Can you really say the SW prequels aim at nostalgia, when these dudes went and made three 6 hours movies from a children's book that barely has 300 pages?
They wanted a cash grab based on LOTR nostalgia. @TheAncientCenturion
They wanted a cash grab based on LOTR nostalgia. @TheAncientCenturion
The Lord of the Ring movies are so far above anything Star Wars has released, it's insane. You can make a very reasonable argument for Episodes 4, 5 and 6 being above the Hobbit movies (those are bad), but the prequel and sequel trilogies are terrible. Absolute trash.
Lord of the Ring is objectively better.
Luke Skywalker is milktoast.
Leia is spunky.
Han is a thief with a heart of gold.
Obi Wan is sarcastic.
Anakin is a psychopath.
Padme is cute.
Rey is a mary sue
Finn is... A thing.
Poe is trying too hard.
Compare that to the richness of the hobbits, of how they sing about and to each other on how they feel. Cry in each others arms and embrace one another. Of Boromir struggling to do what's right for his father/country and what's morally right. Of the Grey Pilgram Gandalf, a hilarious character in the books who is always there to protect the free peoples of Middle Earth.
It's unfair, because Star Wars began as a very typical heroes journey in an era where movies did not expand much on the characters. And the prequels are godawful. Whereas LoTR was written by a great author who constantly revised and edited these characters until they were finalized.
But yeah, Lord of the Rings again.
The Droids, Yoda, Mace Window... Against Eowyn, Tom Bombadil, Theodon, Faramir?
Yeah lol. Comedic relief, muppet and Window lose.
Popularity, Star Wars wins. But this is pure quality.
So I'd pick Melkor, Sauron and the envious Saruman 10/10 over Palpatine who was essentially a rotten egg from the start, Vader who was brutalized in the prequels and... Dooku? Who is better in the EU but still kind of just there.
Melkor is such a great antagonist. Wanting so desperately to create and to be independent, but ultimately being denied this by his creatorβhis own discord and attempts at independence being woven into Eru's song itself fueling Melkor's journey to Morgoth. And as Morgoth, his anger and hatred turning into pure nihilism and a lust to destroy all until he could find the secret fire and make life that is of his origin, no others, is so compelling to me. He hates everything because he is not given the authority to make life, as his purpose was to help mold the world not make it of his own design.
Sauron is someone I could go on for awhile about too. The way Tolkien writes over his insecurities and fears, as a villain and as the titular Lord of the Rings, is so interesting. He's a divine entity beyond the universe itself and a master deceiver, and in the end deceives himself that he's on some mission that the rest of the Ainur forsook, to lead Middle Earth on behalf of Eru. How he, in the 3rd age, grew vain and mad to the point of calling himself Morgoth returned. He is written as a man with good intentions and craving power turned mad despot.
Star Wars has more, but it's paper thin or meaningless. In the old EU they will come up with concepts to explain every weird situation in the movies, they go so far as to detail where Vader received some of his armor, its parts, etc. Which isn't a bad touch but it's meaningless. Tolkien gave us a poem recounting the love he has for his wife via the characters in the story.
Aesthetically? Star Wars.
Oh LoTR is much better. Tolkien wrote god only knows how many songs, the sound track for the movies is iconic as all Hell. Star Wars' tunes are good but they never much grabbed me.
Star Wars has more and generally higher quality games.
Both are bad. No one wins this round.
Star Wars has more and of slightly higher quality at their best (Mando/Andor) but also has a lot of shit. LoTR has Rings of Power which is just good.
Probably Star Wars, it's enjoyed 20+ more years in the media than LoTR as a cinematic series.
All together:
Star Wars: 4
LotR: 6
Tie: 1
Lord of the Ring is objectively better.
Luke Skywalker is milktoast.
Leia is spunky.
Han is a thief with a heart of gold.
Obi Wan is sarcastic.
Anakin is a psychopath.
Padme is cute.
Rey is a mary sue
Finn is... A thing.
Poe is trying too hard.
Compare that to the richness of the hobbits, of how they sing about and to each other on how they feel. Cry in each others arms and embrace one another. Of Boromir struggling to do what's right for his father/country and what's morally right. Of the Grey Pilgram Gandalf, a hilarious character in the books who is always there to protect the free peoples of Middle Earth.
