Star Trek or Star Wars

[DrWho42]

Anyone here happen to have a preference between the two?

[Osprey]

i saw ep. iv [pretty much before it was called that] as a young boy. i went to a midnight showing of ep. iii some 28 years later; and the final lightsaer battle actually lived up to the hype that had surrounded its literally 1/4 century build-up. in between are countless hours upon hours of watching the films, reading the books, wasting 1/2 my youth with the kenner action figures, and eventually viewing the dvds with my children. hence, it's really no contest with me.

and to be fair, a lot of it is a question of timing. SW practically defines my childhood. ST:TOS was off the network before i was born [saw plenty of sat. afternoon syndication tho] and TNG didn't begin until i was completing high school. sooo, even counting the many, many hours watching tng and later voy [never got into ds9 much] st just doesn't "stick" with me. Frankly, take the best st movie [first contact] and it's still not as good as the worst sw movie [ep. i].

[NEXUX]

So diffrent concepts ...
Very wrong poll

[Joe Beaudoin Jr.]

I agree with NEXUX. I don't feel that you can really compare Star Trek to Star Wars.... both are different types of stories. SW is pure fantasy escapism, while ST is like a morality play. (I do find it interesting, however, that the SW books try to be more like Star Trek in terms of defining a Galactic Empire, holding the peace, and what not.)

[ShadowEnigma]

I like both, because Trekkies and Star Wars Fans (Star Warsies?) love to fight stupidly over which is better by using "facts" (which aren't) and they always boil down to which fleet can destroy who. =P

Personally, I can't decide which is better. I like both for different reasons. I don't think I could decide which is better.

[Jonathan]

I need to echo Osprey, to a degree, and Nexus/Joe B., to a degree.

They are different and target different audiences. But, I take issue with SW being called "pure fantasy escapism." That, intended or not, belittles SW and I find fault with that.

Both have their strengths and their weaknesses. I would rephrase the escapism vs. morality tale bit as such. SW is a massive archetypal space opera hearkening back to what it means to be a hero. Trek is a scientific exploration of mankind in a geopolitical situation while placing an emphasis on his yearning to learn what has yet to be learned.

Lastly, to echo Osprey I need to make a clarification. As a child born in '81, during the heart of the Cold War, I am most familiar with RoTJ (or Revenge of the Jedi as I like to reference it) from my childhood. I saw ST Original Series as a lad and hated it. I loved Next Gen while I was in middle school and continue to love DS9 (although I can't sit through Original Series or Next Gen anymore). I can't stand Voyager but am willing to try it again. I remember Enterprise from college.

Star Wars I've seen time and time again. I remember watching it on VHS when I was 6 and 7 while home sick with my dad. I recall the great scenes inside the trash compactor or Luke talking with Obi-Wan with Vader on his tail. I was awed by Jabba the Hutt and I still love the Ewoks. I consider ESB to be one of the best films of all time, the starkness between good and evil is so rare in everyday life but it exists under the surface when one looks.

I can watch SW time and time again but cannot say the same for Trek. The Trek films are good and they are a better comparison. Although SW is soon to be a ilve action tv series, in addition to his numerous animated series, it is a film first and foremost. It is only fair to compare it with another film and thus the Trek films must do. Nuclear Wessel is, of course, included.

But, at the end of the day a comparison between the two in a poll is difficult at best and absurd at worst. It is like comparing Warhammer 40k and SW or Trek. One can't do that.

[Lestat]

I like both , there's no comparison , one is a fantasy the other is science fiction the first one has even magic and bad sorcerers the other has enemies maybe very dangerous but nothing is magic with them , including Q which is only far advanced and nothing more

I a comparison can be made that would be between Babylon Five and Star Trek DS9 especialy the last five years

[Lt.Heracles]

I choose Star Wars because im in the Belgian Star Wars Fanclub. And I have the Star Trek DVD box but I prefer Star Wars more then Star Trek.

May the Force be with you all!

