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highwaystar101 on 14 December 2011
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rocketpig said:
highwaystar101 said:

I used to love both when I was younger, but a few years ago I kind of realised how "meh" Star Wars actually is. In the end I realised that the whole series is kind of vacuous. Star Wars is essentially just sword fighting and space battles (as well as irrelevant dialogues). There's nothing wrong with watching something like that though, it's enjoyable and fun... But it's not engrossing.

That's the difference. A good episode of Star Trek is far more engrossing than the best Star Wars film (Empire Strikes Back, in case you're interested) because Star Trek episodes are usually written with a real-life concept underpinning the story and that makes a lot of difference. It allows you to engage with the events more (whether the concept is political, scientific, social, etc...).

Well, that's the entire problem with this argument in the first place and why fanboys on both sides are so insufferable.

Star Trek is about the future of humanity and the problems faced by government, poverty, political relationships, etc. It's a study of who we are and where we're going.

Star Wars is about mythology and incorporating it into a new environment. It's about shining good versus blackest evil. It's full of action, the good guy triumphing over adversity, and swashbuckling. It's no different than any number of Greek, Roman, or Norse mythologies. It was never meant to be profound, just as Lord of the Rings was never meant to be profound. It's a tale to tell children and entertain everyone who sees it.

I happen to swing more in the Star Wars camp but that's just how I roll. I love well done stories of the man in the white hat laying a beat down on the black hat. I also love the episodic nature of Star Trek and the questions it poses us as people. Both have their merits and shouldn't really be compared. Outside of starships, they share virtually nothing in common.

Oh yeah, don't get me wrong. This is an entirely subjective thing. They are almost two completely different types of storytelling and whichever one you prefer is entirely down to your own opinion.

I would never tell anyone that they're wrong for liking Star Wars, but it's just not to my taste. I can see the appeal of it (as you say it's not meant to be profound, just an entertaining tale), but in all honesty I'm rather indifferent to the series.