A lot of people like to compete over what is better, Star Trek or Star Wars. And while to someone who doesn’t really know these franchises they can seem similar (space battles, etc) the truth is comparing the two is like comparing apple’s or oranges. Star Trek and Star Wars are very different when you really look at them. I have said that the Abrams Trek movies were his turning Star Trek into Star Wars. That’s because of the emphasis on action and the downplaying on morals and ideas which is what Star Trek is really about. The two have their similarities, beyond space battles. Both franchises have good strong characters that have become part of pop culture. Who is more popular, Spock or Darth Vader? Heck even in Back to the Future when Marty disguises as an alien he incorporates elements from both franchises into his disguise (in one of the film’s best jokes).
I was trying to figure out why I love Trek so much more than Wars, and in reading another article I came across the answer. At least one I am going with. Star Trek has morals, and they tell good stories we love to come back to again and again. Star Wars is pure fantasy, action and adventure as we watch our heroes rise up and defeat the bad guys. Trek is about exploring the human condition, and Wars is a space opera about heroes vs villains- good vs evil. As awesome as that is, Wars just doesn’t bring me back time and again (feel free to comment and disagree if you’d like). Of course it doesn’t help there are hours of Trek and only seven Wars movies. It’s no wonder Star Wars expanded media has taken off (which I had mostly ignored for the record). And yes, for the record, I enjoyed Star Trek Beyond more than Star Wars The Force Awakens.
Ok this is turning into a rant, I have a list to get to. At one point I though of doing a a more extensive look at the two franchises back to back, but decided that has been done elsewhere by others much smarter than I. Besides this is about giving Star Wars some love. It was supposed to be ten things, but I added a few, and hey since I’ve talked so much about Trek I can add a bit if I want.
So twelve things from Star Wars I truly love (in no particular order):
12.The Theme
Yeah it’s pretty hard not to smile when I hear that theme music. Especially if it’s in the theater. John Williams did a lot of fantastic music but this melody will always be my favorite. As soon as you hear that fanfare you know epicness is on its way. And yes the rest of the music is good including the classic Imperial March, but if I cover all the music then this list will just be that!
11.Action/Lightsaber Battles
A no brainer here, you can’t compete with the action in these movies. Even the classic movies, though naturally they got better as more CGI was added. I liked the battle where they finally kill Jabba in Jedi believe it or not. And the opening of the third movie is really good. I think my favorite are the lightsaber battles, especially the fight between Luke and Vader at the end of Jedi. Epic. I know people would say the one in Empire is much better (especially with the famous line from Vader), but as I’ve always said Jedi is closer to my heart than Empire. The lightsaber battles in the other movies are all good too, but the one in Jedi is the only one where you could feel the emotion Luke is feeling in that scene. Below is a clip from The Phantom Menace which was pretty damn cool even if that movie sucked.
10.C3PO and R2D2
One of the things I first remember liking about Star Wars were these droids. They were intended just be comic relief but their personalities make them a lot more than that. I did a whole article on these two so I will just leave it at that. I love them and the way they play off each other. They are so cool they even did smoking psa’s in the 80’s.
I used this clip because it was short and sweet, of course it never appeared in the movies
9.Han Solo & The Millennium Falcon
What, no Chewbacca? Ehhh….he’s ok. The funniest moments with him come from others reacting to him I’ve found. But Han Solo is just so cool! There’s a reason why people love Harrison Ford in this role (and Indiana Jones), he is just so damn charming and likable! In the latest movie Solo was one of the best parts, as he manages to from swaggering jerk to elderly advisor very smoothly. And yes the character’s end was very sad. But the coolest thing of all, is his ship. You know, the one that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs? I loved that ship as a kid and even had the toy. And the way it was recreated in Force Awakens was amazing. His best moment may have been in Empire in that scene where Vader uses him to test the freeze chamber. It’s just a well done scene and as I have grown up it’s become one of my favorites.