[Lestat]

Live long and prosper

[Spencerian]

One thing I do like about Star Wars over Star Trek:

Star Wars has a specific end. Star Trek is like that pleasant need to scratch yourself once in a while...until you realize that itch sometimes won't go away no matter how nicely you ask it.

[TitanimRex]

Neither: Babylon 5 or bust for me

[ShadowEnigma]

I never got into B5 much. I watched a few episodes but just could never get into it. I was also much younger, so maybe if I try watching it again I might like it.

[Lestat]

B5 first season isn't good just watch the pilot then jump to second season

[Joe Beaudoin Jr.]

You really need to watch the whole B5 series, specifically Season 1. There's a lot of back story that's set up in season one. (If you are to miss anything, you can really miss "The Gathering", since it's craptacular at best.)

[Jonathan]

The crappy acting of the captain is horrible in season one. You need to force yourself to sit through it because of the important story. But, season two and three are where it picks up. The prequel movies actually should be watched first. They're not great but they do set everything up. I have season four in my player right now. It'll be a blast.

[NEXUX]

B5 script and story perfect
It is a show that if u miss any part thn u cant taste it completly

[Dwyn2435]

I like them both. But the time travel and all that weird shit in Trek sorts makes me prefer Wars, but Trek is awesome in it's own right.

[ShadowEnigma]

Yeah the way they continually use time travel irritates me sometimes.

[Lestat]

Ivanova was hot I don't really know who I'd pick up if requested to choose between her,Padme,Seven of Nine , Jadzia Dax , Major Kira , Six , Boomer and of course Ro Laren

maybe Dax but it's a hard choice I really loved Ro

[Osprey]

dax, no question ...


ro would drive me up the wall in about 10 minutes ...
:-)
:-)

[buerger23]

Star Wars... No question.
I have read the novels twice over.
All of them, there are a lot of damn star wars novels.
Trekkies are the lowest form of Nerd... lol :) :lol: :D

[buerger23]

Kirk or what ever enterprise captain would get their collective asses handed to them by any star wars character

u choose.

[ShadowEnigma]

Quite frankly, the whole Star Wars ships/characters/show vs. Star Trek ships/characters/show is such an annoying subject to me. I've read a bunch of forums that do it, and 90% of the time it boils down to a No! Star Wars is better! No! You're a moron, Star Trek is better!

Granted, they have many similarities, but with how different a premise of a show each are, they aren't in the same category. Yes they both have shields, but they work differently. Yes they both have a form of laser weapon, but they work different. Combat, ship design, everything varies widely between the two. They have complete different story arcs.

I just like them both, for different reasons. Neither is better, no ship is better, no character is better then the other. It's comparing apples and oranges.

[Seanathin]

damn you beat me to the prefering B5 bit. And you have to watch it in the order that it was presented, once you get through S1 it picks up like crazy, it took me half a year to get my girlfriend though the first season and less then a mouth to get within five episodes of the end, the rampage only slowed by S3 DVDs.

But ST and SW are totaly diffrent as really sweet for totaly diffrent reasons.

[DrWho42]

damn you beat me to the prefering B5 bit. And you have to watch it in the order that it was presented, once you get through S1 it picks up like crazy, it took me half a year to get my girlfriend though the first season and less then a mouth to get within five episodes of the end, the rampage only slowed by S3 DVDs.

But ST and SW are totaly diffrent as really sweet for totaly diffrent reasons.I've tried converting my gf (which I already mentioned on the DS9 + BSG (http://battlestarforum.com/showthread.php?p=7847#post7847) thread), but we never seem to have the time and I don't want to constantly keep on with it (even whilst its worth it).

[JDS]

Ivanova was hot I don't really know who I'd pick up if requested to choose between her,Padme,Seven of Nine , Jadzia Dax , Major Kira , Six , Boomer and of course Ro Laren

maybe Dax but it's a hard choice I really loved RoCally.

