Star Wars versus Star Trek

[knights68]

Which do you like and why?

Is it the special effects? or is it the characters?..the lovible Chewie or the ever evolving Data. The romance between Riker and Troy or Leia and Han? Lightsabers or Phasers? And lets not forget the musical score of both...

What are your thoughts?

[EarlJam]

Which do you like and why?

Is it the special effects? or is it the characters?..the lovible Chewie or the ever evolving Data. The romance between Riker and Troy or Leia and Han? Lightsabers or Phasers? And lets not forget the musical score of both...

What are your thoughts?

Data? Riker? To Hades with them! Give me Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Nurse Chapel! I LOVE the old Star Trek series. It's entertaining and hilarious. The campy sets; the bad acting. I love it. And Kirk would totally whip the arse of any Star Wars or new Star Trek foe.

For EarlJam, it's the 60's STAR TREK!

-EarlJam

[knights68]

I should have started two other threads too:
Who was the better captian?
And who would win in a fight between Wars and Trek:
But for now,
In my opinion, ST trounces SW only from a technical standpoint I think.
I preferred TNG, then TOS, then Star Wars (Return of Jedi) then the rest (as if they really mattered)

[Shammrog]

I should have started two other threads too:
Who was the better captian?
And who would win in a fight between Wars and Trek:
But for now,
In my opinion, ST trounces SW only from a technical standpoint I think.
I preferred TNG, then TOS, then Star Wars (Return of Jedi) then the rest (as if they really mattered)

Strangely enough, I must depart from EarlJam and side with you here. I was TNG all the way; love the technology and adventure/exploration aspects of it.

BUT - Picard was a pit of a pansy. Give me Riker as captain, a bottle of whisky, and a box of shells!

So, Kirk gets nod over Picard, but not eventual Admiral Riker.
Trek wins - higher tech and more destructive weapons.

[EarlJam]

Strangely enough, I must depart from EarlJam and side with you here. I was TNG all the way; love the technology and adventure/exploration aspects of it.

BUT - Picard was a pit of a pansy. Give me Riker as captain, a bottle of whisky, and a box of shells!

So, Kirk gets nod over Picard, but not eventual Admiral Riker.
Trek wins - higher tech and more destructive weapons.

Riker over Kirk? Surely you can't be serious. The two are very similar: both can fight, both have ridiculous sex drives - even to the point of boinking green aliens, and both have great hair.

But Riker over Kirk? Please. Kirk would take Riker behind the Bi-partate, Di-Lithium Particle Shed and whip that pansy like a red-headed step child.

-EarlJam

[Shammrog]

Riker over Kirk? Surely you can't be serious. The two are very similar: both can fight, both have ridiculous sex drives - even to the point of boinking green aliens, and both have great hair.

But Riker over Kirk? Please. Kirk would take Riker behind the Bi-partate, Di-Lithium Particle Shed and whip that pansy like a red-headed step child.

-EarlJam

(uh, Kirk is like 5'1". In heels.)

[knights68]

Earl,
So if Riker and Kirk were the same age, you think Kirk would tan his hide in a fight?
I always thought Riker was always holding back, so with that in mind, I supppose I agree with you on that.

[EarlJam]

(uh, Kirk is like 5'1". In heels.)

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, rather the size of the fight in the dog.

Have you ever seen Kirk fight? My GOD! Did you see what he did to Ganken the Great on Valpor I in Sector V, Quadrant IV of the interplanetary system known as Belspar?

I've NEVER seen Riker take a beating like that to come back and win. Kirk is like the Rocky of space. And hey, Rocky was short too!

-EarlJam

[EarlJam]

Earl,
So if Riker and Kirk were the same age, you think Kirk would tan his hide in a fight?
I always thought Riker was always holding back, so with that in mind, I supppose I agree with you on that.

This has got Kirk Vs. Riker Poll written all over it. Knights68, Make it So!

-EarlJam

[snowdenscold]

Which do you like and why?

Is it the special effects? or is it the characters?..the lovible Chewie or the ever evolving Data. The romance between Riker and Troy or Leia and Han? Lightsabers or Phasers? And lets not forget the musical score of both...

What are your thoughts?