It's unfair, because Star Wars began as a very typical heroes journey in an era where movies did not expand much on the characters. And the prequels are godawful. Whereas LoTR was written by a great author who constantly revised and edited these characters until they were finalized.
But yeah, Lord of the Rings again.
The Droids, Yoda, Mace Window... Against Eowyn, Tom Bombadil, Theodon, Faramir?
Yeah lol. Comedic relief, muppet and Window lose.
Popularity, Star Wars wins. But this is pure quality.
So I'd pick Melkor, Sauron and the envious Saruman 10/10 over Palpatine who was essentially a rotten egg from the start, Vader who was brutalized in the prequels and... Dooku? Who is better in the EU but still kind of just there.
Melkor is such a great antagonist. Wanting so desperately to create and to be independent, but ultimately being denied this by his creatorβhis own discord and attempts at independence being woven into Eru's song itself fueling Melkor's journey to Morgoth. And as Morgoth, his anger and hatred turning into pure nihilism and a lust to destroy all until he could find the secret fire and make life that is of his origin, no others, is so compelling to me. He hates everything because he is not given the authority to make life, as his purpose was to help mold the world not make it of his own design.
Sauron is someone I could go on for awhile about too. The way Tolkien writes over his insecurities and fears, as a villain and as the titular Lord of the Rings, is so interesting. He's a divine entity beyond the universe itself and a master deceiver, and in the end deceives himself that he's on some mission that the rest of the Ainur forsook, to lead Middle Earth on behalf of Eru. How he, in the 3rd age, grew vain and mad to the point of calling himself Morgoth returned. He is written as a man with good intentions and craving power turned mad despot.
Star Wars has more, but it's paper thin or meaningless. In the old EU they will come up with concepts to explain every weird situation in the movies, they go so far as to detail where Vader received some of his armor, its parts, etc. Which isn't a bad touch but it's meaningless. Tolkien gave us a poem recounting the love he has for his wife via the characters in the story.
Aesthetically? Star Wars.
Oh LoTR is much better. Tolkien wrote god only knows how many songs, the sound track for the movies is iconic as all Hell. Star Wars' tunes are good but they never much grabbed me.
Star Wars has more and generally higher quality games.
Both are bad. No one wins this round.
Star Wars has more and of slightly higher quality at their best (Mando/Andor) but also has a lot of shit. LoTR has Rings of Power which is just good.
Probably Star Wars, it's enjoyed 20+ more years in the media than LoTR as a cinematic series.
All together:
Star Wars: 4
LotR: 6
Tie: 1
It was originally supposed to be 2 movies, but the og director left and when Peter Jackson reluctantly took it, the studio forced him to make three.
The Prequels do not aim for nostalgia, I'll give them credit for that (besides the frequent trips to tatooine). But they're only liked because of nostalgia.
The Prequels do not aim for nostalgia, I'll give them credit for that (besides the frequent trips to tatooine). But they're only liked because of nostalgia.
As opposed to The Hobbit, which makes you enjoy dwarfs drinking and barfing? 
Don't make it like a lot of people read books, they do not. It's the movies which really managed to catapult LOTR as high as it is. And we are comparing the og trilogies (SW and LOTR) and the prequels (so eps I II III and Lamebbit 1 2 3)
Don't make it like a lot of people read books, they do not. It's the movies which really managed to catapult LOTR as high as it is. And we are comparing the og trilogies (SW and LOTR) and the prequels (so eps I II III and Lamebbit 1 2 3)
As opposed to The Hobbit, which makes you enjoy dwarfs drinking and barfing?
Don't make it like a lot of people read books, they do not. It's the movies which really managed to catapult LOTR as high as it is. And we are comparing the og trilogies (SW and LOTR) and the prequels (so eps I II III and Lamebbit 1 2 3)
Don't make it like a lot of people read books, they do not. It's the movies which really managed to catapult LOTR as high as it is. And we are comparing the og trilogies (SW and LOTR) and the prequels (so eps I II III and Lamebbit 1 2 3)