[Jonathan]

Ugh. I really hate when fan discussions turn down this path. It is so off-putting for me and yet so many people enjoy the "if such and such tv show wasn't fake what character would you like to kiss/date/hug/snuggle/copulate with/engage in other [insert name here of] activity/bring home to mom/dad/other."

/sigh

[Ausir]

B5 and BSG.

[buerger23]

No one can really compare the two. Yes, they're both Sci-Fi but that's about it everthing is different. Albeit I do like Star Wars more but you can't compare between phaser's and lightsaber's. Like it's near impossible because Star Wars is so much farther advanced then Star Trek there shouldn't even be a debate.

[ShadowEnigma]

Star wars is more advanced? That's an interesting comment.

[n4omi]

ok, i like both star wars and star trek...but i wish to add my choice:




(X) Firefly



(at least untill they film firefly prequels and/or badly written franchise-cash in's, when this happens, i'll revise my vote....)

[ShadowEnigma]

I love firefly! I hate how they canceled it, and what happened at the end of serenity.

[Edison]

I swing both ways....wait that don't sound right....

Okay honestly I jump back and forth between both franchises, and I think alot of it has to do with the lulls in each franchise.

As a child I was hard core Star Wars, but as that franchise faded away after post Jedi, I found Star Trek in reruns, and then the movies, and the Next Generation burst out of the gates, followed by DS9 (loved this show), Voyager , and Enterprise. (The later two I didn't like much), but just as Trek was dying out again Star Wars had risen once more.

Currently Trek is trickling post TNG, VOY, DS9, TNF, TIT, and a few other books only at this time which makes me keeping up with them pretty easy.

Wars books really turned me off with the New Jedi Order books, I read most of those but really became fed up with them, as I understand ALOT of fans were. I recently grabbed Timothy's Zahn's Outbound Flight based on how damn good his Thrawn trilogy and Dualogy were and loved it, so I grabbed Survivors Quest the sequel to Outbound, and loved that, suddenly I was hooked on Star Wars books again.

In catching up I've read 24 books in 4 months.

There's room for both Trek and Wars.

[JDS]

Ugh. I really hate when fan discussions turn down this path. It is so off-putting for me and yet so many people enjoy the "if such and such tv show wasn't fake what character would you like to kiss/date/hug/snuggle/copulate with/engage in other [insert name here of] activity/bring home to mom/dad/other."

/sighI find them sooooo much less annoying "Star Wars vs Star Trek" (which is better, which would beat up the other, which would...etc etc).

While we're on the subject, EVE would totally kick Star Wars ass, I mean I can totally see a couple Rokh-class battleships punching clean through Star Destroyer hulls with their 425mm railguns from ranges where the Imperials don't even know what's hitting them as a couple Abbadon-class battleships break their formations, melting through their shields with full complements of megapulse lasers while their golden armor shrugs off the turbolasers like raindrops...oh and a Jovian titan would put that Death Star to shame :lol:

[thecag]

I absolutely possitively hate the Star Wars prequels. Other than that Star Wars is great.

I also consider Star Wars and Star Trek mutually exclusive since there messages are very different.

[aylinn]

Star Wars for Natalie Portman and Star Trek for Jean Luc-Picard :) But seriously, I hope we're not taking new Star Wars into account 'cause it's a crap. Still I would choose Star Wars although old episodes of Star Trek are great :). Hard choice.

[t8765]

It's like apples and oranges, both great shows and stories for entierly differnt reasons and in entierly differnet ways. But I love them both.

[matronik]

For me both. Still I have to say that I like the Star Trek universe more (red shirt and all!)

[Jason525]

As a young child , I asked a female freind what she liked more , Star Wars or Star Trek?

We stayed just freinds even after we got older.

