"Star Trek or Star Wars?" Topic

Let's stick with a long time ago, in a galaxy of your choice.
In other words, back when they were good.
I've always thought that Star Wars was more fantasy than sci-fi, what with wizards and magic swords.
Star Trek actually pretended better at being science fiction to justify Warp Speed, Photon Torpedoes, phasers, etc.

But in the end, both were (using past tense) simply space opera. When the writing was good, it was very good. When it wasn't, not so much.

So. Which, when very good, do you prefer?

I can't say. One was a television series, while the others were theater movies. They are, IMO, apples and oranges, and I don't consider them to be equal to one another, so I can't make a valid comparison.

I like both apples, and oranges, very much -- I like both early Star Trek, and original Star Wars, very much.

I"m an RPG gamer, but I've never played either of these in their RPG iterations. I have no interest in them as an RPG pursuit. If I did, I could make a choice for you. Blah, blah, blah. >;-) LOL! Cheers!

Star Trek. It was intelligent, thoughtful, and actually tried to take on some real issues.

Star Wars a new hope was a great movie. Revenge was a good movie. Return was a product placement cartoon. Everything else since that I have seen is mind meltingly stupid. So I gave up on the franchise.

I'll watch a new Star Trek movie.

Star Trek, the only Star Wars movie I have watched was the 1st one. Didn't care for it much.

If this becomes a Poll, I hope "Both" is an option. Not to be diluted.

Luke had an actual Hero's Journey, where he failed and came back. Can't go wrong with that arc.
Kirk and Picard were both Hornblower in Space. Different story arc, but still good.

Yes.

I'm afraid I'd want a "both" option too, or some equivalent. I liked The Movie Formerly Known as Star Wars (now "Episode IV") more than any of the Trek movies--but not as much as some Classic Trek episodes--or even really, "House of Quark" from DS9 or "Yesterday's Enterprise" from TNG. It's not even taste as much as what I'm in a mood for on any given evening.

As for "space opera"--yeah, not a lot of hard SF on TV or movies, and usually for good reason. But a bookseller once observed to me that all the quick guides he gave his people as to what went on the fantasy and what on the SF shelves failed him when he came to Star Wars. "Rocket on the cover is SF: Sword on the cover is fantasy" for instance, or "Government is SF: Heritage is fantasy."

And before you went too far down a list of great video space opera, episodes or movies of Galactica, B5 and Andromeda would how up, outranking most Star Trek or Star Wars.

None of these I wouldn't watch a movie of--but only after I'd seen some non-professional reviews. Professional reviewers are professional liars, and not much is made for me these days.

Star Trek. Never watched the TV shows from the Star Wars genre

Star Trek. It tried to address some real issues and when it was good it clicked. It didn't hit every time, but it was worth it.

I liked the first Star Wars flick, but after that the writing was so bad I couldn't sit thru a whole movie. It had interesting toys to accompany the science fantasy, but they didn't really make sense.

I prefer Trek but they really are different things. Trek has tried to tell stories within a generally consistent framework even if I'm not sure about the whole Burn thing. Star Wars was originally the classic prince who doesn't know he's a prince getting revenge while gathering a collection of other heroes and a magic weapon but there have been so many spinoffs that I'm not sure what it is other that a setting for all kinds of other stories.

Have to go with Star Trek. Phasers on stun! It's worse than that Jim…he's dead. Life long and prosper!

Apples and oranges. Literally no reason to choose between them, is there?

If I were ranking things, for some mysterious reason, I imagine my ranking might be different on different days.

Star Trek and all of the offshoot TV shows.

Star Trek.

But I love ‘em both— at least, as you say, "from when they were good."

Everything else since that I have seen is mind meltingly stupid.

I encourage you to consider watching Andor (tv series) and Rogue One (movie set after Andor). They're for adults. They're the best work I've seen in the Star Wars universe (and I admit that I've skipped a lot for the basically the same reasons you mentioned).

But I love ‘em both— at least, as you say, "from when they were good."

Me, too.

You'll have to specify if we're to consider movies against movies, or property against property.

If the latter, I think if one folds in Andor, Clone Wars, early seasons of Mandalorian, Star Wars Battlefields, Star Wars comics, novels like the Rogue Squadron series, or Heir to the Empire series, John Williams'scores, hour for hour, more pleasure is derived from Star Wars.

But if I could only choose one element, it'd be the original series Star Trek.

Star Trek. But I think The Orville beats them all.

On balance Star Trek as it took things more seriously than Star Wars – although I do love The Mandalorian

Babylon 5

Point, Shagnasty. I was watching Vir and Mr. Morden again just yesterday. "Some wishes come at too high a price."

+1 Frederick.

Star Trek…

Armand

Star Trek, absolutely. With the caveat that I am only referring to the original series and The Next Generation, plus the movies spun off from those. I haven't been motivated to keep up with any of the spin-offs or rebootings. (Bah!) An anthology TV show, there are stand-alone episodes that are as amazing as anything in sci-fi cinema in terms of scripts and acting and production. Plus, if I had to live in one of those universes, give me the optimistic and humanist Star Trek Federation any day.

Star Wars just gives me a headache after the original trilogy (acceptable space opera, those, but everything since seems fan-fiction granted license to print money).

Love both for different reasons, but only to a point. The newer stuff tends to be awful with some surprises here and there.

Better writing on Star Trek.

Star Trek TOS

With Kennedy leaving and starfleet academy on now.

The force is now back to star wars!

Star Wars

I loved both; in the day.