Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins
Forum Rules and Guidelines

What is the better Trilogy, The "Original Star Wars" or the "Lord of the Rings?"

Commander PK

By Commander PK
in The Tailgate

Recommended Posts

Glenn X

Glenn X

Posted
Posted
Originally posted by Muskrat

LotR has entered that coveted area where public acceptance, acclaim, and box office dollars meet with critical praise. Now, I am not one to hold critics in high regard, but when all of those things come together, you end up with something special.

The question wasn't about the "significance" of LOTR vs. SW in sociohistorial terms. The question was which set of films did I enjoy more. I could care less what the critics think or what the box office says. For instance, I love Manhunter; it tanked at the box office, and most critics were lukewarm about it at the time of its theatrical release. I don't give a f*ck. I liked it. :) Also, I rather enjoyed Resident Evil; the critics shat all over it, and its domestic haul was decent but not great. I don't give a f*ck. I liked it. :)

Originally posted by Muskrat

as pure 'escapism', Star Wars wins....you can sit down, watch the movie, and simply have a good time.

But isn't that what the movies are supposed to be about? Let the "Fine Arts" be about pretentiousness, and let the movies be about entertainment, I say.

I continually hear all these critics and film studies academics heap mounds of praise upon something like Citizen Kane. However, I don't know anyone -- not one person (and that includes some film professors that I know personally) -- who has ever said, "Hey, I feel like kicking back and watching a good flick. Pop Citizen Kane in the ol' DVD player and let's go!" Not one person. Ever.

Look, I'm not saying that Citizen Kane is a piece of sh*t, nor am I saying that Welles didn't do some important things in Citizen Kane cinematographically and editorially. However, if given the choice, I'd MUCH rather watch, say, Escape from New York (one of the best B-movies ever made) or The Abyss (which attempts to be somewhat "high brow" and yet entertaining at the same time) than "The Greatest Movie Ever Made!"

Originally posted by Muskrat

BTW- X-2 was an awesome movie, one of the better sequels I've seen in a LOOONG time.

Indeed. Enjoyed it even more than the original (and I thought the original was surprisingly good). I especially liked the Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan type ending. Very well done. I found myself getting a tad misty by it all -- even though, as with Star Trek II, you just know she's coming back. (And if you've read the comic books, you definitely know she's coming back... like a phoenix. ;) )

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Henry

Henry

Posted
Posted

I just LOVE when Glenn X jumps into a movie thread, even when I totally disagree with him (heck, ESPECIALLY when I dissagree with him :) )

This question was a lot tougher to answer than I thought it would be. Up until The Return of the King I would have said Star Wars without hesitation. Now I'd give it a moment before saying Star Wars. :)

I absolutely LOVED the LOTR movies. I watch them over and over and over. The Return of The King got my adrenaline pumping more than any movie since Return of the Jedi. But there it is. SINCE Return of the Jedi. It's been over twenty years, but the Star Wars movies have created the absolute best heart-pounding battle sequences ever made. The opening freaking shot of the original Star Wars (The best opening shot of any movie ever IMHO), the battle of Yavin, The Battle of Hoth, The Battle of Endor ... all absolutely unprecedented and amazing. (Heck, I'd even throw in the Battle of Geonosis, but that's another thread I guess.) Now, Helms Deep and Palinor Feilds were on that same level (I might even PF at the very top of my list. It was that good) but these payoff scenes were fewer and further between than in the SW trilogy. And that's really the main point of fantasy movies.

As far as the individual character studies go, I agree with Glenn about Frodo. He was far more stoic in the book, and I didn't think the movie did his character justice. I didn't ruin the movies for me or anything, but then again, the Ewoks didn't ruin Star Wars for me either. ;) And while I guess the overall development of the characters in LOTR was a bit better, nothing, and I mean NOTHING tops Luke/Vader. 'No. I am your father' is still the most dramatic moment I've ever personally seen onscreen. Vader is to this day still the best villian ever created, and to suddenly force a glimmer sympathy upon such a deplorable character 2/3 of the way through the story was completely gut-wrenching. Sure LOTR tried the same thing with Gollum, and it worked ok, but I never felt slapped in the face by it. Again, Gollum was not such a wet noodle in the book. He was a complete and utter slave to The Ring, but not like a drug-addict. Not like they presented it. He wasn't some poor sap who simply fell victim to The Power and all. He was a bad, bad man who's badness was amplified by The Ring. The way they changed it in the movie I almost felt like they were trying too hard to get us to kinda like him. Eh. I still didnt. With Vader you could not HELP but feel a twinge of regret at his fate, being forced to kill his son or die. Great stuff.

Don't get me wrong. There is a LOT to like about LOTR. I don't mean to be attacking the trilogy because I think it's right up there with The Greatest Trilogy Of All Time.

But it's not better. Not quite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jay Master Jay

Jay Master Jay

Posted
Posted

Lord of the Rings is too slow and drawn out. I took my 11 year old son and God son they both feel asleep. Too much mumble jumble they didn't even want to go see the 3rd movie. They both said no it's too long. Star Wars has action and space ships. Plus a villian like Darth Vader who is in all 3 movies. May the Force be with you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gbear

gbear

Posted
Posted

Star Wars had the right people talking. Vader was so much more intimidating than the eye or the wraiths.

It's odd because the special effects should have made the Wraiths so much scarier, but nothing is scarier than Vader because Star Wars did such a good job portraying him as real. It's the two sided nature of Vader that is so scary. That being said, LOTR has more scary villains. Jabba is no where near the Spider.

Humor wise, I think both series did a good job. The Star Wars series fails miserably except for Ford keeping it funny. He really makes that series. If you doubt how big a role his humor played, just watch the latest series that really misses the quick wit of Han Solo.

