Star trek Versus Star Wars...which is better & why?

[A Gunslinger]

I have always liked Star trek better. Why? I like the notion that we as a world eventually unite, and collectively solve the mystery of curin disease, ditribution of wealth and resources, and move toward an enlightenment that sets in motion space exploration.

All in all it is an optimistic vision for the future.

Also i think the stuff (ships, space babes, waepons) all look more more cool that Star Wars.

Your thoughts>?

[Creator]

I have always liked Star trek better. Why? I like the notion that we as a world eventually unite, and collectively solve the mystery of curin disease, ditribution of wealth and resources, and move toward an enlightenment that sets in motion space exploration.

All in all it is an optimistic vision for the future.

Also i think the stuff (ships, space babes, waepons) all look more more cool that Star Wars.

Your thoughts>?

Star Trek was definitelt better for the babe factor!! Kirk had them ... then Riker and Pickard sometime. 7 of 9 was HOT, and even Enterprise had a cute Vulcan.... Star Wars had ...

[A Gunslinger]

7 of nine? They shoulf called her "6 of 9, and had done with it.

[Cail]

I'm gonna get shot for this, but neither is very good.

With the exception of Empire, the Star Wars films are nearly unwatchable anymore. Lucas simply cannot write dialog. Then there's the issue of continuity which is addressed by two very funny YouTube films that Malik posted here somewhere.

Star Trek (TOS, I prefer to pretend the other series' never happened) was at least pioneering and attempted to address some larger social issues.

So I'm gonna say Star Trek, TOS and the TOS films.

[drew]

I'm gunna have to vote for Buck Rogers

(midimidimidi)

[TIC TAC]

Of course the Gerry Anderson SPACE:1999 series was head and shoulders above the rest...no wait. Firefly rules! Serenity was a masterpiece.
Only barely kidding.
Mmmm.
Star Wars and Star Trek attract different kinds of space based sci fi fans. I am a very long time Star Trek fan. I was just old enough to have watched the syndicated TOS in the mid 70s and went on to watch all of STNG, DS9, most of Voyager,maybe one full seasons worth of Enterprise and every movie including the embarassment that was Star Trek V. On the other hand my favorite all time single sci fi movie continues to be Star Wars: A New Hope. Nothing can compare to what I felt when I saw Star Wars for the first time at the theater.
I guess this is a long way of saying I'm not sure how I can pick one over the other since I like them so much for some many differing reasons. I think I hurt something in my brain in the attempt. I'm going to go lie down.

[sgt.null]

Alien is the better film.
Star Wars is unwatchable nowadays. the acting seems wooden, the dialogue horrible. and you can tell that Lucas is making it up as he goes along. I have enjoyed some of the novels written by much better writers.

Star Trek seems very formula driven. it is entertaining at times. the original series is fun in a campy/nostalgic way.

[Cail]

Nothing can compare to what I felt when I saw Star Wars for the first time at the theater.

Now I'll agree with this wholeheartedly. I was 8 when it came out, and it floored me.

But man it's hard to watch now.

[A Gunslinger]

Me too! Star Wars was soooo great...and then Raiders of the Lost Ark came out and THAT floored me. Anyway SW is just kinda "lite". I dunno.

[dlbpharmd]

Nothing can compare to what I felt when I saw Star Wars for the first time at the theater.

Now I'll agree with this wholeheartedly. I was 8 when it came out, and it floored me.

But man it's hard to watch now.

To me, ST TOS and TNG are unwatchable now. F/x are horrible, and the writing is even worse. You want good Sci-Fi? Watch Battlestar Galactica.

[Loredoctor]

All in all it is an optimistic vision for the future.

I'm going to have to disagree here. I find this is one of the most painful parts of ST - the too optimistic view of the future. How is it we change human nature? It's nice, but it is really fantasy. As well, I dislike ST's insistence on human-looking aliens, abuse of science and the forced morality. But that's just me.

I'm gonna get shot for this, but neither is very good.

With the exception of Empire, the Star Wars films are nearly unwatchable anymore. Lucas simply cannot write dialog. Then there's the issue of continuity which is addressed by two very funny YouTube films that Malik posted here somewhere.

Well said. I can't watch the SW prequels or episodes 4-6 anymore. Empire is the best of the lot, but it essentially has very little plot.

Give me Galactica (remake) or Firefly anyday.

[Cail]

Yup. The new BSG, B5, and Firefly are about as good as it gets.

[Avatar]

To me, ST TOS and TNG are unwatchable now. F/x are horrible, and the writing is even worse.

Certainly agree about the OS, and pretty much about TNG with a few exceptions maybe. TOS makes me cringe.

I like 'em both though, for different things. But I think that, if I had to choose a favourite, it would be SW. As so often for me, it's the concept that grabs me more than the execution. I'm a universe fan, I like long, detailed histories and back-stories. And although they're largely only implied, especially in the first SW movies, the vast array of...well...ancilliary documentation that has since surfaced in the SW universe has filled in well.

And hey, what can I say? I love the Jedi.

--A

[A Gunslinger]

Yup. The new BSG, B5, and Firefly are about as good as it gets.

BSG is something that interests me, but I just don't have time enough in the week. That ans my domestic supervisor limits my sci-fi intake, for which I am richly rewarded.

[Fist and Faith]

Wow, we have a oft-used ST/SW forum, and almost nobody likes either?