Ummmmm... this should not be a question. The answer is clearly Stars Wars. I'll take the former for all the points above.

"Yes, your highnessness."
"I am not a committee!"
"I love you" ... "I know."

And the music just simply blows ST out of the water and 300 miles inland.

[knights68]

Cap'n Jam
It is done!

[Stray Gator]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QSaM5gQ9vo

[Jfrosh]

It's not a fair fight. The sheer volume of Star Trek material overwhelms the 6 Starwars Movies. (Not counting, the Wookie or was it Ewok Christmas Special). While both have great characters and storylines, we have so much more depth from the countless hours of StarTrek. As my wife would always complain, I could find a Star Trek show somewhere on cable 24 hours a day. Although to be fair she couldn't tell the difference between Deep Space 9 and Babylon 5. (uh, oh my geek is showing). We really got to know all of the characters, their families, their interests, weaknesses.
If we were only counting movies SW would win hands down as ST has had only one great (Wrath of Kahn) and several bad (The Voyage Home, Final Frontier).

Oh and Benjamin Sisco could kick both Kirk and Rikers at the same time.

[EarlJam]

Oh and Benjamin Sisco could kick both Kirk and Rikers at the same time.

Watch your mouth. Kirk's got a taser in his pocket, and JFrosh it's ready to roar.

-EarlJam

79

[Shammrog]

It's not a fair fight. The sheer volume of Star Trek material overwhelms the 6 Starwars Movies. (Not counting, the Wookie or was it Ewok Christmas Special). While both have great characters and storylines, we have so much more depth from the countless hours of StarTrek. As my wife would always complain, I could find a Star Trek show somewhere on cable 24 hours a day. Although to be fair she couldn't tell the difference between Deep Space 9 and Babylon 5. (uh, oh my geek is showing). We really got to know all of the characters, their families, their interests, weaknesses.
If we were only counting movies SW would win hands down as ST has had only one great (Wrath of Kahn) and several bad (The Voyage Home, Final Frontier).

Oh and Benjamin Sisco could kick both Kirk and Rikers at the same time.

Oh, I did love Star Wars; just opining on who would win...

One exception - the Yoda light saber fight in the second of the "new" films - "The Phantom Menace (?)"

This scene alone establishes Yoda as the baddest EMEFFer in the Galaxy, to say nothing of his formidable other body of work.

Yoda rules. Yoda 2008!

[Shammrog]

Watch your mouth. Kirk's got a taser in his pocket, and JFrosh it's ready to roar.

-EarlJam

79

Oh yeah! Here's Riker, with a haircut and out of the TNG zoot suit...


http://www.topmuscu.com/images/bodybuilders/Marius_Pudzianowski2.gif

[EarlJam]

Oh yeah! Here's Riker, with a haircut and out of the TNG zoot suit...


http://www.topmuscu.com/images/bodybuilders/Marius_Pudzianowski2.gif

Lots of power but too much mass. Kirk's nimble arse would simply dance circles around him, applying strategically placed and powerful karate chops as needed. Riker would never get a punch in.

[wilson]

I'm sorry, but I really have to voice my disagreement with the Star Trek over Star Wars consensus here. In Star Trek, you have an interminable labyrinth of characters and often forgettable small-screen product. While I recignize that the original ST was a masterpiece, I believe that the crappiness of later products dilutes the overall quality of the property. The same is at work with Star Wars, of course, but ST's sheer volume (as some have mentioned here) trumps SW in this regard as well.
Furthermore, you have the second-greatest movie villain of all time in Darth Vader (behind only Sheriff Buford T. Justice of Smokey and the Bandit).
I, for one, thought Yoda's light saber scene was overrated and rather unbelievable (in a literal sense). I think that perhaps the biggest badass in the Star Wars universe was Mace Windu, who had "BMF" (for "Bad Mutha F*cka") engraved on his saber.

Of course, both Star Trek and Star Wars are waaaaay better than Fleetwood Mac.

[Olympic Fan]

This thread has got to be something that Cliff and Norm and the guys argued over beer at Cheers (Sweatiest movie? Cool Hand Luke!)

Well, as a confirmed geek, put me in the Star Trek column. I did like the early Star Wars, but they lost me midway through No. 3 (or is it No. 6) -- anyway, when the Ewoks showed up (I could see the price tags from the merchandising tie-ins hanging down).