[Gort]

Never really got into Star Wars, with the exception of Empire Strikes Back, I felt them to be patronising and written for the primary schooler in mind (that's what I thought when I was twelve when I first watched it in the cinema in the '70s and still do so now), which in itself isn't a bad thing, but is/wasn't for me. Star Trek, on the other hand, is a show that tries to make you think (limited to an extent, I agree) and doesn't come across as a bloated children's show. However, yeah, they're really two different genres, so it's probably not fair to make a comparison.

[letsgooilers]

Well, star wars has Harrison Ford at his best, one really great movie two pretty good movies, two average movies and a really terrible movie. And lets not get into the christmas special

On the other hand, Star Trek has one unbelievable television series(DS9), two pretty solid series(TOS, TNG), a forgettable series(enterprise) and a really terrible series(Voyager). Plus two really great movies(2 and first contact) a couple of solid films(3 and 4) and the rest is just garbage. Oh, and lets not forget RDM got his start in Trek.

But, the popularity of Star Wars lead to the creation of the original BSG, which in turn lead to the remake, which we currently all love and enjoy.

Hmm, not to forget, Avery Brook was in Star Trek, while Samuel Jackson was in Star Wars. still can't decide.

I guess I'll have to call this one a draw. Wait! What's that? Patrick Stewart was in Star Trek?

Star Trek 35, Star Wars 32

[Jonathan]

Well, star wars has Harrison Ford at his best, one really great movie two pretty good movies, two average movies and a really terrible movie. And lets not get into the christmas special

On the other hand, Star Trek has one unbelievable television series(DS9), two pretty solid series(TOS, TNG), a forgettable series(enterprise) and a really terrible series(Voyager). Plus two really great movies(2 and first contact) a couple of solid films(3 and 4) and the rest is just garbage. Oh, and lets not forget RDM got his start in Trek.

But, the popularity of Star Wars lead to the creation of the original BSG, which in turn lead to the remake, which we currently all love and enjoy.

Hmm, not to forget, Avery Brook was in Star Trek, while Samuel Jackson was in Star Wars. still can't decide.

I guess I'll have to call this one a draw. Wait! What's that? Patrick Stewart was in Star Trek?

Star Trek 35, Star Wars 32

Don't forget the following for SW:

kickass RPG (actually 2 of them, the d6 under WEG and d20 under WotC).
Incredible soundtracks (courtesy of John Williams, formerly of the Boston Pops)
Great animated series
Incredible graphic novels (Tales is incredible and the Trek manga just can't stand up)
Better electronic gaming (XWA, Tie Fighter, KOTOR, Lego Star Wars, just to name a few)
New animated film
Upcoming "gritty" live action series (a la BSG)
ILM (THE original and best SF special effects company, no harm intended to any BSG FX companies)
THX (THE standard for theatre audio and a lot of silverscreen audio)
Records for highest (before Titanic) grossing film of all time
Collectible action figures (worth more, combined, than your house)
Collectible mini game (a great one at that)
Joseph Campbell

I think you left those out. Thought I'd gently remind you of them so you can add them into your calculations.

[Joe Beaudoin Jr.]

Don't forget the following for SW: [blah, blah, blah]
I think you left those out. Thought I'd gently remind you of them so you can add them into your calculations.

Yeah, if you don't make the proper calculations you'd be liable to jump in the middle of a sun or the debris from Alderaan. Just ask Han. :lol:

Or you can go back and dust crops. :p

[pagad]

The three original Star Wars movies were all brilliant, no matter how much the franchise (and George Lucas) gets bashed these days.

One hundred years from now, they'll be remembered, methinks.

[letsgooilers]

Don't forget the following for SW:

kickass RPG (actually 2 of them, the d6 under WEG and d20 under WotC).
Incredible soundtracks (courtesy of John Williams, formerly of the Boston Pops)
Great animated series
Incredible graphic novels (Tales is incredible and the Trek manga just can't stand up)
Better electronic gaming (XWA, Tie Fighter, KOTOR, Lego Star Wars, just to name a few)
New animated film
Upcoming "gritty" live action series (a la BSG)
ILM (THE original and best SF special effects company, no harm intended to any BSG FX companies)
THX (THE standard for theatre audio and a lot of silverscreen audio)
Records for highest (before Titanic) grossing film of all time
Collectible action figures (worth more, combined, than your house)
Collectible mini game (a great one at that)
Joseph Campbell

I think you left those out. Thought I'd gently remind you of them so you can add them into your calculations.