Like Av, I think the Jedi are too cool! Yeah, they could be better. But even what we saw in IV and V hooked me immediately. The implications that always run through my head are staggering! Fortunately, those implications are much more fully realized in the books (even only the movies' books) and the Clone Wars cartoon.

But Trek is da bomb! Like everything else, it has its stuuuuuuuuuupid episodes (Ellan of Troyus and The Way to Eden, unfortunately, spring to mind), and its brilliant ones.

But there are many great episodes. I guess the one that tops fan lists is City on the Edge of Forever, and it is damned good! The comedies - A Piece of the Action, Trouble with Tribbles, and I, Mudd are just plain hilarious. I love the "Earths" that took different turns in our history - Omega Glory and Bread and Circuses. And who doesn't think Space Seed is among the best, and lead to the best of the movies?

Of course, the big thing to love about TOS is the character interplay. Particular the triangle. It's good to see Kirk being something other than a playboy, as he clearly and thoughtfully balances Bones' ravings and Spock's equations to come to a decision. It's also great when Kirk and Bones make fun of Spock! Like in Friday's Child:
Spock: "They named the baby 'Leonard James?'
Kirk: "I think it has a certain ring to it, don't you Leonard?"
Bones: "Yes, I think it's a name destined to go down in history, James. What do you think Spock?"
Spock: "I think you're both going to be insufferable pleased with yourselves for at least a week. Sir."

TNG was just great! The sxf you guys are complaining about are SOOO much better, and the show just plain looks great to me. Standout episodes are all over the place. The Defector (Best scene and line in all Trek history: "My daughter will grow up believing that I am a traitor. *nods head in rezignation, but also courage* but she will grow up!"), Sins of the Father (Holy cow, do you realize how much happened in those 40+ minutes?!?), The Quality of Life, The Measure of a Man, The Offspring, Darmok, The Inner Light, Tinman, Best of Both Worlds, Ethics, and the list goes on. I've quoted a couple scenes here: kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=210198#210198

The Borg were, of course, terrifying. Alas, they became the vehicle for showing how wonderful our heroes are. We beat them up left and right.


Even Voyager was much better than even I originally thought. I mention some episodes here -
kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=113558#113558 - although I see I didn't say enough about the suicidal Q. That was the coolest thing!

[dlbpharmd]

Fist makes alot of good points, and it's true that when TNG came out we were all ooohing and aahhiing over the f/x. There are lots of great episodes in both TOS and TNG. I love Balance of Terror and The Inner Light (but I can't stand Darmok.) But when I watch TNG now that damn Wesley Crusher is in pratically every freakin' scene and it drives me up the WALL! He's as bad as Jar-Jar.

For me, ST was at its best with DS9. Writing/storylines were so much better.

Fist also makes great points about the Jedi, and of course they're way cool. The Clone Wars cartoons are outstanding.

[Fist and Faith]

But when I watch TNG now that damn Wesley Crusher is in pratically every freakin' scene and it drives me up the WALL! He's as bad as Jar-Jar.

I'm with you there! Sheesh! His potential as a character was realized, but in such annoying ways!!

EDIT:

(but I can't stand Darmok.)

I really love the premise of them talking in such an incredibly different way than us, and the process of learning to communicate. It was the coolest thing when Picard got back to the ship and started talking to them.

Of course, the annoying part is that the Tamarians' language might be impossible. They can only speak in metaphor? How we communicate is a big part of how we think. How the heck do you invent warp-drive and particle-beam weapons when you can only speak, and therefore think, in metaphor? Besides, if they don't think in personal identities, why are their legends filled with specific individuals who did specific things? And why does the first officer say "Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel" at the end of the show? Their captain was Dathon? And they recognize Picard's name is Picard? Sounds like they have a sense of self-identity after all. So why the heck didn't he just point to himself and say "Dathon"??? The list of linguistic problems would likely be gigantic if someone educated in linguistics examined the show.

Reminds me of the episode when Geordi and Ro were cloaked and phased. They could walk through walls and tables. It had some very cool aspects. But why they were not phased in relation to the floors, and even the air!, is beyond me. Extremely sloppy writing. But much worse than Darmok, because you can't even attempt to explain it away.

[TIC TAC]

Yikes.
Does Star Trek really suffer all that much from the special effects? Sure I'm blown away by killer effects. There are moments in Star Wars Episodes 1-3 that are simply amazing. The technology being demonstrated is nothing short of awesome but does that make Episode I a great movie? I'm sure we all have our issues with it. I love when the Simpsons lampooned the Senate's seemingly endless parlimentary proceedure. Blow something up for heaven's sake!
Anyway I love TOS not for its cardboard sets and clumsy, low budget effects but for most of the stories and the characters. (BTW I've been watching the remastered TOS episodes every week as they've been aired. Some of the new F/X are pretty cool but I keep wondering if they make enough of a difference. If they are going to do it they could really go all out. I guess the TOS faithful would rebel. Oh well.)
I thought B5 and Firefly pretty much had the best effects going but there are some really terrific capital ship scenes as shown in the Dominion war on DS9 that are really motion picture quality, IMHO.
Yes Wesley drove me nuts too.
I agree with almost everything Fist mentioned.

[dlbpharmd]

. (BTW I've been watching the remastered TOS episodes every week as they've been aired.

DOH! I forgot that they were back on the air!

[Loredoctor]

The list of linguistic problems would likely be gigantic if someone educated in linguistics examined the show.

The problem is that the writers aren't educated in these areas. Especially science.