I perused and could not (surprisingly) find a thread dedicated to this great science fiction saga, so here it is. Having had plenty of movie & tv viewing time on my hands recently (recovering from back strain), I chose to watch these films. Initially, I only considered watching my favorites, the first 3 released between 1977 & 1983. I first saw Star Wars at a drive-thru theater, believe it or not. I was away at summer camp at the time and one of the counsellors deciced it would be a good idea for a night out and treated us. I enjoyed the movie and experience very much. Sad to say, I didn't venture out to see the next two films. I was just too much of a Star Trek fan and didn't care all that much about "The Force" or "The Dark Side". These days, I always enjoy returning to the original Star Wars films from time to time because they are amongst the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. Hell, I'll go so far as to say amongst the best movies of all time period.
As I was upon hearing the news of Star Trek: The Next Generation coming to tv, I was very skeptikal upon hearing about more Star Wars movies coming our way without the original stars. By this time, I'd come to appreciate Star Wars more than in years past. When the original series were re-released in theaters upon the 20th anniversary of the original in 1997, I made it a point to see them all, enjoyed Star Wars all over again and was thrilled to see what I'd missed initially with the Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi I didn't mind at all that they had been altered to improve the look of the originals and that there were things included that weren't in the originals. I know that angered some fans, but at least now both versions are available on dvd and Blu-ray.
Ok, back to these three prequels. I didn't like them much the first time around. In The Phantom Menace, I couldn't stand Jar Jar Binks but I figured that creature was thrown in for the kiddies to enjoy. Thank goodness it's presence wasn't as apparent in the following 2 films (I say "it" because for the life of me I can't tell if it's male or female; doesn't matter). Of these 3, Attack Of The Clones is my favorite. Having watched them all again recently, like a lot of films I've previously disliked on one level or another, I've come away with a new appreciation. Sure, the magic from the original 3 is missing but there are a lot of good qualities and I enjoy the presence of the original characters; R2-D2, C-3PO, Yoda and Chewbacca. They're still a far cry from the first 3 but overall fit in nicely with the series.
So, being such a big Star Trek fan made me miss out on the prime Star Wars years but that's okay. That's the bad part. The good part is being able to enjoy these films (moreso the original 3) on a level like they're still new to me. Star Trek will always be my favorite (the original tv series & movies only) but I've seen them all multiple times so the magic is all but gone. Not so with Star Wars. I can certainly understand why a lot of fans consider Star Wars to be cooler than Star Trek. Although, both do have cool sayings, "May the force be with you" and "Live long and prosper", geeky as they may sound. Not only that, but my son has begun viewing them with me and enjoys them (not that I won't at least attempt to enjoy the best of Star Trek).
In the grand scheme of things, both are great. Of course, I'll quote Elvis, who once said, "There's room for everybody" and that certainly applies here. Star Wars and Star Trek are both great in their own right, each making up for the other's weaknesses. I'm fortunate enough to be able to enjoy, ahem, "The Best Of Both Worlds" (sorry, TNG episode title but I couldn't help it - it fits!). The same goes for Elvis Presley & The Beatles. There are lovers and haters of each but don't seem to be a lot of fans of both (I could be wrong about that, just going on impressions). Each performer/band is my all time favorite so I can have my proverbial cake and eat it, too.
Since J.J. Abrams did such a fantastic job with rebooting Star Trek in 2009, I'm curious to see how the latest Star Wars movie comes out. My only complaint about 2009's Trek was messing with the timeline but otherwise, it's a great movie worth repeated viewings and I can't wait to see the next installment. It appears we'll have to wait until 2015 for the next Star Wars film. Man, I remember the days when these films came out every 2-3 years and were usually very good. I know this is Star Wars but once again I have to use a Star Trek-ism; to quote Kirk from Star Trek III, "As we say on Earth, c'est la vie!"
I haven't paid any attention to The Clone Wars movie or tv series. It reminds me of the animated Star Trek, but obviously with much higher visual quality (the stories in the animated Star Trek episodes were very good, some even better than season 3 of the original series!) To be honest, I'm not sure where The Clone Wars fits in or if they will very well. I wasn't even going to go this far but thought it better than ending on a Star Trek quote in a Star Wars topic.
Clint Eastwood Forums
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