I've never been sure whether Star Wars merely went to cr*p or if I outgrew it. Star Trek, on the other hand, has never gotten old. I would rank it:

1. TNG
2. TOS
3. Deep Space Nine
4. Movies 2-4-6
5. Enterprise
6. Movies 1-3
7. Voyager
8. The rest of the movies

Star Wars was good, old-fashioned space opera until it dissolved into thinly disguised political parallel. I love the original music and the special effects are largely superior.

Star Trek, because there's so much of it, contains an awful lot of drivel. But it also includes a myriad of textured, complex characters and some REAL science fiction. At its best -- City on the Edge of Forever; Yesterday's Enterprise; Best of Both Worlds; Inner Light; and the grossly underrated DS9 Episode Far Beyond the Stars -- Star Trek is as good as sci fi ever created for TV or film.

There is also some wonderful comedy ... was anything in the Star Wars universe as funny as The Trouble with Tribbles or the DS9 followup, Trials and Tribulations, or the episode (I can't remember the title) when the Willie Mays baseball card Jake is trying to buy for his father's birthday becomes the key to an intersteller conspiracy?

As for the captains -- I'm a Picard man. He functions more like a REAL starship captain would function -- someone whose mission is to explore and learn and not take every excuse to fight. Kirk was fun, but the idea that a starship captain would abandon his command every week to lead an away party is pretty irresponsible. I almost admire Sisko -- great job in an impossible situation.

BTW: James T. Kirk is one of two major TV characters with the middle name Tiberius. Anybody care to guess at the identity of the other?

[EarlJam]

BTW: James T. Kirk is one of two major TV characters with the middle name Tiberius. Anybody care to guess at the identity of the other?

Fred T. Flintstone?

[EarlJam]

Fred T. Flintstone?

Okay, joking, but that's a great trivia question so I'll take a serious (non-Googled) stab at it:

T.J. Hooker?

-EarlJam

[knights68]

BTW: James T. Kirk is one of two major TV characters with the middle name Tiberius. Anybody care to guess at the identity of the other?

Was it Capn't Pike?
I dunno, I haven't googled it yet.

[knights68]

I have the answer, but will withhold it simply for entertainment value to see how many others guess this answer.

[The Gordog]

This thread has got to be something that Cliff and Norm and the guys argued over beer at Cheers (Sweatiest movie? Cool Hand Luke!)

Well, as a confirmed geek, put me in the Star Trek column. I did like the early Star Wars, but they lost me midway through No. 3 (or is it No. 6) -- anyway, when the Ewoks showed up (I could see the price tags from the merchandising tie-ins hanging down).

I've never been sure whether Star Wars merely went to cr*p or if I outgrew it. Star Trek, on the other hand, has never gotten old. I would rank it:

1. TNG
2. TOS
3. Deep Space Nine
4. Movies 2-4-6
5. Enterprise
6. Movies 1-3
7. Voyager
8. The rest of the movies

Star Wars was good, old-fashioned space opera until it dissolved into thinly disguised political parallel. I love the original music and the special effects are largely superior.

Star Trek, because there's so much of it, contains an awful lot of drivel. But it also includes a myriad of textured, complex characters and some REAL science fiction. At its best -- City on the Edge of Forever; Yesterday's Enterprise; Best of Both Worlds; Inner Light; and the grossly underrated DS9 Episode Far Beyond the Stars -- Star Trek is as good as sci fi ever created for TV or film.

There is also some wonderful comedy ... was anything in the Star Wars universe as funny as The Trouble with Tribbles or the DS9 followup, Trials and Tribulations, or the episode (I can't remember the title) when the Willie Mays baseball card Jake is trying to buy for his father's birthday becomes the key to an intersteller conspiracy?

As for the captains -- I'm a Picard man. He functions more like a REAL starship captain would function -- someone whose mission is to explore and learn and not take every excuse to fight. Kirk was fun, but the idea that a starship captain would abandon his command every week to lead an away party is pretty irresponsible. I almost admire Sisko -- great job in an impossible situation.

BTW: James T. Kirk is one of two major TV characters with the middle name Tiberius. Anybody care to guess at the identity of the other?