8.Luke & Leia in Return of the Jedi
Why the qualifier? Well as much as I like these characters in the first two movies it’s here that there is one scene I just adore. No it’s not the one where Luke swings off the barge with Leia in the gold bikini. Though I do love that image! No, I am talking about the talk the two have just before Luke goes to face Vader one last time. That scene has always been a favorite of mine, there is so much heart in that moment. Of course this is where Leia finds out Luke is his brother, and the scene simply works. And we’ll forge that Revenge of the Sith undoes a of this dialogue, whatever. And on the off chance someone remembers an article I did a long time ago where I said making these two brother an sister was a bad idea…yeah I don’t know why I said that.
7.Rey in The Force Awakens
The Force Awaken was…ok. It was basically a re-telling of A New Hope without being a complete remake. The villain wasn’t very interesting and the two other heroes were ok. The one character I loved was Rey. I think in the same way it’s hard to believe Mark Hamill was an unknown before A New Hope, people will say the same about Daisy Ridley. She was badass when she needed to be badass and she was charming when she needed to be charming. I loved her and if there’s anything that will bring me back for the next movie, it’ll be her and learning more about her character.
6.Ewoks in Jedi
Yeah it was silly and yeah in hindsight maybe not the best choice. But the Ewoks are so cute! They were one of the most marketable creations Lucas ever created with toys, cartoons, comic books, and live action spin-off tv movies. I don’t care how old I get, the scene were Leia meets Wicket is just adorable.
5.Yoda in Empire Strikes Back
The reason I say only in Empire Strikes Back is because I don’t like him as much in the other movies. He’s barely in Jedi and his computer generated doppelganger in the prequel movies just isn’t the same as the original. In Empire Yoda is wise and awesome, quoting lines that I still love. Here is one:
4.Episode III
Yeah I’m serious. I liked Revenge of the Sith. Well maybe it would be better if I said of he three pre-quel trilogies, this is the one I enjoyed the most. If at all. I really have nothing good to say with about Phantom Menace (snooze) or Attack of the Clones (forgettable). This one though, was really good. Ok it wasn’t perfect and it creates massive plot holes in A New Hope and Vaders’ scream of NO!! was kind of lame, and….I had a point didn’t I? I did love the way the movie unfolded and that final battle between Anakin and Obi Wan was pretty damn good. Ewan McGregor made a damn good Obi Wan and he shines in this movie. This was also the only movie of the three that I cared about Natalie Portman’ss character (Padme? I forget). I feel this movie is great as a lead in to A New Hope, and for me it’s pretty damn good.
3.Action Figures
\I guess this is a cheat but one thing I loved growing up was the Kenner brand action figures. I still remember many of the one’s I had when I see them in the movies. And I’ve told the story before about how I had the C3PO with limbs that came apart. Except they woild come apart whenever they wanted, and I still remember the sound of the pieces clanking on the table. I already talked about how I loved The Millennium Falcon in the movies, and I did have the tou which was freaking awesome.
2.Darth Vader
I challenge you to find a more bad ass villain out there. Well ok maybe that’s a bit overstated. But man is Vader cool as heck! Everything is about him is awesome, from his height to that black outfit to that awesome voice (thank you James Earl Jones) to the power he possesses. Vader is the perfect villain, and even knowing who he really is in that suit doesn’t keep from being any more awesome.
1.The Destruction of the first Death Star in A New Hope
Say what you want, nothing in Star Wars has topped that final scene in A New Hope when Luke destroys the Death Star. It’s one of those perfect moments. The tension, the excitement, and the way Han Solo appears to save the day. It was just amazing. Many have tried copy it, including Star Wars itself, but you can’t top the original. I can’t do it justice in text, so here is the scene in all it’s glory:
I will say that even I have always wanted to see an official crossover between these two franchise’s. I even wrote a really bad story of my own once. Why has this never happened yet? Possibly because the two franchise’s are so different, there is no way to really bring them together. Star Trek and Star Wars will live forever!
I’m sure I left stuff off. What, no bobba fett? Well he was a cool action figure. No Lando? Eh, not really a fan. What about Jabba The Hut? I liked the toy playset a lot as a kid. Jar Jar Binks? Just kidding!
Feel free to comment and let me know what you love about this saga set a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.
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