Star Trek vs Star Wars (Ultimate Nerd Showdown)

The notion of having an argument comparing two sci-fi juggernauts on their merit of being superior to one another is ludicrous. Every nerd in America will agree with the points that you made regarding Star Wars for it's common knowledge that the saga has run out of steam in recent years. What you fail to realize however is that the powerhouse known as Star Wars was never intended for adults while Star Trek explicitly was. As the fans who grew older, they expected the movies to grow with them in plot maturity. When the prequels were released, they were saddened to see that the movies were made this generation's children and not them. Comparing these two factions of sci-fi is like comparing Harry Potter and The Wizard of Oz, sure they're both fantasy, but that's where the comparison ends. 1)Star Trek has reinvented itself successfully time and again, while Star Wars has only gotten worse. 1. You are argue that Star Wars capitalized on the space race of the era when truthfully the space race ended in 1975, a full two years after A New Hope was released. Sure, space was still a hot topic, but not nearly as publicized during that time. Compare this to Star Trek which debuted in 1966 during the height of the Space Race and you can clearly see which series capitalized on the era. 2. The 2009 reboot of Star Trek may have paid great "homage to the original Star Trek characters" in some aspects, but ultimately it destroyed the continuity of the original series and showed that the Star Trek universe is non-consequential. One film proved that forty years of history could be rewritten within a two hour film. 3. While Star Trek may have had one film to showcase its self-reinvention, Star Wars has had 30 years of continued success through films, tv shows, merchandising and a dedicated fan base. While fans may not agree on the merits of the prequels, Lucas proved that he was reinventing his universe for a brand new generation by targeting the demographic he initially found success with. Sure Jar Jar Binks is one of the worst characters in movie history and Anakin Skywalker had amazingly terrible dialogue, but if you really watch the OT, you'll notice that the characters were just as cheesy and Mark Hamill's acting wasn't much better, Lucas was merely paying homage to him. Conclusion: You argue that Star Trek has reinvented itself while Star Wars has not. I argue the opposite in the fact that Star Wars is reinventing itself to a brand new generation of children through a TV show, action figures and novels. 2) "A long time ago, in a galaxy far away" isn't as compelling as "Boldly going where no man has gone before". This point has no relevance as to what saga is better. If you really get down to it, Star Wars is more of a projection of humanity than Star Trek by showcasing the policies that govern a nation/universe. Sure, Trek embodies the explorer characteristics in which this nation was founded on, Star Wars details the way a civilized land is run. Again, this point has no relevance to the argument. 3) The-Nerd-Factor You argue that "Star Wars fans have a rich and noble tradition of nose bleeds and masking taped glasses, but this heritage has been lost to the endless oceans of elementary school lunch boxes, rated E video games, and child sized haloween costumes. In short, Star Wars is now a sci-fi for little kids." You fail to realize that Star Wars has always been a sci-fi for little kids. Do you think it's a new fad for there to be merchandising for this series? Of course not! Han Solo was supposed to die in Empire Strikes Back. That's right, Irvin Kershner wanted to kill him off in the carbonite chamber on Cloud City. However, Lucas wouldn't let him because he wanted to make more action figures for Han Solo was one of the most popular. The fact that there is now a Cartoon Network animated series for Star Wars doesn't damper this nerd factor, it enhances it, as well as the credibility of Star Wars. You see, the series has never tried to be something it isn't, it's continued for 30 years to be a child-oriented sci-fi program, an entry level saga. You can't knock it for maintaining mainstream success for all of these years! My arguments: 1) Star Trek Never Had A Memorable Villain That Has Permeated Mainstream Culture Sure, Star Trek had some great villainy in the form of Klingon and Borg, but there wasn't a single villain that permeated mainstream culture with a formidable presence. I now what you're thinking, what about KHAN?! Sure, Shatner screaming KHAAAAAAN as made the rounds on the internet for ages, but it's only for the lols. Now, Star Wars on the other hand has a villain so distinguished that the mere outline of his domed helmet and heavy breathing sends waves of nostalgia. Darth Vader is the epitome of a great villain and continues to resonate in the minds of all that have seen him on the big screen. Now, many may argue that his back story was muddied with the prequels and I'd have to agree, but I'm not talking about his back story, I'm just talking about his appearances in the OT and how great of a villain he truly was. 2) The Expanded Universe Is Lush If one is to truly argue the merits of Star Wars, the exanded universe (EU) needs to be brought up as it is just as much of the Star Wars canon as the movies. The novelization of this universe has created a lush and living environment that has thrilled millions of fans by telling stories of characters that weren't given enough screen time in the movies. Which brings me to my next point. 3) Boba Fett 'Nuff said.