I can only give you another field goal overall. Mainly for the better games(although if that Star Trek MMO had actually been created, I think things might have evened out. Also, the stuff to be developed in the future counts for nothing at this point. Plus, I just really hate George Lucas, I mean really hate that guy. Which is unusual, since I don't normally hate on guys I don't know(except for Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Chris Pronger)

btw Joseph Campbell?

[Aphrodite]

I love Star Wars. I am not a Star Trek fan at all.

[Sharon.Valerii]

I love Star Wars. I am not a Star Trek fan at all.


Same to me ^^

[genji2000]

Star Trek I can take or leave, but I'm really only familiar with TOS.

Star Wars irritates me. I was a kid when Episode IV was released and totally obsessed - every little clip they showed on TV had me enthralled, I must have seen it 10 times or more at the cinema, like Osprey I had the action figures (grew out of them by the time Empire was released)... by the time Jedi was released it was a "for old times' sake" visit to the cinema, and really, those frakking Ewoks and Chewie's Tarzan scream: dreadful. I pretty much scoped it as a kids' flick by the time I was fifteen.

When Episode I was due I had a kid, and we'd already gone through the original trilogy. I was well into the hype for his sake and spent the couple of months before release collecting all the toys: figures, vehicles and monsters. He was six or seven years old. On the day of release I convinced him he had a cold and kept him of school. I set all the new toys up in his bedroom and took him out to the cinema to watch it. He was blown away (I did like the lightsabre duel at the end, and the accompanying score). Went back home and took him up to his room where there was this Aladdin's Cave of Hasbro toys (different licence in the UK), and we spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking them and setting them up. It was a great day.

That's pretty much what Star Wars means to me: it's for kids and it's all about the toys.

[Aphrodite]

Star Wars. Definitely Star Wars.

I don't watch ST.

[Jonathan]

I find it ironic that Star Wars is deemed a children's only film by many people. I don't deny that it has a strong appeal to pre-teen children. However, it is a myth truly understandable by a mind more advanced than an eight year old child.

Anyone who picks up Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces can see how true it is. Star Wars is a modern myth built on the foundation supplied by tales of yore canvassing the globe. To truly understand Star Wars is to understand humanity.

At a more basic level it is an enjoyable saga featuring sword fights, gun fights, monsters, and good combating evil. Those are things any child can appreciate. The wonder that is Star Wars means it can be enjoyed on one level for its simplistic tale of good versus evil and at the same time be equally enjoyed on another level for its deeper mythology. It is the human condition.

[Zlaticko]

Star Trek. The original SW (4, 5 & 6) were incredible to me; until Lucas decided to re envision them. Combine that with 'ex-squueze-me' and 'midi-crapians' and I quit. Still have not watched the final (first or whatever) 2 movies; turned me off that much.

[Joe Beaudoin Jr.]

I am not fond of the prequel trilogy. The only movie I can really stomach was "Revenge of the Sith". I much prefer the original trilogy (unmolested) over the "special edition" versions. (Same with "E.T.")

As for the "Trek" vs. "Wars"... I like 'em both. They're different ends of the spectrum. One is science fiction, the other is fantasy set in space.

[Zlaticko]

Wait a sec, he re-did E.T. too?

[Joe Beaudoin Jr.]

Wait a sec, he re-did E.T. too?

Spielburg did it... He "PC"-ed the movie. So, like the scene when the kid and ET flies over the blockade, they CG'ed out the shotguns and replaced them with bulky walkie-talkies.

[Zlaticko]

Buwahahahahahahahahahahhahha

Crap.

:)

Edit - you're right Spielberg, my bad :)