I agree with all of this except your ranking of the movies/series which I can't intermingle. Here's my take:

Series:
TNG
TOS
DS9
Voyager
Enterprise (I'll admit I didn't watch much before giving up on it. It may very well be better than Voyager.)

Movies:
2 (The Wrath of Khan)
8 (First Contact)
6 (The Undiscovered Country)
7 (Generations)
4 (The Voyage Home)
3 (The Search for Spock)
9 (Insurrection)
10 (Nemesis)
1 (The Motion Picture)
5 (Where No Man Has Gone Before)(The One Shatner Directed)

[Bluedawg]

Which do you like and why?

Is it the special effects? or is it the characters?..the lovible Chewie or the ever evolving Data. The romance between Riker and Troy or Leia and Han? Lightsabers or Phasers? And lets not forget the musical score of both...

What are your thoughts?

I love all of the Star Treks. When I look at the old star wars movies i realize how bad the dialog really was.


http://www.blam1.com/StarTrek/images/StarTrekLDMenu.jpg

[OZZIE4DUKE]

If we were only counting movies SW would win hands down as ST has had only one great (Wrath of Kahn) and several bad (The Voyage Home, Final Frontier).

Oh and Benjamin Sisco could kick both Kirk and Rikers at the same time.

The Voyage Home bad? Are you kidding me? The subtle tongue in cheek humor throughout that movie made it the best one of the series, certainly the most enjoyable. It didn't have the action and suspense of Wrath of Kahn, which I would rank as my second favorite, but if I could only watch one, it would be Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home.

[Olympic Fan]

Since nobody has answered by trivia, I thought I'd give the answer. There was a hint in my original post when I talked about this thread being like a debate at Cheers.

Cheers bartender Woodrow "Woody" Boyd's middle name was Tiberius, the same as captain James Tiberius Kirk.

And BTW, I definitely agree that Star Trek Movie No. 4 -- The Voyage Home -- was one of the best films of the series. The humor was terrific and it explored a very interesting theme (no, I'm not talking about save the whales).

In Wrath of Khan, Spock sacrificed himself to save his shipmates. The theme was a very basic one that we all understand -- The good of the many is more important than the good of the one.

That's very true, but at the same time, it's not enough. Taken to its extreme, that thinking leads to a "1984" or a "Nazi" state -- the good of the state (the many) is more important than the good of the one (the individual).

I think it was Emerson who suggested that the test of true intelligence is the ability to hold two contradictory ideas at the same time. Well, that's what Trek does in movies 3 and 4. They follow the declaration of Movie 2 with an illustration of the contradictory point -- the good of the one is more important than the good of the many.

In three, the crew risk their careers to save Spock and in 4 they risk their mission to save Checkov. The whales may be a somewhat heavy-handed parable -- their extinction may seem like a small thing, but it could have terrible consequences. They illustrate a case where protection of the one (or the few) is actually in the long-term interest of the many.

That's true in many cases. It's an issue we deal with all the time.

For instance, last night I'm watching MSNBC and they're debating the wisdom of continuing the rescue attempt for the nine trapped miners in Utah. They're probably dead and three rescuers have been killed going after them. In this case, which principle applies -- the good of the many? of the good of the few? Is it worth risking more lives on the faint chance that one or two might be alive?

It's a terrible dilemma in real life that I think Star Trek wrestled with in fiction.

[alteran]

Ummmmm... this should not be a question. The answer is clearly Stars Wars. I'll take the former for all the points above.

"Yes, your highnessness."
"I am not a committee!"
"I love you" ... "I know."

And the music just simply blows ST out of the water and 300 miles inland.

All Han Solo, or Han Solo-related.

This is totally a chocolate versus vanilla argument-- one likes what one likes.

I'm sorry, but the last three episodes of Star Wars were pretty vanilla to me-- give me the chocolate!

[alteran]

When I look at the old star wars movies i realize how bad the dialog really was.

LUKE (WHINING): But I was going into Toshi Station to pick up some power converters!
OWEN: You can waste time with your friends when your chores are done. Now come on, get to it!

That clanged in my mind when I first heard it at age twelve, and it hasn't improved with age.