies left lasting childhood memories that can instantly transport a grown man back to his childhood. Led to tons of toys and collectibles. Left both children and adults dressing up as characters from it still to this day.

 

The other didn't.

 

Are there any major characters or moments in LOTR that will be as significant as there were in Star Wars 30 years from now? Star Wars is part of American pop culture history. LOTR was just a good movie trilogy. People that haven't watched the movies can spot a character and say - "Look! Darth Vader!" How many could say "Woh! It's Legolas!"

 

Wow. What's getting left out is the LOTR trilogy is one of the best selling literary works of ALL TIME. Continuously making "top" lists. So odds are "30 years from now"...

 

That, and LOTR fans don't hate its creator.

 

I think much of the support for LoTR on this poll is coming from memories of the books and not necessarily the movies. People have even mentioned The Hobbit when talking about the LoTR movies as if somehow that is relevant; it just shows the co-mingling of these properties in the mind but doesn't really address the movies themselves.

 

I am one of those that you describe, so let me put that out of the discussion with this addendum:

 

The LotR movies were one of the closest imaginings as related to a source (the books), ever. We got movies that were at least 90% of what the books gave us, so even though some things were left out (Tom Bombadil) or changed significantly (the Elves at Helms Deep) they were still, righteously awesome movies.

 

 

 

 

-slym

[Rip]

Star Wars, not really much of a debate. LotR is good but it drags on way too long and simply put Star Wars has MUCH better/ more iconic characters scenes etc.

 

There simply isn't a moment in LotR like when Luke is looking at the twin sons. Or a saber battle like Luke and Darth in Empire.

 

Star Wars is one of the most influential movies ever made, possibly the most influential movie ever.

[Bird]

One of these trilogies left lasting childhood memories that can instantly transport a grown man back to his childhood. Led to tons of toys and collectibles. Left both children and adults dressing up as characters from it still to this day.

 

The other didn't.

 

Are there any major characters or moments in LOTR that will be as significant as there were in Star Wars 30 years from now? Star Wars is part of American pop culture history. LOTR was just a good movie trilogy. People that haven't watched the movies can spot a character and say - "Look! Darth Vader!" How many could say "Woh! It's Legolas!"

 

Wow. What's getting left out is the LOTR trilogy is one of the best selling literary works of ALL TIME. Continuously making "top" lists. So odds are "30 years from now"...

 

That, and LOTR fans don't hate its creator.

 

 

 

I think much of the support for LoTR on this poll is coming from memories of the books and not necessarily the movies. People have even mentioned The Hobbit when talking about the LoTR movies as if somehow that is relevant; it just shows the co-mingling of these properties in the mind but doesn't really address the movies themselves.

 

I am one of those that you describe, so let me put that out of the discussion with this addendum:

 

The LotR movies were one of the closest imaginings as related to a source (the books), ever. We got movies that were at least 90% of what the books gave us, so even though some things were left out (Tom Bombadil) or changed significantly (the Elves at Helms Deep) they were still, righteously awesome movies.

 

 

 

 

-slym

 

I agree that they are righteously awesome movies. But too much Liv Tyler, way too much (unless she is in an Aerosmith video with Alicia Silverstone that is).

[slym2none]

Just giving my opinion, and clarifying it somewhat.

 

I do deeply love both trilogies - as I mentioned in my first post in this thread, I saw Star Wars the day it came out when I was 6 years old.

 

I guess, if I had to compare them numerically, then SW would be a 9.8 and LotR would be a 9.9. That close, really.

 

 

 

 

-slym

[H0RR0RSH0W]

It was very refreshing to see the movie stick so closely to the original books. The strong atmosphere and believable environment made LotR movies so enjoyable for me. Flying sheetrock is not so believable...unless I am having a bad day at work

[ChrisInBaltimore]

Look I love LOTR and have watched the movies a half dozen times each- if not more.