But LOTR has it's humor too. It's easy to think it's Merry and Pippen, but that's not it's main source. Like the books, the best humor comes in the rivalry between Gimli and Legolas. It works for me. Gollum also is kind of pitifuly funny.

All in all, I realy liked both series, but the tie breaker is the way the series starts and the way it ends. It's like writing a paper in school or giving a speach. Your best writing should be at the beginning and end because those parts stick out in everyone's mind the most.

Star Wars has the best opening series of any movie ever. The ship closing in...pure genious. It grabs you and never really lets go even when Luke is a whiny baby.

LOTR has a party...it's a faster beginning than the book where many people stop reading because it never gets going, but it's nothing like Star Wars.

The ending of the ROTK drove me nuts. It's a three hour movie. If you're going to make me wait to go use the bathroom at the end of that, there better be something darn good. I might have liked the ending more if the bad wizard had been in the Shire like in the books. Maybe...maybe not. As it stands though, I'll take Star Wars ending as better. Give me a 30 second ending by a huge bonfire over what feels like a year of crossing my legs wondering how long the line at the bathroom is going to be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Muskrat

Muskrat

Posted
Posted

Funny how two trilogies with much the same fan base can have such division of opinion among them. Star Wars was my introduction to 'big films'....I loved it all and couldn't get enough of Star Wars and collected anything to do with it, INCLUDING those cheesy Burger King glasses. My parents took me to see 'Empire' and I stood in line for hours to be one of the first in my area to see 'Jedi'. I had debates with my friends as to who the 'other' was that Yoda spoke of in 'Empire' as well as whether Vaders' revelation was true or not. Star Wars was genre defining and paved the way for 'good' special effects in films, well, ever since.

All that being said, Lord of the Rings has created for me, now in my 30's, the same feelings and atmosphere. It did this even though I had read the books and knew the story and how it played out. The thrill for me was in seeing how this was realized on screen. ...make no mistake about it, these films ARE NOT for children and were rated PG-13 for precisely that reason. Most children under that age are likely to find large parts of the film boring, not to mention them having to sit for 3+ hours.

As for the actual films themselves (or 'film', one should say), they are a single story told in three parts. It is a tightly woven story of characters and emotion, of the idea that one goal is worthy of such sacrifice on such a large scale. LotR is an 'epic' in every sense of the word. The ending of RotK, while seemingly 'overly long' isn't when you consider that the ending isn't so much wrapping up the third film as it is resolving character arcs that have taken place over a 9 hour span of film (even more when you consider the 'extended editions'). Everything about the films is solid, the cinematography beautiful, and the overall themes touching.

What am I saying? Is this a pointless post containing the ramblings of a crazed lunatic? I'm not totally sure..and maybe. The debate rages on. I still say that LotR are better, overall, films....on almost every account...

....and yes, I DID have fantasies of Carrie Fisher in the 'metal bikini'... :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ghost of

Ghost of

Posted
Posted

Muskrat

I agree with you man. I'm only 26, but I do remember the love I had for SW when I was a kid. At age 14, I rediscovered my love for them, as I was coming back into my uncle's house(there for the summer) and his sister-in-law was watching the funeral pyre scene.

For intensely personal reasons, the entire Luke/Vader relationship resonated with me and I re-established my links to the franchise.

That said, LotR has done the exact same thing to a much more cynical young man at an adult age when I KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN(basically.) That is quite an achievement and there will be differences of opinion and taste with everything in existence. But there are technical facts that cannot be ignored.

On that level, LotR is the superior franchise but that doesn't mean the original SW films aren't fantastic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
skinsfanforlife

skinsfanforlife

Posted
Posted

I guess i cant really say lord of the ring sucks because ive only seen the first one but there is a reason for that. first one sucked ass so i didnt see part 2 and 3.

i purchased the first lord of the ring on dvd and wheni saw it for the first time, it sucked so bad i was so pissed. i was like why the helll did i buy this.

one of the crappiest movie ever that had so much hype.

i was like who the hell finds this movie entertainning.

oh yeah little kids.

Star Wars is way way better than LOTR. no comparison.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grinder

Grinder

Posted
Posted

Guess I'll join the extreme minority.

I sat down to watch the first one a few months ago and it basically put me to sleep. About 2 1/2 hours in I was like "God, will this thing EVER end??"

Seems like a great movie for the folks that grew up playing D&D but since I didn't it was no comparison to the Star Wars trilogy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest 979guy

Guest 979guy

Posted
Posted
Originally posted by Ghost of Nibbs McPimpin

DnD

Hmm, odd since Star Wars is essentially fantasy within the context of "futuristic" settings.

Wizard(hint Gandalf) Obi Wan

Krayt Dragons

Knights/Rangers--Jedi

Orcs/whatver bad guy--Stormtroopers

Great Sword--Lightsaber

Still put quite a few of us to :snore: - something which Star Wars seemed to do to none.

And still seemed like yet another Harry :geek: Potter chapter.

(+ how, exactly, is 45% and counting an "EXTREME minority"???)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mania

Mania

Posted
Posted
Originally posted by Skinsfan75

I pick "Rings." Up until the Lord of the Rings nothing was better than the original Star Wars. I honestly never thought Lucas "space opera" would be undone, but Peter Jackson pulled it off. His treatment of Lord of the Rings is fantastic. "Return of the King" is the Best Picture winner, no doubt. Footnote: (Another movie in the "Best Picture" category is "Mystic River." If you haven't seen this yet, check it out. It's still playing in some theatres. It's a totally different film from Return of the King, but it's really good, will be the runner up)

Sci Fi films never win best picture. However they win for best effects all the time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...