 

However, there is just something magical about Star Wars. I'm sure a good majority of us can remember the first time we saw it as a child. We can remember becoming obsessed and playing with toys for hours. My son loves playing with my Star Wars toys.

 

He doesn't have the same response to LOTR- do they even have a decent action figure line?

 

Even my 10 year old daughter loves it. Over Christmas break her band instruction has been a bit relaxed. She has started learning new stuff on her own. she stumbled onto the Star Wars theme and has been playing it for the last few days. Even my son stops and yells Star Wars as she stumbles through the theme.

 

I still get goosebumps when the screen fades to black and those blue words pop on the screen. I couldn't even begin to count the times I've watched those movies though.

 

I loved LOTR, but Star Wars is in a whole different category. I think Hector said it was like comparing Apples to Oranges, and I sort of agree.

[ComicConnoisseur]

 

 

[Davenport]

I think Hector said it was like comparing Apples to Oranges, and I sort of agree.

Yeah, the thread title, which "was better", isn't really defined enough to answer. I was coming at it from LoTR being an influence on Star Wars, that Star Wars was sort of a LoTR-lite with Obi-Wan/Gandalf, Sauron/Vader and the like.

 

There's little doubt Star Wars wins "better" for childhood memories, action figures, fan anticipation and so on.

[Guardian Comics]

One trilogy I have seen the other I hope I can say I go the rest of my life without ever watching a single minute of....like Randall says "there is only one Return and it's of the Jedi"

 

Jim

[slym2none]

Wow.

 

 

 

-slym

[RockMyAmadeus]

Classic Star Wars, of course.

 

Peter Jackson butchered several important themes in LOTR.

[DougC]

I would have to say the Star Wars trilogy for me.

 

When talking about Star Wars there is always some debate in conversation; did Han shoot first, is the Rebel Alliance actually good, or was Vader really Lukes father (obviously this was answered). When talking about LotR none of this is present it is all straight forward, the bad guys are bad because evil reasons and the good guys are good because they are not the bad guys.

 

The main difference for me is that LotR is a tightly adhered to medieval style fantasy set on a continent that can be watched in nine to eleven hours. SW is a cowboy style space opera with a dash of galactic overhead that can be watched in six and half hours. SW has become a cultural phenomenon with conventions and festivals with fans adding to the universe (501st Legion), LotR does not have that.

[miraclemet]

"which is the greatest trilogy?"

 

how are we defining "greatest"

 

most watchable?

most watchable at the time it was released?

most watchable today?

most culturally significant?

most cinematic influence?

best storyline?

best CGI/effects?

 

for me the best trilogy is the one that was a combination of a great story, shot well, that had signigicant cultural impact.

 

that'd be Star Wars.

 

While Star Wars was influenced by The Last Castle, LOTR was a straight up adaptation. Points to Star Wars.

 

Was LOTR shot better? Sure, it also has the benefit of 30 years of improved movie making technology and methods. Star Wars for the time was amazing in both its cinematics and effects. If we set it based on when it came out, I'd give a slight edge to SW, but head to head with no grace for different time eras LOTR would win thanks to the new technology.

 

SW has a long lead in cultural significance.

 

but again it comes down to how we are defining "greatest"

[Lazyboy]

One of these trilogies left lasting childhood memories that can instantly transport a grown man back to his childhood. Led to tons of toys and collectibles. Left both children and adults dressing up as characters from it still to this day.

 

The other didn't.

 

Are there any major characters or moments in LOTR that will be as significant as there were in Star Wars 30 years from now? Star Wars is part of American pop culture history. LOTR was just a good movie trilogy. People that haven't watched the movies can spot a character and say - "Look! Darth Vader!" How many could say "Woh! It's Legolas!"

 

Wow. What's getting left out is the LOTR trilogy is one of the best selling literary works of ALL TIME. Continuously making "top" lists. So odds are "30 years from now"...

 

That, and LOTR fans don't hate its creator.

 

I'm just comparing the movie trilogies.

Obviously. Why else would you mention toys and costumes and nostalgia?